A Trolls' lair in The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey
A Trolls' lair,[1] or troll-hole,[2] was a type of dark refuge used by various Trolls in Arda in order to hide from sunlight.
History[]
When Tom, Bert, and William first came down to the Trollshaws of Eriador from the mountains, they carved out a lair in a cave beneath the Troll Ridge[3] to hide from the Sun's light. The lair was hidden by bushes, and its entrance was locked by a heavy stone door which could only be opened with a key.
After Tom, Bert, and William were turned to stone by the morning sun in TA 2941, Thorin and Company followed the trolls' tracks up a hill and found their lair blocked by a big stone door. At first, they could not open it, but Bilbo Baggins presented Gandalf with a large key that he'd found on the ground where the trolls had fought, which had no doubt fallen out of William's pocket. The key opened the door, and they went inside.
They found the lair's interior filthy, with bones on the floor and a nasty smell, but the lair was a treasure-trove that housed all the trolls' plunder, from brass buttons to pots full of gold coins. They found clothes of the trolls' victims, and several swords of various makes. Two of them had beautiful scabbards and jewelled hilts, and these turned out to be blades of Gondolin make: the elven-sword Glamdring, meaning "foe hammer" (called "Beater" by the Orcs, and once belonged to King Turgon), which Gandalf took, and Orcrist, meaning "goblin cleaver" (called "Biter" by the Orcs), which Thorin took. Bilbo took a Gondolin knife in a leather sheath (the Elven-blade he later named Sting).
More immediately useful to the group was food they found that appeared still untouched, including bread, cheese, and bacon, and a barrel of ale still full. They buried the pots of gold, putting spells over them in case they ever had the chance to come back to recover them.[4]
Seventy-seven years later, in TA 3018, Aragorn, along with the four hobbits Frodo Baggins, Samwise Gamgee, Meriadoc Brandybuck and Peregrin Took, stumbled across the abandoned Trolls' lair while on their way to Rivendell. They found the stone door hanging ajar on one of its hinges, and it took the combined strength of Aragorn, Sam and Merry to push it open. Aragorn and Merry entered the lair to find it virtually empty except for many old bones, as well as some empty jars and broken pots. Pippin realised that it must be a troll-hole, and wanted them all to leave immediately. Aragorn agreed that it was a troll-hole, but also said that it looked like it had been abandoned for some time, and that they probably had nothing to be afraid of.[2]
In adaptations[]
The Hobbit (1977 film)[]
In the The Hobbit (1977) film, there is no locked stone door at the entrance to the Trolls' lair.
The Hobbit (2003 video game)[]
In the 2003 video game, It is implied when Bilbo explores the Trolls' lair that the Witch-king of Angmar built it. The fourth level is called "Troll-hole".
The Lord of the Rings Online[]
In The Lord of the Rings Online, the Trolls' lair is located in the Stone Trolls' Glade in the Trollshaws, though it is inaccessible to players.
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey[]
In Peter Jackson's The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, the Trolls' lair has no locked door, being only an open tunnel with treasure scattered throughout.
Gallery[]
External links[]
Translations[]
| Foreign Language | Translated name |
| Danish | Troldehulen |
References[]
- ↑ The Hobbit, Chapter IV: "Over Hill and Under Hill"
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 The Lord of the Rings, The Fellowship of the Ring, Book One, Chapter XII: "Flight to the Ford"
- ↑ The Chronology of The Lord of the Rings, pg. 38
- ↑ The Hobbit, Chapter II: "Roast Mutton"