The trolls had very distinct features.
They had long crooked noses,
Only four fingers and toes on each limb,
and most of them had long bushy tails.
Some trolls were giants, and others were small.
There were stories of two-headed as well as three-headed trolls,
and even a few had only one eye in the middle of their wrinkled foreheads.
|Father Troll has had enough, |
he wraps himself up in a blanket,
goes to sleep and waits for spring to arrive.
Illustrated by Rolf Lidberg.
|In this sixteenth century drawing, |
trolls are aligned with supernatural power over the environment.
By Olaus Magnus.
Historia de Gentibus Septentrionalibus (History of the Northern Peoples)
Printed in Rome 1555.
Others had trees and rough moss-like growth all over their heads and noses.
|"Nej,sicken liten puttefnasker!" |
Illustrated by John Bauer
And then I also met the one troll that is all too familiar,
the internet troll who sows discord on the net
by starting arguments or upsetting people,
posting irritating or harassing messages.