Over the past few decades, there has been a mystery among troll collectors surrounding the identity of the Norwegian woodcarver that made a unique design of hand carved trolls. They have been listed as Henning, Ottar Grubbli, Nyform and Fosse trolls on online marketplaces. Although their numbering is similar to Nyform trolls, their design does not match the trolls made by any of these trollmakers.
Unfortunately, the identity of the woodcarver has yet to be confirmed. Though there has been some interesting information gathered about these trolls:
- The trolls are made in Norway: All of them have a “Made in Norway” stamp underneath the feet/base.
- The troll characters are numbered: All have a three digit number stamped underneath the feet/base. The numbers start at 814 with the sitting troll and end at 876 (as far as current research has confirmed).
- They are vintage: Made from as early as the 1960s. Some of the trolls had dates written underneath by previous owners (e.g. 1967, 1971, 1975) which must be when they were purchased/ given to someone as a gift.
- There are a few different designs: Sitting, fishing, small fat ones, tall thin female troll, match stick holder, etc. See photos below.
- Some of the trolls have genuine rabbit fur hair
- Some of the trolls are made of two halves that have been glued together: This may have been done to stop the wood from splitting as it dries out.
An overview of the handmade troll characters in order of their numbering:
There is also an unnumbered ski jumping troll character where the skiis are nailed into the trolls feet:
Here we can see the difference in height between #815 (8 inches) and #830 (6.5 inches), although they are very similar in design with both holding a walking stick:
Some #830 trolls also come with Skiis. It could be that all came with skiis and some were lost over the years. This could also be the feature that made them different to the #815 trolls:
There are also other characters with ski accessories:
Some #830 trolls came with hair made of rabbit fur:
There are also a few unique fireplace bellows made by the same woodcarver. This one is based on the famous 1911 Theodor Kittelsen artwork “The Troll Who Wonders How Old He Is“:
These trolls have become popular and there is even a Facebook page called “Torvald the Troll” dedicated to one of these trolls and his travels: “Torvald journeyed from Norway many years ago and taught yodeling as he hitchhiked across America“.
The trolls also seem to be very popular among German troll collectors.
Perhaps, in time, the identity of the woodcarver will be revealed. Until then, the trolls themselves stand as a testament to the magical, unseen hand that brought them to life, inviting wonder from all who cross their path.
About the Author
For more articles visit Dayne’s Discoveries Blog, browse our online shop, join the HENNING – Norwegian Woodcarving Facebook group or contact us to share information, stories, or photographs relating to the trolls made by the unknown Norwegian woodcarver.
Dayne's Discoveries 