Troll (Middle-earth)
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In [[J. R. R. Tolkien]]'s world of [[Middle-earth]], '''Trolls''' are very large (twelve feet tall or more){{ME-fact|date=October 2007}} humanoids of great strength and poor intellect. While in [[Norse mythology]], the [[Troll]] was a magical creature with special skills, and are so accepted to this day in [[Scandinavia]], in Tolkien's writings they are portrayed as evil, stupid, with crude habits, although still intelligent enough to communicate with a known language.
==Literature==
In ''[[The Hobbit]]'' they speak with very thick [[Cockney]] accents. They turn to [[Rock (geology)|stone]] when exposed to sunlight and they enjoy eating meat (such as [[Lamb (food)|mutton]], [[hobbit]]s and [[Dwarf (Middle-earth)|Dwarves]]) and drinking beer. While threatening, the trolls in ''The Hobbit'' serve as a comic element. They even have normal names: Tom, Bert and William (Bill) Huggins (the only one with a given surname).
The fallen [[Vala (Middle-earth)|Vala]] and first [[Dark Lord]], [[Morgoth]], created the first Trolls before the [[First Age]]. They were strong and vicious, but stupid creatures. The major weakness of at least some Trolls was that they turned to stone in sunlight. Nobody knows how he managed to breed them, though it is stated by [[Treebeard]] of the [[Ent]]s that Trolls were "made in mockery of" them, as [[Orc (Middle-earth)|Orcs]] were of [[Elf (Middle-earth)|Elves]], though not necessarily from Entish stock. However, they are likely a corrupted form of some other race of Middle-earth, as neither Morgoth nor Sauron have access to the [[Secret Fire]], and cannot therefore create things; only corrupt that which already exists. There is reference that sunlight will return them to the stone from which they were made in ''The Hobbit'' and ''The Lord of the Rings''.
During the wars of Beleriand, [[Gothmog]], the Lord of [[Balrogs]], had a bodyguard of Trolls. While leading his men in a final stand to protect the retreat of [[Turgon]] and the continued secrecy of the Kingdom of [[Gondolin]], the great warrior [[Húrin]] faced them, and due to Morgoth's emphatic orders to have Húrin captured alive, he managed to wipe them out. Their apparently caustic blood, however, melted his axe, allowing orcs to swarm over him and bind him, his capture ending the [[Nírnaeth Arnoediad]], the Battle of Unnumbered Tears, where Morgoth seemingly triumphed over the united armies of Elves, Men and Dwarves.
Many Trolls died in the [[War of Wrath]], but some survived and joined the forces of [[Sauron]], the greatest surviving servant of Morgoth. In the [[Second Age]] and [[Third Age]], Trolls were among Sauron's most dangerous warriors.
===Troll types===
Tolkien used several different terms for types of trolls, though there seems to have been some overlap in meanings;
* '''Stone-trolls''' were Trolls who turned into stone during daylight, like the Trolls in ''[[The Hobbit]]''. They could speak, and used a debased form of [[Westron]] (presumably rendered into Cockney English in Tolkien's "translation" of Bilbo's diary).
* '''Hill-trolls''' are described as having killed [[Arador]], Chieftain of the Rangers of the North, and grandfather to [[Aragorn]].<ref>{{ME-ref|RotK|Appendix A.I.v}}</ref> Tolkien described the trolls of that region, including the three from ''The Hobbit'', as stone-trolls, suggesting that hill-trolls might be a sub-class or alternate term for such. However, the Army of the West fought "hill-trolls" of [[Gorgoroth (Middle-earth)|Gorgoroth]] ''that could move in sunlight'' at the Black Gate, inferring that these hill-trolls, at least, were Olog-hai rather than stone-trolls.
