The trolls of mythology were monstrous, but although they have been linked to a race of Norse giants known as ‘jötnar’ they weren’t always huge. In the southern Scandinavian countries they were often depicted as small, mysterious, cave-dwelling creatures.

The trolls of early folklore have as many different habitats as they do variations in appearance. Some stories have them living in mountains, others in caves, or in forests. So when Newt identifies three types of troll in the Fantastic Beasts textbook: mountain, forest and river – his description has its roots in existing myths.