Difference between revisions of "Troll" - New World Encyclopedia

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[[Category:Mythical creatures]]
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[[Image:642px-John Bauer 1915.jpg|thumb|256px|Trolls with an abducted princess (John Bauer, 1915)]]
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The '''troll''' is a [[mythical creature]] of [[Scandinavia]]n origin that has become a popular staple in the realms of [[legend]], [[folklore]], and fantasy. One of the most anthropomorphic fantasy creatures, trolls have been depicted in vastly different ways. From their Scandinavian fairy tale roots, in such tales as ''Three Billy Goats Gruff'', trolls have achieved international recognition, and in modern fantasy literature and role-playing games, trolls are featured to the extent of being stock characters. Generally considered somewhat dangerous, whether through their larger than human size and strength or through more [[magic]]al means, trolls are recognizably similar to human beings. A school of thought has it that the mythical trolls originated in knowledge, if not memories, of [[Neanderthal]] humans. Whatever their origin, trolls represent that which is somewhat peculiar and different, yet hauntingly similar to ourselves. Efforts to depict trolls in [[literature]], [[art]], [[music]], and other cultural forms, may reflect our desire to embrace, yet at the same time fearing, those who are different.
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{{toc}}
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==Overview==
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Throughout the ages, the differing renditions of '''trolls''' has fallen into two distinct categories. The first is that of the forest or mountain troll, a large, brutish, and dumb creature that resembles a disproportionately giant human. Often these creatures have exaggerated facial structures, such as jutting lower jaws and protruding brows, similar to the [[stereotype|stereotypical]] image of a [[Neanderthal]].
  
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{{Two other uses|the trolls of folklore|Wikipedia trolls|Wikipedia:What is a troll}}
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The other type of troll is said to live underground, or in deep caves and caverns. They are smaller, sometimes smaller than humans, and often have disproportionately smaller features, such as short stubby arms and legs, although they tend to have a fatter abdomen. Trolls of this type are often uglier and depicted as gross-looking, slimy being a favorite adjective as a common reaction to things that dwell in underground and dark places.
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A '''troll''' is a fearsome member of a [[Mythology|myth]]ical anthropomorph race from Scandinavia. Their role ranges from fiendish giants – similar to the [[ogre]]s of England – to a devious, more human-like folk of the wilderness, living underground in hills, caves or mounds. In [[Orkney]] and [[Shetland]] tales, trolls are called [[Trow (folklore)|trows]], adopted from the Norse language when these islands were settled by [[Vikings]].
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[[Image:Trollet som grunner på hvor gammelt det er.jpg|thumb|240px|Troll pondering its age (Theodor Kittelsen, 1911)]]
  
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Nordic literature, art and music from the [[romanticism|romantic era]] and onwards has adapted trolls in various manners – often in the form of an aboriginal race, endowed with oversized ears and noses. From here, as well as from Scandinavian fairy tales such as [[Three Billy Goats Gruff]], trolls have achieved international recognition, and in modern [[fantasy]] literature and role-playing games, trolls are featured to the extent of being [[stock characters]].
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==Etymology==
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The meaning of the word "troll" is uncertain. It might have had the originally meaning of "[[supernatural]]" or "[[Magic (paranormal)|magical]]" with an overlay of "malignant" and "perilous." Another likely suggestion is that it means "someone who behaves violently." In old [[Sweden|Swedish]] law, ''trolleri'' was a particular kind of magic intended to do harm. It should be noted that [[North Germanic languages|North Germanic]] terms such as ''trolldom'' ([[witchcraft]]) and ''trolla/trylle'' (perform magic tricks) in modern Scandinavian languages do not imply any connection with the mythical beings. Moreover, in the sources for [[Norse mythology]], "troll" can signify any uncanny being, including but not restricted to the Norse giants (''jötnar'').
  
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==Scandinavian folklore==
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The ambiguous original sense of the word "troll" appears to have lived on for some time after the Old Norse literature was documented. This can be seen in terms such as ''sjötrollet'' (the sea troll) as a synonym for ''havsmannen'' (the sea man)—a protective spirit of the sea and a sort of male counterpart to the female ''sjörå''.
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[[image:Troll_woman.gif|thumb|A troll woman meets a man in the forest. She looks like a young farmer woman, but her tail is peeking out under her skirt. From ''Svenska folksägner'' (1882).]]
 
  
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[[Image:naturaltroll1.jpg|thumb|Stones with roughly man-like features could be explained by folklore as trolls petrified by sunlight or curses. This one can be seen on [[Hamarøy]], [[Norway]].]]
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==Origins==
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Some scientists, such as Spanish [[paleoanthropology|paleoanthropologist]] [[Juan Luis Arsuaga]], have theorized based on [[fossil]] evidence that [[Neanderthal]]s and [[Cro-Magnon]]s occupied the same area of [[Europe]] at the same time.<ref>"The Neanderthal's Necklace." Four Walls Eight Windows. 2002.</ref> The distinguished Swedish-speaking [[Finland|Finnish]] [[paleontology|paleontologist]] [[Björn Kurtén]] has entertained and expanded this theory to determine that trolls are a distant memory of an encounter with Neanderthals by our Cro-Magnon ancestors some 40,000 years ago during their migration into northern Europe.<ref>Alba, Stockholm. 1978. "Dance of The Tiger: An Ice Age Story" ("Den Svarta Tigern").</ref> The problem with this theory is that neither Neanderthals nor Cro-Magnons existed in this part of Europe during the [[ice-age]]. Most of Scandinavia was covered by a large [[glacier]] and the area was not occupied until much later.
  
