HERE, THERE BE TROLLS!

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Hidden in the wilderness and forests around the world are trolls! I AM SERIOUS! 

These giant Scandinavian trolls are huge (between 13 and 60 feet tall and up to 50 feet long) and although they look a tad intimidating, they’re actually whimsical, mostly peaceful and definitely fun.

Thomas Dambo, a Danish artist based in Copenhagen, Denmark, builds giant wooden trolls all around the world and hides them in the wilderness and forests. 

He builds all of these enormous sculptures using local recycled material – what most people consider trash – and transforms it into something wonderful and magical. He hopes to lure people away from their computer screens and into the wild to reconnect with nature. Not a bad thing, in my opinion.

Here in Kentucky, we’re fortunate enough to have 3 Trolls right up the road in Bernheim Forest and we visit our “FOREST GIANTS IN A GIANT FOREST” often. We’ve even taken most of our visiting friends to meet them. It’s still a wonderful surprise when we’re walking around the lake and see Little Elina appear in the distance.

Since Bernheim is right in the heart of Bourbon Country, it’s no surprise that Momma Loumari and her 2 children, Little Nis and Little Elina, are made of massive amounts of bourbon barrel staves. I have hundreds of photos, but decided to limit them to just these.

The Dambo trolls range in age from small children to wizened old men. Each troll has a unique personality and a story. They are made to be interactive – there are places to climb and sit – and I’ve overheard many children conversing with a troll during a visit.

You can hunt for Dambo’s trolls all over the world, from Denmark to Germany, from Australia to South Korea and from China to America! 

Sadly, there are a few trolls that you can no longer visit.

OLAV THE WOLF

Olav the Wolf was a sculpture built for a rock festival (Copenhell) in Copenhagen, Denmark in 2015. Following festival tradition, Olav was set on fire at the end of the festival and is now “back in hell to feed from the souls of the damned.”

HECTOR EL PROTECTOR

In Culebra, Puerto Rico, Hector El Protector would throw rocks at anyone that wanted to hurt the island. He was destroyed by a hurricane. The locals missed their protector and asked Thomas Dambo to rebuild him.

In 2019, Dambo created a more peaceful version, The Return of Hector El Protector. The new protector holds out a lantern to show any future hurricane how beautiful the island is. The hurricane can then move on without destroying the island.

SIMON SELFMADE

Simon Selfmade was temporarily built in the small town of Tilst, outside of Aarhus, Denmark. It was intended to move Simon Selfmade to a new location so he was not attached to the ground. Before Simon could finish making his left foot, he was also destroyed by a hurricane.

The community was so saddened by his disappearance, that a 14 year old girl, Anine, took it upon herself to raise enough money to cover all of the expenses of his resurrection. She succeeded in only 4 days. Being a creative artist, Dambo didn’t want to duplicate Simon exactly so he changed the sculpture. When he rebuilt Simon, he added a friend, Anine.

ISAK HEARSTONE

Isak Heartstone was made for Breckenridge Creative Arts Festival “BreckCreate“. He got his name after three little girls came by and gave Isak a stone heart. Thomas Dambo put the heart in the sculpture.

Isak was so popular, that on some days he would have more than 3.000 visitors. This made some neighbors angry, and unfortunately, Isak was taken down. He is now looking for a new home in Breckenridge, and will hopefully return soon.

“THE TROLL HUNT” TROLLS

Then there are the 6 Trolls of “The Troll Hunt”. Built in the Morton Arboretum in Lisles, Illinois (just outside of Chicago), the 6 wonderful trolls were deliberately taken down by the museum despite the fact that Morton had its 2 best attendance years in it’s 100 year history while the trolls were there. The trolls were dismantled and removed in February 2021. It’s so sad (and angering!) that we’ll never get to visit Furry Emma, Joe the Guardian, Little Arturs, Niels Bragger, Rocky Bardur or Sneaky Socks Alexa, these wonderful protectors of nature.

In Troll Hunt, the trolls had gotten tired of the humans continuous pollution and destruction of their beloved nature. They decided to take matters into their own hands and catch the little beings to teach them a lesson.

There’s still many trolls waiting for a visit. I have combed the internet and tried to present the remaining Dambo trolls (and a few other installations) for your viewing pleasure. I hope you enjoy it. Hopefully, more trolls will be springing up around the world soon. May the forest be with you!

Most of this information came from the Thomas Dambo website. You can follow Thomas Dambo and his trolls (and other installations) at https://thomasdambo.com

MORE TROLLS, SCULPTURES AND INSTALLATIONS:

BELGIUM

“THE 7 TROLLS AND THE MAGICAL TOWER” are in De Schorre, Boom, Belgium

“They were seven good friends both together and alone
by the river in the valley in the forest they had home
they had seen the sun set and rise a million times
the seven trolls stood as tall as the pines”

DENMARK

“THE 6 FORGOTTEN GIANTS” can be remembered near Coppenhagen, Denmark in the western municipalities of Copenhagen: Rødovre, Hvidovre, Vallensbæk, Ishøj, Albertslund and Høje Taastrup.

