{"id":4851,"date":"2026-04-21T11:08:57","date_gmt":"2026-04-21T11:08:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/iwell-guard.com\/troll\/"},"modified":"2026-06-05T14:30:13","modified_gmt":"2026-06-05T14:30:13","slug":"troll","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/iwell-guard.com\/en\/troll\/","title":{"rendered":"Troll"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t<div data-elementor-type=\"wp-page\" data-elementor-id=\"4851\" class=\"elementor elementor-4851 elementor-1031\" data-elementor-post-type=\"page\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-10fdade e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"10fdade\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\" data-settings=\"{&quot;background_background&quot;:&quot;classic&quot;}\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-herohlft0 e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-child\" data-id=\"herohlft0\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-c3ceb64 e-con-full e-flex e-con e-child\" data-id=\"c3ceb64\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-96ae5e1 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"96ae5e1\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h1 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Troll, Spirit of the Germanic Tradition<\/h1>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-e45238a elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"e45238a\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>Troll is a <span class=\"iwg-fachbegriff\" data-tooltip=\"A bodiless being to which effect in the world is attributed.\" tabindex=\"0\">spirit<\/span> of the Germanic <span class=\"iwg-fachbegriff\" data-tooltip=\"The passing on of knowledge and narratives across generations.\" tabindex=\"0\">tradition<\/span>.<\/p><p>A giant mountain being, situated between the Eddic thursar and the fairy-tale ogre.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-klsbdg01 e-con-full e-flex e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"klsbdg01\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-klshtm01 elementor-widget elementor-widget-html\" data-id=\"klshtm01\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"html.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"iwg-pill-row\"><span class=\"iwg-klasse-badge\" tabindex=\"0\" data-tooltip=\"Spirit: Incorporeal or semi-corporeal being, deceased, nature spirit, household spirit, or threshold guardian. Active in everyday life, often bound to places or families.\">Spirit<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/iwell-guard.com\/en\/germanic\/\" class=\"iwg-kultur-badge\" tabindex=\"0\" data-tooltip=\"Pre-Christian world of gods and spirits from northern and central Europe.\">Germanic<\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/iwell-guard.com\/en\/shapeshifters\/\" class=\"iwg-tradition-badge\" tabindex=\"0\" data-tooltip=\"Animal-human beings with the ability to transform, werewolf-like, fox-, bird-, or serpent-shaped.\">Shapeshifter<\/a><\/div>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-3f74855 e-con-full e-flex e-con e-child\" data-id=\"3f74855\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-1c30362 elementor-toc--minimized-on-tablet elementor-widget elementor-widget-table-of-contents\" data-id=\"1c30362\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-settings=\"{&quot;exclude_headings_by_selector&quot;:[],&quot;no_headings_message&quot;:&quot;Es wurden keine \\u00dcberschriften auf dieser Seite gefunden.&quot;,&quot;headings_by_tags&quot;:[&quot;h2&quot;,&quot;h3&quot;],&quot;marker_view&quot;:&quot;bullets&quot;,&quot;icon&quot;:{&quot;value&quot;:&quot;fas fa-circle&quot;,&quot;library&quot;:&quot;fa-solid&quot;,&quot;rendered_tag&quot;:&quot;&lt;svg class=\\&quot;e-font-icon-svg e-fas-circle\\&quot; viewBox=\\&quot;0 0 512 512\\&quot; xmlns=\\&quot;http:\\\/\\\/www.w3.org\\\/2000\\\/svg\\&quot;&gt;&lt;path d=\\&quot;M256 8C119 8 8 119 8 256s111 248 248 248 248-111 248-248S393 8 256 8z\\&quot;&gt;&lt;\\\/path&gt;&lt;\\\/svg&gt;&quot;},&quot;minimize_box&quot;:&quot;yes&quot;,&quot;minimized_on&quot;:&quot;tablet&quot;,&quot;hierarchical_view&quot;:&quot;yes&quot;,&quot;min_height&quot;:{&quot;unit&quot;:&quot;px&quot;,&quot;size&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;sizes&quot;:[]},&quot;min_height_tablet&quot;:{&quot;unit&quot;:&quot;px&quot;,&quot;size&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;sizes&quot;:[]},&quot;min_height_mobile&quot;:{&quot;unit&quot;:&quot;px&quot;,&quot;size&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;sizes&quot;:[]}}\" data-widget_type=\"table-of-contents.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-toc__header\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-toc__header-title\">\n\t\t\t\tTable of Contents\t\t\t<\/h2>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-toc__toggle-button elementor-toc__toggle-button--expand\" role=\"button\" tabindex=\"0\" aria-controls=\"elementor-toc__1c30362\" aria-expanded=\"true\" aria-label=\"Open table of contents\"><svg aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"e-font-icon-svg e-fas-chevron-down\" viewBox=\"0 0 448 512\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\"><path d=\"M207.029 381.476L12.686 187.132c-9.373-9.373-9.373-24.569 0-33.941l22.667-22.667c9.357-9.357 24.522-9.375 33.901-.04L224 284.505l154.745-154.021c9.379-9.335 24.544-9.317 33.901.04l22.667 22.667c9.373 9.373 9.373 24.569 0 33.941L240.971 381.476c-9.373 9.372-24.569 9.372-33.942 0z\"><\/path><\/svg><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-toc__toggle-button