Jotun - Definition and Overview

In Norse mythology, Jotuns, Jötunn or Jotnar of Utgard, Jötunnheim were the race of Gods called giants (thurs), separated into categories such as frost giants (rime giants, hrimthurs), fire giants, sea giants and storm giants. The first race drowned in Ymir's blood, and were repopulated by Bergelmir.

The word jotun (pronounced "yo-tun") first appeared in Old English as yotun ("ee-yo-tun" or "yo-tun"), and eventually spawned the variants such as geottin ("ye-oh-tin" or "yet-tin"), eottan ("ee-yo-ten" or "et-ten"), and eontann ("ee-yon-ten" or "en-ten"), whence we get yettin (or yeti), ettin, and ent, respectively.

The thorn-rune ᚦ is called thurs "giant" in the Icelandic and Norwegian rune poems:

Þurs vældr kvinna kvillu;

kátr værðr fár af illu.

Giant causes anguish to women;

misfortune makes few men cheerful.

Þurs er kvenna kvöl

ok kletta búi

ok varðrúnar verr.

Saturnus þengill.

Thurs is torture of women

and cliff-dweller

and husband of a giantess.

In Anglo-Saxon England, the same rune was called thorn and it survives as the letter Þ.

List of giants:

1. Aegir
2. Baugi
3. Bergelmir
4. Bestla
5. Bolthorn
6. Geirrod
7. Gerd
8. Gilling
9. Gjalp
10. Greip
11. Gunnlod
12. Gymir
13. Hrod
14. Hrungnir
15. Hymir
16. Ivaldi
17. Jarnsaxa
18. Kari
19. Loki
20. Olvaldi
21. Skadi
22. Suttung
23. Thiazi
24. Thrudgelmir
25. Thrym
26. Utgardaloki
27. Vafthruthnir
28. Ymir