rivettingKateTaylor

Who’s that trip trapping over my bridge? Not Olaf.

It can’t be.

Someone stole him.

Olaf is one of the dozen 1.5m wooden trolls that stand guard around the Tararua township of Norsewood – just down the road from us.

Trolls are central characters in many Scandinavian legends – their presence in Norsewood celebrates its heritage as a settling place for Scandinavian migrants in the 19th century (also the reason behind Dannevirke’s viking promotions). Apparently, according to something I just read, Swedish and Norwegian trolls are friendly and not as scary and belligerent as Danish trolls. Oh, well that had worried me.

This photo has been borrowed from the Stonepress website www.troll.co.nz

The cover for the book The Troll's New Jersey of which we have a copy!

Olaf (the wooden one, not the real one that’s in the book, of course) can usually be found guarding the entrance to town on the Thor St bridge, near State Highway 2. But on Saturday morning he was no longer there.

There is a reward for his return.

Maybe he’s thumbed a lift to Dannevirke’s Fantasy Cave.