* '''Cave-trolls''' were seen in [[Moria (Middle-earth)|Moria]]. One was described as having dark greenish scales and black blood. Their hide was thick enough that when [[Boromir]] struck one in the arm his sword was notched and did no damage. However, [[Frodo Baggins]] was able to impale the "toeless" foot of the same troll with the enchanted sword [[Sting (Middle-earth)|Sting]].<ref>{{ME-ref|FotR|The Bridge of Khazad-dûm}}</ref>
* '''Mountain-trolls''' were mentioned once, wielding the great battering ram [[Grond]] in shattering the gates of [[Minas Tirith]]. From their name they are generally assumed to live in the mountains, and their choice as the creatures to wield Grond is sometimes taken to suggest that they were particularly strong even for trolls.<ref>{{ME-ref|RotK|The Siege of Gondor}}</ref>
* '''Snow-trolls''' are mentioned only in comparison to [[Helm Hammerhand]]. When Helm went out clad in white during the [[Long Winter]] to stalk and slay his enemies he was described as being like a snow-troll. It thus seems implied that these trolls were white in colour and lived in cold climates, but otherwise nothing is known of them.<ref>{{ME-ref|RotK|Appendix A.II}}</ref>
* '''Olog-hai''' were "strong, agile, fierce, and cunning" trolls created by Sauron, not unlike the [[Uruk-hai]], and were able to withstand sunlight while under the sway of Sauron's will. They seldom spoke and were said to know no language other than the [[Black Speech]], in which ''Olog-hai'' means "troll-folk" (singular ''Olog'' "troll"). Because of their cunning, they were thought by some to be giant Orcs, rather than trolls. They appeared towards the end of the Third Age and could be found near [[Dol Guldur]] and in the mountains around Mordor.<ref>{{ME-ref|RotK|Appendix F.I, Of Other Races - Trolls}}</ref> In the [[Battle of the Morannon]], there appear "hill-trolls" of Gorgoroth which are implied to be Olog-hai in one of the Appendices to ''The Lord of the Rings'' (the term is not used within the story proper). These were described as being taller and wider than men, and their hide or armour was described as a mesh of horny scales. They had black blood. [[Peregrin Took]] slew the leader of these trolls at the [[Battle of the Morannon]] and after the destruction of the [[One Ring]] and the fall of Sauron the surviving trolls scattered as if mindless.<ref>{{ME-ref|RotK|The Black Gate Opens}}</ref>
During the [[Battle of the Pelennor Fields]] there is a reference to "men like half-trolls", also called '''[[Troll-man|troll-men]]''', but it is unclear whether these men actually had some trollish ancestry or were simply compared to trolls (for some readers, the first interpretation is supported by the similar and interchangeable terms "orc-men" and "half-orcs", referring to crossbreeds of Saruman).
==Adaptations ==
{{Unreferencedsection|date=October 2007}}
=== Bakshi's animated film ===
Ralph Bakshi's 1978 [[The Lord of the Rings (1978 film)|animated version]] follows the book very faithfully in its depiction of the encounter with the troll in the Chamber; however, the troll does have toes here. Tolkien described the trolls foot as flat and toeless. There are no other trolls.
=== Jackson's trilogy ===
[[Image:Cave troll.jpg|right|thumb|150px|A cave-troll in ''[[The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (film)|The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring]]'']]
In Peter Jackson's 2001 ''[[The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (film)|The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring]]'', there is also only one cave-troll. [[Boromir]] first sights it; it later barges through the open doors, and smashes much of the Chamber, including Balin's tomb, in the ensuing fight. It stabs Frodo, who is saved by his ''[[mithril]]'' shirt (in the book it is an Uruk captain who spears him). It is killed by the members of the Fellowship (though it puts up a good fight), who spear and hack at it until [[Legolas]] dispatches it with an arrow. It enters the soft palate of its mouth and goes straight through its brain, emerging from the top of its head after becoming stuck in the thick skull.
'''Battle Trolls''' were shown as the shock troops in the motion pictures ''[[The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (film)]]'' and ''[[The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (film)|The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King]]'', sporting armour and spiked [[club]]s alluded to in the appendices. They were then used in the Siege of Gondor as primary shock troops after the gates of Minas Tirith were broken. At least one survived and is seen later, attempting to break down a gate.
Sauron's military used other trolls for moving extremely heavy objects such as gates and siege towers, sometimes chaining them. The cave-troll in Moria wore a collar with a trailing chain, suggesting it may have been a former labourer, though this particular specimen was undisciplined enough to attack some of its own allies in the fight thus perhaps showing others' need to restrain it.
Aragorn fights one of the Olog-hai during the [[Battle of the Morannon|battle of the]] [[Black Gate (Middle-earth)|Black Gate]]. This Olog's entire upper body is covered in black plated-armour, making it more menacing. While most trolls in the movies wielded clubs, this one wielded a sword, as well a briefly seen [[Mace (club)|mace]].