elementor-toc__toggle-button--collapse\" role=\"button\" tabindex=\"0\" aria-controls=\"elementor-toc__1c30362\" aria-expanded=\"true\" aria-label=\"Close table of contents\"><svg aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"e-font-icon-svg e-fas-chevron-up\" viewBox=\"0 0 448 512\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\"><path d=\"M240.971 130.524l194.343 194.343c9.373 9.373 9.373 24.569 0 33.941l-22.667 22.667c-9.357 9.357-24.522 9.375-33.901.04L224 227.495 69.255 381.516c-9.379 9.335-24.544 9.317-33.901-.04l-22.667-22.667c-9.373-9.373-9.373-24.569 0-33.941L207.03 130.525c9.372-9.373 24.568-9.373 33.941-.001z\"><\/path><\/svg><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div id=\"elementor-toc__1c30362\" class=\"elementor-toc__body\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-toc__spinner-container\">\n\t\t\t\t<svg class=\"elementor-toc__spinner eicon-animation-spin e-font-icon-svg e-eicon-loading\" aria-hidden=\"true\" viewBox=\"0 0 1000 1000\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\"><path d=\"M500 975V858C696 858 858 696 858 500S696 142 500 142 142 304 142 500H25C25 237 238 25 500 25S975 237 975 500 763 975 500 975Z\"><\/path><\/svg>\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-herorght0 e-con-full e-flex e-con e-child\" data-id=\"herorght0\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-heroimg00 iwg-hero-image elementor-widget elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"heroimg00\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"image.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"683\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/iwell-guard.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/geister_germanisch_troll-683x1024.webp\" class=\"attachment-large size-large wp-image-4852\" alt=\"Troll - Spirits from the Germanic tradition, historical-illustrative\" srcset=\"https:\/\/iwell-guard.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/geister_germanisch_troll-683x1024.webp 683w, https:\/\/iwell-guard.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/geister_germanisch_troll-200x300.webp 200w, https:\/\/iwell-guard.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/geister_germanisch_troll-768x1152.webp 768w, https:\/\/iwell-guard.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/geister_germanisch_troll.webp 1024w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 683px) 100vw, 683px\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-32917199 e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"32917199\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-26e916cb e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-child\" data-id=\"26e916cb\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-253a40d4 e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-child\" data-id=\"253a40d4\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-1200c304 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"1200c304\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Troll<\/div>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-11758e7f elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"11758e7f\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>The Troll is one of the most complex figures in the Nordic tradition. Originally a very broad concept (Old Norse <em>troll<\/em> can mean &#8220;<span class=\"iwg-fachbegriff\" data-tooltip=\"Practices that seek to intervene in the course of events through special actions or formulas.\" tabindex=\"0\">magical<\/span> being&#8221; in general), the term narrows in folk tales and literature to the giant mountain and forest dweller: dull or cunning, usually dangerous, sometimes comical.<\/p><p>It inhabits caves, mountains, remote forests, abducts people, steals brides, guards treasures, and shatters to stone in sunlight.<\/p><p>The background lies in the J\u00f6tnar and Thursar of the Edda, mythical giants standing in opposition to the gods.<\/p><p>In Scandinavian folk tradition, these merge with regional mountain and forest <span class=\"iwg-fachbegriff\" data-tooltip=\"A bodiless being to which agency in the world is attributed.\" tabindex=\"0\">spirits<\/span> to form the Troll of the folk tale, preserved in Asbj\u00f8rnsen and Moe&#8217;s Norwegian <span class=\"iwg-fachbegriff\" data-tooltip=\"An edifying narrative, usually about the lives of saints.\" tabindex=\"0\">legend<\/span> collections, in Icelandic <span class=\"iwg-fachbegriff\" data-tooltip=\"Orally transmitted popular culture including customs, narratives, and songs.\" tabindex=\"0\">folklore<\/span>, and in Finnish fairy tales. Modern fantasy literature (Tolkien, Rowling, Pratchett) has made the image of the Troll known worldwide.<\/p><div><p><strong>Troll Children and Mountain Trolls in the Edda and <span class=\"iwg-fachbegriff\" data-tooltip=\"A transmitted narrative often with a historical core and miraculous features.\" tabindex=\"0\">Saga<\/span><\/strong><\/p><p><span class=\"iwg-fachbegriff\" data-tooltip=\"Icelandic scholar (1179-1241); author of the Prose Edda and the Heimskringla.\" tabindex=\"0\">Snorri Sturluson<\/span> describes in the <em>Prose Edda<\/em> (around 1220), particularly in the <em>Sk\u00e1ldskaparm\u00e1l<\/em> (Poetic Diction), two distinct troll categories. Some are depicted as mountain dwellers: large, formidable, and dull, enemies of humans and gods.<\/p><p>Others, smaller and more agile, appear in contexts of <span class=\"iwg-fachbegriff\" data-tooltip=\"Practices that seek to intervene in the course of events through special actions or formulas.