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In fairy tales and folklore, trolls are often depicted with a wide range of traits, from the mischievously malevolent to the surprisingly helpful. I’ll take you through how these creatures crop up in tales for children and adults alike, painting a vivid picture of their role in storytelling.
A troll is a being in Nordic folklore, including Norse mythology. In Old Norse sources, beings described as trolls dwell in isolated areas of rocks, mountains, or caves, live together in small family units, and are rarely helpful to human beings.
Mar 8, 2024 · Large, small, smelly, vicious or kind, Norse trolls are one of the most identifiable creatures from mythology and folklore. They frequently appear in the Sagas, although its specific attributes are not always clear.
- What Is A Troll?
- Characteristics
- Cultural Representation
Trolls are humanoid creatures who dwell deep in the wilderness of Scandinavia. Their appearance ranges from monstrous to eccentric to cute, but they are almost all unfriendly, no matter how charming they might look. Unless you are a quick-thinker, an encounter with a Troll never ends well.
Physical Description
Scandinavian folklore introduces two kinds of Trolls: the giants (often called jontar) and the little folk (often called huldrefolk). The jotnar, who borrow their name and many of their characteristics from the ancient Norse ice giants, are superhuman characters. They tower above your average man, supported by colossal stony limbs. Their features are rugged, like stone worn down by the weather, and their hair is wild. Some of them are so large and unkempt that plants can even take root in the...
Lifestyle
Trolls, especially the jotnar, are primitive creatures. They isolate themselves from human civilization, preferring to live in caves or murky forests beyond the reach of man’s hustle and bustle. Sometimes, a small community of Trolls can spring up in one area, but the beasts have little to no form of government even when they live together. At best, the strongest of them might be crowned as a “king,” who has the right to order the others around. Above all other social institutions, they disli...
Special Abilities
Trolls are traditionally dim-witted creatures, so they aren’t in the habit of cultivating talents. The greatest skills they have are the skills they were born with: brute strength and a strong connection with nature. They can uproot trees to use as clubs and hurl boulders as missiles. The mightiest of them are capable of stirring up thunderstorms or avalanches. Small Trolls are more advanced than their massive cousins, and they have more tricks up their sleeves. Female huldras, for example, h...
Origin
Trolls date back all the way to ancient Norse and Viking culture, appearing in the oldest definitive text on Norse culture, the Prose Edda. Still the evolution of the Troll, as a recognizable species, is confusing. Originally, the word trolleriwas used to describe all sorts of creatures who drew their magic from nature and used it to mess with humans. It took hundreds of years for that name to narrow down to the creatures we recognize as Trolls today. Indeed, the sharp divide between the two...
Modern Usage
Beginning with the Prose Edda, Trolls have marched relentlessly across the pages of literature. At first, they were limited to Scandinavian fairytales like “Askeladden’s Adventures” and “Three Billy Goats Gruff,” which highlighted their stupidity by allowing weaker characters to outsmart them. In the twentieth century, however, they received a slight character upgrade in John Bauer’s The Changeling, which depicts them as scheming creatures who are, at times, capable of being soft-hearted. Not...
Stomping their way out of the forest, trolls have made their impact on traditional folklore. Even though most people no longer believe in these mythical creatures, the stories about troll, jotner and nisser are still being told to children over and over again.
Aug 20, 2018 · There’s much overlap in the terms jötunn (giant), troll, þurs (hostile monsters) and risi (heroic beings). Some theorize that they’re four distinct classes of beings while others believe that troll is a catch-all for ‘mischievous creatures.
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Dec 5, 2018 · Before the mid-1800s, tales about the giant creatures were told around campfires in Scandinavian farming communities. They were aimed at adults, largely meant to frighten and entertain villagers ...