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The meaning of the word ''troll'' is uncertain. It might have had the originally meaning of ''[[supernatural]]'' or ''[[Magic (paranormal)|magical]]'' with an overlay of ''malignant'' and ''perilous''. Another likely suggestion is that it means "someone who behaves violently". In old Swedish law, ''trolleri'' was a particular kind of magic intended to do harm. It should be noted that [[North Germanic languages|North Germanic]] terms such as ''trolldom'' ([[witchcraft]]) and ''trolla/trylle'' (perform  magic tricks) in modern Scandinavian languages does not imply any connection with the mythical beings. Moreover, in the sources for [[Norse mythology]], ''troll'' can signify any uncanny being, including but not restricted to the Norse giants (''[[jotun|jötnar]]'').
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Another explanation for the troll myth is that the trolls represent the remains of the forefather-cult which was ubiquitous in [[Scandinavia]] until the introduction of [[Christianity]] in the tenth and eleventh centuries. In this cult the forefathers were worshiped in sacred groves, by altars, or by grave mounds. One of the customs associated with this practice was to sit on top of a grave mound at night, possibly in order to make contact with the deceased. With the introduction of Christianity however, the religious elite sought to demonize the [[paganism|pagan]] cult, and denounced the forefathers as evil. For instance, according to Magnus Håkonsen's laws from 1276, it is illegal to attempt to wake the "mound-dwellers." It is in these laws that the word "troll" appeared for the first time, denoting something heathen and generally unfavorable. This fits with the trolls in Norse sagas who are often the restless dead, to be wrestled with or otherwise laid to rest.
  
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In ''[[Skáldskaparmál]]'', the poet [[Bragi Boddason]] encounters a troll-woman who hails him with this verse (in [[Old Norse]]):
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It is possible that both of these theories hold validity. Since there have been assertions that legends of [[dragon]]s were based on ancient cultures discovering [[dinosaur]] bones, then it is possible that early man had some knowledge of Neanderthals and incorporated them into myth. The [[physiology]] of trolls, outside of the exaggerated size, does correlate to how Neanderthals probably looked. However, the forefathers’ theory holds just as much validity, and as with determining any beliefs of ancient cultures, there may be more than one source.
  
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==Types of Trolls==
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Gradually throughout [[Norse]] culture, we can discern the forming of two main traditions regarding the use of "troll." In the first tradition, the troll is large, brutish and a direct descendant from the Norse ''jötnar''. They are often described as ugly or having beastly features like tusks or cyclopic eyes. This is the tradition which has come to dominate [[fairy tale]]s and [[legend]]s, but it is also the prominent concept of troll in [[Norway]]. In ''Skáldskaparmál'', the poet [[Bragi Boddason]] encounters a troll-woman who hails him with this verse (in [[Old Norse]]):
 
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:What is a Troll but that? [http://www.sacred-texts.com/neu/celt/tnm/tnm02.htm]
 
:What is a Troll but that? [http://www.sacred-texts.com/neu/celt/tnm/tnm02.htm]
 
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[[Image:Theodor Kittelsen - Skogtroll, 1906 (Forest Troll).jpg|thumb|200 px|''Forest troll'' (Theodor Kittelsen, 1906)]]
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The second tradition is most prominent in southern Scandinavia. They are usually small, mysterious creatures that live in dark dwellings and are mischievous. Often than not, the trolls kept themselves invisible, and then they could travel on the winds, such as the wind-troll ''Ysätters-Kajsa'', or sneak into human homes. Whereas the large, [[ogre]]-like trolls often appear as a solitary being, the "small" trolls were thought to be social beings who lived together, much like humans except out in the forest. They kept animals, cooked and baked, were excellent at crafts, and held great feasts.
  
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The ambiguous original sense of the word ''troll'' appears to have lived on for some time after the Old Norse literature was documented. This can be seen in terms such as ''sjötrollet'' (the sea troll) as a synonym for ''havsmannen'' (the sea man) – a protective spirit of the sea and a sort of male counterpart to the female ''sjörå'' (see [[huldra]]).
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Like many other species in Scandinavian folklore, these trolls were said to reside in underground complexes, accessible from underneath large boulders in the forests or in the mountains. These boulders could be raised upon pillars of [[gold]]. In their living quarters, they hoarded gold and treasures. Opinion varied as to whether or not the trolls were thoroughly bad, but often they treated people as they were treated. Trolls could cause great harm if vindictive or playful, though, and regardless of other things they were always heathen. Trolls were also great thieves, and liked to steal from the food that the farmers had stored. They could enter the homes invisibly during feasts and eat from the plates so that there was not enough food, or spoil the making of beer and bread so that it failed or did not become plentiful enough.
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[[Image:God kväll, farbror! Hälsade pojken.jpg|thumb|250px|left|''Good evening, old man! the boy greeted'' (John Bauer, 1915)]]
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There are many places in [[Scandinavia]] that are named after trolls, such as the [[Sweden|Swedish]] town [[Trollhättan]] (Troll's bonnet) and the legendary mountain [[Trollkyrka]] (Troll church). The most famous in Norway are [[Trollfjorden]], [[Trollheimen]], [[Trollhetta]], [[Trollstigen]], [[Trolltindan]] and [[Trollveggen]].
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The following excerpts from the [[Denmark|Danish]] ''Ballad of Eline of Villenskov'' describes the physical aspects of trolls within Scandinavian mythology:
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Gradually, we can discern the forming of two main traditions regarding the use of ''troll''. In the first tradition, the troll is large, brutish and a direct descendant from the Norse ''jötnar''. They are often described as ugly or having beastly features like tusks or cyclopic eyes. This is the tradition which has come to dominate fairy tales and legends (see below), but it is also the prominent concept of ''troll'' in [[Norway]]. As a rule of thumb, what would be called a "troll" in Norway would in Denmark and Sweden be a "giant" (''jætte'' or ''jätte'', derived from ''jötunn'').
 
