Olli riding the troll’s horse, Jay Van Everen, 1922
The original caption names Olli and the Troll’s horse. Fillmore describes hairs of gold and silver; this monochrome illustration cannot demonstrate their colours or material. The tale gives the horse no wings, speech or shapeshifting.
Overview
In Fillmore’s Terrible Olli, the troll owns a horse with hairs of gold and silver. Olli decides to take it after surviving the couple’s murder plot. The troll’s wife asks him to water the animal, hoping this errand will detain him until her husband returns. Instead, Olli mounts it and gallops away, reaching the opposite side of the bay before the troll comes home.
The father and brothers subsequently see the unusual horse, and the troll asks across the water whether Olli has it. The tale does not give it speech, flight or shapeshifting, or describe a supernatural maker. Its distinctive feature is the stated metallic hair; it remains the stolen mount in this episode rather than a named relative or separate incarnation of the troll.
Origins & earliest records
Parker Fillmore, Mighty Mikko (1922), The Terrible Olli, printed pp. 157–170; author’s note vii–xi.
Records & interpretation
Complete English retelling, including separate deaths, sun-burst ending and the horse’s limited stated properties. The author’s own-version qualification remains.
Selected bibliography
Documented works and useful reading. This is not a list of every appearance.
- 01
Mighty Mikko: The Terrible Olli, pp. 157–170
Complete selected narrative; no literal Finnish-source translation claimed. Direct sunlight causes husband’s bursting, not stone transformation.
Family & connections
A source-supported family tree or inspiration record has not yet been compiled for this profile. Related reading below indicates a connection in subject matter, not a proven lineage or creative influence.
References
Sources supporting this profile. Linked pages have their own scope and editorial standards.
- Primary historical literary retelling of folkloreFillmore1922: The Terrible OlliResearch access: 2026-10-05
Image credits
Historical illustrationOlli riding the troll’s horse, Jay Van Everen, 1922
The original caption names Olli and the Troll’s horse. Fillmore describes hairs of gold and silver; this monochrome illustration cannot demonstrate their colours or material. The tale gives the horse no wings, speech or shapeshifting.
