The Genre of Trolls - Doria

make a similar, more extended and systematic investigation of such relationships
between folklore and the Bible.
Amilien continues her exploration of the symbolic properties of the troll
by analyzing the image of supernatural beings in relation to the Old Norse
conceptions of the dead, the soul, and fate. She contends that supranormal
creatures seem to incarnate the image of the dead, oscillating between the
notions of revenants and of the souls of the dead (Amilien 1996: 164, 185,
220). The troll may be viewed as the embodiment of destiny as well, since
it goads the protagonist into action and gives him a mission in life through
its depredations. Simultaneously, it has traits in common with the fylgja,
the ancient tutelary spirit protecting a man or clan, and with the hamr,
which could detach itself from the body, representing the ancestral spirit.
The fylgja manifests itself in dreams, and the encounter with the troll occasionally
begins with the hero inexplicably falling asleep, making the coming
of the fylgja/troll possible. The physical form of the fylgja is reminiscent of
the appearance of the female trolls, and the ambivalence of the fylgja,
which was both good and bad, is reflected in the malice of the male troll
and the benignity of a younger, female troll in some narratives; Amilien
believes the protective aspect of the troll has been suppressed by the
Church. When the troll is destroyed, its soul, i.e., the fylgja, passes into the
hero, who is reborn, concretely and symbolically. The hamr is the vital
principle giving the hero a new personality, and it is a symbolic image of
the power which is being embodied in him. For the first time he is becoming
a person, an adult. The helper is like unto the hugr, the impersonal,
active manifestation of the soul. It is exterior to man, just as the helper is,
and it is connected with the souls of the dead. The hugr appears when it
sees fit, sometimes to the detriment of the individual it has supposedly
come to assist. This facet corresponds to those instances when the hero is
being aided against his will. There are also elements of the fylgja in the
image of the helper (Amilien 1996: 180–185, 202–207, 222–223). In other
words, Amilien argues that the Old Norse concepts have survived in the
Norwegian tales of the troll.
Moreover, Amilien contemplates whether it is possible to isolate any
characteristics peculiar to the troll, and she settles on five traits usually
linked to trolls alone: firstly, particular sounds; the troll often arrives noisily,
and it shouts rather than talks. Secondly, it can have more than two
eyes, or only one eye. Thirdly, it loves beauty, especially human, female
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Introduction