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Overview
Hlinik disappears after growing up with Thora. Her foster-mother sends a brown dog to guide her through darkness into an underground cave, where the prince lies asleep. Two troll sisters return; the elder awakens him by commanding a bedside bird to sing, asks him to marry her and, after his refusal and a meal, sends him back to sleep through the bird’s song. Thora learns the same command and speaks with Hlinik during their absence.
Pretending consent, Hlinik obtains the elder’s explanation of the cave’s treasures. A coverlet can transport and protect its bearer; three stones produce fire, snow and rain; only the hanging sword can wound her and her brother Iron-head. The prince and Thora escape while the sisters invite wedding guests. Later a splendid ship arrives, and Hlinik falls under the attraction of a beautiful woman aboard it. He brings her to court, forgets Thora and plans a new marriage.
Thora, disguised as an old man, persuades him to watch the bride unobserved. They see a monstrous hag call Iron-head her brother; he rises through the floor with a courtier, whom she consumes. The prince recognizes his enchantment. At the wedding feast Thora brings the cave’s sword, and Hlinik kills the false bride and then her three-headed brother. The account identifies the returning bride with the earlier troll, but does not supply a personal name or explain what finally became of her younger sister.
Origins & earliest records
Icelandic Legends, second series (1866), The Story of Hlinik, the King’s Son, and Thora, the Carl’s Daughter, pp. 459–473.
Records & interpretation
Complete Hlinik/Thora account. The adjacent Hlini/Signy and stone-craft texts contain omissions in this copy’s OCR and are not treated as completely inspected here.
Selected bibliography
Documented works and useful reading. This is not a list of every appearance.
- 01
Icelandic Legends, second series: Hlinik and Thora, pp. 459–473
Complete narrative; cave revelations pp. 464–467, court imposture and final encounter pp. 469–473.
Family, evolution & connections
Troll siblings in Hlinik and Thora
The explicit sibling relationships in the complete English telling, with brother statements on pp. 466, 470 and 472.
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- Explicit sibling group (parents unstated)
- Unnamed younger troll sister
The diagram is a sibling group, not a parent-to-child pedigree. The group heading is not an ancestor. Parents and any wider troll genealogy are unstated; the younger sister remains unnamed. Hlinik’s final wife is Thora, so the coerced and deceptive troll wedding arrangements are not recast as completed marriage.
Iron-head in Hlinik and Thora
The elder troll calls Iron-head her brother in the sword disclosure (p. 466); her disguised bride appearance repeats the address (p. 470), and the ending confirms it (p. 472). The bride is the elder troll’s disguise, not another sister. No parents are named.
Unnamed younger troll sister in Hlinik and Thora
The cave scenes explicitly distinguish elder and younger troll sisters. The younger also desires Hlinik, but the later beautiful bride is the elder’s disguise. No completed troll marriage, separate personal name or later fate of the younger sister is supplied.
References
Sources supporting this profile. Linked pages have their own scope and editorial standards.
- Primary textIcelandic Legends, surviving 1866 alternate copyResearch access: 2026-10-05
Image credits
A sourced illustration has not yet been added. This gap is included in the coverage record.