History of the Trolls

Trolls are legendary, Norwegian, folktale creatures. When glaciers began to melt in a far-north country, people began settling there, calling themselves Nordmen of the north, thus calling the country North Way or Norway. Before long, the Norwegians realized that various creatures were hiding in the forests and mountainsides. These creatures were generally believed to have supernatural powers, and they came to be known as trolls.

The trolls only come out at night, only after sunset, and disappear before sunrise. Direct exposure to the sun could cause them to crack, turn into stone, or burst. If they forget to hide from the sun, they will sometimes turn into rock formations.

Trolls have very distinct features: they have long, crooked noses; four fingers and toes on each limb; and most of them have long bushy tails. Some are giants, some are small, some are two headed, some are three headed, and some have only one eye. Although shaggy with rough hair and a frightening appearance, some can be good-natured and naive. Most live to be 100 years old and can transform themselves into fairy maidens called “Hulder.” However, they cannot get rid of their bushy tails! The legend of trolls still remains.

Artist and Sculpturer: Jim Valentine
Donated by: Kari Landro and sons, John, Paul and David Mitchell, Guttorm “Jack” and Claudia Landro, Kevin and Lisbeth Monroe and Alex Landro