Going on a Troll Hunt
Some whimsy to get us through
“Mom, look! Birdhouses!” I pointed up as we meandered through a sunlit patch of trees. “Is this part of it?” We were on a quest to find giant trolls, just another average Monday. Clusters of birdhouses began to appear on the trees, and I wasn’t sure if they were part of the installation. What I was sure of was that this was the most fun I’d had in a long time, as if a Lily Huckleberry adventure had come to life.1
I’ve long been inspired by the work of Thomas Dambo, a Danish artist who has created over 100 massive trolls from reclaimed materials. His work lives at the intersection of “art, adventure, and activism,” and is my kind of quirky. When my parents came to visit, I pitched them the idea of going on a troll hunt, feeling a touch like the seven-year-old who begged, “Daddy, can I get a pony?” He never gave in, and rightly so; it would have added much work to his already full life, and I would have whined about the horse chores to an intolerable level. The trolls were less of a commitment than the equine endeavor, so into the woods we tromped.
As it turned out, the birdhouses were part of the magic. They belonged to Ibbi Pip, a friend to the creatures.
Hello, Ibbi.
We roamed around until we found Ibbi’s friends, including Kamma Can, who makes treasures out of trash.
There was even a tea party situation in the redwoods.
The whole encounter was an absolute delight. The whimsy levels were off the charts, even for me. “No one is in a bad mood,” my mom commented. “Look how much everyone is smiling.” Sure, it was a Monday, and none of these people were at work. But more than that, the collective quest had us all feeling like seven-year-olds again, as if the world was open to possibility and wonder after all.
I love a lot about Thomas Dambo’s work—how purposefully playful it is, designed to be climbed on and interacted with, not roped off in a museum. I love the impermanence, how the trolls visit places until they wear down, and then they become something else. Most of all, I love how unnecessary it is, by that I mean non-essential. We do not need giant trolls to survive in this world.
And yet, maybe we do.
A friend asked the other night, “What’s getting you through these crazy times, Jackie?” I didn’t have a great answer for him at the moment, but as I’ve had more time to think about it, the giant trolls are on the top of the list. Seeing them reminded me of the goodness of imagination and pushing back against the expected, how the act of creating expands beyond ourselves. It buoyed me much longer than I anticipated—a little scavenger hunt for hope, getting us through.
Other Reads You Might Enjoy:
Mead for the Rest of Us and Close Encounters of the Absurd Kind
What’s getting you through? I’d love to hear:
Or connect with me on Instagram: @jackieknapp_
You can find my kids’ books series The Adventures of Lily Huckleberry here or on Amazon. If you are near the Bay Area, CA, the giant trolls at Filoli Gardens until November 2025.