þurs

Þurs (plural þursar) is an Old Norse term for a type of giant or monstrous being in Norse mythology. In many passages it is used as a synonym of jötunn, the broader class of giants, though some texts treat þurs as a more specific or distinct subgroup.

Giants, including þursar, are frequently depicted as enemies of the gods (the Æsir and Vanir) and as inhabitants of Jötunheimr, the realm of the giants. A well-known subgroup are the frost giants, or hrímþursar, who figure prominently in myths about Thor and the cosmos.

Literary attestation comes from both the Poetic Edda and the Prose Edda, as well as later saga and skaldic sources. These works present numerous giants and often frame conflict between the gods and the giants as a central theme.

Etymology: The origin of the word is uncertain. It is typically reconstructed in Proto-Germanic as *þursaz and attested in Old Norse as þurs. The exact semantic development is debated, but the term consistently denotes a giant or mighty being within the mythic world.

Modern usage: In scholarly writing, 'þurs' is kept as a technical term for the Norse giant, and in translations of Icelandic texts it is sometimes anglicized as 'thurs' or left as 'þurs' to preserve the original term. In popular culture, giants from Norse myth are often referred to as jötnar or frost giants, depending on the context.