Trolls & Giants of Iceland

Trolls in Icelandic Folklore

In Icelandic folklore, trolls are enormous, ugly, and dim-witted creatures that live in the mountains and caves of the island's remote interior. Unlike their cousins the Norse jotnar, the primordial giants of Old Norse mythology who could be wise, cunning, and even beautiful, Icelandic trolls are firmly rooted in the landscape itself. They are creatures of rock and earth, immensely strong but slow of mind, and they share one fatal weakness: sunlight turns them to stone.

This vulnerability to sunlight is the defining characteristic of Icelandic trolls and the key to understanding the landscape legends that surround them. Every unusual rock formation, every isolated sea stack, every strangely shaped boulder in Iceland is potentially a petrified troll, caught out by the dawn after a night of mischief. The trolls were said to emerge after dark to fish, herd sheep, or cause trouble for farmers, but they always had to return to their caves before sunrise. Those who lingered too long or miscalculated the approaching dawn were frozen forever in stone, becoming permanent features of the Icelandic landscape.

While Norse jotnar like Ymir, Surtr, and Skaoi are cosmic figures who shaped the world and interacted with the gods, Icelandic trolls are more local and personal. They steal livestock, kidnap people, and guard hidden treasure. They are dangerous but not invincible, and clever humans can outwit them by keeping them talking until sunrise. This blend of danger and comedy runs through hundreds of Icelandic folk tales, making troll stories some of the most entertaining and enduring narratives in the country's oral tradition.

Reynisdrangar - Trolls Turned to Stone

Rising dramatically from the churning North Atlantic just off the coast of Reynisfjara, the Reynisdrangar are basalt sea stacks that reach up to 66 meters above the waves. They are among Iceland's most photographed natural landmarks, and the legend behind them is one of the country's most beloved troll tales.

According to the old story, two trolls were out one night attempting to drag a three-masted ship ashore. They waded into the sea, grasping at the vessel and hauling it toward the black sand beach. But they were so absorbed in their task that they failed to notice the sky brightening along the eastern horizon. When the first rays of dawn broke over the mountains, the trolls were caught in the open, far from any cave or shelter. The sunlight struck them instantly, and they were turned to stone where they stood, frozen forever in the surf alongside the ship they had been trying to capture.

Today the Reynisdrangar stacks stand as a dramatic silhouette against the sky, visible from the famous Reynisfjara black sand beach and from the cliffs at Dyrholaey. The stacks are a nesting site for seabirds including puffins, fulmars, and guillemots, adding life to what is already one of Iceland's most atmospheric coastal scenes. The surrounding area, with its geometric basalt columns and roaring waves, is consistently ranked among the most beautiful non-tropical beaches in the world.

Hvitserkur - The Drinking Troll

On the eastern shore of the Vatnsnes peninsula in Northwest Iceland, a 15-meter basalt sea stack rises from the shallows like a creature frozen in the act of drinking from the sea. This is Hvitserkur, one of Iceland's most striking and unusual rock formations, and the subject of one of the country's most vivid troll legends.

The story tells of a troll from the Strandir coast who harbored a deep hatred for the Christian monastery at Thingeyraklaustur, across the bay on the Hunaflooi shore. One night the troll set out to destroy the monastery, wading across the bay toward the distant bell tower. But the troll underestimated the distance, or perhaps simply lost track of time in its fury, and when the sun rose over the eastern mountains, the troll was caught in the open water. The sunlight turned it to stone instantly, and there it has stood ever since, bent over the water in a posture that looks remarkably like a creature drinking or a dragon lowering its head to the sea.

Hvitserkur's unusual shape has inspired many comparisons over the years. Some see a drinking rhinoceros, others an elephant, and still others a dragon. The base of the stack has been reinforced with concrete to prevent erosion, a testament to how valued this natural landmark is. The site is accessible via a gravel road from Route 711 on the Vatnsnes peninsula, and a steep path leads down the hillside to the beach where Hvitserkur can be viewed at close range. The best photographs are often taken at low tide, when the full shape of the stack is revealed and reflections shimmer on the wet sand.

Dimmuborgir - The Dark Castles

Near the shores of Lake Myvatn in Northeast Iceland lies one of the country's most otherworldly landscapes: Dimmuborgir, the "Dark Castles" or "Dark Fortress." This vast field of dramatic lava formations resembles a ruined city of dark towers, arches, and caves, and it has been associated with trolls and supernatural beings for as long as anyone can remember.