==== Beyond the screen ====
[[Image:trollaragorn2.jpg|thumb|left|One of the Olog-hai approaches [[Aragorn]] in ''[[The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (film)|The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King]]'']]
Various movie-only sources, like ''[[The Lord of the Rings: Weapons and Warfare]]'' and the spin-off games by [[Electronic Arts]], greatly expand on what Tolkien wrote about trolls.
In the world of the films, mountain-trolls, including the cave-trolls of Moria, are about 17 feet (5 m) tall, with massive limbs, potbellies, and dark scales on its back and shoulders. They come in stony colours, with the most common being grey. They have 22 teeth, including two fangs on the lower canines. As in the book, their blood is black, and is so hot that when split, it sizzles on the floor. They are mainly carnivorous, but can digest plant matter if need be. The eyes are either grey or blue. They wear [[loincloth]]s of leather that they find in the Mines or are given by the [[Orc (Middle-earth)|Goblin]]s. They sometimes roar when in a battle rage, but are incapable of forming words or language. They often wield either a great club or a hammer. Cave-trolls are usually found with small groups of Orcs. They are too unintelligent to hunt food for themselves, often consuming whatever hapless creature they come across, so food is an advantage they get from working with the Orcs. Their fingernails extend to most of their fingers, and were allegedly used to dig holes into the rock itself.
The Olog-hai differ from the other Trolls depicted in the [[The Lord of the Rings film trilogy|New Line movies]] in that they have more forward-facing eyes as well as hair on their bodies, suggesting that they are a more advanced form of Troll. They are usually grey to black in colour. Mountain trolls and Olog-hai have much in common, they are both much larger and more intelligent than most trolls and more resistant to light. However Olog-hai are certainly far superior to Mountain trolls in all these aspects.
'''Forest trolls''' were invented for the EA game version of ''[[The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers]]''. They have hard grey skin, are resistant to arrow fire, and carry a large quiver of wood logs (to use as firewood and projectiles), as well as a [[Mace (club)|mace]] like a cave troll.
For the game version of ''[[The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King]]'', trolls also returned as enemy units. Although they were slow, their attacks couldn't be blocked and were very strong, but there was often a war [[Pike (weapon)|pike]] around that made them easy to kill. They also appeared as enemies in "[[Lord of the Rings: The Third Age]]". In this game, they were also slow but powerful, and could take a lot of damage before dying. Some of the later trolls in the game (these were called attack trolls) wielded a pair of large swords, while a stronger kind carried massive [[war hammer]]s. Trolls also appear as controllable units in ''[[The Lord of the Rings: The Battle for Middle-earth]]'', its sequel, ''[[The Lord of the Rings: The Battle for Middle-earth II]]'' and its expansion ''[[The Lord of the Rings: The Battle for Middle-earth II - The Rise of the Witch-king|The Rise of the Witch-king]]''. In ''[[The Lord of the Rings: The Battle for Middle-earth]]'', it is necessary for a regular mountain troll to gain a rank (after destroying enemy units, etc.), to become an attack troll where it gains an armour bonus and can heal by itself as the only non-hero unit who is able to do so. In ''The Battle for Middle-earth II'', attack trolls can be made from a Rank 3 Troll Cage. In ''The Rise of the Witch-king'', the Angmar faction has a troll hero named [[The Lord of the Rings: The Battle for Middle-earth II - The Rise of the Witch-king#Rogash|Rogash]]. In all the Battle for Middle Earth games, Trolls are depicted as "tank" units (slow, very strong, can take massive damage before being killed).
'''Wood Trolls''' in the MMO [[Lotro|The Lord of the Rings Online]] Trolls that appear to be semi-entish made of wood appear in the Trollshaws, they are particularly difficult to kill and deal a lot of damage.
The [[The Lord of the Rings Strategy Battle Game|Lord of the Rings tabletop wargame]], produced by [[Games Workshop]], includes an [[Isengard]] Troll, which is depicted as wearing armour and carrying a shield similar to [[Uruk-hai]].
==References==
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[[Category:Middle-earth races]]
[[Category:Fictional trolls]]
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[[pl:Olog-hai]]
[[ru:Тролли (Средиземье)]]
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