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In some Norwegian accounts, such as the middle age ballade ''Åsmund Frægdegjevar'' [http://www.dokpro.uio.no/ballader/lister/alfa_titler/tittel_326.html], the trolls live in a far northern land called ''Trollebotten'' – the concept and location of which seems to coincide with the Old Norse ''[[Jotunheim|Jötunheimr]]''.
 
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The second tradition is most prominent in southern Scandinavia. Reversely, what would be called ''trolls'' in southern Sweden and Denmark would be called ''huldrefolk'' in Norway and ''vitterfolk'' in northern Sweden (see [[wight]]). The south-Scandinavian term probably originate in a generalization of the terms ''haugtrold'' (mound-troll) or ''bergtroll'' (mountain-troll), as trolls in this tradition are residents of the underground.
 
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These trolls are very human-like in appearance. Sometimes they had a tail hidden in their clothing, but even that is not a definite. A frequent way of telling a human-looking troll in folklore is instead to look at what it is wearing: Troll women in particular were often too elegantly dressed to be human women moving around in the forest.
 
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More often than not, though, the trolls kept themselves invisible, and then they could travel on the winds, such as the wind-troll [[Ysätters-Kajsa]], or sneak into human homes. Sometimes you could only hear them speak, shout and make noise, or the sound of their cattle. Similarly, if you were out in the forest and smelled food cooking, you knew you were near a troll dwelling. The trolls were also great shapeshifters, taking shapes of objects like fallen logs or animals like cats and dogs. A fairly frequent notion is that the trolls liked to appear as rolling balls of yarn.
 
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Whereas the large, ogrish trolls often appear as a solitary being, the "small" trolls were thought to be social beings who lived together, much like humans except out in the forest. They kept animals, cooked and baked, were excellent at crafts and held great feasts. Like many other species in Scandinavian folklore, they were said to reside in underground complexes, accessible from underneath large boulders in the forests or in the mountains. These boulders could be raised upon pillars of [[gold]]. In their living quarters, they hoard gold and treasures. Opinion varied as to whether or not the trolls were thoroughly bad or not, but often they treated people as they were treated. Trolls could cause great harm if vindictive or playful, though, and regardless of other things they were always heathen. Trolls were also great thieves, and liked to steal from the food that the farmers had stored. They could enter the homes invisibly during feasts and eat from the plates so that there was not enough food, or spoil the making of beer and bread so that it failed or did not end up plentiful enough.
 
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The trolls sometimes abducted people to live as slaves or at least prisoners among them. These poor souls were known as ''bergtagna'' ("those taken to/by the mountain"), which also is the Scandinavian word for having been ''spirited away''. To be ''bergtagen'' does not only refer to the disappearance of the person, but also that upon returning, he or she has been struck with insanity or apathy caused by the trolls. Anyone could be taken by the trolls, even cattle, but at the greatest risk were women who had given birth but not yet been taken back to the church.
 
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Occasionally, the trolls would even steal a new-born baby, leaving their own offspring – a ''(bort)byting'' ("[[changeling]]") – in return.
 
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To ward off the trolls you could always trust in [[Christianity]]: Church bells, a cross or even words like "Jesus" or "Christ" would work against them. Like other Scandinavian folklore creatures they also feared steel. Apart from that they were hunted by [[Thor]], one of the last remnants of the old [[Norse mythology]], who threw [[Mjolnir]], his hammer, causing lightning bolts to kill them. Though Mjolnir was supposed to return to Thor after throwing, these hammers could later be found in the earth (actually [[Stone Age]] axes) and be used as protective talismans.
 
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===Fairytales and legends===
 
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While the everyday folklore consisted mostly of short anecdotes describing things that had (supposedly) happened to local people, fairytales are narratives that rarely claim to be true in the same way. Many of the fairytales featuring trolls were written in the late 19th century to early 20th century, reflecting the [[neo-romanticism|romanticism]] of the time, and published in fairytale collections like [[Tomtar och Troll]]. These tales, and illustrations by artists like [[John Bauer]] and [[Theodor Kittelsen]], would come to form the ideas most people have of trolls today.
 
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Legends from the [[Middle Ages]] and earlier also feature a kind of trolls of more horrifying dimensions. This might reflect a past view of trolls as distinctly bad creatures that would soften in later folklore (see the above), or just be another example of fantastic tales demanding fantastic dimensions.
 
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In fairytales and legends trolls are less the people living next to humans and more frightening creatures. Particularly in these tales they come in any size and can be as huge as [[giant (mythology)|giants]] or as small as [[dwarves]]. They are often regarded as having poor intellect (especially the males, whereas the females, ''trollkonor'', may be quite cunning), great strength, big noses, long arms, and as being hairy and not very beautiful (Once again, females often constitute the exception, with female trolls frequently being quite comely). In [[Scandinavia]]n [[fairy tales]] trolls sometimes turn to stone if exposed to sunlight, a myth generally attributed to [[pareidolia]] found in naturally eroded rock outcrops.
 
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[[Asbjørnsen and Moe]]'s collection feature a number of traditional fairy tales where trolls hold princesses captive, such as ''[[The Three Princesses of Whiteland]]'', ''[[Soria Moria Castle]]'', and ''[[Dapplegrim]]'', and two where trolls invade homes on [[Christmas Eve]] to make merry, ''[[Tatterhood]]'' and ''[[The Cat on the Dovrefell]]''.  Female trolls may conspire to force the prince to marry their daughters, as in ''[[East of the Sun and West of the Moon]]'', or practice witchcraft, as in ''[[The Witch in the Stone Boat]]'', where a troll usurps a queen's place, or ''[[The Twelve Wild Ducks]]'', where she turns twelve princes into wild ducks.  In other tales, the hero matches wits with the troll:  ''[[Boots and the Troll]]'', and ''[[Boots Who Ate a Match With the Troll]]''.
 
