ᚢ · sound “u” · Aurochs, the wild ox
Uruz (ᚢ) is rune 2 of the 24 runes of the Elder Futhark, in Freyr's aett. Its name means aurochs, the wild ox.
Raw strength and good health. A surge of vitality carries you through a hard task, and untamed potential is ready to be shaped into something.
Weakness, missed chances or force misapplied. Energy is low, or is being spent in bursts with no direction. Rest and rebuild before you push.
Trust your stamina, then aim it.
Uruz is named for the aurochs, the huge wild ox of prehistoric Europe, larger than most modern cattle and famously hard to hunt. The species died out when the last known animal was killed in Poland in 1627. Later rune poems remember the animal as fierce and untamed, which is where the rune's link to raw strength comes from.
Uruz asks how much strength you actually have and whether it is being used well. In a reading it usually speaks to health, stamina and the will to take on something difficult. It pairs naturally with runes of direction, because uruz supplies the force and something else has to supply the aim.