Look at them, troll mother said. Look at my sons! You won't find more beautiful trolls on this side of the moon. (1915) by John Bauer

A troll is a supernatural being in Norse mythology and Scandinavian folklore. In origin, one of the meanings of the term troll was a negative synonym for a jötunn (plural jötnar), a being in Norse mythology, although the word was also used about witches, berserkers and various other evil magical figures. In Old Norse sources, beings described as trolls dwell in isolated rocks, mountains, or caves, live together in small family units, and are rarely helpful to human beings.

Later, in Scandinavian folklore, trolls became beings in their own right, where they live far from human habitation, are not Christianized, and are considered dangerous to human beings. Depending on the region from which accounts of trolls stem, their appearance varies greatly; trolls may be ugly and slow-witted or look and behave exactly like human beings, with no particularly grotesque characteristic about them. Trolls are sometimes associated with particular landmarks, which at times may be explained as formed from a troll exposed to sunlight. One of the most famous elements of Scandinavian folklore, trolls are depicted in a variety of media in modern popular culture. The equivalent being in Shetland and Orkney folklore is known as a "trow".

Norse mythology[link]

In Norse mythology, troll, like thurs is a term applied to jötnar, and are mentioned throughout the Old Norse corpus. In Old Norse sources, trolls are said to dwell in isolated mountains, rocks, and caves, sometimes live together (usually as father-and-daughter or mother-and-son), and are rarely described as helpful or friendly.^[1] In the Prose Edda book Skáldskaparmál, a scenario describing an encounter between an unnamed troll woman and the 9th century skald Bragi Boddason is provided. According to the section, once, late in the evening, Bragi was driving through "a certain forest" when a troll woman aggressively asked him who he was, in the process describing herself:

Old Norse: Troll kalla mik trungl sjǫtrungnis, auðsug jǫtuns, élsólar bǫl, vilsinn vǫlu, vǫrð nafjarðar, hvélsveg himins – hvat's troll nema þat?[2]

Anthony Faulkes translation: 'Trolls call me moon of dwelling-Rungnir, giant's wealth-sucker, storm-sun's bale, seeress's friendly companion, guardian of corpse-fiord, swallower of heaven-wheel; what is a troll other than that?'[3]

John Lindow translation: They call me a troll, moon of the earth-Hrungnir [?] wealth sucker [?] of the giant, destroyer of the storm-sun [?] beloved follower of the seeress, guardian of the "nafjord" [?] swallower of the wheel of heaven [the sun]. What's a troll if not that?[2]

Bragi responds in turn, describing himself and his abilities as a skillful skald, before the scenario ends.^[3]

There is much confusion and overlap in the use of Old Norse terms jötunn, troll, þurs and risi, which describe various beings. Lotte Motz theorized that these were originally four distinct classes of beings; lords of nature (jötunn), mythical magicians (troll), hostile monsters (þurs) and heroic and courtly beings (risi)—the last class being the youngest addition. Ármann Jakobsson calls this theory "unsupported by any convincing evidence".^[4] He has gone on to study the Old Norse examples of the term troll and has concluded that in the Middle Ages, the term is used to denote various beings such as a giant or mountain-dweller, a witch, an abnormally strong or large or ugly person, an evil spirit, a ghost, a blámaðr, a magical boar, a heathen demi-god, a demon, a brunnmigi or a berserk.^{[5][clarification needed]}

Scandinavian folklore[link]

Later, in Scandinavian folklore, trolls become defined as a particular type of being.^[6] Numerous tales about trolls are recorded, in which they are frequently described as being extremely old, very strong, but slow and dim-witted, and are at times described as man-eaters and as turning to stone upon contact with sunlight.^[7] However, trolls are also attested as looking much the same as human beings, without any particularly hideous appearance about them, but where they differ is in that they live far away from human habitation, and, unlike the rå and näck—who are attested as "solitary beings", trolls generally have "some form of social organization". Where they differ, Lindow adds, is that they are not Christian, and those that encounter them do not know them. Therefore trolls were in the end dangerous, regardless of how well they may get along with Christian society, and trolls display a habit of bergtagning ('kidnapping'; literally "mountain-taking") and overrunning a farm or estate.^[8]

While noting that the etymology of the word "troll" remains uncertain, John Lindow defines trolls in in later Swedish folklore as "nature beings" and as "all-purpose otherworldly being[s], equivalent, for example, to fairies in Anglo-Celtic traditions" and that they "therefore appear in various migratory legends where collective nature-beings are called for". Lindow notes that trolls are sometimes are swapped out for cats and "little people" in the folklore record.^[8]

