Trolls: origin, myths and legends

Trolls are legendary creatures from Norse mythology that managed to survive, with some concessions, in Scandinavian folklore through fairy tales.

Originally the Trolls were a degraded form of the Cold Giants, the Jötunn, immemorial beings in opposition to the forces of Odin, Thor and other Norse gods.

Trolls are described as quite social beings that live in rocks, mountains or caves, always united in small family groups. When faith in Norse myths declined, mainly due to the spread of Christianity, the Trolls took on a personality of their own. They distanced themselves even further from man, a symbol of rejection of Christ and his laws, and from then on they were considered notoriously dangerous.

The appearance of the Trolls is very varied. In certain regions they are described as tall, slow and heavy creatures, with grayish skin that reflects their habits among the rocks. In other places they are indistinguishable from human beings, without grotesque characteristics that highlight them. Another common trait is that Trolls are usually associated with many rocky places, perhaps due to the myth that sunlight turns them into stone.

Although Trolls and Jotuns, as well as other telluric creatures from Norse mythology, share a considerable number of characteristics, they are not exactly identical, although in fact they belong to the same family. The Jötunn, for example, embody the active principle of hostile nature, while the Trolls represent the archetype of the mythical wizard: unkempt, cunning, volatile in temperament, little inclined to help and strongly tied to the earth.

Already in the Middle Ages, Trolls suffered a new degradation. His name came to refer to a wide variety of fantastic creatures, including mountain spirits, sorcerers, almost always tall and unpleasant, demons and even berserkers. In this period, the Trolls diversified noticeably. They appeared in the form of bulls, maidens and magicians.

Scandinavian folklore was the only framework in which Trolls preserved their primordial qualities. There they are described as extraordinarily long-lived and strong, although moving slowly. They often participate in the commission of abominable crimes, for example, cannibalism; and in almost all legends they are vulnerable to sunlight.

Although Trolls participate in unnatural habits and appetites, that is, those that contravene human ethics and morality, they share with us some rudiments of social organization. They are creatures that live in small family units, almost always made up of three individuals. It is not unusual for humans to be captured from time to time and forced to perform domestic tasks. This habit was known as bergtagning, which literally means “carrying to the mountain.”

Being part of the hateful family of the Jotunns, the Trolls have a deadly enemy: Thor, the god of the hammer. His lethal blows are a metaphor for the lightning strikes that fiercely strike upon the mountains. Regarding the scarcity of Trolls in the Middle Ages, the Scandinavians used to say that it was due to the notorious marksmanship of Thor and his hammer, Mjiolnir.

In addition to sunlight, Trolls are particularly sensitive to the sound of bells, a metaphor for their hatred for the Christian faith.

The etymology of the word Troll continues to be debated. Some speculate that it originally indicated a gait deficiency, that is, a clumsy and noisy walk. However, the term comes from the Proto-Germanic truzlan, “round”, perhaps referring to the habit of traveling circularly over a given territory. The word Troll was later associated with magic. The Swedish word trolla means “bewitchment”, just as in the old Norsian language witchcraft was known under the term trolldomr.

The myth that Trolls especially hate Christianity explains in some way their survival. While the gods and other fantastical creatures were absorbed into Christianity, the Trolls stood firm and aloof from their beliefs. This allowed them, among other things, to subsist on folklore, something that not even Odin can boast of. In retrospect, the Trolls were one of the few fabulous beings to survive Ragnarok. Nobody really believes in Odin, however, the Trolls remain in force.

Norse mythology. I Mythology.

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