\" tabindex=\"0\">magic<\/span> and transformation. This differentiation later made it possible to sort various troll sightings and traditions into different categories. The Sk\u00e1ldskaparm\u00e1l also treats trolls as a poetic metaphor, suggesting a learned engagement rather than purely popular tradition.<\/p><p>In the Icelandic sagas (Heimskringla, Egils Saga, Grettis Saga), trolls appear as a chaotic force in conflict with humans and gods, yet rarely carry the main plot. Their presence functions as an embodiment of wildness or the otherworld, a marker in the narrative world rather than a fully developed character type.<\/p><\/div>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-159dcf9a e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-child\" data-id=\"159dcf9a\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-48cee66f elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"48cee66f\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Troll at a Glance<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-3f50d82c elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"3f50d82c\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><strong>Type:<\/strong> Giant mountain\/forest being<br>Origin: Eddic J\u00f6tnar and Thursar, regional mountain spirits<br>Texts: Edda, Icelandic sagas, Asbj\u00f8rnsen &amp; Moe, Grimm, modern fantasy<br>Period: Viking Age to the present<br>Countermeasures: Sunlight, church bells, steel, salt<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-18613602 e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"18613602\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-262b8a9f elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"262b8a9f\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Classification<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-46dcb7d e-con-full e-flex e-con e-child\" data-id=\"46dcb7d\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-61d3ab3 e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-child\" data-id=\"61d3ab3\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-117c166 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"117c166\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Period of the Texts<\/div>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-73997a0 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"73997a0\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>Mythically rooted in the Eddic J\u00f6tnar. Flourishing literarily in the Icelandic sagas (Grettis saga, B\u00e1r\u00f0ar saga). Folk-tale figure in Scandinavian tradition from the Middle Ages, richly collected in the 19th century (Asbj\u00f8rnsen &amp; Moe). Modern pop-culture figure since Tolkien.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-d47b156 e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-child\" data-id=\"d47b156\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-ff38c2b elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"ff38c2b\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Area of Distribution<\/div>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-4e49fcc elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"4e49fcc\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>Scandinavia, Norway, Sweden, and Iceland as the core region. Finnish and Sami variants exist. Germany knows &#8220;trolls&#8221; primarily through Scandinavian translation imports; its own mountain and forest giants bear different names.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-db03c39 e-con-full e-flex e-con e-child\" data-id=\"db03c39\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-229a87b e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-child\" data-id=\"229a87b\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-1f471fc elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"1f471fc\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">State of the Sources<\/div>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-36b1201 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"36b1201\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>Edda (V\u00f6lusp\u00e1, Gr\u00edmnism\u00e1l), Icelandic sagas, Asbj\u00f8rnsen and Moe&#8217;s <em>Norske Folkeeventyr<\/em>, Scandinavian and Finnish <span class=\"iwg-fachbegriff\" data-tooltip=\"The academic study of everyday culture, customs, and inherited beliefs.\" tabindex=\"0\">folklore studies<\/span>, modern fantasy literature.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-3ae0637c e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"3ae0637c\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-31d07739 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"31d07739\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Name<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-b7642947 e-con-full e-flex e-con e-child\" data-id=\"b7642947\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-a086266 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"a086266\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><strong>Old Norse:<\/strong> <em>troll<\/em>, broadly used for &#8220;magic, monster, magical being&#8221;.<br>Eddic terms: <em>j\u00f6tunn<\/em> (plural j\u00f6tnar), &#8220;giant&#8221;; <em>thurs<\/em>, &#8220;fiend&#8221;.<br>Modern names: Mountain Troll, Forest Troll, Troldkone (troll woman), Trollkunig (Icelandic).<br>Tolkien: Trolls as a sub-species in the world of Orcs, turning to stone in daylight.<\/p><p>The narrowing of meaning from a general magical being to a specific mountain giant takes place in the late Middle Ages and the <span class=\"iwg-fachbegriff\" data-tooltip=\"Epoch roughly from the 15th to the 18th century.\" tabindex=\"0\">early modern period<\/span>. In some Icelandic texts the term remains broad; a <em>troll<\/em> there can also denote a witch.