To describe a Troll is to grasp at a plume of smoke. One second, you think you’ve captured it, the next second, it has escaped you. Are trolls short? Are they extra large? Are they shy? Are they bold? Are they mean? Are they kind? Throughout history and across countries, different peoples have known trolls in different forms and personalities.
Trolls are only mentioned in one commonly known fairy tale today: The Three Billy Goats Gruff. This troll hangs out under a bridge, He is bad, he is ugly, he is mean. In a loud and harsh voice, he threatens to eat up those billy goats. Fortunately, for them, this troll is not very bright.
Despite the wild variation of troll descriptions, this troll shares several characteristics with other trolls. His hair is wild and long. His head seems to sit directly on his shoulders, his neck being extremely short. His fingers are long and grasping. His clothes are shaggy skins from animals he’s slaughtered. This particular troll is shorter than most men … maybe from living under a bridge all of his life.
Older troll tales describe them as giants. Over the years, many artists have shown them to have large noses and ears, and long, hairy arms. Some would say trolls resemble Cro-Magnon man. Indeed, perhaps that is their origin.
Our troll’s habitat is another similarity to many troll tales; he lives under the bridge. Trolls are commonly thought to live under boulders or under mounds, although some are also depicted as living hidden in the deep, dark forest.
Scandinavian trolls are thought to respond toward humans as they are treated. They are not necessarily evil. They can even be jokesters, turning invisible and stealing food from a person’s plate.
Recently, trolls have been depicted in fantasy literature and role-playing games. We shiver in delight and horror at meeting up with one of these creatures. We love rooting for our hero to outwit this fearsome creature and banish him from our nightmares.
Here’s to more whimsy in your life!
