Hidden Runes shalt thou seek and interperted signs,
many symbols of might and power,
by the great Singer painted, by the high
Powers fashioned,
graved by the Utterer of gods.

-Havamal, stanza 141

To the rest of the Kithain, Trolls are the stoic, silent warriors. They would be surprised to discover the depth and range of emotion in the lives of Trolls. It is very rare that any of the other Kithain do, however, as the Trolls have never been ones to make their private lives known.

Frost Nature & Blood Nature

"When Tyr created the Trolls, he took part of his own blood as well as part of the Frost Giants. When the Trolls emerged from the Well of Wyrd, some of them followed their Frost Nature and others followed their Blood Nature, as it is called."

-The Troll Edda

Unlike some of the kiths, the divide between Seelie and Unseelie Trolls is very narrow. For a Troll, it is simply her state of mind that prompts her to follow either her Frost Nature or her Blood Nature, both of which make up her as a whole. The Troll who follows his Blood Nature knows that some day the final battle of Ragnarok will come and that he will be called upon to fight. Until that day, however, a Blood Nature Troll still believes that the Fimbul Winter is not yet upon the world, that there are still Dreams of this world yet to be born.

A Troll who follows her Frost Nature is less likely to see this world as worth fighting for. That does not mean she has given up, however. A Frost Nature Troll is more likely to look out for her own interests while the Winter approaches. She may also be eager for the final battle, to bring the change to remake the world and sweep away this Dreamless and empty place. For both Frost and Blood Nature Trolls, honor and duty are paramount. Regardless of how bitter a Frost Troll is, she will keep her word and no matter how kind a Blood Troll may appear, he will kill to protect the Dreaming.

Spirituality
The psychological shock of Chrysalis and Saining causes the questioning of deep seated beliefs. Most Trolls come from at least nominally Christian homes. Some of them reject their previous faith and search for spiritual answers for the new reality they must face.

Trolls are keenly aware of their divine creation and mandate. All Drengs are taught the history of their kith and so of their personal connection to the Aesir. In some Halls, the legends are presented as history and moral fables. In more traditional Halls, the old religion is taught as the faith all Trolls are called on to follow. This sometimes causes personal crises for Trolls, who must reconcile the faith that provides them with answers in the world they now belong to, and the faith of their mortal family. Although at times difficult, the result is often a spiritual reawakening and journey for each Troll.

Religion

The heathens chant many different prayers and incantations during these rituals, but they are so vile that I will say nothing further about them.

-Adam of Bremen, Christian chronicler

Very few outsiders understand the traditional religion of the Trolls. Rumors abound to this day that the Trolls practice bloody and barbaric rituals in the name of their beliefs. This is a perception that most Trolls have not gone to any great effort to change, and some would say it is for the same reason they find it beneficial to be seen as ruthless killers in battle. Some would see as a darker side to this, however, because not all the rumors are false.

Many newly emerged Trolls hesitate when the are first taught the religion of their kith. Despite this initial uncertainty, many become devout with time, the sense of purpose and belonging it offers to them a powerful pull. Of all the kith, the Trolls are one of the most religious, something not well understood by others. The private nature of the kith means many are reluctant to share personal details of themselves such as their relationship with the divine.

Prayer

The religion of the Trolls is intensely personal. Worship is focused in the household and even a city dwelling Troll will often have a small shrine to the Aesir tucked away in an apartment corner. Many Trolls also seek out bodies of water when they wish to pray. The water represents the Well of Wyrd, the birthplace of the Trolls, and their connection to Tyr, their creator.

Sacrifice

The Aesir are said to have no time for dabblers. Among a people of few words, speech alone is never enough. All supplicants make a sacrifice as a form of offering. The sacrifice is seen as less of something needed by the Aesir but more of a sign of the seriousness of the intent by the supplicant. Only one who really believes will make a sacrifice. For everyday, this is often mead, either poured into a bowl, onto the ground, or into a body of water. In times of great need this is frequently replaced by blood, often from the supplicant herself. On occasions of great importance, animals are slain, the blood given to the Aesir and the meat consumed by the celebrants. It is said that at least one ox must be offered for a Saining to be auspicious.

There are even greater sacrifices made by those who feel that only the ancient ways will prove their undying devotion to the Aesir. Some Trolls sacrifice not only a great number of animals in certain rituals, but humans as well. The bloodiest of this is the ritual of the Hanging Tree, which is performed every nine years in complete secrecy by only the most traditional of Trolls. Nine males of all creatures of the Nordic world, including unfortunate men, are hung from trees in sacred groves, an offering to the All Father himself.

Magic
Unlike the Sidhe and the Satyrs, Trolls are not known as sorcerers. This perception is a fallacy, however, caused by Troll physical prowess being more obvious to the outside observer. Those Trolls who do not train to be warriors are trained in the higher Arts, either from their own choice or after the Elders notice their natural talent. These practitioners go by various names, including Runemaster or Mistress and Spawife or Spaman. The term Seidr is also used, but connotes the use of magic for malicious intent. Trolls use Runes, blood, evergreen cuttings, the four traditional elements (fire, earth, air and water) and singing and chanting when casting cantrips or performing rituals. They are traditionally masters of Primal, Pyretics and unknown to the Sidhe, Naming.