A Scandinavian folk belief that lightning frightens away trolls and jötnar appears in numerous Scandinavian folktales, and may be a late reflection of the god Thor's role in fighting such beings. In connection, the lack of trolls and jötnar in modern Scandinavia is sometimes explained as a result of the "accuracy and efficiency of the lightning strokes".^[9] Additionally, the absence of trolls in regions of Scandinavia are described in folklore as being a "consequence of the constant din of the church-bells". This ring caused the trolls to leave for other lands, although not without some resistance; numerous traditions relate how trolls destroyed a church under construction or lunged boulders and stones at completed churches. Large local stones are sometimes described as the product of a troll's toss.^[10] Additionally, into the 20th century, the origins of particular Scandinavian landmarks, such as particular stones, are ascribed to trolls who may, for example, have turned to stone upon exposure to sunlight.^[7]

Lindow compares the trolls of the Swedish folk tradition to supernatural mead hall invader Grendel in the Old English poem Beowulf, and notes that "just as the poem Beowulf emphasizes not the harrying of Grendel but the cleansing of the hall of Beowulf, so the modern tales stress the moment when the trolls are driven off."^[8]

Smaller trolls are attested as living in burial mounds and in mountains in Scandinavian folk tradition.^[11] In Denmark, these creatures are recorded as troldfolk ("troll-folk"), bjergtrolde ("mountain-trolls"), or bjergfolk ("mountain-folk") and in Norway also as troldfolk ("troll-folk") and tusser.^[11] Trolls may be described as small, human-like beings or as tall as men depending on the region of origin of the story.^[12] James MacCulloch theorizes a connection between the Old Norse vættir and trolls, theorizing that both concepts may either stem from (or ultimately derive from) spirits of the dead.^[13]

In Norwegian tradition, similar tales may be told about the larger trolls and the Huldrefolk ("hidden-folk") yet a distinction is made between the two. The use of the word trow in Orkney and Shetland, to mean beings which are very like the Huldrefolk in Norway strongly suggests a common origin for the terms. The word troll may have been used by pagan Norse settlers in Orkney and Shetland as a collective term for supernatural beings who should be respected and avoided rather than worshiped. Troll could later have become specialized as a description of the larger, more menacing Jötunn-kind whereas Huldrefolk may have developed as the general term applied to smaller trolls.^[14]

See also[link]

Folklore portal

• Changeling; in Scandinavian folklore, a human baby is sometimes swapped with a troll child
• Þorgerðr Hölgabrúðr, a Norse goddess whose surname sometimes contains the element -troll

Notes[link]

References[link]

External links[link]

• Media related to Trolls at Wikimedia Commons

v t e Scandinavian folklore Beings Askafroa Bäckahästen Changeling Deildegast Draugr Elf Erlking Fossegrim Gjenganger Helhest Huldra Kraken Mara Myling Nisse Nix Rå Skrømt Troll Valravn Vætter Will-o'-the-wisp Ysätters-Kajsa People Askeladden Blenda Disa Origins Norse mythology Norse paganism

v t e Norse mythology Deities, heroes, and figures Æsir Baldr Bragi Forseti Dellingr Freyr Heimdall Hermóðr Höðr Hœnir Kvasir Lóðurr Loki Meili Mímir Móði and Magni Njörðr Odin Óðr Thor Týr Ullr Váli Víðarr Vili and Vé Ásynjur Bil Eir Freyja Frigg Fulla Gerðr Gefjon Gná Hlín Ilmr Iðunn Irpa Jörð Lofn Nanna Njörun Rán Rindr Sága Sif Sigyn Sjöfn Skaði Snotra Sól Syn Þorgerðr Hölgabrúðr Þrúðr Vár Vör Others Ask and Embla Dís Norns Valkyries Dwarf Einherjar Elves Light elves Dark elves Black elves Fenrir Hel Jörmungandr Jötunn Níðhöggr Sigurd Völundr Vættir Locations Asgard Bifröst Fólkvangr Ginnungagap Hel Jötunheimr Midgard Múspellsheimr Niflheim Valhalla Vígríðr Wells Mímisbrunnr Hvergelmir Urðarbrunnr Yggdrasil Events Æsir–Vanir War‎ Fimbulvetr Ragnarök Sources Gesta Danorum Poetic Edda Prose Edda Runestones Sagas Tyrfing Cycle Völsung Cycle Old Norse language Orthography Later influence Society Blót Félag Germanic calendar Heiti Hörgr Kenning Mead hall Nīþ Norse pagan worship Numbers Seiðr Skald Viking Age Völva See also Norse gods Mythological Norse people, items and places Germanic paganism Ásatrú

This biographical article needs additional citations for verification. Please help by adding reliable sources. Contentious material about living persons that is unsourced or poorly sourced must be removed immediately, especially if potentially libelous or harmful. (January 2010)

Nicole Sullivan
Sullivan in 2003
Born	Nicole Julianne Sullivan (1970-04-21) April 21, 1970 (age 42) Manhattan, New York, U.S.
Occupation	Actress, comedian, voice artist
Years active	1990–present
Spouse	Jason Packham (m. 2006) «start: (2006)»"Marriage: Jason Packham to Nicole Sullivan" Location: (linkback:http://en-wiki.db.wn.com/index.php/Nicole_Sullivan)

Nicole Julianne Sullivan (born April 21, 1970) is an American actress, comedian and voice artist. Sullivan is best known for her six seasons (1995–2001) on the sketch comedy series MADtv and five seasons (2001–2005, 2007) on the CBS sitcom The King of Queens.