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The following excerpts from the Danish Ballad of Eline of Villenskov describe the physical aspects of trolls within Scandinavian mythology:
 
  
 
:''There were seven and a hundred Trolls,''
 
:''There were seven and a hundred Trolls,''
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:''No bigger than an emmet was he,''
 
:''No bigger than an emmet was he,''
 
:''Hither is come a Christian man,''
 
:''Hither is come a Christian man,''
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:''And manage him will I surelie.''
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:''And manage him will I surelie''
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==Origin of the myth==
 
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In the genre of [[paleofiction]], the distinguished Swedish-speaking [[Finland|Finnish]] [[paleontology|paleontologist]] [[Björn Kurtén]] has entertained the theory (e.g. in ''[[Dance of the Tiger]]'') that trolls are a distant memory of an encounter with [[Neanderthals]] by our [[Cro-Magnon]] ancestors some 40,000 years ago during their migration into northern Europe.  Spanish paleoanthropologist [[Juan Luis Arsuaga]] provides evidence for these types of encounters in his book, ''The Neanderthal's Necklace''.  The theory that Neanderthals and Cro-Magnons occupied the same area of Europe at the same time in history has been theorized based on [[fossil]] evidence. Other researchers believe that they just refer to neighboring tribes. The problem with this theory is that neither Neanderthals or Cro-Magnons existed in this part of Europe during the ice-age. Most of Scandinavia was covered by a large glacier and the area was not occupied until much later.
 
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A more plausible explanation for the troll myth, is that the trolls represent the remains of the forefather-cult which was ubiquitous in Scandinavia until the introduction of Christianity in the 10th and 11th centuries. In this cult the forefathers were worshipped in sacred groves, by altars or by gravemounds. One of the customs associated with this practice was to sit on top of a gravemound at night, possibly in order to make contact with the deceased. With the introduction of Christianity however, the religious elite sought to demonize the pagan cult, and denounced the forefathers as evil. For instance, according to Magnus Håkonsen's laws from 1276 it is illegal to attempt to wake the "mound-dwellers". It is in these laws that the word troll appears for the first time, denoting something heathen and generally unfavourable.
 
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This fits with the trolls in Norse sagas who are often the restless dead, to be wrestled with or otherwise laid to rest.
 
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==Nordic art, music and literature==
 
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[[Edvard Grieg]], the most important Norwegian composer of the later 19th century, wrote several pieces on trolls, including a score based on Henrik Ibsen's Peer Gynt, with the famous ''[[In the Hall of the Mountain King]]'', and ''[[March Of The Trolls]]''.  Regarding his motivations, Grieg wrote: "The peculiar in life was what made me wild and mad...dwarf power and untamed wildness...audacious and bizarre fantasy." Grieg's former home, [[Troldhaugen]] ("The Troll's Hill"), is now a museum. [http://www.naxos.com/mainsite/default.asp?pn=Composers&char=G&ComposerID=432][http://www.naxos.com/scripts/newreleases/blurbs_reviews.asp?catNum=5110060&filetype=About%20this%20Recording&language=English]
 
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Like Grieg, conductor [[Johan Halvorsen]] was a nationalist Norwegian composer.  He wrote, ''The Princess and the Giant Troll'', ''The Trolls enter the Blue Mountain'', and ''Dance of the Little Trolls''.
 
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[[Geirr Tveitt]] was heavily influenced by Grieg's [[romanticism]] and cultural exploration of [[Scandinavian folklore]] and Norwegian folk-music.  Tveitt's ''[[Troll Tunes]]'', includes works such as ''Troll-Tuned Hardanger Fiddle'', and ''The Boy With The Troll-Treasure''.  Tragically, 80% of Tveitt's oeuvre was destroyed in a fire.
 
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In [[Sweden|Swedish]] children's literature, trolls are not naturally evil, but primitive and misunderstood. Their misdeeds are due to a combination of basic and common human traits, such as envy, pride, greed, naïveté, ignorance and stupidity. In some early 20th century fairy tales, by [[Elsa Beskow]], trolls are also depicted as an aboriginal race of hunters and gatherers who are fleeing the encroaching human civilisation. Where man makes a road, the trolls disappear.
 
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Young [[Scandinavia|Scandinavian]] children usually understand the concept of trolls, and a way to teach children to brush their teeth is to tell them to get rid of the very small "tooth trolls" that otherwise will make holes in their teeth. This is a [[lie-to-children|pedagogic device]] used to explain [[bacterium|bacteria]] by the Norwegian author [[Thorbjørn Egner]] in his story ''Karius and Baktus''.
 
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The [[Finland Swedish|Swedish-speaking Finnish]] author [[Tove Jansson]] has reached a world-wide audience with her [[Moomin]]trolls.
 
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There is some speculation that the famous story ''[[Rumpelstiltskin]]'' originated from a troll folk tale which bears many similarities.  While the original story of the troll involves a preacher contracting a troll to build a church as opposed to a woman needing to spin straw into gold, the central element of a bargain which is satisfied by guessing the name of the involved party, and the subsequent death of the troll or being whose name is guessed is central to both stories. (see [[Fin (troll)]])
 
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==Modern fantasy==
 
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Today there are many depictions of trolls in [[fantasy]], which often differ. Most of them depicts them as large, brutal but sentient creatures, usually taller than humans, but their posture is more crouchy and lanky. They are similar to ogres, but are less bulky than them. In some desciptions they have boar-like tusks and green to brown skin. Sometimes trolls are considered canibalistic and beast like, and are rarely or never seen in human societies.
 
