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Trolls were creatures in Norsereferring to the people and culture of Scandinavia: Norway, Sweden, Denmark, and Iceland myth and legend who became part of the folklore of Scandinavia and northern Europe. Generally trolls were thought to be evil and dangerous, although sometimes they interacted peacefully with people. They were clever at building and making things of stone and metal and often lived in caves or among rocks.

Early stories described trolls as giants who lived in castles and roamed during the night. When exposed to sunlight, trolls turned to stone. The stone crags of a place called Trold-Tindterne (Troll Peaks) in central Norway are said to be two armies of trolls that once fought a great battle—until sunrise caught them and turned them to stone. Over time, trolls came to be portrayed about the size of humans or, in some cases, as small as dwarfs.