Who knows their trolls? - The Barrow-Downs Discussion Forum

***Mister Underhill*** · 10-17-2000, 08:13 PM

<font face="Verdana"><table><TR><TD><FONT SIZE="1" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Wight
Posts: 118</TD><TD></TD></TR></TABLE>
<img src="http://www.barrowdowns.com/images/posticons/redeye.jpg" align=absmiddle> Re: Who knows their trolls?

I don't know about that... I could just as easily interpret this as a reference to Olog-hai. The passage begins, "I don't know about Trolls." -- not "Stone-trolls". I've been intensively searching for information on this topic because -- despite the ever-growing time lag -- I am working on an article on this subject, and I can't find any place where Tolkien makes any meaningful distinction between the various "types" of trolls. To my mind, the labels cave-, hill-, mountain-, and etc. are as insignificant with regards to essential troll nature as the distinctions grey-, green-, wood-, etc. are to essential elvish nature. Elves are undying; that is their essential nature. Trolls turn to stone when exposed to the light of the sun; that's troll nature.

In fact, the only clear distinction he makes that I can see is that the old model Trolls couldn't endure the sun, while Sauron's improved Olog-hai could.

Since Tolkien doesn't make himself clear in the letter cited, we're back to square one.

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10-17-2000, 08:13 PM	#24
*Mister Underhill* Dread Horseman Join Date: Sep 2000 Location: Behind you! Posts: 2,744	<font face="Verdana"><table><TR><TD><FONT SIZE="1" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Wight Posts: 118</TD><TD></TD></TR></TABLE> <img src="http://www.barrowdowns.com/images/posticons/redeye.jpg" align=absmiddle> Re: Who knows their trolls? I don't know about that... I could just as easily interpret this as a reference to Olog-hai. The passage begins, "I don't know about Trolls." -- not "Stone-trolls". I've been intensively searching for information on this topic because -- despite the ever-growing time lag -- I am working on an article on this subject, and I can't find any place where Tolkien makes any meaningful distinction between the various "types" of trolls. To my mind, the labels cave-, hill-, mountain-, and etc. are as insignificant with regards to essential troll nature as the distinctions grey-, green-, wood-, etc. are to essential elvish nature. Elves are undying; that is their essential nature. Trolls turn to stone when exposed to the light of the sun; that's troll nature. In fact, the only clear distinction he makes that I can see is that the old model Trolls couldn't endure the sun, while Sauron's improved Olog-hai could. Since Tolkien doesn't make himself clear in the letter cited, we're back to square one. </p>