Trolls

Region: Northern Europe
Location:Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Iceland — mountains, forests, deep valleys, sea cliffs

In traditional Scandinavian folklore, trolls are ancient beings tied to the land itself — not the goofy creatures of modern cartoons. Their appearances vary widely: some are enormous, mountain-sized giants with moss-covered skin, while others are smaller, brutish beings who lurk in forests or caves. They are often depicted with long noses, knotted hair, and rough, stone-like features that make them nearly indistinguishable from the cliffs and boulders they inhabit. Trolls avoid sunlight, which can turn them to stone — a belief used to explain strange rock formations throughout Norway and Iceland.
  Trolls represent wild nature, the untamed land beyond the edges of human settlement. They live in mountains, forests, or caves and are deeply territorial. Some stories portray them as violent or aggressive, stealing livestock or attacking travelers. Others depict them as slow-witted, easily tricked, or even reclusive. Humans could sometimes bargain with trolls — trading tools, food, or songs — but more often, folklore warned that trolls dislike church bells, iron, and the presence of humans near their homes. They personify the isolation and danger of old Scandinavian wilderness.
  In Icelandic sagas, trolls appear as solitary beings with immense strength, while in Norwegian tales they become families or clans living in grand mountain halls. Trolls emerge at night to roam valleys or dance on meadows, leaving behind circular depressions in the grass. These tales reflect a worldview where people respected and feared nature’s unpredictability. Even today, travelers in Norway encounter “troll roads,” caves, and mountains named after them — reminders that the north’s rugged landscape has always held room for beings older than humankind.

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This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either the product of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. All characters appearing in this work are fictitious or used fictitiously. Any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.

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