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NORWEGIAN TRADITIONS

EXPLAINED: Norway’s fascination with trolls 

If you've spent any time in Norway, you will have noticed that Norwegians are fond of trolls, whether it's the folklore surrounding them, naming things after the creatures or the ornaments in their homes. 

Published: 24 March 2023 15:19 CET
Pictured is a street sign warning of trolls.
Here's why Norway is fascinated with trolls. Pictured is a street sign warning of trolls. Photo by Mark König on Unsplash

Trollfjorden, Trolltunga, Trollveggen, Trollstigen, Trollvann and Jotunheimen National Park are among the things in Norway named after or with a heavy connection to trolls. 

If the on-the-nose naming of landmarks and beauty spots after trolls weren’t enough to go on, just peer into a souvenir shop (or many Norwegian homes), and you’d see plenty of small ornaments. 

Aside from Vikings, trolls are used more than anything else to symbolise Norway. Trolls’ origins are like, most Norwegian folklore, steeped in Norse mythology. The earliest written record of trolls appears in the book Prose Edda from the 13th century. 

Trolls, in Norwegian folklore, are said to be evil, mythical creatures that live in isolated areas such as mountains and forests, as well as caves. Mythology has them as both living solitary lives or in small families. 

Typically, trolls are depicted as large, ugly giants with big noses and bulging eyes. However, their depiction has been quite varied across Norwegian folklore. For example, in Norse mythology and Scandinavian folklore, they have been depicted with more than one head, some as giants, others as dwarfs more akin to the ornaments you’ll find in souvenir shops. 

They are also shown to have different behaviours and characteristics depending on the type of troll they are. For example, mountain and forest trolls are generally considered large and brutish creatures, using trees as clubs and causing extreme weather events such as avalanches, landslides and hurricanes. 

Then there are the more diminutive cave trolls, smaller than humans and depicted as rotund with stubby arms. These trolls use their mythical connections with nature to deceive humans. Trolls belonging to the sea, fjords, rivers and lakes are also depicted. 

Typically, trolls have feared sunlight and lighting (as Thor in Norse mythology would hunt them) and can normally be dispatched by humans using their quick wits and intuition to either strike deals, solve riddles or trick the troll into causing itself harm. 

Folklore explains many of the country’s most spectacular rock formations as trolls turned to stone when exposed to direct sunlight. 

As Christianity was introduced to Norway, religiosity became more intertwined with folklore. Much like how Santa Lucia was used to intertwine original mythology with Christianity, the church put tales of trolls to use. 

For example, the Trogre type of trolls, which looked like ogres in size and appearance (called Jotun, which forms the basis for the name of the Jotunheimen National Park), were considered evil, un-Christian creatures were warded off with the sound of church bells. These trolls were also said to destroy churches and attack priests. 

The other type of troll, Troblin, is much smaller in stature and more mischievous than outright evil. These creatures instead like to stir up trouble on Christmas, a Christian holiday. 

Trolls in popular culture

Many stories of trolls were passed down verbally until Peter Christen Asbjørnsen, and Jørgen Moe decided to collect folktales from Norway’s countryside and publish them. 

In many of the duo’s most famous tales, trolls play a pivotal role. Many of the stories are still enjoyed by young Norwegian children today. 

The creatures were also a subject of fascination for Theodor Kittelsen, whose most famous and eerie mountains centre around trolls. One of his most famous works, The Monster of The Lake, is on display in the national museum and depicts a lake troll. 

Norway’s most famous playwright, Henrik Ibsen, also wrote about trolls. His work Peer Gynt includes the appearance of the troll king of Dovregubben. 

The Norwegian fantasy film The Trollhunter also centres around trolls, using both characteristics displayed in myths and legends and basing their appearance on the work of Kittelsen. The film was acclaimed both in Norway and internationally. 

In 2022, trolls of the Norwegian variety would be cast back into the spotlight with the release of the Netflix creature feature Troll. The film centres around a girl and her father exploring the mountains and who enjoys reminiscing about fairy tales. As a grown woman, the girl finds that trolls are indeed real, and she needs to reconnect with her father to get to the bottom of the mystery. 

The film actually includes a nod to the mixing of the theological and mythological depictions of trolls as it includes a scene where the beast can sense somebody praying. 

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NORWAY EXPLAINED

The things you won’t see in Norway that are common elsewhere

When you move to (or visit) a new country, you almost inevitably encounter a bit of culture shock - or, at the very least, some surprising social norms and experiences.