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-709a44a8 e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"709a44a8\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-2f585873 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"2f585873\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Characteristics<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-70621c12 e-con-full e-flex e-con e-child\" data-id=\"70621c12\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-4296eb49 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"4296eb49\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><strong>Appearance<\/strong><\/p><p>Gigantic, often several meters tall. Ugly, with a thick nose, warts, and matted hair. In some traditions with multiple heads. Skin usually gray or moss-covered, reminiscent of rock. In Norwegian folk tales often with a tail.<\/p><p><strong>Behavior<\/strong><\/p><p>Lives in caves and mountains. Dangerous to travelers, steals brides, abducts children, guards treasures. Duller than humans; in folk tales often defeated by cunning. Some trolls sneak into villages after dark; caught by sunrise, they turn to stone.<\/p><p><strong>Sphere of Activity<\/strong><\/p><p>Mountain regions, forest expanses, lonely caves and rocky gorges. Several iconic rock formations in Norway are still interpreted as petrified trolls today (Trolltunga, Trollveggen).<\/p><p><strong>Mythological Classification<\/strong><\/p><p>In Eddic <span class=\"iwg-fachbegriff\" data-tooltip=\"The corpus of transmitted divine narratives of a culture.\" tabindex=\"0\">mythology<\/span>, the J\u00f6tnar belong to the primordial forces predating the gods. Thor is their chief adversary. In folk tradition this cosmic dimension loses importance; the Troll becomes an everyday being of the mountains and forests.<\/p><div><p><strong>The Asbj\u00f8rnsen-Moe Collection and Nordic Modernity<\/strong><\/p><p><span data-nosnippet>Norwegian folklorists Peter Christen Asbj\u00f8rnsen and J\u00f8rgen Moe published their <em>Norske Folkeeventyr<\/em> (Norwegian Folk Tales) from 1841 onward. Their collection contained numerous troll stories: trolls guarding bridges, luring humans, or quarreling with the gods.<\/span><\/p><p>Asbj\u00f8rnsen and Moe refined the descriptions of trolls and made them more narratively accessible. They also documented regional variation (fjord trolls, mountain trolls, sea trolls), which supported the specialization of the troll tradition.<\/p><p>This collection, reprinted many times and translated into several languages, became a <span class=\"iwg-fachbegriff\" data-tooltip=\"Belonging to the authoritatively recognized body of scriptures of a religion.\" tabindex=\"0\">canonical<\/span> work for European Romanticism and set the standard for how Nordic trolls are understood in modern literature and folklore studies.<\/p><\/div>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-44e71476 e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"44e71476\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-3c1fc3f0 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"3c1fc3f0\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Profile: Troll<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-84f33b8e e-con-full e-flex e-con e-child\" data-id=\"84f33b8e\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-hqkdc67p elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"hqkdc67p\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>The most important aspects of the Troll at a glance.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-pemmx7c5 e-con-full e-flex e-con e-child\" data-id=\"pemmx7c5\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-pemmx7c1 e-con-full e-flex e-con e-child\" data-id=\"pemmx7c1\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-qh9oavvu iwg-steckbrief-card e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-child\" data-id=\"qh9oavvu\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-awzx8k2k elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"awzx8k2k\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Cultural Context<\/div>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-x6rowhv0 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"x6rowhv0\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>Eddic J\u00f6tnar and Thursar as mythical origin. Merged in folk tradition with regional mountain and forest spirits.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-8e3o4kxs iwg-steckbrief-card e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-child\" data-id=\"8e3o4kxs\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-08rkdgov elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"08rkdgov\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Objects of Influence<\/div>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-uwjelx8s elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"uwjelx8s\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>Travelers, shepherds, children. Brides in folk tales. Heroes seeking treasure.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-jm2n74ec iwg-steckbrief-card e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-child\" data-id=\"jm2n74ec\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-8vufse4c elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"8vufse4c\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Troll's Appearance<\/div>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-mwb9u015 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"mwb9u015\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>Gigantic, ugly, thick nose, matted hair, sometimes multiple heads. Skin color gray or moss-covered. Occasionally with a tail.