“FEEL HORSENS” (Troels the Troll and his 2 children, Laura and Julian) are ready to play with you in, of course, Horsens, Denmark

MR. AND MRS. SCRAPWOOD AND LIMBOLAND

Mr. and Mrs. Scrapwood were two troll sculptures built to form an entrance to the Danish music festival “Smukfest” (Beauty Fest). By pushing a button inside Mrs. Scrapwood, limbo music would start to play and the trolls would lower their hands to perform a cheer, forcing people to limbo through the entrance.

“DEN KÆMPESTORE TROLDEFOLKEFEST!” (THE GIANT TROLL FOLK FEST!) features 10 sculptures all over Denmark

When travel was restricted in 2019-2020, Dambo’s projects around the world were canceled. His brilliant solution was to create a nationwide treasure hunt for trolls! Volunteers provided materials, time, labour and support. They succeeded in transforming a dark time into a magical one.

If you’re driving all over Denmark to see “DEN KÆMPESTORE TROLDEFOLKEFEST!” you should also include these wonderful creatures in your plans.

BIG BOSS BERTEL was made as a part of “Rising Architecture Week” in Copenhagen in 2015. Through the week, visitors of the conference would burn tattoos into wooden boards to be used in building the troll in the Ørestaden area in Copenhagen. Inside the sculpture there’s a stairway. You can go up the stairs and see the view over Ørestaden through his hat.

“Fred” means peace in Danish and Frederikke was made after the terrorist attacks in Paris and Copenhagen in 2015. Frederikke is a peace bringing woman who breaks guns, hoping to bring an end to all the shootings and violent acts caused by political and religious conflicts around the world.

CHINA

“IT SOUNDED LIKE A MOUNTAIN FELL” in Wulong, China

GERMANY

In Hamburg, Germany, “ANNA OF GREEN” represents a goddess of nature. Her body is within Mother Earth, and only her head is above ground. Her hair is a seven meter tall tree.

KOREA

“THE MOUNTAIN TROLLS” are in Pyeonggang, South Korea

PUERTO RICO

“WILSON’S CAR” was last seen in San Juan, Puerto Rico

AUSTRALIA

In Gold Coast, Australia, you might run into Rob the Snake, Steve the Shark and Kangaroo Kat.

USA – WYOMING

MAMA MIMI (Dambo’s 80thinstallation) can be found at Rendezvous Park in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. They even published tips to “Troll like a Local“. Maybe they would adopt Isak Heartstone?

USA – FLORIDA

“TERJE, BERTA AND THE BANYAN TREE” – Terje and Berta are lost and looking for their mother. They can be found at South Florida’s premier Cultural Arts Park in Pinecrest Gardens, Miami, Florida

The giant sculpture “JOEN AND THE GIANT BEETLE literally just appeared one morning during Miami Art Week on the corner of 5th Street in Wynwood, Miami.

You may find these friendly fellows during the Halloween music festival “Hullaween” in Suwannee Music Park near Live Oak, Florida.

USA – MAINE

The “GUARDIANS OF THE SEED” are at the Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens in Boothbay, Maine.

USA – OHIO

“The Troll That Hatched an Egg” is in Dayton, Ohio.

USA – TENNESSEE

“LEO THE ENLIGHTENED” peacefully looks out over the Smoky Mountains.

“They call me a troll, moon of the earth,

 wealth sucker of the giant,

 destroyer of the storm-sun,

 beloved follower of the seeress,

 guardian of the fjord,

 swallower of the wheel of heaven.

 What’s a troll if not that?”

Old norse corpus translation by john lindow

Muskrat Love

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There isn’t enough room in the refrigerator to store all the food prepared for Thanksgiving. What do you do? If the temperatures are cold enough, you can use the garage, deck or patio as auxiliary cold space, but before you do, read below.

We were still living in the suburbs of Detroit; a family friend was hosting Thanksgiving dinner for about 20 guests. Food was covered and stored in their unattached garage. Near the dinner hour, several of us went out to the garage to bring in the food to heat and serve. Apparently, the garage door was left open revealing some sort of circus inside. A family (or two), of muskrats from the Ecorse Creek were jumping on plates, tearing off foil and plastic wrap and pushing each other to get at the pies, salads, and yam casserole. I half expected them to start tumbling or eating fire.

Man! They loved that yam casserole!

I don’t remember where, but I came across this simple but brilliant solution!

Use your cooling racks!

Use your cooling racks in between dishes to store more in the refridgerator!

Have a Happy Thanksgiving!

The Enormous Surprise Ball

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Many years ago, my sister, Sandy, presented me with my very, first Victorian-style, surprise ball. As I unwound the long crepe paper strips, little trinkets fell around me. I loved it!

