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A troll is a supernatural being in Norse mythology and Scandinavian folklore. In origin, ''troll'' may have been a negative synonym for a ''jötunn'' (plural ''jötnar''). In Old Norse sources, beings described as trolls dwell in isolated rocks, mountains, or caves, live together in small family units, and are rarely helpful to human beings. Later, in Scandinavian folklore, trolls became beings in their own right, where they live far from human habitation, are not Christianized, and are considered dangerous to human beings. Depending on the region from which accounts of trolls stem, their appearance varies greatly; trolls may be ugly and slow-witted, or look and behave exactly like human beings, with no particularly grotesque characteristic about them. Trolls are sometimes associated with particular landmarks, which at times may be explained as formed from a troll exposed to sunlight. Trolls are depicted in a variety of media in modern popular culture. ==Norse mythology== In Norse mythology, ''troll'', like ''thurs'', is a term applied to ''jötnar'', and are mentioned throughout the Old Norse corpus. In Old Norse sources, trolls are said to dwell in isolated mountains, rocks, and caves, sometimes live together (usually as father-and-daughter or mother-and-son), and are rarely described as helpful or friendly.〔Orchard (1997:167).〕 In the ''Prose Edda'' book ''Skáldskaparmál'', a scenario describing an encounter between an unnamed troll woman and the 9th century skald Bragi Boddason is provided. According to the section, once, late in the evening, Bragi was driving through "a certain forest" when a troll woman aggressively asked him who he was, in the process describing herself: Bragi responds in turn, describing himself and his abilities as a skillful skald, before the scenario ends.〔 There is much confusion and overlap in the use of Old Norse terms ''jötunn'', ''troll'', ''þurs'' and ''risi'', which describe various beings. Lotte Motz theorized that these were originally four distinct classes of beings; lords of nature (''jötunn''), mythical magicians (''troll''), hostile monsters (''þurs'') and heroic and courtly beings (''risi'')—the last class being the youngest addition. Ármann Jakobsson calls this theory "unsupported by any convincing evidence".〔Ármann Jakobsson (2006).〕 Ármann concludes that in the Middle Ages, the term is used to denote various beings such as a giant or mountain-dweller, a witch, an abnormally strong or large or ugly person, an evil spirit, a ghost, a ''blámaðr'', a magical boar, a heathen demi-god, a demon, a brunnmigi or a berserk.〔Ármann Jakobsson (2008).〕 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「troll」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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