Is the troll a good-natured Snusmurik or a terrible murderer?

The distant ancestors of modern Scandinavians, when mentioning the name of this creature, began to tremble with fear, whispering prayers to themselves. What kind of monster is this? Friends, this is a troll!

These are fairy-tale characters, represented differently in this or that era. For example, modern science fiction has given these creatures a number of repulsive qualities: they are very huge, terribly ugly, brainless.
In addition, they are constantly concerned about the same problem: how to fill your insatiable womb and fall asleep firmly. And Scandinavian folklore presents trolls to us in more demanding quality. The troll is a creature endowed with immense physical strength and supernatural powers! But where is the truth?

How did they look?

Friends, and the truth in this matter, we are not finding out even in the daytime and with bright fire! After all, if you believe in ancient legends, these creatures looked absolutely different, and each of the descriptions has the right to exist: some say they are big men the size of a whole mountain, while others say that a troll is a small creature with a tail and a fit In the pocket of clothes (for example, Snusmukrik).

It is interesting that on the heads of the trolls, except for the hair, every muck grew: moss and trees! According to the legends, the number of trolls in different trolls was different: one, five, ten ... It was believed that the more goals - the older, wiser and more experienced this creature. At the same time, the troll's language was so long that it was possible to pick up worthless people who scattered in different directions at the sight of these nightmarish creatures! Many trolls simply adored in this way grasp and live to absorb their prey.

Where did they live?

It is believed that the indigenous country of trolls is Norway, but our heroes existed in Iceland and in the dense Swedish forests, as well as in the Orkney and Shetland Islands. Contrary to the prevailing opinion, in Denmark there were never trolls, because they were not happy with the treeless and flat lands ...

Lifestyle

Some trolls loved to live as hermits, occupying a whole mountain, while others created their own families, joining tribes. Some legends say that our heroes could form whole kingdoms with clearly expressed hierarchy and vertical power. Maybe the famous Shrek is an example of such a "state" way of life for trolls, even though he is an orc.

What else is known about them?

And here's what: some legends say that a troll is not a human enemy at all! They did not always kill and devour people. Very often these creatures simply grabbed women, carried them to their cave, turning them into slaves. The poor fellow had to put up with the eternal darkness and dampness of the underground lair of the troll. She was there as a cook: trolls brought human pieces of meat and bones, and their slaves had to cook a hearty meal for them.

If a woman was beautiful, she often became the wife of a male troll. She was rubbed with some magic potions that turned the poor thing into a monster: her face darkened, covered with wrinkles, her nose swelled, and her skin was covered with hair ...