Published: 22 April 2024 15:50 CEST
The things you won't see in Norway that are common elsewhere

Moving to Norway – or just visiting it as a tourist – offers no shortage of incredible sights and experiences that you’ll struggle to find anywhere else.

However, among these features lie several elements of European urban life that are conspicuously absent from life in Norway, drawing curious glances from visitors accustomed to their presence elsewhere.

With that in mind, The Local has compiled a list of things you might find noticeably – and somewhat oddly – missing from day-to-day life in Norway.

A (mostly) cashless society

In a world where cash is king, many newcomers to Norway remain baffled by the apparent absence of cash in everyday transactions.

In most Norwegian cities, it’s not uncommon for people to see entire months pass without a single physical coin or banknote changing hands.

Instead, most people use electronic payment methods such as the widespread Vipps e-payment app, mobile payments, and contactless cards, effectively rendering cash obsolete in many scenarios.

Ordering takeout? There’s Vipps.

Going shopping? You pay via card.

Paying the mortgage rate? Online banking.

Donating at church? Vipps again.

As Håkon Fyhn, an associate professor at NTNU who researches robotisation, digitisation, and automation, told The Local in a recent interview, Norwegian society is characterised by a high level of trust in government and banks, so people don’t use cash because they trust digital money.

EXPLAINED: The pros and cons of Norway going cashless

“The short answer is that for most people in Norway, there are now digital alternatives that are more convenient to use and readily available – notably credit cards (on plastic or phone) and Vipps (a Norwegian phone-based money transfer service) for small and medium exchanges,” he said.

Homeless people in Norway

Wandering the streets of most of Norway’s cities, you’ll likely notice the absence of a demographic that tends to be, unfortunately, quite present in urban landscapes in Europe – homeless people.

Homelessness has significantly declined in Norway since 2012, with numbers halving, according to recent data.

This reduction can be attributed to a concerted strategy that emphasises the development of housing and support services, alongside the cultivation of expertise in addressing homelessness, as reported in a 2022 article by Husbanken Norway.

Efforts have been particularly targeted at vulnerable groups within the housing market, with a specific focus on families with children and people grappling with substance abuse and mental health issues.

According to a national survey on homelessness in Norway conducted in 2020, the total number of homeless people was 3,325.

Considering the country’s population of approximately 5,400,000 inhabitants, this is a rate of 0.62 homeless persons per 1,000 inhabitants, which is considered relatively low.

No piles of trash on the street (for the most part)

While bustling tourist hubs – such as the Lofoten Islands in the north of Norway or the Trolltunga rock formation in Vestland Country – can become full of trash in peak tourism season, generally speaking, Norway’s streets tend to be very clean compared to some other European countries.

With a deeply ingrained culture of personal responsibility for waste management, many Norwegians maintain their urban environments to a very high standard, making ugly piles of trash a rare sight.

READ MORE: What you need to know about rubbish and recycling in Norway

The widespread adage is to leave every place cleaner than how you found it. Therefore, don’t be surprised when you see picking up others’ litter in the woods, on hikes, or on walks through their neighbourhoods.

That being said, there is a very intense debate on the over-tourism of Norway’s top attractions – and the negative impacts of this phenomenon – going on in the country at the moment. The Local has covered this issue in more detail in this article.

Few skyscrapers

Norway’s skyline starkly contrasts the towering cityscapes synonymous with many other Western countries.

Even in Oslo, the country’s capital, strict building limits curtail the construction of skyscrapers. Instead, the cityscape is usually dominated by low to mid-rise buildings.

The situation is more or less the same in other major Norwegian cities, such as Bergen, Stavanger, and Trondheim.

Furthermore, as Norway is spread across vast stretches of land, its population is thinly scattered across the expansive terrain.

Therefore, historically, the necessity for towering skyscrapers to make use of urban real estate hasn’t been pressing, given the abundance of space available (outside major urban centres).

READ MORE: Property prices in Norway to surge over the next few years

Factors such as population pressure, limited supply, and growing demand in the real estate market in the country’s major cities are raising questions about whether this should continue.

Where are the curtains?

Another curious absence that might go unnoticed until pointed out is the absence of curtains on the windows of Norwegian homes.

Unlike in many other countries, where curtains are a common decoration for privacy, Norway’s residents often forego this conventional window dressing, preferring unrestricted views of the surrounding landscapes and prioritising more natural light during the day.

Interestingly, the prevalence of curtains varies across different districts and neighbourhoods, with areas with higher populations of international residents at times featuring a higher concentration of curtain-clad windows.

This may stem from a desire to cater to the preferences of those accustomed to the conventional use of curtains for privacy.

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