Written By Michele Miller Houck
Trolls are mythical creatures from Scandinavian folklore, first recorded in the 13th century. Traditionally, they’re described as large, ugly, dim-witted beings who live in isolation in mountains or caves. Hostile toward humans and associated with darkness, trolls vary in form—from lumbering giants to magical or human-like beings.
But Danish artist Thomas Dambo’s trolls are a different story altogether. His creations are whimsical, enchanting giants that carry messages of conservation, love, and compassion for the Earth. North Carolina now boasts seven permanent Dambo trolls—one in Charlotte, one in High Point, and five in Raleigh—plus twelve smaller versions currently on display at Asheville’s NC Arboretum through mid-February. These gentle giants are a must-see for families and are generally free to visit (the Arboretum charges only a parking fee). You can find Dambo’s trolls around the world at trollmap.com.
Last Sunday, I went in search of Charlotte’s “Big Pete with the Big Feet”, and he did not disappoint. We’d been eagerly waiting to learn Pete’s exact location, and after attending Dambo’s artist talk at Queens University on Thursday, we were primed and ready to go.
Big Pete now rests on a hill in The River District, a 1,400-acre master-planned community in West Charlotte. The River District has earned the rare distinction of being a One Planet Living Leader—only the third development in the U.S. and the first in the Southeast to achieve this honor.
From his perch overlooking the landscape, Pete lies in peaceful repose, surveying all he can see. He is the 170th troll designed and constructed by Dambo, who—fun fact—was once a rap artist. In true poetic fashion, Dambo wrote this story for Pete:
This story, once I was told, is about a troll named Pete, and since he was just three years old, he walked on two big feet. He leaped across the river Deep and up the mountain steep, but without something bittersweet, this story’s incomplete.
Pete, he was in love with everything around his feet – the flowers in the peat moss, roses, daisies, and the weeds. But every time he moved his feet, his heart would skip a beat, ‘cause every step he took, he crushed the flowers underneath.
So Pete, he stopped to wonder at a heap of blooming buckwheat, and wished his feet were more petite. He grieved them so gigantic. He wondered, should he take a seat and slowly fall asleep, or should he keep on walking, in the hope to spread their seed?
So, if you live anywhere in North Carolina, you’re probably not far from one of Dambo’s magical trolls. And if you ask me—you absolutely should go find them.
The Seven Trolls of the Grandmother Tree: https://www.instagram.com/reel/DQ4qCb3jWdC/
