Myths & legends

This winter, Visit Norway is highlighting myths and legends from across the country – and Hemsedal is proudly part of it.

The legend of the Troll Battle at Hallenuten is included in the campaign, celebrating the stories that have shaped Norway and its mountain people. Adding to the excitement, Netflix has also drawn inspiration from Norway’s trolls. Parts of the new film Troll 2, premiering on December 1st, were filmed right here in Hemsedal – in the ski resort and at Stavkroa. Here, ancient legends meet modern film magic – surrounded by mountains. And this is just the beginning: in the coming months, we’ll share more myths and legends from Hemsedal – stories hidden in the valleys, the peaks, and perhaps right beneath your ski trails.

The Legend of the Troll Battle at Hallenuten

Long ago, before humans skied and hiked in the mountains, trolls ruled the peaks of Hemsedal. They were enormous, powerful creatures – and not always the best of neighbours. Each troll claimed that their mountain was the biggest and most beautiful, and every now and then, when the borders were unclear, they clashed.

Between the mountains Bergaskaret and Røggjin lies the small peak Hallenuten – a peaceful spot on the way into Grøndalen. Here, the young trolls used to play and tumble in the soft moss. But that very place became the cause of the greatest troll quarrel Hemsedal has ever known. Both mountain trolls claimed Hallenuten as their own.

After years of shouting and threatening across the valley, they decided to settle it once and for all. They would meet for a battle – on a Thursday night under the full moon, after the first frost had settled over the valley.

The troll from Bergaskaret chose the battleground wisely. The Røggjin troll was bigger and heavier, and the marsh below Hallenuten was frozen on the surface. But the Bergaskaret troll knew where the ice was weak. At midnight they met. The mountains trembled, the ice cracked – and the troll from Røggjin sank one foot deep into the bog. That gave the Bergaskaret troll the upper hand, and the fight was over.

The Røggjin troll, realising he had been tricked, disappeared in fury. It’s said he moved far, far away – but he swore revenge.
The footprints from that night can still be seen in the marsh below Hallenuten, frozen into the earth beneath the snow.

After the battle, silence returned to the valley.
But the legend says the trolls weren’t quite done with each other. The Bergaskaret troll had a son, and the Røggjin troll had a daughter – and the two are said to have met in secret between the mountains.

When the Røggjin troll left, their love came to an end, but the story had one last chapter. For he had sworn revenge. He moved far away and left a trap in the mountain – a narrow tunnel where he knew the son of his old enemy would one day come.

Many years later, the tale says, the young troll ran straight into the mountain – and got stuck.
If you look closely, you can still find him there: turned to stone and covered in moss, his bottom still sticking out of the mountainside.

So next time you hike near Hallenuten, take a look down at the marsh – perhaps you’ll see the footprints for yourself.
Or maybe, on another mountain nearby, you’ll spot the troll’s bottom still resting in the rock.

Based on the story from Hidden.no – a legend from Hemsedal.