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-pemmx7c2 e-con-full e-flex e-con e-child\" data-id=\"pemmx7c2\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-37ss2yr6 iwg-steckbrief-card e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-child\" data-id=\"37ss2yr6\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-3v0wp3wx elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"3v0wp3wx\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Function<\/div>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-w3247g2m elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"w3247g2m\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>Steals, abducts, guards treasures, crushes. Defeated by cunning in folk tales. Loses life at sunrise and turns to stone.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-0qpjal9w iwg-steckbrief-card e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-child\" data-id=\"0qpjal9w\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-6ndoih0o elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"6ndoih0o\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Troll's Countermeasures<\/div>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-6684tyh9 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"6684tyh9\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>Daylight (the central countermeasure), church bells, steel. Cunning and patience: folk tales show heroes keeping the Troll occupied until morning.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-3lfi7x32 iwg-steckbrief-card e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-child\" data-id=\"3lfi7x32\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-0kg99ga1 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"0kg99ga1\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Related Beings<\/div>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-n0fum6kp elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"n0fum6kp\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>Giants of Greek <span class=\"iwg-fachbegriff\" data-tooltip=\"The corpus of transmitted divine narratives of a culture.\" tabindex=\"0\">mythology<\/span>, ogres (French fairy tales), Cyclops, Germanic mountain giants, ogres in modern fantasy.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-7533bc7a e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"7533bc7a\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-2447d18d elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"2447d18d\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Encounter and Defense<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-d5d0260c e-con-full e-flex e-con e-child\" data-id=\"d5d0260c\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-341be2ac elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"341be2ac\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><strong>The Daylight Rule<\/strong><\/p><p>The most important defense is straightforward: keep the Troll occupied until sunrise. In numerous Norwegian folk tales the hero uses time, riddles, cunning, or long conversations to detain the Troll until the first ray of sunlight, at which point it shatters to stone.<\/p><p><strong>Bells, Steel, Salt<\/strong><\/p><p>Church bells drive trolls away, hence the customary bell-casting for new village churches. Steel (knife, axe, horseshoe) burns trolls. Salt is thrown into the fire when trolls are suspected nearby.<\/p><p><strong>Negotiations<\/strong><\/p><p>Not all trolls are purely enemies. In some narratives one can negotiate with them, trade, take service with them, or receive teachings. The risks remain high; so do the rewards (treasures, secrets).<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-5a584676 e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"5a584676\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-6d0757bf elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"6d0757bf\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Parallels and Reception<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-60563f68 e-con-full e-flex e-con e-child\" data-id=\"60563f68\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-5a93fdd6 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"5a93fdd6\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><strong>Germanic and Further Parallels:<\/strong> Giants, ogres, Cyclopes: everywhere the <span class=\"iwg-fachbegriff\" data-tooltip=\"A recurring thematic element in art or narrative.\" tabindex=\"0\">motif<\/span> of the oversized, dull yet dangerous being that challenges heroes. The J\u00f6tnar of the Edda are mythical; the trolls of folk tales are closer to everyday life.<\/p><p><strong>Tolkien and Fantasy<\/strong><\/p><p><span data-nosnippet>Tolkien (1937, <em>The Hobbit<\/em>) brings the Norwegian daylight rule into modern fantasy. From this the Troll becomes the standard adversary in role-playing games, fantasy novels, and video games.<\/span><\/p><p><strong>Scandinavian Modernity<\/strong><\/p><p><span data-nosnippet>In Norway the Troll remains a culturally present figure, in tourism (troll souvenirs, Trollveggen), film (<em>Troll Hunter<\/em>, 2010; <em>Troll<\/em>, 2022), and literature. The mixed feeling of &#8220;uncanny and charming at once&#8221; shapes Scandinavian identity formation.<\/span><\/p><div><p><strong>Social and Cosmological Role in the Nordic Worldview<\/strong><\/p><p>In the Nordic cultural imagination, trolls were not merely monsters but an integral element of cosmological order. They inhabited regions outside human civilization and represented a force that could not be assimilated but had to be respected or feared.