The Trolls were a race of giant, man-eating creatures that appeared on Middle Earth during the First Age. They were strong, ferocious, and dull-witted, with hides of overlapping scales resistant to most weapons. It was said that Trolls were corrupted by Morgoth from an older race in mockery of the Ents.

Trolls turned to stone if they were caught by the direct rays of the Sun. Like the Orcs, they were bred during the Years of Darkness, and the Sun was their enemy.

To avoid the Sun, Trolls took to living in hidden places, and began to diversify into Hill-trolls, Cave-trolls, Snow-trolls, Mountain-trolls and Stone-trolls.

Although brutish and ignorant, they were adopted by Morgoth during the War of the Great Jewels. Their main value to him was their great strength and their brutal instincts.

In the Third Age, a new form of Troll appeared on the borders of Mordor and in Mirkwood - the Olog-hai. These were strong, agile, fierce and cunning, and they could endure sunlight - for a while, and if their Master's thought was with them. Many Olog-hai fought in the War of the Ring and in the Battle of the Pelennor Fields though most were slain during the Battle of the Black Gate.

Encyclopedia entry originally written by atalante_star