When we learned about the Giant Saran Wrap Ball, we knew we wanted to share it with our extended family. Our first ball contained simple prizes such as balloons, buttons, and stickers. Today it has been zhuzhed up into something way fancier. You might even see cash flying! Gone were the days of slowly opening a softball-sized, surprise ball. Now, unwrapping is fast, frenzied, and loud.

Here’s how to make your own Saran Wrap Ball:

  1. Sort your prizes by size.
  2. Wrap the grand prize first. It will be at the center and the most anticipated.
  3. Two people begin wrapping with small, pliable trinkets. When the ball gets bigger, larger prizes can be added.
  4. Depending on the yardage of cling wrap used, your ball can be any size. We used six rolls of Dollar General plastic wrap. Hint: Instead of using one continuous piece of plastic wrap, cut it occasionally then wrap in a different direction. This keeps players *cough* Bryce, Jessica and Meris *cough* from hurling the entire ball like a bowling ball.

Creating the ball is simple enough but choosing the right gifts can make a huge difference in how successful the game is.

Typical stuffers like balloons, candy, gum, hair accessories and coins are fun, but here’s some clever swag I purchased for this upcoming Christmas. (Links in the list can be clicked to visit a site).

  • Coffee and art. Brilliant.
  • Don’t burn your fingers. Use these instead.

You can make two balls, one for children and one for adults. We make one. If Uncle Ray doesn’t like that shade of nail polish or the five-year-old hates beef jerky, we have a swap meet when all is done.

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MAKE ROOM FOR TONS MORE!

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If you want to know what’s “In”, what’s current, what’s “cool”, just talk to Irene. When it comes to everything new, Irene knows.

Irene is brilliant!

Eons ago, Irene got us freezer bags that came with a pump that sucked the air out. You put food in the bag, sucked the air out, and Voila! – packages of food took up less room AND didn’t get freezer burnt. They were awesome! … and costly. We couldn’t afford additional bags, so it ended up being a one-time-use for us. As a result, I never gave them another thought.

Fast forward to the 21stcentury. I was having a conversation with Irene about normal stuff: plans for the day, upcoming gatherings, kids and husbands and health (or more specifically, declining health) and she casually mentioned having to remove ALL of Bryce’s clothes, blankets, pillows, etc. from the guestroom bed. (Yes, Bryce. Unlike me, your Mom does not think you are totallyperfect!) She commented that it shouldn’t be too difficult considering he had them all in bags with the air sucked out so they were flat as pancakes and then went on to praise her dog, Sally, give me updates on mutual friends, complain about aches and pains (and our brother), etc. The conversation ended.

Two days later, I realized something was niggling at my brain. I stopped and focused. I replayed our conversation in my head and heard her say “…flat as a pancake”. Wait! What? Sweaters and blankets and pillows? Oh My!

Sweater and Blankets and Pillows, Oh My!!!

For years I have been struggling with storage space. We left a house with 14 walk-in closets and moved to a small house with only 3 ½ teeny, tiny closets. There is no floor space for cabinets, or trunks. There is NO WHERE to store clothing, let alone linens, blankets, spare pillows.

There is no room in our house!

Our finances have improved since the kids moved out and the cost of the bags have dropped over the last 4 decades. I decided to take the plunge! I ordered the Hibag Vacuum Storage Bag kit on Amazon. Total cost including tax: $38 (There is free shipping for Prime members.)

The complete set came in a small box

The small box that was deliverd contained:

  • 5 Jumbo bags (a whopping 27.5” x 39.35”)
  • 5 Large bags (a super large 21.65” x 33.5”)
  • 6 Medium bags (a still big 19.5” x 27.5”)
  • 2 Small bags (15.7” x 23.5” and can hold 2 sweaters)
  • 2 Rollup Travel Bags (15” x 21” and doesn’t HAVE to be used for travel)
  • Self Stick Labels
  • Travel Hand Pump
There were tons of goodies!

I began with my biggest nemesis: Mom’s Hand Crocheted Afghans. I have piles of them! They are stacked with the blankets, and washed and rewashed several times a year just to remove the dust. When stacked, the pile was cumbersome and almost 24” high.

The stack of afghans was almost 2 feet high

Using the Jumbo bags, I laid the bag flat and placed TWO afghans side by side. Then I zipped it up and removed the white cap.

Lay them flat, zip it and remove the cap -- so easy!

Place the vacuum nozzle over the hole and turn it on!

Just place the vacuum nozzle over the hole and turn it on

That’s it! You’re done. Screw the cap back on and put it away. My original 2 foot stack of afghans was reduced by almost 10”.

Almost a 10 inch reduction

Even without a size reduction, it would be worth it. They are so much easier to handle! You can throw it like a Frisbee. Since they’re protected from dust, I won’t have to launder and re-launder, so there’s a savings, too! 

Imagine blankets, PILLOWS (Yes! You can squish pillows!), summer clothes during winter and winter clothes during summer. If you do use them for travel, you can reduce your suitcase by over half. It’s endless!

So, I absolutely love them. In fact, I ordered another set. I’m going to my daughter’s next!

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