Troll 101

Nobody knows for sure exactly where the word troll comes from. By the Viking age, however, it had already gained the meaning of a magical or supernatural being. In this sense, a troll is any creature that is neither fully human nor fully animal: a gnome, a spirit, a fairy, a wizard, an undead, even an enchanted bear. From this meaning, the Norwegian word for magic, trolldom, is also derived. While trolls have thus always been other than human, the establishment of Christianity in Scandinavia around the year 1000 added a new layer of meaning: they were also something against the human.

By the 1800s, trolls had become the fairytale creatures Norwegian children grow up with to this day. While the broader meaning of the word still exists, trolls today are mostly understood in the narrow sense as villainous giants the heroes of fairy tales must defeat to get the girl, the crown, or the treasure. They’re typically described as big, strong, and ugly. They walk upright and have two arms and two legs, but they often also have a tail, multiple heads, only one eye, or fewer fingers and toes than humans. Most importantly, due to their close connection to nature, they resemble their habitat. Some look like rocks and stone, others are covered in moss, leaves, and even brush.

Trolls generally do not live close to humans. Instead, they are found in nature: in the deep forests, high mountains, and dark caves. Because of this, they’ve often been the explanation for natural phenomena. Avalanches might have been a consequence of trolls fighting, earthquakes caused by a large troll’s heavy footsteps, and the rumble of thunder: a troll’s voice carrying. In this way, troll stories have been effective in keeping people, especially children, away from potentially perilous areas. Trolls are, after all, dangerous to humans, so staying away from them is a smart way to stay alive.

Though they can be helpful when it benefits them, trolls mostly get up to different kinds of mischief. Their greed drives them to collect treasure in the form of gold, silver, and precious stones. Often, these items are stolen, but once a troll has them, he will protect them fiercely. Sometimes, trolls also kidnap humans, especially young maidens, and scurry off with them to their lairs, where the girls become servants or wives. Since time passes differently in the world of trolls, when the victims return to the world of humans, if they are ever able to escape at all, they often find that their whole family has died of old age.

By all accounts, trolls have the advantage over humans in a fight. But they are not without weaknesses. The easiest way to defeat a troll is to outsmart them, for they are not very intelligent. They can be tricked into hurting themselves, forfeiting their treasure, or simply letting their victims go. They are also allergic to sunlight, which turns them to stone, so one only needs to keep them distracted enough to unwittingly step into daylight. Trolls also have a strong dislike for all things Christian, so saying a prayer or ringing a church bell is often enough to scare them away.

Though these beliefs about trolls have evolved through centuries, some form of them has existed for as long as people have lived in Norway. Jotnar giants, the major adversaries of Norse gods, are considered to be the forefathers of modern trolls. With the establishment of Christianity, trolls were relegated to the world of folklore and fancy. It wasn’t until the 19th century and the era of Romantic nationalism that they once again became something more: a symbol of Norwegian culture during the country’s fight for independence.

Today, that symbol is once again evolving. The trolls we find in children’s books, toy stores, and souvenir shops all over Norway are not the villains of fairy tales they once were. They are smiling, friendly, cute, inviting, reflecting their new role as the mascot of the country they represent.