I personally have always had a different interpretation of Thurisaz, and with this deep dive it's interesting to see how my interpretation ties to what is to be revealed in this paper. Thurisaz has always been that of an amplifier to me; complete with a broken volume knob. Which is sometimes what the situation at hand needs. Whether it's quieter or louder we must trust the energies of the Rune to guide us. This article's goal of diving into the divinity of Thurisaz will attempt to focus on the more hidden aspects of Thurisaz; the aspects of nature and how it applies to said amplification and how it contributes to changing the world around us.
Most often we connect the nature aspect of Thurisaz to Thor’s mighty lightning as God of thunder and being an uncontrollable and powerful force that protects as much as it can hurt in any number of situations. This brought me to question that if we see Thurisaz as the uncontrollable power of lightning and lightning and a primal force of nature, then maybe it's more of a natural Rune then we've been previously led to believe. It was with this mindset I structured my ritual, this time not on a full moon but in the heart of a forest renowned for its being and legends by the first nations who call the area home.
The day of my utiseta was charged with a multitude of energies swirling through the air, but as I approached the trail entrance for the bluff everything decided to be shrouded in silence. The wind ceased, and the birds and insects' various calls dropped off as if everything decided to slumber at once. After taking in the utterly serene silence for what seemed like hours passing by I began the trek to find where I was called to sit multiple times and listen to the beings and messages of the land, and of Thurisaz itself. It was an arduous hike of clambering over boulders and natural steps gaining elevation with each step forward on the path. When I reached my first clearing the wind began to swirl and I felt the stirring sensation of words scrolling across my arms and face and so here I sat for the first of multiple times of my trek. This is where my utiseta began.
1.“Winds lift eagles wings,
in tandem hawks lean.
Wisdom of the winged
rings true, soaring through
to east and the west
Messages yet mirrored.
2. From east rise anew,
New days form new life.
Of air and of art.
Setting sun beckons.
Prepare for sage words
wisdom with seasons.
3. Follow the flight and
find, cold waters edge.
Peer with pensive sight
Into depths unknown.
Waves eroding time
emotive, mindful
craved by the countless.
4. Lapping at the rocks
waters words ring true.
Persist, claim your place.
Whether as boulder,
water, or great trees
be firm when fragile.
5. To be fragile is not
for the weak, but is
meant for the mighty.
Meek and calm brings change
in mind and in body.
Hold to your honor.
6. Stretch deep and reach high.
Grow, your canopy.
Give shade and shelter
reach roots ever deep.
Always reaching for
new knowledge kindled.
7. Much like the iceberg
soil incites secrets.
Waiting, yet wanting
to be known, unknown,
is the game it plays.
Stormy yet made sheer.
8. Sacred is the grove,
sacred is the self.
Guarded groves surprise
reveals the paths sought.
Learn of the stones. Know
the current. Know the
air swirling above.
Know heats reshaping
Thurisaz is there.”
This utiseta has made me reflect on how I personally interpret the Rune poems of old. When we read and compare the three versions; Norwegian, Icelandic, and the Anglo-Saxon translations it provokes some interesting revelations.
Norwegian
“Giant causes anguish to women;
misfortune makes few men cheerful.”
Icelandic-
“Giant
Torture of women
and cliff-dweller
and husband of a giantess.”
Anglo-Saxon-
“The thorn is exceedingly sharp,
an evil thing for any knight to touch,
uncommonly severe on all who sit among them.”
The Jötuns are chaotic forces of nature, the primordial forces of being. As much a part of nature as the landvættir. It makes sense then that the Jotun would bring anguish to all beings when taking in the time period with which these were written. Hunting was a key part of survival; and in part posed many dangers to life as well. How often would hunters of the time be lost to predators or environmental dangers such as extreme cold or a territorial beast. Extending from that, the line of misfortune makes few men cheerful can again be tied to nature and the challenges it presents. How many of us have had our day appear to be ruined by the onset of rain or storms; by extreme heat or by rising waters in this modern age. As you think about that, take in account the havoc that this misfortune would wreak on society at the time. When we read the infamous line of the thorn, of how it's evil to touch it conjures memories of briar bushes, poison ivy, and oak and the danger associated with them. It also brings to my mind the most classic example of thorns and nature and that is the rose. In a literary sense we see the trope of how love dismantles the main character's prior motivation and seemingly ruins the main character's duty and drive. This line also brings to my mind the classic phrase I took an arrow to the knee, a metaphor for a marriage proposal also comes to mind when reflecting on this line.
I wanted to discuss this very important piece of what Thurisaz seems to be as it directly ties to what the utiseta brought forth of Thurisaz and its true energy and meanings. Here's where I will most likely draw criticism and it's understandable; Thurisaz is not Thor's Rune. It is shared as a correspondence for Thor because he wields nature's fury in the most mighty of ways; but Thurisaz goes much deeper and is the Vanir, the Jötun, and the Landvættir personified. In short Thurisaz is the nature all around us and everything it contains. Thurisaz is the ebb and flow of Laguz and the emotions it heralds, it's the creativity and chaos from the fires of Kenaz. It is the erosion of time brought forth from the hidden things yet to be revealed by Perthro. Of the cattle, and beasts of the land found in Uruz. Thurisaz is growth and death and constant changes resulting in order from the ensuing disorder. When someone says trust in the universe, they can also say, “Trust in what Thurisaz brings.”
-Liagis
