Trolle
Encyclopedia
Trolle is the name of a noble family, originally from Sweden
. The family has produced prominent people in the histories of Denmark
and in Sweden since the Middle Ages
and is associated qwith several estates in Sweden.
Their historically attested male-line ancestors are known as far back as the 14th century. The earliest historical ancestor was the knight Birger Knutsson, also known as Birghe Trulle. The earliest known generations held the estate of Bo in Smaland
, Sweden. Birger Birgersson, High Councillor of Sweden (d 1471), inherited Bergkvara
castle from his half-brother.
Arvid Birgersson and Eric Arvidsson were among mightiest in the country and both almost became Regents of Sweden in their time, in competition against the Sture
family. Gustav Trolle
was Archbishop of Uppsala
. The original Swedish line of the family died out in the late 16th century.
Eric's younger half-brother Joachim (d 1546) had inherited Lilloe in Skåne from his mother and settled in Denmark. The Danish family line continued through his relatives, becoming an important house of high nobility. One of his sons was Danish admiral Herluf Trolle
and one of great-grandsons Niels Trolle (Nils Trolle til Trollesholm og Gavnø) was Statholder of Norway
.
Sweden again got a branch of the family when Niels Trolle's son Arvid Nielsen Trold, Lord of Trollenäs Castle
, swore loyalty to Sweden (and was in 1689 given the seat among Sweden's nobility) after Skåne, his native land, had become a permanent part of Sweden. The head of the house received in 1816 the primogeniturally hereditary title of baron in Sweden for the House. All currently extant branches of the House of Trolle descend from him, the remaining Danish branches are still alive and can be found in Denmark.
. According to tradition, the family had taken these arms on the basis of a legend that a common ancestor must have killed a troll and robbed a drinking horn, which was called Våxtorpshornet el.
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
. The family has produced prominent people in the histories of Denmark
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
and in Sweden since the Middle Ages
Middle Ages
The Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...
and is associated qwith several estates in Sweden.
Family history
Småland
' is a historical province in southern Sweden.Småland borders Blekinge, Scania or Skåne, Halland, Västergötland, Östergötland and the island Öland in the Baltic Sea. The name Småland literally means Small Lands. . The latinized form Smolandia has been used in other languages...
, Sweden. Birger Birgersson, High Councillor of Sweden (d 1471), inherited Bergkvara
Bergkvara
Bergkvara is a locality situated in Torsås Municipality, Kalmar County, Sweden with 974 inhabitants in 2005....
castle from his half-brother.
Arvid Birgersson and Eric Arvidsson were among mightiest in the country and both almost became Regents of Sweden in their time, in competition against the Sture
Sture
Sture was the name of two influential families in Sweden from the late 15th century to the early 16th century. One member of one of these families and two members of the other served as Regents of Sweden in the Kalmar Union between 1470 and 1520...
family. Gustav Trolle
Gustav Trolle
Gustav Eriksson Trolle was Archbishop of Uppsala, Sweden, in two sessions, during the turbulent Reformation events.After returning from studies abroad, in Cologne and Rome, he was in 1513 elected vicar in Linköping. One year later he became Archbishop of Uppsala...
was Archbishop of Uppsala
Archbishop of Uppsala
The Archbishop of Uppsala has been the primate in Sweden in an unbroken succession since 1164, first during the Catholic era, and from the 1530s and onward under the Lutheran church.- Historical overview :...
. The original Swedish line of the family died out in the late 16th century.
