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tolkiens legendarium - Did the Cave Trolls turn to stone when the shadows lifted from Mordor?


Did Sauron's Cave Trolls that roamed about under the shadows in and around Mordor turn to stone when shadows were lifted? Are all Trolls affected like Bert, Tom, and William in The Hobbit?


cave troll 3 trolls



Answer



There are different types of trolls, and for each their reaction to sunlight may be different:


From what I've read Stone Trolls turn to stone, and from that I can only guess so might cave trolls; I can only find ambiguous information.



Olog-hai are the troll equivalent to Uruk-hai, and the only ones who are explicitly stated not to turn to stone whilst 'under the sway of Sauron's will'.


Either:



  • Cave Trolls behave like Olog-hai, and whilst controlled by Sauron they do not petrify.

  • Cave Trolls do not turn to stone in sunlight, regardless of Sauron's control.


My reading of Tolkien, An Illustrated Encyclopedia seems to imply that all trolls, besides Olog-hai are crafted from the same spell Melkor cast in the first age of starlight (before the age of sun), and thus they should all turn to stone in sunlight.



The spell of their creation had been cast in darkness and if light did fall on them it was as if the spell was broken and the armour of their skin grew inwards




Then we must infer that the same spell stopping the Olog-hai from petrifying stops the cave trolls from likewise turning to stone.


Finally the spell that Sauron used to give the Olog-hai that he created intelligence and cunning is dispelled upon Sauron's defeat:



Yet they [Olog-hai] were held by a mighty spell, and, when the Ring was unmade and Sauron went into the shadows, the spell was broken.



One might surmise that all trolls now turn to stone, yet my book only mentions that the Olog-hai wandered senseless and were defeated and scattered. So they didn't turn to stone. But I believe the spell that Melkor cast in the darkness is still ruling over the Cave Trolls, meaning they turn to stone. Whereas the one that Sauron cast in the light, prevents such a misfortune befalling the Olog-hai.


Edit:


I've just found my partner's copy of A Tolkien Bestiary, and it mostly reiterates the above reasoning, except only mentioning Olog-Hai were specially bred, and there is no mention of Cave Trolls. I think this only backs up my previous conclusions.


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