  
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===Differences between trolls in modern fantasy===
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Like other Scandinavian folklore creatures they also feared [[steel]]. According to the stories, they were hunted by [[Thor]], who threw ''Mjolnir'', his hammer, causing lightning bolts to kill them. Though ''Mjolnir'' was supposed to return to Thor after being thrown, these hammers could later be found in the earth (actually [[Stone Age]] axes) and were used as protective [[amulet|talismans]].
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In [[Warcraft]], [[Troll (Warcraft)|trolls]] are depicted as a race of tall, although often crouching, lanky humanoids. They vary in colour, with boar-like tusks protruding of the lower part of their jaws. Many Trolls sport natural [[Mohawk hairstyle|Mohawks]] in every colour imaginable. While some trolls appear well muscled, some others appear quite lithe. All breeds are tall and stand approximately 7.5 feet in height. The females are less muscled than the males and have less conspicuous tusks. [[Troll (Warcraft)|Trolls]] in [[Warcraft]] have amazing regenerative powers, to the extent that they can regenerate a limb. It is believed that the trolls and the elves share a common, though forgotten ancestor.
 
  
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The [[Troll (Discworld)|trolls]] in the [[Discworld]] series, written by [[Terry Pratchett]], are a race of nocturnal silicon based creatures (i.e. made of stone), and have teeth made of diamonds. They feed on stones and sometimes human, but the habit of eating people is becoming more and more rare in the present days of the Discworld, especially in the cities such as [[Ankh Morpork]]. Their strength is much greater than that of an average human, and though they are generally thought as a stupid race, their intelligence improves the cooler the temperature and in freezing climates can be quite bright. In the mixed racial societies of Discworld, Trolls have become useful members of society, working particularly in manual labour and jobs in freezing conditions. The natural amusement amongst the Trolls is to hit each other in the head or play some sort of football with human heads, as well as continue their ages long feud with [[Dwarves]].
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==Cultural Variations and Usages==
  
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There are also brief mentions in [[Artemis Fowl]] of trolls in Book 1. There troll are described as more powerful than any human, and capable of butchering and devouring anything they encounter.
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Legends from the [[Middle Ages]] feature trolls of horrifying and even [[satan]]ic proportions: church bells, crucifixes, and even the name of [[Jesus of Nazareth|Christ]] spoken aloud scared them These tales drew a connection between [[demon]]s, fearsome creatures who had fallen from [[heaven]] and lived in the subterranean [[hell]], and trolls, who dwelled in the dark underground.<ref>Innamorato Williams, Bobbi Jo. [http://msms.essortment.com/mythicalmonster_rmqe.htm "Mythical Creatures Pages."] Pagewise.com. Retrieved March 5, 2007.</ref> In [[Edmund Spenser|Spenser's]] ''The Faerie Queen'', [[Arthur|King Arthur]], the symbol of a [[Christianity|Christian]] knight, defeats a giant troll, representing evil.
  
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In a popular [[MMORPG]] [[Guild Wars]] there are also Trolls but there is no mention or even implication of them being anything more than a brutal smasher.
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[[Edvard Grieg]], the Norwegian composer of the later nineteenth century, wrote several pieces on trolls, including a score based on [[Henrik Ibsen]]'s ''Peer Gynt'', with the famous ''In the Hall of the Mountain King'', and ''March Of The Trolls''. Regarding his motivations, Grieg wrote: "The peculiar in life was what made me wild and mad ... dwarf power and untamed wildness...audacious and bizarre fantasy." Grieg's former home, Troldhaugen ("The Troll's Hill"), is now a museum.<ref>Herresthal, Harald. 2001. Edvard Grieg — Biography of Norway's Greatest Composer. Great Norwegians. Metropolitan News Company. </ref>
  
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Trolls also appear in the role playing game [[Dungeons & Dragons]]. This form of troll has extensive regenerative powers. This form originated in [[Poul Anderson]]'s fantasy novel, ''[[Three Hearts and Three Lions]]''.
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Trolls became exceedingly popular in the late nineteenth to early twentieth century when [[neo-romanticism]] in Europe celebrated regional folklore and legend. These tales and illustrations by artists like [[John Bauer]] and [[Theodor Kittelsen]], came to form the ideas most people have of trolls today. Asbjørnsen and Moe's collection originally published in 1879 features a number of traditional fairy tales where trolls hold princesses captive, such as ''The Three Princesses of Whiteland'', ''Soria Moria Castle'', and ''Dapplegrim'', and two where trolls invade homes on [[Christmas]] Eve to make merry, ''Tatterhood'' and ''The Cat on the Dovrefell''. Female trolls may conspire to force the prince to marry their daughters, as in the story ''East of the Sun and West of the Moon'', or practice witchcraft, as in ''The Witch in the Stone Boat'', where a troll usurps a queen's place, or in ''The Twelve Wild Ducks'', where she turns twelve princes into wild ducks. In other tales, the [[hero]] matches wits with the troll: ''Boots and the Troll'', and ''Boots Who Ate a Match With the Troll''.
  
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==American trolls==
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Scandinavian folk-tales involving trolls such as "Three Billy Goats Gruff," are familiar to other European and European-derived cultures. In the [[United States|U.S.]] and [[Canada]], the old belief in trolls is paralleled by a modern belief in [[Sasquatch]] or "Bigfoot."
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[[Image:Fremont_bridge_troll,_seattle,_washington,_usa.jpg|thumb|right|200px|"[[The Troll]]." A statue under the north end of the [[Aurora Bridge]] in the [[Fremont, Seattle, Washington|Fremont neighborhood]] of [[Seattle, Washington|Seattle]], [[Washington]], [[United States|USA]].]]
 
