Before internet, what was a troll?

We all know who trolls are. They are people on the internet, especially social media, who intentionally harass other people by making fun of them, irritating or insulting them, and stalking them. They also spread rumours and a negative vibe about the person they intend to harm. The word ‘trolling’ describes these activities. But from where did we get the word ‘troll’? Who were the trolls and are they still around?  

Origin of the word ‘troll’  
Though the exact etymology of the word is not undisputed, North Germanic origins suggest the parent words came from Scandinivia, i.e. Norway, Denmark and Finland. In the Middle Ages, the word ‘troll was used in Nordic literature for any creature capable of practicing magic, especially in terms of controlling the environment, and also any creature possessed or awakened by sorcery. Trolls could be wild boars controlled by sorcerers, zombie warriors and non-human, ogre-like soldiers. Old Norse texts also refer to these creatures as shape shifters on the battle field.   

Evolution of the troll’s identity  
Scandinavian folklore slowly solidified the identity of trolls into 2 groups.  The first was a giant, a monstrous being, possessing magic powers. Hostile to men, trolls lived in castles and raided the surrounding districts. In later tales, the second version of trolls was man-sized or smaller beings similar to dwarfs and elves. They lived in mountains, caves, forests or even underground. In the plays of the Norwegian dramatist Henrik Ibsen, trolls are used as symbols of destructive instincts. Trolls continue to appear in modern tales for children, often living hidden under bridges, menacing travellers and exacting tasks or tolls. Trolls reached the height of popularity with J.R.R. Tolkien’s ‘Lord of the Rings’ fantasy series, now an equally popular film franchise. Following Tolkien, the giant variety of ogre trolls appeared in ‘Harry Potter’ and other series.  

Trolls as dolls 
The smaller, dwarf like version of trolls had another journey. In 1964, troll dolls were created in Denmark by Thomas Dam. These are cute, cheerful and brightly coloured, a hit in the children’s toy market.  Our internet trolls though, are like the large unfriendly ones, lurking in the darkness of the web, harming other humans.