Eric's younger half-brother Joachim (d 1546) had inherited Lilloe in Skåne from his mother and settled in Denmark. The Danish family line continued through his relatives, becoming an important house of high nobility. One of his sons was Danish admiral Herluf Trolle
Herluf Trolle
Herluf Trolle was a Danish naval hero, born at Lillö, Scania.- Early life :Herluf Trolle was born of the Trolle, a Swedish-originated family of high nobility, was son of Kirsten Herlufsdatter Skave and sir Joachim Arvidsen Trolle, Lord of Lilloe; thus grandson of justiciar Arvid Trolle, Lord of...
and one of great-grandsons Niels Trolle (Nils Trolle til Trollesholm og Gavnø) was Statholder of Norway
Governor-general of Norway
The Governor-general of Norway, styled Rigsstatholder in Danish or Riksståthållare in Swedish, both meaning 'Lieutenant of the realm' , was the appointed head of the Norwegian Government in the absence of the Monarch....
.
Sweden again got a branch of the family when Niels Trolle's son Arvid Nielsen Trold, Lord of Trollenäs Castle
Trollenäs Castle
Trollenäs Castle is a castle in Eslöv Municipality, Scania, in southern Sweden. It is known since the 14th century, and has been in the ownership of only two families, Thott and Trolle...
, swore loyalty to Sweden (and was in 1689 given the seat among Sweden's nobility) after Skåne, his native land, had become a permanent part of Sweden. The head of the house received in 1816 the primogeniturally hereditary title of baron in Sweden for the House. All currently extant branches of the House of Trolle descend from him, the remaining Danish branches are still alive and can be found in Denmark.
Coat of arms
The family name comes from the family coat of arms that depicts a headless trollTroll
A troll is a supernatural being in Norse mythology and Scandinavian folklore. In origin, the term troll was a generally negative synonym for a jötunn , a being in Norse mythology...
. According to tradition, the family had taken these arms on the basis of a legend that a common ancestor must have killed a troll and robbed a drinking horn, which was called Våxtorpshornet el.
Prominent family members
- Eric TrolleEric TrolleEric Trolle was elected regent of Sweden in 1512, during the era of Kalmar Union. He was Justiciar of Närke and a Lord High Councillor of Sweden from 1487.-Biography:...
(c. 1460–1530), Swedish Lord High Constable - Gustav TrolleGustav TrolleGustav Eriksson Trolle was Archbishop of Uppsala, Sweden, in two sessions, during the turbulent Reformation events.After returning from studies abroad, in Cologne and Rome, he was in 1513 elected vicar in Linköping. One year later he became Archbishop of Uppsala...
(1488–1535), Archbishop of UppsalaArchbishop of UppsalaThe Archbishop of Uppsala has been the primate in Sweden in an unbroken succession since 1164, first during the Catholic era, and from the 1530s and onward under the Lutheran church.- Historical overview :... - Herluf TrolleHerluf TrolleHerluf Trolle was a Danish naval hero, born at Lillö, Scania.- Early life :Herluf Trolle was born of the Trolle, a Swedish-originated family of high nobility, was son of Kirsten Herlufsdatter Skave and sir Joachim Arvidsen Trolle, Lord of Lilloe; thus grandson of justiciar Arvid Trolle, Lord of...
(1516–1565), Danish naval hero - Frederik Trolle (1693-1770) Owner of Trolleholms Castle
- Nils Axel Arvid Carlsson Trolle (1859-1930, Baron of Trollenäs Castle
- Orvar TrolleOrvar TrolleOrvar Trolle was a Swedish freestyle swimmer. He won a bronze medal in 4 x 200 m freestyle relay at the 1924 Summer Olympics in Paris along with Georg Werner, Åke Borg and Arne Borg. He also swam the 1920 Summer Olympics....
(1900–1971), Swedish freestyle swimmer - Ane TrolleAne TrolleAne Trolle is a Danish singer and songwriter. She contributes notably on Trentemøllers album The Last Resort in “Moan”. She has since brought her voice to the new downtempo Ubiquity signing Peder; on “White Lillies”. Now, Ane joined forces with fellow Copenhagenite Pato Siebenhaar for “Sweet Dogs”...
(born 1979), Danish singer and songwriter - Ulf Trolle, Managing Director of Trollenäs Gods AB