The House of Trolle (sometimes in Danish ''Trold'') is the name of a

Scania Scania, also known by its native name of Skåne (, ), is the southernmost of the historical provinces (''landskap'') of Sweden. Located in the south tip of the geographical region of Götaland, the province is roughly conterminous with Skåne ...

n noble family, originally from Småland, in Sweden. The family has produced prominent people in the histories of

Denmark ) , song = ( en, "King Christian stood by the lofty mast") , song_type = National and royal anthem , image_map = EU-Denmark.svg , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Kingdom of Denmark , establish ...

and in Sweden since the

Middle Ages In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire ...

and is associated with several estates in both countries.

Family history

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 Småland, Sweden. Birger Birgersson Trolle, High Councillor of Sweden, inherited the castle Bergkvara from his half-brother Håkan Karlsson. 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 Gustav Eriksson Trolle (September 1488 – 1535) was Archbishop of Uppsala, Sweden, in two sessions, during the turbulent Reformation events. He was the son of Eric Arvidsson Trolle, a former regent of Sweden during the era of the Kalmar Union. ...

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 Herluf Trolle (14 January 1516 – 25 June 1565) was a Danish naval hero, Admiral of the Fleet and co-founder of Herlufsholm School (''Herlufsholm Skole og Gods''), a private boarding school at Næstved on the island of Zealand in Denmark. ...

and one of great-grandsons

Niels Trolle Niels Trolle til Trollesholm og Gavnø (20 December 1599 – 20 September 1667) was a Danish nobleman who served as vice admiral under Christian IV and later as Steward of Norway from 1656 to 1661. He played a central administrative role d ...

(''Nils Trolle til Trollesholm og Gavnø'') was Statholder of Norway.''Trolle – dansk slekt'' (Store norske leksikon)
/ref> 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.

Coat of arms

The family name comes from the family coat of arms that depicts a headless

troll A troll is a being in Nordic folklore, including Norse mythology. In Old Norse sources, beings described as trolls dwell in isolated areas of rocks, mountains, or caves, live together in small family units, and are rarely helpful to human be ...

. 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''. Trolle coat of arms

Prominent family members

;Denmark *

(1516–1565), Danish naval hero *

, vice admiral * Mette Trolle ;Sweden *

Eric Trolle Eric Trolle (or Erik Arvidsson) (c. 1460–1530) 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 Eric Arvidsson was born around 1460 into ...

(c. 1460–1530), Swedish Lord High Constable *

(1488–1535), Archbishop of Uppsala * Frederik Trolle (1693-1770) Owner of Trolleholms Castle * Nils Axel Arvid Carlsson Trolle (1859-1930), Baron of Trollenäs Castle * Ulf Trolle Managing Director of Trollenäs Gods AB

References

{{Reflist

External links

Trollenäs Castle official website

Family history

Coat of arms

Prominent family members

See also

References

External links