The troll
According to an online encyclopedia, trolls are fearsome members of a race of creatures from Norse mythology.
A possible explanation for the troll myth is that the trolls represent the remains of the forefather-cult which was ubiquitous in Scandinavia until the introduction of Christianity in the 10th and 11th centuries. In this cult the forefathers were worshipped in sacred groves, by altars or by gravemounds.
One of the customs associated with this practice was to sit on top of a gravemound at night, possibly in order to make contact with the deceased.A possible explanation for the troll myth is that the trolls represent the remains of the forefather-cult which was ubiquitous in Scandinavia until the introduction of Christianity in the 10th and 11th centuries. In this cult the forefathers were worshipped in sacred groves, by altars or by gravemounds.
However, this picture (from 2006) was made in Rhineland-Palatinate , a beautiful region in the Southwest of Germany. It depicts a little troll sitting on a exterior wall of a house keeping watch. The popular superstition in this region is due to the fact that people think these creatures would protect their families from misery and mischief by placing a stone troll on top of their exterior house walls.
When I went to this region for the first time and saw these creatures I was truly suprised because I didn't know about this custom at all. I always associated trolls with Scandinavia in the first place. However, I really liked the idea and could image to get one for myself in the future.
google earth link
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