Skip to main content

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.


Comments

Popular posts from this blog

story identification - Animation: floating island, flying pests

At least 20 years ago I watched a short animated film which stuck in my mind. The whole thing was wordless, possibly European, and I'm pretty sure I didn't imagine it... It featured a flying island which was inhabited by some creatures who (in my memory) reminded me of the Moomins. The island was frequently bothered by large winged animals who swooped around, although I don't think they did any actual damage. At the end one of the moomin creatures suddenly gets a weird feeling, feels forced to climb to the top of the island and then plunges down a shaft right through the centre - only to emerge at the bottom as one of the flyers. Answer Skywhales from 1983. The story begins with a man warning the tribe of approaching skywhales. The drummers then warn everybody of the hunt as everyone get prepared to set "sail". Except one man is found in his home sleeping as the noise wake him up. He then gets ready and is about to take his weapon as he hesitates then decides ...

harry potter - Did Dolores Umbridge Have Any Association with Voldemort (or Death Eaters) before His Return?

I noticed that Dolores Umbridge was born during the first Wizarding War, so it's very likely she wasn't a Death Eater then (but she is pretty evil -- who knows?). After that Voldemort was not around in a way that could affect many people, and most wouldn't know he was planning to rise again. During that time, and up through Voldemort's return (in Goblet of Fire ), did Umbridge have any connection with the Death Eaters or with Voldemort? Was she doing what she did on her own, or was it because of an association with Voldemort or his allies? Answer Dolores Umbridge was definitely not a good person. However, as Sirius points out, "the world isn't split into good people and Death Eaters". Remember that he also says that he doesn't believe Umbridge to be a Death Eater, but that she's evil enough (or something like that). I think there are two strong reasons to believe that: Umbridge was proud to do everything according to the law, except when she trie...

aliens - Interstellar Zoo story

I vaguely remember this story from my childhood: it was about an interstellar zoo that came to Earth with lots of bizarre and unusual species, and humans would file through and gape at all the crazy looking creatures from other planets. The twist came at the end when the perspective shifted to the other side of the bars and we discovered that the "creatures" were traveling through space on a kind of safari. They thought they were the visitors and we were the animals. Neither side knew that the other side thought they were the zoo creatures. Answer Got it. Zoo, by Edward D. Hoch. Published in 1958. Link to Publication History Link to PDF