Troll

Trolls come from old stories. They live in rocks, mountains, or caves. Some trolls are very big and strong. Others look just like people.

Some stories say they are slow or dim-witted. One story says they turn to stone in the sun. Many people think they are not friendly to humans. Trolls are still in many books and movies today.

Trolls are beings from old Nordic stories.

These stories come from Norse mythology and Scandinavian folklore. In the oldest stories, trolls lived in mountains or caves. They often lived in small family groups. These beings were rarely helpful to humans.

Trolls can look very different depending on the story. Some stories say they are ugly and slow. Others say they look just like people. Some tales say they turn to stone in sunlight. In later folklore, they were often seen as dangerous. Some believed they could kidnap people.

Many old beliefs link trolls to nature. For example, some people thought large rocks were made by trolls. Some believed lightning could scare them away. This may link to the god Thor.

Today, trolls are very popular in books and movies. You can find them in fantasy games and movies. Some people even make large troll statues from wood.

Trolls are fascinating beings from Nordic folklore and Norse mythology.

These creatures have lived in people's imaginations for a very long time. In the oldest Old Norse stories, trolls lived in lonely places. They stayed in deep caves, rocky areas, or high mountains. They usually lived in small family units like a mother and son. These beings were rarely described as helpful or friendly to humans. Many people wonder if these stories came from real ancient encounters.

Trolls can look many different ways depending on the specific tale. Some stories describe them as very ugly and slow-witted. Other stories say they look and act just like human beings. In some Scandinavian folklore, they are seen as extremely old and strong. Some legends even say they turn into stone if they touch sunlight.

Because they lived far from humans, they were often seen as dangerous. Some people believed they might kidnap people from their homes. This act is sometimes called "mountain-taking" in older traditions.

The history of the word "troll" is quite mysterious. It likely comes from an old Proto-Germanic word meaning "to tread" or "step on." In Norse mythology, the word was used for many different beings. Some thinkers believe there were four different classes of these beings. These included lords of nature, magical beings, monsters, and heroic beings. However, other researchers say there is no proof for these specific groups. The term was often used to describe many things like ghosts or spirits.

Different parts of Scandinavia had their own special names for these creatures. In Denmark, they were called "mountain-trolls" or "mountain-folk." In Norway, people used names like "troll-folk" or "tusser." Some stories even link them to the god Thor. It was believed that lightning could frighten them away. This might be because Thor was known as a foe to their race. Some people even thought church bells would make them leave a land.

Today, trolls are very famous in modern popular culture. You can find them in many fantasy books and games. They appear in famous works like the Middle-earth stories. There are also many movies about them, including the 2022 film "Troll." Some people even make huge sculptures of trolls out of recycled wood. Even a research station in Antarctica is named Troll. This is because the mountains there look like rugged trolls.

Trolls are supernatural beings found in Nordic folklore and Norse mythology.

They represent a wide range of creatures in human imagination. In ancient Old Norse sources, trolls were often described as living in isolated areas. These beings typically dwelled in mountains, caves, or rocky landscapes. They usually lived in small family units, such as a mother and her sons. Most ancient accounts suggest they were rarely helpful to human beings. In later Scandinavian folklore, they became a distinct type of being. These later trolls lived far from human homes and were not Christianized. Because of this, they were often viewed as dangerous to people.

The appearance and behavior of trolls vary greatly depending on the source. Some legends describe them as ugly, extremely old, and slow-witted. Other stories claim they can look and act exactly like humans. Some traditions even state that trolls turn to stone when exposed to sunlight. In some cases, specific landmarks are said to be formed by trolls. For example, a rock might be a troll turned to stone. In Scandinavian folklore, trolls are also known for a practice called bergtagning. This term literally means "mountain-taking" and refers to the kidnapping of people. They were also known to overrun farms or large estates.

There is much debate regarding the exact meaning of the word "troll." The term likely comes from the Proto-Germanic word *trullan, meaning "to tread" or "to step on."

In Norse mythology, the term was used alongside other names like jötunn, þurs, and risi. Some researchers, such as Lotte Motz, proposed that these were four distinct classes. These classes included lords of nature, mythical magicians, hostile monsters, and heroic beings. However, other scholars like Ármann Jakobsson argue there is no convincing evidence for this. Jakobsson suggests the term was a broad label for many different things. It could describe a witch, a ghost, a demon, or even an abnormally strong person.

Different regions of Scandinavia developed their own specific names for these beings. In Denmark, they were recorded as troldfolk or bjergtrolde, which means "mountain-trolls." In Norway, they were called trollfolk or tusser. Some Norwegian traditions also mention the Huldrefolk, or "hidden-folk." While some trolls are described as large, others are seen as small and human-like. In the Orkney and Shetland islands, the word "trow" was used. This term describes beings very similar to the Huldrefolk of Norway. Some believe the word "troll" was used by Norse settlers to describe supernatural beings that required respect and avoidance.

Folklore also contains many beliefs about how to deal with or avoid trolls. A common belief held that lightning would frighten away trolls and jötnar. This may reflect the role of the god Thor, who was a foe to their race. Some traditions suggest that the constant ringing of church bells drove trolls away. It was believed that trolls would sometimes resist this by destroying churches under construction. They were even said to hurl large boulders at completed churches. Many large local stones are still described as the result of a troll's toss.

The concept of the troll has moved from ancient myth into modern culture.

Trolls appear in famous fantasy worlds, such as Tolkien's Middle-earth. They are also part of the Dungeons & Dragons roleplaying game. In the 1950s, Troll dolls became a very popular toy. This popularity led to animated movies like the 2016 film "Trolls." Other modern examples include the 2010 film "Trollhunter" and the 2022 Netflix movie "Troll." The latter features a 105-foot troll with a rocky body and a cat-like tail. A sequel, "Troll 2," was released in 2025 and featured two trolls.

Trolls connect to many different fields of study and art. Some researchers have hypothesized that troll myths might come from real encounters with Neanderthals. In science, a Norwegian research station in Antarctica is named "Troll." It was named this because the surrounding mountains look like rugged trolls. Artists have also kept the legend alive through visual works. For example, the Swedish artist Rolf Lidberg was well known for his illustrations. The Danish artist Thomas Dambo creates large troll sculptures from recycled wood. These sculptures can be found in various botanic gardens around the world.