Obs. exc. Hist. 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:—*þursaz:—OTeut. *þurisoz. 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 ʓe-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, 43 (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. 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.
