Difference between revisions of "Troll" - New World Encyclopedia

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Trolls with an abducted princess (John Bauer, 1915).

A troll is a mythical creature of Scandinavian origin that has become a popular staple in the realms of legend, lore and fantasy. One of the most anthropromorphic fantasy creatures, trolls have been depicted in vastly different ways. From their Scandinavian fairy tales 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.

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 man a disproportionately giant human. Often these creatures have exagerated facial structures, such as jutting lower jaws and protroding 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 disproportationately smaller features, such as short stubby arms and legs, although they tend to have a fatter abdomin. These type of trolls are often uglier and depicted as gross-looking, slimy being a favorite adjective as is a common reaction to things that dwell in underground and dark places.

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 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 (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 (see huldra).

Nordic Origins

Some scientists, such as Spanish paleoanthropologist Juan Luis Arsuaga theorize that Neanderthals and Cro-Magnons occupied the same area of Europe at the same time based on fossil evidence.^[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 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.

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. 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 has been reasonable 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 corollate to how neatherthals probably looked; however, the forefathers theory holds just as much validity, and as with determining any beliefs of ancient cultures, there may not be just one source.

Gradually in 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. The second tradition is most prominent in southern Scandinavia. They are usually small, mysterious creatures that live in dark dwellings and are mischevious. 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, 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.

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.

Cultural Variations and Usages

Legends from the Middle Ages and earlier feature a troll of horryfing and even satanic proportions: church bells, crucifixes and even the name of Christ spoken aloud scared them.

Many of the fairytales featuring trolls were written in the late 19th century to early 20th century, reflecting the 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.

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.

File:Fremont bridge troll, seattle, washington, usa.jpg

"The Troll." A statue under the north end of the Aurora Bridge in the Fremont neighborhood of Seattle, Washington, USA.

Footnotes

↑ "The Neanderthal's Necklace" Four Walls Eight Windows: New York, 2002
↑ "Dance of The Tiger: An Ice Age Story" ("Den Svarta Tigern") ALBA, Stockholm, 1978. Translation published by University of Califorinia, Berkley and Los Angeles, 1980

References
ISBN links support NWE through referral fees

Folktro från förr, Ebbe Schön (2001), ISBN 91-7203-420-3
Troll och människa, Ebbe Schön (1999), ISBN 91-27-06873-0
Svensk folktro A-Ö, Ebbe Schön (1998), ISBN 91-518-2892-8
Trollmakter og godvette, Olav Bø (1987), ISBN 82-521-2923-4
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.

^ Q&A with Gary Gygax - Part I. EN World Forums. Retrieved January 27, 2006.

External links

Trollmoon – The Scandinavian Troll in Art and Folklore
Finland Travel Club - Moomin trolls
The Moomin Trove - comprehensive lists of Tove Jansson's Moomin books
http://www.trollshop.net/trolls Norway based website with articles and stories about Trolls

Gourmander, painting by Hasse Bredenberg [1] [2].
Världens största Trollmålning, mural by Rolf Lidberg [3].
Trold, der vejrer kristenblod [4] [5], sculpture by Niels Hansen Jacobsen.

Credits

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[1] "The Neanderthal's Necklace" Four Walls Eight Windows: New York, 2002

[2] "Dance of The Tiger: An Ice Age Story" ("Den Svarta Tigern") ALBA, Stockholm, 1978. Translation published by University of Califorinia, Berkley and Los Angeles, 1980

[1]

[2]

@@ Line 21: / Line 21: @@
 It is possible that both of these theories hold validity. Since there has been reasonable 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 corollate to how neatherthals probably looked; however, the forefathers theory holds just as much validity, and as with determining any beliefs of ancient cultures, there may not be just one source.
-Gradually in [[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 (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'').
+Gradually in [[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]]. The second tradition is most prominent in southern Scandinavia. They are usually small, mysterious creatures that live in dark dwellings and are mischevious. 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, 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.
-IThe 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. 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.
+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.
-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.
-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.
-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.
-Occasionally, the trolls would even steal a new-born baby, leaving their own offspring – a ''(bort)byting'' ("[[changeling]]") – in return.
-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.
 ==Cultural Variations and Usages==
-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.
+Legends from the [[Middle Ages]] and earlier feature a troll of horryfing and even satanic proportions: church bells, crucifixes and even the name of Christ spoken aloud scared them.
-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.
-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.
+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.
 [[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]]''.