<\/p><p>The boundary between human space (Midgard) and demonic space (J\u00f6tunheim) was often marked by trolls. This functional role distinguished trolls from purely evil <span class=\"iwg-fachbegriff\" data-tooltip=\"A spiritual being to which harmful or ambivalent effect is attributed.\" tabindex=\"0\">demons<\/span> that could exist without cosmological grounding.<\/p><p>The troll tradition remained alive in Scandinavia while it faded in other parts of Europe. This partly explains why modern fantasy and Nordic cultural renaissances treat the troll figure so prominently: it is not an invention of the 19th century but the historically documented continuation of a tradition with continuity across centuries.<\/p><\/div>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-cp8484c62 e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"cp8484c62\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-cp925f628 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"cp925f628\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">The Troll in Old Norse Tradition<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-cp0b5733e e-con-full e-flex e-con e-child\" data-id=\"cp0b5733e\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-cpf977c07 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"cpf977c07\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>The Old Norse word <em>troll<\/em> is well attested in the medieval literature of Iceland and Scandinavia, yet its meaning there is broader and less clearly defined than in modern usage.<\/p><p>In the sagas and in Eddic poetry, <em>troll<\/em> does not designate a clearly delineated type of being but rather a whole range of dangerous, supernatural beings. It can mean a giant, a monster, a revenant, or simply a malevolent magical being. The related word <em>trolld\u00f3mr<\/em> likewise means nothing other than sorcery.<\/p><p>In the <em>\u00cdslendingas\u00f6gur<\/em>, the Icelandic sagas, troll-like beings appear mostly as a threat at the margins of the settled world: in the mountains, in impassable valleys, along the coast.<\/p><p>A distinct group consists of the <em>tr\u00f6llkonur<\/em>, the troll women, who appear in several sagas and in skaldic verses. The <em>Grettis saga<\/em> contains a famous episode in which the outlawed hero Grettir fights one such troll woman and another adversary.<\/p><p>Research into Old Norse literature emphasizes that the medieval texts offer no systematic <span class=\"iwg-fachbegriff\" data-tooltip=\"The corpus of transmitted divine narratives of a culture.\" tabindex=\"0\">mythology<\/span> of trolls. <em>Troll<\/em> is more of an umbrella term for the Other, the uncanny, whatever stands outside human and divine order.<\/p><p>The coherent, vivid troll image of later folk narrative, and still more of modern children&#8217;s literature, is a later development. Anyone wishing to grasp the Troll from a history-of-religions perspective must accept this ambiguity in the oldest sources and must not read the modern image back into the sagas.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-cp8ba61c4 e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"cp8ba61c4\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-cpec6ae86 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"cpec6ae86\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Trolls in Scandinavian Folk Legend<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-cp48dcc90 e-con-full e-flex e-con e-child\" data-id=\"cp48dcc90\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-cp07b663b elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"cp07b663b\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>The vivid troll image familiar today took shape primarily in the post-medieval folk legend and was recorded in the 19th century by collectors.<\/p><p>In Norway, Peter Christen Asbj\u00f8rnsen and J\u00f8rgen Moe made important contributions with their <em>Norske Folkeeventyr<\/em>, and in Sweden various folklorists compiled comparable material. In this more recent <span class=\"iwg-fachbegriff\" data-tooltip=\"The transmission of knowledge and narratives across generations.\" tabindex=\"0\">tradition<\/span>, the Troll gains clearer contours.<\/p><p>It is now imagined mostly as a being dwelling in mountains, cliffs, or hills: clumsy, strong, often dull, and outwittable by humans. Recurring motifs include its aversion to noise (especially church bells), its living under bridges, its wealth in livestock and treasure, and, in some traditions, the belief that sunlight turns it to stone.<\/p><p>This last <span class=\"iwg-fachbegriff\" data-tooltip=\"A recurring thematic element in art or narrative.\" tabindex=\"0\">motif<\/span> has an old anchor point: already in Eddic poetry the dwarf Alv\u00edss is turned to stone because the rising sun catches him unawares.<\/p><p>From a folklore perspective, troll legends served several functions. They explained striking landscape features, such as oddly shaped rocks interpreted as petrified trolls. They marked the boundary between cultivated and wild land and warned of the dangers of the wilderness. And they negotiated in narrative form the encounter with the foreign.<\/p><p>A widespread narrative type is that of humans taken into the mountain by trolls, a <span class=\"iwg-fachbegriff\" data-tooltip=\"A recurring thematic element in art or narrative.\" tabindex=\"0\">motif<\/span> closely related to beliefs about subterranean beings and nature spirits. Religious-studies scholarship sees in this narrative material less a belief system than a flexible repertoire through which rural communities interpreted their environment and their fears.