Path: typhoon.sonic.net!newsfeed.skycache.com!news.maxwell.syr.edu!btnet-peer!btnet-feed2!btnet!NewsPeer!Fusion!NewsReader.POSTED!not-for-mail Message-ID: <38A6CFAF.8A2542DC@a-t-p.co.uk> From: Robin Aldersey-Taylor Organization: ATP X-Mailer: Mozilla 4.7 [en] (Win95; I) X-Accept-Language: en MIME-Version: 1.0 Newsgroups: rec.arts.sf.written,alt.folklore Subject: Re: Trolls under bridges References: <8688bj$uf5$1@nnrp1.deja.com> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Lines: 46 Date: Sun, 13 Feb 2000 15:37:20 +0000 NNTP-Posting-Host: 194.75.103.130 X-Trace: NewsReader 950456363 194.75.103.130 (Sun, 13 Feb 2000 15:39:23 GMT) NNTP-Posting-Date: Sun, 13 Feb 2000 15:39:23 GMT Xref: typhoon.sonic.net rec.arts.sf.written:415400 alt.folklore:4042 Jerry Friedman wrote: > I don't quite know where to post this, so I hope rec.arts.sf.written and > alt.folklore are okay. > > What's the connection between folkloric trolls and bridges? People on > Usenet often say that trolls are found under bridges. But the trolls > I've read about (Tolkien, Poul Anderson, an occasional brush with Norse > sagas in translation) aren't seen within sight of bridges. > > Could there be any truth to my vague impression that this started as a > pun on "toll bridge", perhaps by a contemporary fantasy writer, perhaps > Terry Pratchett? I was just passing through, and this caught my eye. Folklore doesn't start with fairy tales: fairy tales start with folklore. Trolls have been thought to live under bridges for hundreds of years, both in England (less so) and particularly in Scandinavia, where the heritage of trolls is much stronger. Interestingly enough, if you were to study demonology, particularly that relating to out-dwelling demons, they do indeed live in all sorts of strange cubby-holes and places, one of which is under bridges. It's something to do with the cover from above, the proximity of running water and the passage of people to prey on. Most folklore is based on experience if you go back far enough as I'm sure you are all aware. I was well tickled by the true story of a missionary working in a college in Africa, who was much taken with the grotesque African tribal masks you get carved in wood, and had a selection on his walls. One night a young girl was brought to him in a desperate state having been attacked by something evidently supernatural in the forest. When asked to describe it, she instantly pointed at one of his prized mask collection and said: "That one." He had to burn them all. Cheers Robin England