Who Is Thiazi
Thiazi (often spelled Thjassi) is a jötunn famous for attacking the gods where they are most vulnerable. He does not storm Asgard with an army. Instead, he targets the source of the gods’ youth: Idunn and her apples. When Idunn is taken from Asgard, the gods begin to age, and panic spreads through the hall of the Aesir.
Thiazi is closely linked with the form of a great eagle. In this shape he is fast, predatory, and difficult to stop, which is why the myth becomes a pursuit through the sky rather than a simple battle on the ground.
The story is also a classic Loki episode. Loki creates the problem, then becomes the only one who can fix it, because Thiazi’s trap is built on threats, bargains, and a single perfect moment of theft.
Character and Nature
Eagle Form
Thiazi is most often pictured as a giant who can become a massive eagle, using height and speed to dominate his enemies.
Wilderness Power
He belongs to the harsh outer world of the giants, where cold, distance, and danger keep the gods from feeling secure.
Thief of Youth
By taking Idunn, Thiazi steals time itself, forcing the gods to face aging and weakness.
Thiazi in Norse Myth
The myth usually unfolds in a tight sequence of cause and effect:
- Odin, Loki, and Hoenir travel and try to cook food that will not boil.
- A giant eagle appears. It is Thiazi. He claims control over the fire and demands a share of the meal.
- Loki attacks the eagle and becomes stuck, dragged through the air until he agrees to a bargain.
- Loki returns to Asgard and tricks Idunn into leaving with her apples by promising rare fruit beyond the walls.
- Thiazi takes Idunn to his home. The gods begin to age and force Loki to fix the disaster.
- Loki borrows Freyja’s feather cloak, turns Idunn into a nut, and carries her back toward Asgard.
- Thiazi pursues as an eagle. The gods light a fire at the walls, burning his wings and killing him.
The rescue succeeds, but Thiazi’s death triggers consequences, as his family demands compensation and the gods are forced into an uneasy settlement with the giants.
Family and Connections
Thiazi’s best known connection is Skadi, who is often described as his daughter. After Thiazi is killed, Skadi comes to Asgard armed and furious, demanding repayment. The gods respond with negotiation, gifts, and marriage, turning revenge into a fragile peace.
- Skadi often named as Thiazi’s daughter, associated with winter, mountains, and vengeance.
- Idunn the goddess he abducts, keeper of the apples of youth.
- Loki forced into both betrayal and rescue.
- Freyja whose feather cloak enables the rescue.
Quick Facts
Associated Figures
Symbolism
Thiazi symbolizes the outer world’s power to threaten Asgard in unexpected ways. By taking Idunn, he shows that the gods’ strength depends on fragile sources of renewal. His myth also highlights the cycle of consequence: theft leads to rescue, rescue leads to death, and death leads to demands for compensation.