 

Many Kithain are quick to describe individual Trolls as ‘old fashioned’, although they aren’t necessarily aware of that this might mean to a Troll if they were to use the same phrase to describe themselves. The values of pre Christian Norse culture were quite unlike those of the rest of medieval Europe. Depending on the way a Trolls is raised, or what memories they possess, a true ‘old fashioned’ Troll might be much different than expected.

Marriage: Marriage was considered a way to cement an alliance between houses, but they were rarely arranged without consent of both prospective husband and wife. Since men and women owned property jointly and divorce was easy for either spouse, it was best for all parties to agree.

Divorce: Either spouse could obtain a divorce by stating to their husband or wife “I divorce you” in front of a witness. The husband and wife would then take the property they had originally brought to the marriage and could remarry as they chose.

Sex: Both unmarried men and women would take partners as the chose, society did not discourage sex for either men or women. However, it was frowned upon to take someone of lower status as a lover. Children born outside of marriage were claimed as legitimate and raised within the household.

 

Women in Troll Society
In the time before the Shattering, Troll society viewed both genders as equals. As near immortals, reproduction was recreation, not biological imperative. Although offspring were looked after, lineage was considered unimportant. In contrast, humans created complex societies based on ancestry. After the Shattering, however, many female Trolls found themselves trapped in an alien patriarchal society. They rebelled from their position and many were labeled witches for their practice of the Arts. As the centuries went by, Troll women remained those who refused to be confined by society’s expectation.

Although they have found themselves in a strong position at the dawn of the 21st century, many still have unique difficulties finding their place in mundane society. Most Troll women are significantly taller and heavier than mundane women. They are often labeled homosexuals regardless of their sexual orientation due to their natural athletic abilities. Since they don’t fit into the accepted standard of beauty, they sometimes develop poor self images, especially during their Wilder years. As they gain more confidence in their abilities, most learn to live comfortably within their own skin. The more contact the Troll has with other changelings, the more likely that she will realize that “normal” is not a set standard. Not to mention, as more than one Elder has observed, the presence of young Troll males does wonders for a Troll woman’s sense of her own attractiveness.

Hospitality
In harsh climates, the importance of hospitality increases significantly. In the far north, this holds true. By tradition, a Troll must provide a place by the hearth as well as food and drink to any who request entrance to their Hall. All guests are treated with respect, in honor of the Wanderer, as Odin is called when he travels Midgard. This is not the kindness usually associated with Boggans, however. Anyone foolish enough to insult or be aggressive toward her Troll host rarely makes it to the door. As the host must show hospitality to the guest, the guest must display the best manners.

Concordia
All Trolls in Concordia came from Scandinavia at some point. Most came with their families, but there were those who made the journey alone. The Trolls, like all other immigrants, were and are concerned with preserving the way of life they knew before arriving here, while at the same time finding they have to adapt to their new surroundings. Although North America was a land where people from all over the world found themselves living side by side, it would be wrong to underestimate the shock to the Troll community when it was first discovered Trolls were not only being born into non Scandinavian families, but families who were not Caucasian! This caused immediate stress on the Concordian community that remains today.

The majority of Trolls today have been taught that regardless of mundane ethnicity, all Trolls are one kith and should treat each other as such. The most prevalent and politically correct theory is that in the case an immigrant Troll has no family in Concordia, she will chose another worthy family to return to Midgard. Unfortunately, racism is not unknown in the Troll community. Trolls face the same questions and uncomfortable answers that the human community around them does when dealing with questions of race. It has been suggested more than once that Tyr may be dispensing ironic justice when he sends certain Trolls back to Midgard.

 

"In the time before the Trolls were created, Fenrir was born to the frost giantess Angreboda, fathered by Loki. After his birth he was brought to Asgard, so he could do no harm. The wolf whelp attacked any who came near and only Tyr had the courage to care for the wolf cub. In time, Tyr came to have some affection for the wolf and spoke to Odin about what his fate in Asgard would be. Odin, unsure of the child of Loki, went to the Norns for guidance. It was there at the base of Yggdrasil that Odin learned of Ragnarok and that the wolf Fenrir was destined to kill him.

When Odin returned to Asgard he demanded that Fenrir be bound until the end of the world. The dwarves made the chain Gleipnir, which was as thin as a single hair, but from which Fenrir could not escape. The Aesir planned to place the chain around Fenrir’s neck, telling the wolf it was harmless. Tyr was dismayed by this, but obeyed the wishes of his father. When the wolf Fenrir was told Gleipnir was harmless, he demanded that one of the Aesir place a hand in his mouth as a pledge that this was true. It was Tyr who placed his hand between Fenrir’s jaws, knowing his hand would be forfeit for the Aesir breaking their word to Fenrir. So it was that Fenrir was bound and Tyr became known as the one handed god."

