Norway, as you know, is famous for being one of the best and safest nations to live in - and also for having some of the most breathtaking scenery on the planet. Home to dense forests, beautiful rock formations and spectacular fjords, anyone who has ever had the pleasure of visiting the country has certainly found that it is also home to the trolls.

You may have heard of these beings, right? And, just to clarify, we are not referring here to people who are dedicated to mocking others on the internet not! We are talking about the huge creatures originating from Scandinavian mythology who, according to some, inhabit remote areas of Norway.

Trolling

According to Scandinavian folklore, trolls are gigantic, smelly creatures whose description closely resembles that of ogres - think of a family-sized Shrek! They are nocturnal beings, their favorite hiding places are caves and mountainous regions, and besides being very ugly, intelligence would not be the best of their attributes.

On the other hand, according to some legends, trolls are able to change their shape and even become invisible, which would allow them to enter and exit various places without having to use doors and windows or suddenly appear, surprising the humans. One more interesting aspect related to these creatures is that they can turn to stone and even explode if hit by the sun's rays.

In addition, they say that trolls can only have children once in a lifetime, and that babies are born with only one head and one eye. But as they get older, two more heads pop up to make up the look (poor things), and creatures can live between 1, 000 and 12, 000 years. In addition, these beings feed primarily on coal, and there are two types of trolls, those that live in the mountains and those that inhabit the forests.

Rumors

It is quite common for myth and reality to mingle from time to time, and this, of course, happens with trolls. There is a photograph - unclear and noticeably old - that has been circulating for years on the Internet as supposedly the only record known of one of these beings. Look:

The image was reportedly captured in December 1942 - during World War II - by the crew of a Royal British Air Force reconnaissance aircraft just under 500 kilometers from Bergen.

According to the rumors, Allied forces even sent troops into the region to investigate, but no trolls were found. In addition, another photo, which you can check out below, would also show one of these creatures, this time facing a German Panzer. Take a look:

Note the similarity between the photo troll and what appears in the trailer that we insert later!

Interestingly, testimonials related to troll sightings in Norway were quite common until the 1970s. Today, if you visit the country and come across high voltage towers in the mountainous regions, be aware that these structures are said to be gigantic fences. power lines that delimit restricted access areas established by the Norwegian government to keep trolls out of reach of the population.

However, it is noteworthy that there is no confirmation that these beings participated in the war or that they made contact with humans. In addition, there is no news about the discovery of fossils or physical evidence proving that these creatures exist outside Scandinavian folklore - and a 2010 movie called Troll Hunter was responsible for rescuing many of the legends related to these monsters. Watch the trailer:

They "really" are everywhere

Regardless of legends, movies and rumors, the truth is that trolls are really part of Norwegian culture - and, deep down, they are loved by the people. They appear on signposts and are sold as a souvenir everywhere, as well as being related to various tourist spots in the country.

There is a rock formation in Norway called Trolltunga - a word that can be translated as' troll tongue '- which is 700 meters high, for example, and the largest cave in the country is named Trollkirka or' church of the trolls ”.

Another formation, known as Torghatten, also has its history associated with creatures. According to legend, a troll named Hestmannen was chasing a young virgin when he realized he would be unable to capture her.

Torghatten

He then decided to shoot an arrow to kill the girl, but Somna, the king of the trolls, threw his hat to block the arrow's trajectory, and the accessory turned into a mountain with a hole in the middle. Of course, the trolls had nothing to do with the formation of the hole - which emerged during the Ice Age.

Hunderfossen

And there is also a theme park dedicated to creatures! Named Hunderfossen, the attraction features a series of monster-inspired toys, and after sundown the trolls and other forest mythological beings appear to play with the kids.

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