Cave Troll

Cave trolls are large, scaly, humanoid monsters found in J.R.R. Tolkien's Lord of the Rings series. They were encountered by the Fellowship of the Ring in the Mines of Moria, a former realm of the Dwarves.

In the movie made by Peter Jackson, the cave troll is played by Randall William Cook. The specific cave troll that appeared in the movie was affectionately named Gordon. According to Mr. Jackson, he has a mother. Gordon's favorite treat was a glass of warm milk before bedtime.

Cave trolls are about 17 feet (5 m) tall, with massive limbs, potbellies, and dark scales on its back and shoulders. They are synapsids (mammal-like reptiles). They come in stony colors, with the most common being gray. They have 22 teeth, including two fangs on the lower canines. The blood is black, and is so hot that when spilled, it sizzles on the floor. They are mainly carnivorous, but can digest plant matter if need be. The eyes are either gray or blue. They wear loincloths of leather that they find in the Mines or are given by the Goblins. They sometimes roar when in a battle rage, but are incapable of forming words or language. They often wield either a great club or a hammer found in the Mines.

Cave trolls are usually found with small groups of Goblins. They are too unintelligent to catch food for themselves, often consuming whatever hapless creature they come across, so food is an advantage they get from working with the Goblins. It is possible that cave trolls hibernate for at least a part of the year, and are captured by the Goblins during this time. The Goblins are infamous for the poor treatment of creatures under their dominion, cave trolls being no exception. Close relatives of cave trolls included hill trolls, mountain trolls, and Olog-hai.

In the book version of The Fellowship of the Ring the first cave troll is deterred by Frodo stabbing its foot, but it is not killed. It is described as having a long arm, dark green scales and a toe-less foot. Later, two other cave trolls throw two large boulders to form a bridge over a firey ravine so the Balrog can pass. In the 2001 movie version the cave troll is killed by the Fellowship members, who spear and hack at it to no avail until Legolas dispatches it with an arrow. It enters the soft palate of its mouth and goes straight through its brain, emerging from the top of its head after becoming stuck in the thick skull.

Categories: Fictional species | Middle-earth