Dimmuborgir was formed approximately 2,300 years ago when a massive lava flow from the Threngslaborgir and Ludentsborgir crater row poured over a small lake. The water beneath the lava boiled violently, sending columns of steam upward through the molten rock. As the lava cooled, these steam vents created the pillars, arches, and hollow chambers that give Dimmuborgir its extraordinary appearance. When the still-liquid lava eventually drained away toward the lake, it left behind the solidified formations that stand today, an accidental architecture that looks eerily intentional.

In Icelandic folklore, Dimmuborgir is said to be the homeland of Gryla and Leppalui, the troll parents of the 13 Yule Lads. The dark, labyrinthine formations provide the perfect setting for a family of trolls, with countless caves and hidden chambers where supernatural creatures might lurk. The site is connected to the Christmas tradition, and during the holiday season, the Yule Lads are said to descend from Dimmuborgir one by one to visit the towns below. Several well-marked walking trails of varying length and difficulty wind through the formations, allowing visitors to explore the lava pillars, peer into caves, and pass through natural stone arches. The most famous formation is Kirkjan ("The Church"), a large cave with a remarkably cathedral-like interior.

Gryla & The 13 Yule Lads

No figure in Icelandic folklore is more terrifying than Gryla, the fearsome giantess who lives in the mountains with her third husband, the lazy troll Leppalui, and her 13 sons, the Jolasveinar or Yule Lads. Gryla is an ancient figure in Icelandic tradition, first mentioned in the 13th-century Prose Edda, and she has been frightening Icelandic children into good behavior for over 800 years.

According to legend, Gryla descends from the mountains before Christmas to search for misbehaving children, whom she snatches up and carries back to her cave in a sack. There, she boils them in her enormous cauldron and devours them. Her appetite is insatiable, and she has an uncanny ability to detect naughty children from great distances. Gryla is described as hideous, with hooves instead of feet, multiple tails, and hundreds of children's heads dangling from her belt. She is so terrifying that in 1746, a public decree was issued prohibiting parents from using Gryla to frighten their children.

Gryla's 13 sons are the Jolasveinar, the Yule Lads, who descend from the mountains one by one during the 13 days before Christmas. Each has a distinct name and personality based on the particular prank or mischief he specializes in. Children place a shoe in the window each night; well-behaved children find a small gift in their shoe the next morning, while naughty ones receive a rotten potato. The 13 Yule Lads, in order of their arrival, are:

Accompanying the Yule Lads is the Jolakotturinn, the Yule Cat, a monstrous feline that prowls the countryside during Christmas. The Yule Cat is said to eat anyone who has not received new clothes before Christmas Eve. This legend served a practical purpose: it motivated farm workers to finish processing the autumn wool before the holiday, as those who worked hard would receive new clothing as a reward, while the lazy would be left to the mercy of the cat. The Yule Cat remains one of the most distinctive and darkly humorous figures in Icelandic Christmas tradition.

Trollaskagi - The Troll Peninsula

Between the fishing towns of Siglufjorur and Dalvik in North Iceland stretches one of the country's most dramatic and legend-rich landscapes: Trollaskagi, the Troll Peninsula. Its name alone tells you what the old Icelanders thought of this wild, mountainous region, a place so rugged and imposing that it could only be the domain of trolls.

Trollaskagi is defined by its towering peaks, many exceeding 1,000 meters, deep glacially carved valleys, and dramatic fjords that cut into the coastline like knife wounds. The peninsula separates the Skagafjorur and Eyjafjorur districts, and for centuries it was one of the most isolated regions in northern Iceland. Before the Hedinsfjorur tunnel was opened in 2010, connecting Siglufjorur to the rest of the north, travelers had to navigate a treacherous mountain road that was frequently impassable in winter. The tunnel itself, at 11 kilometers, is one of the longest single-tube road tunnels in Iceland.

The folklore of Trollaskagi is rich with stories of trolls inhabiting the mountain peaks and descending into the valleys to cause mischief. The harsh climate and dramatic terrain made this a natural setting for supernatural tales, as the howling winds, sudden storms, and eerie rock formations provided constant evidence of troll activity for those inclined to believe. Today, Trollaskagi is popular for backcountry skiing in winter and hiking in summer, and the dramatic coastal road around the peninsula (Route 76) is considered one of the most scenic drives in Iceland. The towns of Siglufjorur, with its Herring Era Museum, and Dalvik, gateway to Grimsey Island on the Arctic Circle, anchor the peninsula's cultural life.