Are there actually trolls in norway

But something you might not realise is that trolls originate in Norse mythology. What are trolls? So if you ever meet a troll, be sure to ask! What do Scandinavian trolls look like? There are two distinctly different troll types, based on their shape and size: Some trolls are huge and look a bit like giants e.

Be wary though, because some trolls were said to have the magical ability to shape-shift! Where do trolls live? What do trolls eat? Back in the day, it was also widely believed that trolls could smell the blood of Christians. Are Scandinavian trolls always the bad guy? How do you escape a troll? Why do trolls turn to stone when touched by sunlight?

See also. The best map of Scandinavia: Superb Scandinavian maps. Advertising enquiries Scandification explores and celebrates the magic of Scandinavia. See all results. Subscribe Now Join thousands of others and stay up to date with the our latest articles. Subscribe Now. Anna is the co-owner of expert world travel and can't wait to share her travel experience with the world.

With over 54 countries under her belt she has a lot to write about! Including those insane encounters with black bears in Canada. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Last Updated: July 20, Table Of Contents Show All. What Are Trolls? Norse Troll Names. Are Trolls Real? What Do Trolls Look Like? Are Trolls Smart? Where Do They Live? Are Trolls Magical?

What Do They Eat? Are They Dangerous? Famous Trolls In Mythology. Trolls In Pop Culture. In older Norse literature, the trogres are primordial and even connected with the origins of the universe. Trogres were cast in the roles of anti-heroes against the gods, and then the humans. Trogres were the perfect monsters and enemies; they would give protagonist heroes the chance to establish themselves as brave, powerful, and victorious.

Once Christianity was introduced to the region, trogres became enemies of the church, too. They were depicted as the embodiment of all things impure and were frequently depicted ravaging churches and attacking priests.

Afraid of the sunlight and probably only that , trogres lived in dark and often dangerous places like cliffs, caves, and deep crevices. The reason they shied away from the sun was that it could petrify them into solid stone. Which brings us to later folk traditions. After being primordial giants, trogres played etiological legends, which explained the origin of strange natural phenomena such as lakes, craters, and rock formations.

There are even Norwegian mountain trolls. Trogres are the subject of many such legends; another is that rock formations around the Faroe Islands formed because a pair of trogres attempted to move the Faroe Islands to Norway.

Less prevalent in sagas and Eddas, a different type of Norwegian troll still appears in Scandinavian folktales. As opposed to the trogres, this type is small and robust — but equally troublesome. This type of creature is often referred to as a troll in Norwegian and Swedish and a trold in Danish; but the names are on occasion used interchangeably with the giant trolls.

Troblins, unlike trogres, are given much more personality, dialect, interaction, and backstory. If you are adventurous and want to hear the huldra's song, then travel to place called Myrdal, located nearby Voss in western Norway and take the Flamsbana railway. Fasten yourself by a rope to the train carriage, and somewhere on your travel down to the emerald waters of Sognefjord, you will hear the song and maybe even see a glimpse of the huldra calling you to come away.

A huldra is a female troll who can enchant you with her song. Here you can safely hear to the original song of Huldra, recorded during an expedition of brave men traveling to the Kjosfossen waterfall. Not all of them managed to return—the song of the huldra is hard to resist.

Trolls and troll-like figures are present in many fantasy and fairy tales books. Then there was the giant cave troll in the mine of Moria Frodo later struggled with in Lord of the Rings. Those trolls are stupid, ugly, and dangerous and turn into stone when exposed to sun. On the other hand, trolls in Terry Pratchett's Discworld like Sergeant Detritus, member of the Ankh-Morpork City Watch are more civilized, although still not very intelligent. They can be valuable members of the society.

Detritus, who has a custom-made helmet that cools his head, seems to be much more intelligent than other trolls, because in Pratchett's world, trolls' brains are made from impure silicon and work better when cooled. Another difference between the trolls in Pratchett's world and the trolls in Scandinavian mythology is that Discworld trolls are immune to sunlight. You can also meet trolls in the Harry Potter series, in the Artemis Fowl series, in fantasy novels written by Tad Williams, and in the children's novel The Sea of Trolls.

In Henrik Ibsen's "Peer Gynt," an exiled woodsman encounters a huldra after a night of heavy drinking. Peer is the son of a prodigal farmer who frittered his fortune away. Peer had the chance to be married to Ingrid, the daughter of the richest farmer of the land, but he wastes that opportunity as well. At Ingrid's wedding, Peer kidnaps the young bride for the night, and becomes an outlaw. He flees to the mountains, where after a night of heavy drinking he meets a huldra, daughter of the Mountain King.

He considers turning into a troll himself to marry the Mountain King's daughter, but refuses to take an irrevocable step. Peer remains human and builds a life for himself as a settler, when a young girl named Solveig comes to the mountains to stay with him. Peer is now so happy and confident in the future that he barely leaves the house he shares with Solveig. But while he is out to cut timber for the new house he is planning, he is overtaken by the past.

The green-clad huldra comes with a young troll, whom she claims is Peer's son. Instead of facing the possibility, Peer flees. He then has life full of adventure, fortune, and loss. He ends up being crowned emperor of the world in an institution for the insane in Cairo. Finally, as an old man, Peer sets out to return to Norway by ship.

However, on the Norwegian coast his ship sinks in a storm. At the end, Peer fights a battle for his own soul and his growing self-awareness. Finally Peer is saved through Solveig's faithful love. Models of Tove Jansson's moomintroll characters. Yeah, it's hard to believe, but moomins, well known from Tove Jansson's books, are a type of troll. A typical moomin lives life fully and views the world with an air of wonderment. They find joys in simple pleasures, such as collecting stones and shells.

A moomin has a keen spirit of adventure and is a somewhat a restless soul. A cropped version of "Skogtroll," one of Theodor Kittelsen's famous illustrations. Theodor Kittelsen, Norwegian artist and illustrator who died in , is famous for his troll-related art. Kittelsen was fascinated by world of Norwegian beliefs, populated by trolls, huldra folk, and other creatures. A cropped version of one of John Bauer's famous troll illustrations. John Bauer, Swedish painter and illustrator who died in , is also famous for his troll art.

He is mostly known for his illustrations in the Swedish folklore anthology Among Gnomes and Trolls. Askeladden, the youngest of three sons, is the main character in many Norwegian fairytales. Here, he encounters a troll in the forest. Askeladden which translates to "ash lad" is a central character in many Norwegian fairytales.

Here is the story of Askeladden and the eating match:. The oldest son went into the forest and encountered a troll. Frightened, the oldest son ran home. However, before the youngest son went into the forest, he asked his father for food. The father gave him a bit of cheese in a knapsack. When the youngest son went into the forest to cut the wood, the troll appeared just as it had for the previous brothers.