Troll

Troll
Name	Troll
Grouping	Mythological creature
Region	Scandinavia
Similar	Giant; Ogre; Dwarf

Troll is a term for a mythological being originating in Northern European folklore, later adapted into literature, art, and digital jargon. The figure appears across Scandinavian sagas, Romantic-era literature, modern fantasy novels, role-playing games, and online discourse, influencing perceptions in fields as diverse as folklore studies, comparative mythology, and internet culture. Interpretations range from subterranean giants in sagas to mischievous beings in fairy tales and metaphorical labels in contemporary media.

Etymology

Scholars trace the word to Old Norse and Proto-Germanic roots discussed in works on Old Norse language, Proto-Germanic language, and comparative lexicons used by researchers at institutions like the University of Oslo and the British Museum. Philologists compare cognates in Old English, Old High German, and Icelandic Sagas while referencing editors and translators such as Jacob Grimm, Rasmus Rask, and Vigfusson in etymological debates. Linguistic studies published via Cambridge University Press, Oxford University Press, and articles in the Journal of English and Germanic Philology examine semantic shifts noted in collections like the Prose Edda and the Poetic Edda.

Mythology and Folklore

In medieval sources, creatures appear in narratives recorded in the Heimskringla, the Gesta Danorum, and pastoral accounts compiled by antiquarians such as Olaus Magnus and Bishop Peringskiöld. Folklorists have catalogued tales collected by figures like Peter Christen Asbjørnsen, Jørgen Moe, and Sir George Webbe Dasent, often comparing motifs with entries in the Aarne–Thompson classification system and fieldwork archived at the Nordiska museet. Ethnographers from the Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland and the Folklore Society analyzed regional variants recorded in the Faroes and the Orkney Islands, while comparative religion scholars cross-reference themes with Norse mythology, Celtic mythology, and legends studied by Mircea Eliade.

Physical Description and Variants

Descriptions in sagas, parish records, and ethnographic notes vary: giants in mountain narratives cited in Snorre Sturlason contrast with small household figures in collections by Jacob Grimm and Alexander Afanasyev. Natural historians and early modern chroniclers such as Olaus Magnus and Gerardus Mercator noted alleged sightings alongside accounts of trolls in the Lofoten and Hardangervidda. Later classifications in speculative biology and fantasy bestiaries draw on typologies used by authors like J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, and illustrators commissioned by publishers including HarperCollins and Penguin Books. Contemporary surveys in the Smithsonian Institution and museum exhibits at the Viking Ship Museum present artistic interpretations influenced by artists such as John Bauer and Theodor Kittelsen.

Cultural Depictions and Symbolism

Artists, composers, and filmmakers have invoked the creature across media, from paintings displayed at the Nationalmuseum and The Royal Academy to musical compositions performed by ensembles associated with the Royal Swedish Opera and festivals like the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. Symbolic uses appear in political cartoons printed by outlets such as The Times and Politiken, while theater adaptations have been staged at venues including the Royal National Theatre and the Gothenburg City Theatre. Scholars in comparative literature reference the motif in analyses published by Harvard University Press, Oxford University Press, and case studies featured at conferences hosted by the Modern Language Association.

Trolls in Literature and Media

The motif is central to novels and games produced by authors and studios including J.R.R. Tolkien, J.K. Rowling, Neil Gaiman, Terry Pratchett, George R. R. Martin, Blizzard Entertainment, and Wizards of the Coast. Film portrayals by directors such as Guillermo del Toro, Peter Jackson, and Scandinavian filmmakers screened at Cannes Film Festival and Sundance Film Festival have popularized specific visual tropes. Television series broadcast by networks like the BBC, HBO, and NRK adapt folkloric elements, while comic strips and graphic novels from publishers such as Marvel Comics and Dark Horse Comics expand the creature’s presence. Video game franchises including The Elder Scrolls, World of Warcraft, The Witcher, and Final Fantasy integrate variants into bestiaries, as do tabletop systems published by Paizo Publishing and Games Workshop.

Internet Trolling

The verb deriving from online behavior emerged in forums moderated by platforms such as Usenet, Reddit, 4chan, Twitter, Facebook, and comment sections belonging to outlets like The New York Times and The Guardian. Media studies scholars at institutions including MIT, Stanford University, University of California, Berkeley, and London School of Economics have examined interactions across services developed by Google, Amazon Web Services, and startups incubated at Y Combinator. Research published in journals like New Media & Society and presented at conferences such as ICA documents tactics traced from early IRC channels and bulletin board systems created during the era of AOL and CompuServe.

Legal and Social Responses to Online Trolling

Legislatures and courts in jurisdictions represented by parliaments such as the United Kingdom Parliament, the United States Congress, the European Parliament, and the Storting have debated statutes and rulings addressing harassment on platforms regulated by agencies like the Federal Communications Commission and the European Commission. Nonprofit organizations including Electronic Frontier Foundation, Anti-Defamation League, Center for Democracy & Technology, and Reporters Without Borders provide policy analyses, while law clinics at Yale Law School, Harvard Law School, and Oxford Faculty of Law litigate precedent-setting cases. Technology companies including Meta Platforms, Microsoft, Twitter, Inc., and Cloudflare implement moderation frameworks and collaborate with bodies like INTERPOL and national cybercrime units to respond to online abuse.

Category:Folklore creatures