  
−
Scandinavian folk-tales involving trolls such as "Three Billy Goats Gruff" are familiar to other European and European-derived cultures. In the [[United States|US]] and [[Canada]], the old belief in trolls is parallelled by a modern belief in [[Bigfoot]] and [[Sasquatch]]. Many statues of trolls adorn the downtown business district of [[Mount Horeb, Wisconsin]], leading to the town being dubbed ''The Troll Capital.'' There is also a neighborhood on the northeast side of [[Fargo, North Dakota]] which is named ''Trollwood''.
+
Trolls have become a staple in fantasy literature, most notably by [[Great Britain|British]] author [[J. R. R. Tolkien]], who used trolls in both ''The Hobbit'' and ''The Lord of The Rings'' trilogy, and J. K. Rowling, the author of the ''Harry Potter'' series. Pop forms of fantasy, such as comic and role playing games (such as ''Dungeons and Dragons'') commonly employ trolls as stock characters.
  
−
In the TV mini-series ''[[The 10th Kingdom]]'', trolls are the ruling race of the 3rd kingdom, having large pointy ears and noses, wild hair, poor intelligence and a love of shoes and leather.
+
==Footnotes==
−
 
+
<References/>
−
Residents of the [[Upper Peninsula of Michigan]], known as Yoopers, refer to their lower-peninsula counterparts as "trolls," because they live "Under the Bridge" (Referring to the [[Mackinac Bridge]].)
 
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==A Japanese troll?==
 
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In the classic Japanese animation ''[[My Neighbor Totoro]]'', the main fantastical character Totoro is so named because of a childish mispronounciation of the Japanese equivalent of troll - "torōru". While Totoro is depicted as closer to a [[kami|kami spirit]] of the [[Shinto]] religion, the film appears to deliberately mix Western elements into a rural Japanese idyll.
 
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===Gallery===
 
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A gallery of trolls as imagined by various Nordic artists.
 
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<gallery>
 
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Image:Theodor Kittelsen - Sjøtrollet, 1887 (The Sea Troll).jpg|The sea troll ([[Theodor Kittelsen]], 1887).
 
−
Image:Theodor Kittelsen - Skogtroll, 1906 (Forest Troll).jpg|Forest troll. ([[Theodor Kittelsen]], 1906).
 
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Image:Trollet som grunner på hvor gammelt det er.jpg|Troll pondering its age. ([[Theodor Kittelsen]], 1911).
 
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Image:The changeling, John Bauer, 1913.jpg|The changeling ([[John Bauer]], 1913).
 
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<!-- apparently not PD Image:Askeladden.jpg|[[Askeladden]] cutting off the troll's head. ([[Erik Werenskiold]], 1929).—>
 
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Image:Troll.jpg|Statue of a troll at the Norwegian pavilion in [[Epcot]], [[Walt Disney World Resort]].
 
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Image:Norwegian_troll.jpg|Troll statue in the forest near [[Geilo]], Norway.
 
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Image:Troll1.JPG|Norwegian road sign - beware of trolls
 
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</gallery>
 
  
 
==References==
 
==References==
−
* ''Folktro från förr'', [[Ebbe Schön]] (2001),  ISBN 91-7203-420-3
+
* Asala, Joanne (ed.) and Theodor Kittelsen (illustrator). 2005. ''Norwegian Troll Tales''. Penfield Books. ISBN 1932043101
−
* ''Troll och människa'', [[Ebbe Schön]] (1999), ISBN 91-27-06873-0
+
* Asbjornsen, Peter Christen and Jorgen Moe. 1982. ''Norwegian Folktales''. Pantheon. ISBN 0394710541
−
* ''Svensk folktro A-Ö'', [[Ebbe Schön]] (1998), ISBN 91-518-2892-8
+
* Bø, Olav. 1987. ''Trollmakter og godvette''. Norske samlaget. ISBN 8252129234
−
* ''Trollmakter og godvette'', Olav Bø (1987), ISBN 82-521-2923-4
+
* Ingemark, Camilla A. 2004. ''The Genre of Trolls. The Case of a Finland-Swedish Folk Belief Tradition''. Abo Akademi University Press. ISBN 9517652224
−
* Camilla Asplund Ingemark's, ''The Genre of Trolls. The Case of a Finland-Swedish Folk Belief Tradition'' is the first doctoral dissertation in Finland on traditional forest trolls. Her research describes trolls according to the folklore of Swedish-speaking Finns.  Ingemark compares the style and content of troll tales in folklore with biblical stories.
+
* Schön, Ebbe. 1998. ''Svensk folktro A-Ö''.
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{{note|fn_(1)}} {{cite web
+
* Schön, Ebbe. 1999. ''Troll och människa''. Natur och kultur. ISBN 9127068730
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| author =
+
* Schön, Ebbe. 2001. ''Folktro från förr''.
−
| year =
 
−
| url = http://www.enworld.org/archive/index.php/t-22566-p-2.html
 
−
| title = Q&A with Gary Gygax - Part I
 
−
| format =
 
−
| work = EN World Forums
 
−
| publisher =
 
−
| accessdate = January 27
 
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| accessyear = 2006
 
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}}
 
−
 
 
  
 
==External links==
 
==External links==
 +
All links retrieved May 2, 2023.
  
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* [http://www.trollmoon.com/ Trollmoon]  – The Scandinavian Troll in Art and Folklore
+
* [http://runeberg.org/bredberg/04.jpg ''Gourmander''], painting by Hasse Bredenberg.  
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* [http://groups.msn.com/FinlandTravelClub/moomins.msnw Finland Travel Club] - Moomin trolls
 
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* [http://www.moomintrove.com/ The Moomin Trove] - comprehensive lists of Tove Jansson's Moomin books
 
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* http://www.trollshop.net/trolls  Norway based website with articles and stories about Trolls
 
−
 
 
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* [http://runeberg.org/bredberg/04.jpg Gourmander], painting by Hasse Bredenberg [http://runeberg.org/bredberg/] [http://home.tiscali.se/visater/bredenberg/].
 
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* [http://www.lidenbygden.com/troll/tavla.gif Världens största Trollmålning], mural by Rolf Lidberg [http://www.pinocchioamarcord.it/pinocchio_troll_2.htm].
 
