Jotunheimen is a national park in Norway. Its name means “Home of the Trolls.” Stories say the mountains that rise up from the ground are actually creatures called jotnar. Jotnar are mountain trolls from Norse mythology. According to legend, they live in Jotunheim. It is one of the Nine Worlds. Gods and other magical creatures live in these places.
Reynisdrangar is in Iceland. It is a series of three rock cliffs in the sea. The cliffs are made of lava. But folktales say the cliffs are actually trolls. The story says two trolls were pulling a big ship in the night. They were trying to steal it. But it was too heavy. The trolls turned to stone when the sun rose.
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Making Connections
Text-to-Self
Trolls in older stories are dangerous, while newer stories describe trolls as friendly. Which kind of troll would you rather read about?
Text-to-Text
Have you read any books that included trolls? What traits described in this book did those trolls have?
Text-to-World
Some legends say trolls became mountains when sunlight hit them. Can you think of other legends that talk about natural features?
Teacher Resources
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