Emma Hill

Bedtime stories for Daisy and Iris are more often than not about Norwegian folklore, the trolls and their secrets as they hide in forests behind waterfalls and in the mountains.

A story of the Trolls and their relatives by Jan Bergh Eriksen tells us:
" In the beginning was darkness.....and in darkness trolls are born. For millions of years Norway was covered in darkness, snow and ice. When finally, the darkness lifted and most of the snow and ice had melted away.....the trolls were there.They were still there when the first Norwegian came strolling along with his belongings. He found them in different colours, shapes and sizes. (There were battles) ...Fairly soon the Norwegians discovered that the trolls always rule at night, with a free go at any human soul who dares to wander around in the darkness.....But mostly, humans rule the day, and every troll caught by the sunshine is turned into stone, and bursts. The remains of unfortunate trolls can be seen all over the place in Norway."

The Norwegian troll is much more than a souvenir . They are a part of Norway, but not the monster's you may have thought they were. If you can use all your senses and open your mind, while you are out in the nature you will experience traces of trolls all over the Norwegian landscape. I thought the best way of describing the folklore was to show some of the illustrations that are in Daisy and Iris's book of trolls.

I find these images endearing, they express the Norwegians love for their land and the nature that lives there.

Below it says: Here we are.... my friend and me, in one of the many moments of truth.

Illustrations by Reidun Mathiesen.
















Illustrations by Per Aase.











Illustrations by Ingerlise Karlsen Kongsgaard.






This book, "So funny," is not about trolls but full of odd poems and rhymes. I have included it because the illustrations are typical Norwegian of the late 1950, early 60's, they are full of nostalgia and I love them too.