Chasing Trolls

Yule is a good time to chase out ill-meaning wights like mischievous elves, dwarves, and trolls. Though it’s said that wights are who they are, and some serve a purpose, some are just trolls – ugly dwarves or fiends – and unpredictable… and sending them back to where they came from is good for both them and us.

Here’s what one family does:

Towards the end of the night of our Yule Feast, we grab our large family Thor’s Hammer (He likes to chase Trolls), and a fire source such as a candle, and some noise makers, like drums that can sound like the thunder Thor is known for.

We then form a procession to go through the house waving the hammer and fire while drumming and rattling and shouting, “Out Trolls, out Trolls!” to scare these ill meaning wights out of the house.

Another Version:

This version of the chasing out that comes from an Icelandic custom called “bidding the alfs to home”…

The house-mother would sweep everywhere, in every corner, then kindle lights all through the house, wherever their might be a shadow. She then went out and around the dwelling, some say three times, and spoke,

‘Come, those who wish to come;
stay those who wish to stay;
and fare, those who wish to fare,
harmless to me and mine.’

Source: Hex Magazine