More Norwegian Trolls Please!
Ever since I was a little kid I have had a fascination with Ny Form Trolls! No not the weird mongoloid looking ones with the neon hair, the bad ass ones from Norway! Ny Forms also have “real” hair as well but these ones look the way trolls were meant to. These amazing little sculptures hit the scene in 1964.
Here’s the history of how they came to be via the Trollshop.net:
“Somewhere in the middle of Norway, you will find a small and sparsely
populated mountain village called Tynset. It is located at the foot of a
five thousand feet high mountain named Tron-fjell, which is in the Northern
end of the long and narrow valley called Østerdalen.
This is the place where you breath fresh mountain air, drink clean water
from the cold streams, and meet people who live in perfect harmony with the
trolls.
One clear and cold moonlit night in the winter of 1964, something magical
took place in an old red barn in Tynset. The countryside was deeply
blanketed by freshly fallen snow, and the full moon beamed its arctic white
light through the ice crystals on the barn windows. Inside, on a worn wooden
table, the Norwegian painter and sculptor Trygve Torgersen had just added
the finishing touches to his first troll model.
His creation was a personal interpretation of a troll based on numerous
fairy tales and mythology steeped in the rich Norwegian folklore and
literature.
Famous Norwegian artists like the author Henrik Ibsen, the painter Theodor
Kittelsen and the composer Edward Grieg, are also among those who helped
capture stories, images and music depicting trolls in various ways based on
their own interpretations of the common folklore and mythology.
Mr.Torgersen and his wife Evelyn established together the company Ny Form in
the beginning of 1964, and the old red barn became the home and symbol for a
new breed of trolls.
Over the years Torgersen’s family has also become involved with the
company. Following in the footsteps of his grandfather Mr.Torgersen, the
artist Bjørn Schulze is now responsible for creating new troll characters
along Ny Form’s traditional design.
These authentic Norwegian trolls were an instant success, and have
ever since won enduring popularity among collectors around the world.”
In the 80’s I would often times beg my mom to let me go into the Ashby’s gift shop in Brookfield Square shopping center in Milwaukee Wisconsin to stare at the awesome trolls-“one day” I said “I’d have one of my own”! I can’t say I have an extensive collection of them as I probably only own about fifteen in total. However I can say I check online on Ebay often bidding on the vintage ones only to lose as at times I can be a bit of a cheapskate there! Hey it’s eay to spend your life savings sometimes when you’re hot to win and item in a heated bidding war! I have learned the hard way!!
I remember once at Epocot center in the Norway area they had an entire room full of these little busters and I remember one of them being at least 4 feet tall. If I had all the money in the world I’d have a room full of them at home. So these Check here at the Ny Form official website to read the Norwegian history of the Troll in folklore and check out an extensive gallery of these amazing creations as well….
Wow thank you for showing these this is amazing stuff.I’d love to have seen the 4 ft one. 🙂
Hi I have a old woman troll with one eye closed holding a stick (113)
I am obsessed with those dang trolls!! 😉
We actually have a 4 foot one. My father won it on the Price is Right back in the late 1970’s. At the time, there were only 3 or 4 of them in the world. My parents have had it all these years.
Wow, a four foot one? I think I saw one of those once at Epcot Center at Disney World, but now the Price is Right is where he won it from? Did he have to guess how much it was selling for? Very cool.