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-cpd5d270c e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"cpd5d270c\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-cp9000042 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"cp9000042\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">From Frightening Figure to Children's Book Character<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-cpa6e0daa e-con-full e-flex e-con e-child\" data-id=\"cpa6e0daa\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-cpa7f65d7 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"cpa7f65d7\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>The reception history of the Troll in the 19th and 20th centuries is an instructive case study in the transformation of meaning of a spirit being. The starting point was the nationalist-Romantic revaluation of folk tradition in Scandinavia.<\/p><p>The Troll changed from a purely frightening figure into an element of national identity and artistic inspiration. The Swedish painter John Bauer, through his illustrations for the anthology <em>Bland tomtar och troll<\/em> in the early 20th century, established an influential image of the massive, gnarled, forest-dwelling Troll.<\/p><p>As the 20th century progressed, the image shifted even more clearly toward the friendly and child-appropriate. The Finland-Swedish author Tove Jansson created the <em>Moomins<\/em>, round, good-natured troll beings that have little in common with the threatening saga troll.<\/p><p>In the toy and entertainment industry the Troll became a harmless, often cute figure. In parallel, in fantasy literature influenced by the works of J. R. R. Tolkien, the image of the large, dull, dangerous Troll also lived on.<\/p><p>For the history-of-religions perspective this transformation is instructive because it shows how a being can lose one function and acquire another. The saga troll was bound to concrete fears and to a specific landscape.<\/p><p>The modern Troll has been released from this grounding and can embody, as the occasion demands, the cute, the comic, or the monstrous. The Swedish word <em>troll<\/em> has in this way regained its old breadth of meaning in a new form: today it designates almost anything a narrative wishes it to be.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-36dd7469 e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"36dd7469\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-13760ab4 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"13760ab4\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Further Links<\/div>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-28c87796 e-con-full e-flex e-con e-child\" data-id=\"28c87796\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-5d6538df elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"5d6538df\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<footer class=\"iwg-literatur\" data-nosnippet=\"true\"><p>Recommended internal links:<\/p><ul><li><a href=\"https:\/\/iwell-guard.com\/en\/germanic\/\">Germanic<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/iwell-guard.com\/en\/alp\/\">Alp<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/iwell-guard.com\/en\/draugr\/\">Draugr<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/iwell-guard.com\/en\/nix\/\">Nix<\/a>, <a href=\"\/en\/mahr\/\">Mahr<\/a><\/li><li>Eddic J\u00f6tnar and Nordic <span class=\"iwg-fachbegriff\" data-tooltip=\"The corpus of transmitted divine narratives of a culture.\" tabindex=\"0\">mythology<\/span><\/li><li>Tolkien and modern fantasy<\/li><li>Parallels: ogre, Cyclops, giant<\/li><\/ul><\/footer>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-grl4kl40 e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"grl4kl40\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-bzsbfrmh elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"bzsbfrmh\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Sources and Literature<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-2c13224a e-con-full e-flex e-con e-child\" data-id=\"2c13224a\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-0eymh9ub elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"0eymh9ub\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<footer class=\"iwg-literatur\"><p>A selection of key works on the Troll:<\/p><ul><li><span data-nosnippet>Lindow, John: <em>Trolls. An Unnatural History<\/em>. London 2014.<\/span><\/li><li><span data-nosnippet>Simpson, Jacqueline: <em>Scandinavian Folktales<\/em>. Harmondsworth 1988.<\/span><\/li><li><span data-nosnippet>Kvideland, Reimund \/ Sehmsdorf, Henning: <em>Scandinavian <span class=\"iwg-fachbegriff\" data-tooltip=\"Religious ideas and customs that are widespread in everyday life.\" tabindex=\"0\">Folk Belief<\/span> and Legend<\/em>. Minneapolis 1988.<\/span><\/li><li><span data-nosnippet>Tangherlini, Timothy R.: <em>Interpreting Legend<\/em>. New York 1994.<\/span><\/li><li><span data-nosnippet>L\u00f6nnroth, Lars: <em>Den dubbla scenen<\/em>. Stockholm 1978.