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* [[Trold, der vejrer kristenblod]] [http://www.kid.dk/VarkBillede.asp?objectid=13759] [http://www.vejenkunstmuseum.dk/Dansk/samlingen/nhj/skulpturer/trolden.htm], sculpture by Niels Hansen Jacobsen.
 
  
 
{{Credit1|Troll|92425271|}}
 
{{Credit1|Troll|92425271|}}

Latest revision as of 17:46, 2 May 2023


Trolls with an abducted princess (John Bauer, 1915)

The troll is a mythical creature of Scandinavian origin that has become a popular staple in the realms of legend, folklore, and fantasy. One of the most anthropomorphic fantasy creatures, trolls have been depicted in vastly different ways. From their Scandinavian fairy tale roots, in such tales as Three Billy Goats Gruff, trolls have achieved international recognition, and in modern fantasy literature and role-playing games, trolls are featured to the extent of being stock characters. Generally considered somewhat dangerous, whether through their larger than human size and strength or through more magical means, trolls are recognizably similar to human beings. A school of thought has it that the mythical trolls originated in knowledge, if not memories, of Neanderthal humans. Whatever their origin, trolls represent that which is somewhat peculiar and different, yet hauntingly similar to ourselves. Efforts to depict trolls in literature, art, music, and other cultural forms, may reflect our desire to embrace, yet at the same time fearing, those who are different.

Overview

Throughout the ages, the differing renditions of trolls has fallen into two distinct categories. The first is that of the forest or mountain troll, a large, brutish, and dumb creature that resembles a disproportionately giant human. Often these creatures have exaggerated facial structures, such as jutting lower jaws and protruding brows, similar to the stereotypical image of a Neanderthal.

The other type of troll is said to live underground, or in deep caves and caverns. They are smaller, sometimes smaller than humans, and often have disproportionately smaller features, such as short stubby arms and legs, although they tend to have a fatter abdomen. Trolls of this type are often uglier and depicted as gross-looking, slimy being a favorite adjective as a common reaction to things that dwell in underground and dark places.

Troll pondering its age (Theodor Kittelsen, 1911)

Etymology

The meaning of the word "troll" is uncertain. It might have had the originally meaning of "supernatural" or "magical" with an overlay of "malignant" and "perilous." Another likely suggestion is that it means "someone who behaves violently." In old Swedish law, trolleri was a particular kind of magic intended to do harm. It should be noted that North Germanic terms such as trolldom (witchcraft) and trolla/trylle (perform magic tricks) in modern Scandinavian languages do not imply any connection with the mythical beings. Moreover, in the sources for Norse mythology, "troll" can signify any uncanny being, including but not restricted to the Norse giants (jötnar).

The ambiguous original sense of the word "troll" appears to have lived on for some time after the Old Norse literature was documented. This can be seen in terms such as sjötrollet (the sea troll) as a synonym for havsmannen (the sea man)—a protective spirit of the sea and a sort of male counterpart to the female sjörå.

Origins

Some scientists, such as Spanish paleoanthropologist Juan Luis Arsuaga, have theorized based on fossil evidence that Neanderthals and Cro-Magnons occupied the same area of Europe at the same time.[1] The distinguished Swedish-speaking Finnish paleontologist Björn Kurtén has entertained and expanded this theory to determine that trolls are a distant memory of an encounter with Neanderthals by our Cro-Magnon ancestors some 40,000 years ago during their migration into northern Europe.[2] The problem with this theory is that neither Neanderthals nor Cro-Magnons existed in this part of Europe during the ice-age. Most of Scandinavia was covered by a large glacier and the area was not occupied until much later.

Another explanation for the troll myth is that the trolls represent the remains of the forefather-cult which was ubiquitous in Scandinavia until the introduction of Christianity in the tenth and eleventh centuries. In this cult the forefathers were worshiped in sacred groves, by altars, or by grave mounds. One of the customs associated with this practice was to sit on top of a grave mound at night, possibly in order to make contact with the deceased. With the introduction of Christianity however, the religious elite sought to demonize the pagan cult, and denounced the forefathers as evil. For instance, according to Magnus Håkonsen's laws from 1276, it is illegal to attempt to wake the "mound-dwellers." It is in these laws that the word "troll" appeared for the first time, denoting something heathen and generally unfavorable. This fits with the trolls in Norse sagas who are often the restless dead, to be wrestled with or otherwise laid to rest.

It is possible that both of these theories hold validity. Since there have been assertions that legends of dragons were based on ancient cultures discovering dinosaur bones, then it is possible that early man had some knowledge of Neanderthals and incorporated them into myth. The physiology of trolls, outside of the exaggerated size, does correlate to how Neanderthals probably looked. However, the forefathers’ theory holds just as much validity, and as with determining any beliefs of ancient cultures, there may be more than one source.

Types of Trolls

Gradually throughout Norse culture, we can discern the forming of two main traditions regarding the use of "troll." In the first tradition, the troll is large, brutish and a direct descendant from the Norse jötnar. They are often described as ugly or having beastly features like tusks or cyclopic eyes. This is the tradition which has come to dominate fairy tales and legends, but it is also the prominent concept of troll in Norway. In Skáldskaparmál, the poet Bragi Boddason encounters a troll-woman who hails him with this verse (in Old Norse):

Troll kalla mik
tungl sjötrungnis,
auðsug jötuns,
élsólar böl,
vilsinn völu,
vörð náfjarðar,
hvélsvelg himins –
hvat's troll nema þat? [1]
They call me Troll;
Gnawer of the Moon,
Giant of the Gale-blasts,
Curse of the rain-hall,
Companion of the Sibyl,
Nightroaming hag,
Swallower of the loaf of heaven.
What is a Troll but that? [2]
Forest troll (Theodor Kittelsen, 1906)

The second tradition is most prominent in southern Scandinavia. They are usually small, mysterious creatures that live in dark dwellings and are mischievous. Often than not, the trolls kept themselves invisible, and then they could travel on the winds, such as the wind-troll Ysätters-Kajsa, or sneak into human homes. Whereas the large, ogre-like trolls often appear as a solitary being, the "small" trolls were thought to be social beings who lived together, much like humans except out in the forest. They kept animals, cooked and baked, were excellent at crafts, and held great feasts.

