Thurisaz Rune Meaning
ᚦ · sound "th" · Freyr's ætt · name means giant (the Anglo-Saxon name means thorn)
protection, resistance, a sharp edge, pausing before acting
Upright meaning
Thurisaz is the thorn on the stem: a force that defends and resists, and can hurt if it is handled carelessly. It suggests pausing before you act, looking at what is in your way, and asking whether the obstacle might also be protecting something.
Reversed (merkstave)
Reversed, it can mirror reacting in haste, or catching yourself on the same sharp edge again and again. A slower, more deliberate approach may take the sting out of the situation.
Lore
The Old Norwegian and Old Icelandic poems call it þurs, a giant, one of the wild forces that trouble an ordered life, while the Anglo-Saxon poem names it þorn, a thorn that is cruel to anyone who grabs it. The rune lived on as the letter þ (thorn), which Icelandic still uses today.