-The Troll Edda

 

As the followers of Tyr, the Trolls remember the story of Fenrir. Like Tyr, the wolf also has children who live on Midgard. They are called the Fenrir after their sire, or the Get of Fenris. Born of the same culture and bound to each other by their divine ancestors for centuries, the relationship between the two groups is complex and many Trolls and Get are hard pressed to explain to outsiders.

As Tyr once held hope that Fenrir was more than the monster the others saw him as, so many Trolls believe the Get can be more than the bloodthirsty killers they are known to be. These Trolls believe that the events of Ragnarok are not bound by fate and that the Get of Fenris are not destined to fight by Loki's side when the final battle comes. In evidence of this, these Trolls point to the war the Get wage against Jormungand, the Midgard Serpent. Extremists of this view hold that Fenrir must have some pity in the world if he has instructed the Get to battle his brother in this fashion.

Others reject this and believe that the Get and Trolls will find themselves on opposite sides for the final battle. Until that day, the Get are honored adversaries who, like their sire, await that day. As the centuries have passed and memory has faded, some Trolls, especially those outside Scandinavia, have come to the conclusion that the Get are in fact nothing more than bloodthirsty killers and if they were once more than that, those days are gone. It is hard to argue with these Trolls, who see the racist attitudes and senseless violence of the Get as proof that they no longer remember the vibrant Norse civilization and have resorted to living out the stereotype of the mindless barbarian berserker.

As for the Get, the Godi, or Theurges are the ones who remember the Trolls, but in their constant state of war, few others even remember the old legends. In Scandinavia the Get and Trolls live in relative peace, each concerned with their own politics and conflicts. Outside of Scandinavia, the two come into contact less frequently. However, in foreign lands, Get and Trolls have been known to make loose alliances. These are almost always short lived, as the Get harbor a deep anger against the other European kiths due to their humiliation at the hands of the Sidhe before the Shattering.

To the Trolls, the Aesin are not and never have been “sidhe”. They are the elves of light, the Lios Alfar, created by the god of light, Frey. As with the children of Fenrir, centuries with the Trolls during the pre-Shattering times have made their relationship complex, not even considering their recent return.

The nature of the relationship between the Aesin and the Trolls in the Pre-Shattering times is a matter of heated debate. The Aesin claim to be the rulers of the Scandinavian kithain. As those who remained on Midgard as changelings, the Trolls have no clear mortal memory of this time, something that would allow the Aesin to take advantage of them. Many argue that since the Trolls are the army of Tyr and that Aesin that of Frey, they are equals and have always been so.

Even apart from the debate concerning the past of the Aesin and the Trolls is that over the meaning of the Aesin return. Ever since 1998, a number of new developments have concerned Trolls scholars and religious leaders. The appearance of a new kind of walking dead, in relatively large numbers, has been a cause for alarm, especially in conjunction with the arrival of the Adhene. The return of the Aesin now has caused a re-evaluation of these earlier events.

There are those Trolls who take these recent developments as signs of Ragnarok’s eminent arrival, and the Aesin have begun to gather their troops. For Trolls of this school of though, they see the Aesin return as Frey sending his army to the battlefield of Midgard, the Adhene following the Norns having been sent ahead to herald their arrival. The Aesin and the Trolls must put aside any thoughts of violence between each other to face the new threat that is soon to arrive.

Those Trolls who reject this theory entire do not deny that the Aesin are the children of Frey, but that their return is not a proud march to battle, but rather the sulking return of cowards who fled at the first sign of the Fimbul Winter. According to these Trolls, the Aesin were created as an Army for Frey, but ran from the battlefield of Midgard during the Shattering, abandoning their then comrades-in-arms, the Trolls. Now that the Aesin have been forced to return, they are trying to hide their cowardice behind the stories of glory and claiming to herald the coming of Ragnarok while insisting they are the only ones fit to lead the battle.

And then there are the moderates, the Trolls who are unsure what the return of the Aesin means in the context of recent events. Troll beliefs can support either of the two more radical theories. There is also the questions of these new walking dead. What exactly are they? The forces of Hel? It seems unlikely that they are the honored dead of Valhalla, yet it is not clear that they not, either. The lack of solid conclusive evidence for any of the opposing views has many Trolls looking for answers from any possible source.

 

The Sami-The Lapps
The Sami are the indigenous people of northern Scandinavia, Finland and the Kola peninsula of Russia. There are many different groups of Sami, but each strive to preserve their native language and traditional culture as reindeer herders. Although the Sami live in nordic countries, their beliefs and culture are distinct from those of nordic descent.

For this reason, it is of little surprise that Trolls are almost unheard of being born into the Sami community. Among the Sami, there is a long tradition of Dreamspeaker magi, however. Because of the Dreamspeaker abilities to view and interpret Dreams as well as to enter the Dreaming itself, Trolls and Sami magi come into contract frequently. Relations between the two groups are cordial, but have never progressed much further than individual encounters. The Trolls are suspicious of the magi’s abilities and their hunger for certain forms of glamour. On their side, the Sami Dreamspeakers distrust the Trolls as they belong to the ethnic majority who have historically oppressed Sami culture.

 

© 1999 White Wolf Publishing, Inc.
No challenge to their copyright is intended with this page. See Author's Note for details.