Giant trolls take-over Puget Sound: Where they are and what they mean

EDMONDS, Wash. - There are many strange sights to be found, but few rival the giant 15- to 30-foot-tall trolls that began popping up throughout the Seattle metro area in recent weeks.

Trolls -- giant, man-made, wooden trolls -- have popped up in West Seattle, Issaquah, Ballard, Bainbridge Island and Vashon Island. Each troll is tied to famed recycling artist Thomas Dambo.

"I grew up with stories about trolls," explained Dambo. "For me, the troll became a vehicle to tell and talk about the stories I like to talk about which is taking care of nature, being less wasteful and being more resourceful."

Dambo’s local creations – along with one in Portland – are part of his latest exhibit: "Northwest Troll Way of the Bird King." He teamed up with Scan Design Foundation to build the six sculptures, to tell a unique story.

Each troll is built entirely with recycled materials – mostly pallets, scrap wood, and various items he and his team have found at various sites where the trolls have been built.

The hope is that people realize that junk isn’t truly junk.

"We could build 2.4 million trolls a year," explained Dambo, discussing the amount of trash that accumulates in the U.S. every year. "Or we could build homes, playgrounds, furniture. There is so much of the American dream hidden in your own trash cans."

Dambo’s matter-of-fact explanation is well received. On any given day, you could stop by one of the construction sites and find a giant crowd of volunteers helping with his projects, the people – much like his trolls – have multiplied over the years.

"If I get invited on a tour like this, I’ll drop everything," explained a man named Raven from Texas.

Another volunteer, Francisa Calderone, is originally from Chile. She met Dambo and his crew in Denmark and fell in love with the work.

"It’s fun to be part of something a bit bigger than what I normally do," she said.

Much like his team that travels around the globe with him, Dambo’s work drew dozens of locals to come out and offer up their services as well. Whether it’s his message, the work, or a combination of the two isn’t clear – what was clear, is that everyone was having a great time.

"We’re just a bunch of goofballs that are just making stuff happen," said Raven.

Locally, the trolls have been a hit. In West Seattle, Dambo was met by Muckleshoot elders during a ceremony complete with an artist exchange. Mayor Bruce Harrell was there as they unveiled Bruun Idun, a troll that plays a magical flute for her orca friends.

After the unveiling, there was no shortage of cell phones flailing in the air snapping pictures, and locals commenting on how lucky they were to get a troll in their own backyard. Children, and adults craning their necks alike to take in the entire troll in one viewing.

"It’s very awesome," said one man. "You can tell it took a lot of time and effort."

The trolls, however, are not meant to be pinpointed for the public to find with ease. Dambo offers up general information with his troll map online, and there are visual clues in the form of brightly colored birdhouses to let each visitor know they’re on the right track.

Dambo explained to FOX 13 that he wants people to explore nature, and to turn on their senses to truly search and take in the surroundings along with the troll – each visit is almost like a riddle for the person getting their first glimpse at the trolls.

"I make it a little bit like a treasure hunt," said Dambo. It makes it a little exciting. Sometimes, we think adventure only awaits us if we travel in an airplane to the other side of the world, but actually, there is a lot of adventure to be found in your own backyard – you just have to go and find it."

Online, you’ll find at least 100 different trolls around the globe – so, it’s highly unlikely one person can see them all. Dating back to 2014, Dambo has been building trolls and their origin stories. He even poses as the troll and tries to get into their mindset during the initial planning phases.

The takeaway: people are often in conflict with nature, and taking a moment to see the world through their eyes just may give us a better understanding of how to live more harmoniously with nature.

You can follow Dambo's troll journey here.