<\/span><\/li><\/ul><div data-nosnippet=\"true\" class=\"iwg-litliste\"><\/div><\/footer>\n<p class=\"iwg-bib-more\"><span data-nosnippet>Further standard works in the <a href=\"\/en\/literature\/\">literature index<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-iwgca-troll-sec e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"iwgca-troll-sec\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\" id=\"iwg-ca-troll\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-iwgca-troll-te iwg-ca-textwrap elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"iwgca-troll-te\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div data-nosnippet=\"true\"><p class=\"iwg-ca-bridge\">The protective practice described here represents a religious-studies classification of historical traditions. iWell Guard connects to this cultural-historical lineage of wearable protective objects and constitutes a contemporary form of it. <a href=\"https:\/\/iwell-guard.com\/en\/about-iwell-guard-the-protective-pendant-in-detail\/?utm_source=iwell-guard.com&#038;utm_medium=text-link&#038;utm_campaign=schadwesen-tradition\">More about iWell Guard \u2192<\/a><\/p><\/div>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-wv-troll-faq-eb1ce4 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"wv-troll-faq-eb1ce4\" data-element_type=\"section\" data-e-type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-wv-troll-faq-col-d45809\" data-id=\"wv-troll-faq-col-d45809\" data-element_type=\"column\" data-e-type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-wv-troll-h elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"wv-troll-h\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Frequently Asked Questions about Troll<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-wv-troll-t elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"wv-troll-t\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<details class=\"iwg-faq-item\">  <summary><strong>What is a Troll in <span class=\"iwg-fachbegriff\" data-tooltip=\"The corpus of transmitted divine narratives of a culture.\" tabindex=\"0\">mythology<\/span>?<\/strong><\/summary>  <p>A Troll is a being of Nordic and Germanic <span class=\"iwg-fachbegriff\" data-tooltip=\"The corpus of transmitted divine narratives of a culture.\" tabindex=\"0\">mythology<\/span> that lives in mountains, forests, and under bridges. Trolls are considered large, ungainly, often dull, but dangerously strong. In the Old Norse tradition (Edda, sagas), trolls are described as a race of giants, relatives of the J\u00f6tunn. The modern fantasy tradition has significantly altered this image.<\/p><\/details><details class=\"iwg-faq-item\">  <summary><strong>What types of trolls exist?<\/strong><\/summary>  <p>The Old Norse tradition knows several troll types: mountain trolls (cliff dwellers), water trolls (in rivers and lakes), hill trolls, and the smaller hus-tomten of Swedish <span class=\"iwg-fachbegriff\" data-tooltip=\"Orally transmitted popular culture including customs, narratives, and songs.\" tabindex=\"0\">folklore<\/span>. Trolls turn to stone in sunlight, a <span class=\"iwg-fachbegriff\" data-tooltip=\"A recurring thematic element in art or narrative.\" tabindex=\"0\">motif<\/span> that recurs in many Norwegian rock-formation legends.<\/p><\/details>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-wv-troll-s elementor-widget elementor-widget-html\" data-id=\"wv-troll-s\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"html.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<script type=\"application\/ld+json\">\r\n{\r\n  \"@context\": \"https:\/\/schema.org\",\r\n  \"@type\": \"FAQPage\",\r\n  \"mainEntity\": [\r\n    {\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"What is a Troll in mythology?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"A Troll is a being of Nordic and Germanic mythology that lives in mountains, forests, and under bridges. Trolls are considered large, ungainly, often dull, but dangerously strong. In the Old Norse tradition (Edda, sagas), trolls are described as a race of giants, relatives of the J\u00f6tunn. The modern fantasy tradition has significantly altered this image.\"}},\r\n    {\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"What types of trolls exist?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"The Old Norse tradition knows several troll types: mountain trolls (cliff dwellers), water trolls (in rivers and lakes), hill trolls, and the smaller hus-tomten of Swedish folklore. Trolls turn to stone in sunlight, a motif that recurs in many Norwegian rock-formation legends.\"}}\r\n  ]\r\n}\r\n<\/script>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Troll, Spirit of the Germanic Tradition Troll is a spirit of the Germanic tradition. A giant mountain being, situated between the Eddic thursar and the fairy-tale ogre. SpiritGermanicShapeshifter Table of Contents Troll The Troll is one of the most complex figures in the Nordic tradition. Originally a very broad concept (Old Norse troll can mean [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":4852,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"elementor_header_footer","meta":{"_yoast_wpseo_focuskw":"Troll","_yoast_wpseo_title":"Troll: Spirit of the Germanic Tradition | iWell Guard","_yoast_wpseo_metadesc":"Troll, a giant mountain being of the Germanic tradition. Between the Eddic thursar and the fairy-tale ogre, linked to stone and giants.","_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-noindex":"","_yoast_wpseo_canonical":"","_angie_page":false,"gefaehrdungsstufe":"","wesen_kultur":"","wesen_klasse":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[79,89,93],"class_list":["post-4851","page","type-page","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-cultures","category-germanic","category-spirits"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v27.7 (Yoast SEO v27.7) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Troll: Spirit of the Germanic Tradition | iWell Guard<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Troll, a giant mountain being of the Germanic tradition. 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