thurse Obs. exc. Hist.
(θɜːs)
Forms: 1 þyrs, 3 þurs(e, 4 thirs, 5 thursse, thyrce, thirse, thrus(se, thrusche, thrwsse, trusse, (6 thrust, 7–9 thrush, in hobthrush), 7– thurse.
[OE. þyrs = OHG. duris, turs, str. m. (MHG. dürse, türse, turse, wk. m.), OS. thuris the rune þ; ON. þurs:—*þursa{supz}:—OTeut. *þuriso{supz}. Cf. Finnish tursa-s sea-monster, from ON.]
A giant of heathen mythology; in mediæval times, often, the devil, a demon; later, a goblin or hobgoblin of rustic superstition.
| Beowulf 426 Ond nu wið Gren-del sceal wið þam aglæcan ana ᵹe-hegan ðing wið þyrse. c 725 Corpus Gloss. (O.E.T.) 1457 Orcus, ðyrs, heldiobul. a 1225 Leg. Kath. 1880 Com þe þurs Maxence, þe wed wulf, þe heaðene hund aȝein to his kineburh. a 1225 Juliana 42 (R. MS.) Beelzebub þe alde þurs of helle. 1382 Wyclif Isa. xxxiv. 15 Ther shal lyn lamya [Gloss., that is, a thirs, or a beste hauende the bodi lic a womman and horse feet]. ? a 1400 Morte Arth. 1100 Thykke theese as a thursse,..Greesse growene as a galte, fulle grylych he lukez! c 1440 Promp. Parv. 491/2 Thyrce, wykkyd spyryte (K. thirse, goste, S., A. tyrce). 1468 Medulla Gram. (Promp. Parv.) Dusius, i. demon, a thrusse, þe powke. c 1700 [see b]. [1886 Corbett Fall of Asgard (1889) I. 59 Never would land-wight, be he troll, thusse, vœtte, or dwarf, harm you.] |
b. Comb. thurse-hole, thurse-house: see quot. c 1700; thurse-louse, a wood-louse (see also thrush-louse and thurstlaas in Eng. Dial. Dict.).
| c 1450 St. Cuthbert (Surtees) 2180 A place with oute his cell, Now calde þe thrus house. 1658 J. Rowland Moufet's Theat. Ins. 1048 The English from the form call them Sowes... They are called also Thurslows..from a spirit that was not hurtful, to whom our Ancestors superstitiously imputed the sending of them to us. c 1700 Bp. Kennett Lansd. MS. 1033, lf. 396 A Thurse, an Apparition, a Goblin. Lanc... A Thurs-house or Thurse-hole, a hollow vault in a rock or stony hill... These were lookd on as enchanted holes. |