She has played a recurring character on Scrubs and voiced the villainous Shego in Disney's Kim Possible. She had recurring voice roles on Family Guy and voiced "Franny Robinson" in Disney's Meet the Robinsons. From 2008 to 2009, Sullivan starred and was the lead of her own Lifetime television series Rita Rocks. Currently, she voices Marlene in series The Penguins of Madagascar.

Early life[link]

Sullivan was born in Manhattan, New York, the daughter of Edward C. Sullivan, a New York State assemblyman.^[1] She took dance classes at age 7 and performed in Off Broadway and Broadway productions with the First All-Children's Theatre. Sullivan's mother, a business woman, and her father, who represented Manhattan's 69th Assembly District in the New York State Assembly from 1977 to 2002, moved the family upstate to Middleburgh, New York, in 1982. During high school, Nicole was class treasurer throughout her junior year. She played soccer in high school, recorded statistics for the boys’ basketball team and was a member of student council.

After graduating from Middleburgh in 1987,^[2] she attended Northwestern University as a theatre major. She studied William Shakespeare, Harold Pinter, Anton Chekhov, Henrik Ibsen and Greek tragedies, while working two jobs to pay her way through college and writing plays and sketches for the student theatre. Sullivan spent her junior year in London, studying at the British American Drama Academy and became a member of the Greenwich Shakespeare Company. Sullivan graduated from Northwestern with honors, and then moved to Los Angeles before getting sporadic guest-starring roles.

Career[link]

MADtv[link]

Sullivan was among the original cast members on MADtv when it premiered in 1995. She created numerous characters; her most popular was the mean-spirited Vancome Lady. Sullivan's other characters included X-News reporter Amy, dimwitted Antonia, Eracists leader Debbie, News at 6's Diane Lawyer-Trabajo (pronounced "trebalyo"), racist country singer Darlene McBride, and Latina bimbo Lida. Sullivan appeared with Michael McDonald in a MADtv sketch about making an audition tape to appear on Law & Order that mocked their acting prowess; she later guest-starred in the Law & Order: Special Victims Unit episode "Contact". Sullivan was featured in the Nov/Dec 2009 issue of Making Music Magazine.^[3]

Impersonations[link]

Sullivan's impersonations included Britney Spears, Drew Barrymore, Justin Timberlake, Hillary Clinton, Mary-Kate Olsen, Jennifer Aniston, Nancy Reagan, Meg Ryan, Celine Dion, Melanie Griffith, Jenna Elfman, Uma Thurman, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Kim Cattrall, Beth Broderick, Anne Robinson, Helen Hunt, Edie Falco (as Carmela Soprano from The Sopranos), Emma "Baby Spice" Bunton, and Lucille Ball (as Lucy Ricardo in a trio of I Love Lucy parodies), and Julia Louis-Dreyfus.

Voice acting projects[link]

Sullivan was originally cast as Turanga Leela, one of the main characters in the animated series Futurama, which premiered in 1999.^[4] Due to a casting change, Katey Sagal was instead given the role before the series even aired.^[5]

Sullivan has voiced Marlene the Otter on The Penguins of Madagascar, a spin-off series from the successful hit movies, Madagascar and Madagascar Escape 2 Africa, which aired on Nickelodeon, Shego on Kim Possible; Joan of Arc on Clone High; Mira Nova on Buzz Lightyear of Star Command; and Joan on the Family Guy episode, "I Take Thee Quagmire", along with several other one time voices on the show. Sullivan has also starred in a pilot called, Me and My Needs, that was rejected by ABC. She played Franny Robinson in Meet the Robinsons. Also, Sullivan was a voice actor in the Monsters, Inc. video game. She played Luna in the 2007 video game Ratchet & Clank: Size Matters. In 2012, she also provided the voice of Supergirl in Super Best Friends Forever, a series of animated shorts airing on Cartoon Network's DC Nation block.^[6]

Personal life[link]

Sullivan is married to actor Jason Packham.^[7] They have two sons named Dashel Pierce and Beckett Edward.^[8] The Packham family currently lives in California.

Sullivan won the first edition of Celebrity Poker Showdown. Her charity was Alley Cat Allies, a nonprofit advocacy organization dedicated to transforming communities to protect and improve the lives of cats, which received $100,000 as a result of her victory. She has most recently become the latest in a long line of celebrities to endorse the Jenny Craig weight loss system after losing 35 pounds while on the program as of October 2009.

Selected filmography[link]

References[link]

External links[link]

• Nicole Sullivan at the Internet Movie Database
• Nicole Sullivan's video interview with The Futon Critic