Like many other species in Scandinavian folklore, these trolls were said to reside in underground complexes, accessible from underneath large boulders in the forests or in the mountains. These boulders could be raised upon pillars of gold. In their living quarters, they hoarded gold and treasures. Opinion varied as to whether or not the trolls were thoroughly bad, but often they treated people as they were treated. Trolls could cause great harm if vindictive or playful, though, and regardless of other things they were always heathen. Trolls were also great thieves, and liked to steal from the food that the farmers had stored. They could enter the homes invisibly during feasts and eat from the plates so that there was not enough food, or spoil the making of beer and bread so that it failed or did not become plentiful enough.

Good evening, old man! the boy greeted (John Bauer, 1915)

The following excerpts from the Danish Ballad of Eline of Villenskov describes the physical aspects of trolls within Scandinavian mythology:

There were seven and a hundred Trolls,
They were both ugly and grim,
A visit they would the farmer make,
Both eat and drink with him.
Out then spake the tinyest Troll,
No bigger than an emmet was he,
Hither is come a Christian man,
And manage him will I surelie

Like other Scandinavian folklore creatures they also feared steel. According to the stories, they were hunted by Thor, who threw Mjolnir, his hammer, causing lightning bolts to kill them. Though Mjolnir was supposed to return to Thor after being thrown, these hammers could later be found in the earth (actually Stone Age axes) and were used as protective talismans.

Cultural Variations and Usages

Legends from the Middle Ages feature trolls of horrifying and even satanic proportions: church bells, crucifixes, and even the name of Christ spoken aloud scared them These tales drew a connection between demons, fearsome creatures who had fallen from heaven and lived in the subterranean hell, and trolls, who dwelled in the dark underground.[3] In Spenser's The Faerie Queen, King Arthur, the symbol of a Christian knight, defeats a giant troll, representing evil.

Edvard Grieg, the Norwegian composer of the later nineteenth century, wrote several pieces on trolls, including a score based on Henrik Ibsen's Peer Gynt, with the famous In the Hall of the Mountain King, and March Of The Trolls. Regarding his motivations, Grieg wrote: "The peculiar in life was what made me wild and mad ... dwarf power and untamed wildness...audacious and bizarre fantasy." Grieg's former home, Troldhaugen ("The Troll's Hill"), is now a museum.[4]

Trolls became exceedingly popular in the late nineteenth to early twentieth century when neo-romanticism in Europe celebrated regional folklore and legend. These tales and illustrations by artists like John Bauer and Theodor Kittelsen, came to form the ideas most people have of trolls today. Asbjørnsen and Moe's collection originally published in 1879 features a number of traditional fairy tales where trolls hold princesses captive, such as The Three Princesses of Whiteland, Soria Moria Castle, and Dapplegrim, and two where trolls invade homes on Christmas Eve to make merry, Tatterhood and The Cat on the Dovrefell. Female trolls may conspire to force the prince to marry their daughters, as in the story East of the Sun and West of the Moon, or practice witchcraft, as in The Witch in the Stone Boat, where a troll usurps a queen's place, or in The Twelve Wild Ducks, where she turns twelve princes into wild ducks. In other tales, the hero matches wits with the troll: Boots and the Troll, and Boots Who Ate a Match With the Troll.

Scandinavian folk-tales involving trolls such as "Three Billy Goats Gruff," are familiar to other European and European-derived cultures. In the U.S. and Canada, the old belief in trolls is paralleled by a modern belief in Sasquatch or "Bigfoot."

Trolls have become a staple in fantasy literature, most notably by British author J. R. R. Tolkien, who used trolls in both The Hobbit and The Lord of The Rings trilogy, and J. K. Rowling, the author of the Harry Potter series. Pop forms of fantasy, such as comic and role playing games (such as Dungeons and Dragons) commonly employ trolls as stock characters.

Footnotes

  1. ↑ "The Neanderthal's Necklace." Four Walls Eight Windows. 2002.
  2. ↑ Alba, Stockholm. 1978. "Dance of The Tiger: An Ice Age Story" ("Den Svarta Tigern").
  3. ↑ Innamorato Williams, Bobbi Jo. "Mythical Creatures Pages." Pagewise.com. Retrieved March 5, 2007.
  4. ↑ Herresthal, Harald. 2001. Edvard Grieg — Biography of Norway's Greatest Composer. Great Norwegians. Metropolitan News Company.

References
ISBN links support NWE through referral fees

  • Asala, Joanne (ed.) and Theodor Kittelsen (illustrator). 2005. Norwegian Troll Tales. Penfield Books. ISBN 1932043101
  • Asbjornsen, Peter Christen and Jorgen Moe. 1982. Norwegian Folktales. Pantheon. ISBN 0394710541
  • Bø, Olav. 1987. Trollmakter og godvette. Norske samlaget. ISBN 8252129234
  • Ingemark, Camilla A. 2004. The Genre of Trolls. The Case of a Finland-Swedish Folk Belief Tradition. Abo Akademi University Press. ISBN 9517652224
  • Schön, Ebbe. 1998. Svensk folktro A-Ö.
  • Schön, Ebbe. 1999. Troll och människa. Natur och kultur. ISBN 9127068730
  • Schön, Ebbe. 2001. Folktro från förr.

External links

All links retrieved May 2, 2023.

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