Geiranger. Norwegian Trolls and Chinese Vikings

While our tourists are running around the Geiranger souvenir shops, I came to a sculpture depicting a legendary resident of the Norwegian mountains. In Norway, there are a lot of toponyms associated with these creatures, for example, the mountain ranges of Trollholm, Trollheim are considered petrified trolls. Trolls live in remote forests and mountain caves and go hunting only at night, if the Troll did not have time to return to the cave before dark, with the first rays of the sun, it turns into stone. Most modern sculptures depict a Troll as a cheerful creature, but in fact they are not so good-natured - in Scandinavian mythology, the Troll takes the form of an evil dwarf, giant or witch. Over time, the word "troll" became a common designation for all evil spirits. Even the word "witchcraft" in the Norwegian language is the root of the "troll" - "trollop". This is also indicated by the names that indicate dangerous places where evil spirits rule - Trollvey (Troll Road), Trollbotn (Troll Gorge), Trollvann (Troll Lake).

Legends say that trolls sometimes appear among people in human form. Usually a person can not immediately guess who he is dealing with. However, it is recommended that if he suspects something is wrong, in no case should he press the stranger hand. Trolls can also take the form of a dog, a black goat, or a friendly person with a tail. Rules of behavior when meeting a Troll: do not tell him your name, do not accept treats from him, and try to go out into the sunlit place. If a Troll follows You, it will immediately turn to stone under the sun. When leaving the Troll, be sure to walk through the plough so that your footprints form a cross with the furrows of the plow - this will protect You from the troubles that the Troll could send to you. There are legends that trolls sometimes kidnap people. To release the prisoner it was necessary to ring the bells of the local churches. If a person is kidnapped far away in the mountains, then the bell was brought there.

Other legends say that the Troll does not always harm a person , it can be good-natured and acts as a welcoming host. It happens that a Troll helps a person, and a person helps a Troll. Many Norwegians still believe in trolls who live in homes and believe that all small household troubles are their tricks. In fact, the analogue of our house. Troll figures carved from wood are a favorite object of folk art and a tourist symbol of Norway. Many people wonder why a Troll has such a long nose. It turns out that the trolls interfere with their porridge , which is cooked in their caves from the bark of trees.

If the Troll is almost impossible to meet , then the Vikings , the most important characters in Norwegian history and epic, in Geiranger I still managed to see, though peculiar. These Vikings turned out to be of Chinese origin, and they sailed here in a large white Drakkar, named Costa Luminosa, anchored in the roadstead.

However, I also saw a real Drakkar, only slightly modernized and able to move without the help of sails and oars. Those who want to feel like a harsh Scandinavian warrior can take this boat on a small cruise along the fjord.