and because a troll story would enable him to work out his plot with
admirable effect. The statement in the saga, "As the Yule-feast
approached, the men grew depressed," is a characteristic beginning of a
troll story; for, while trolls commit their depredations at all times of
the year and under a multitude of circumstances, many of the stories
about them begin with such expressions as: "Yule was approaching. On the
eve the shepherd went with his sheep";[54] "In old days no one could
stay over Christmas Eve";[55] "It happened once late on a Yule Eve";[56]
"Formerly every Christmas Eve";[57] "I gamle dage var det en
julenat";[58] "Juleaften gik Per Bakken til kvernhuset";[59] "Nogen av
selskapet kom til at tale on Hammertrollet, som det nu kaltes, og de
mente, at skulde de nogengang vente ulempe av det arrige troll, saa
maatte det vel vasre saadan i julegryet".[60]

Thus, as we see, the statement that the winged monster appears late
Christmas Eve,[61] is exactly in harmony with the belief, still current
in some parts of Norway, that on Christmas Eve, after sunset, but never
earlier in the day, an adventure with a troll is to be expected unless
proper precaution be taken to avoid it. It is a part of the
superstition, that if any one ventures into, or near, the stable or
other outbuildings late in the evening, he is in the greatest danger of
being attacked by one of these malignant beings; and people are in
mortal terror of falling into the clutches of a troll. As a result,
there is great haste to get the chores done up early on Christmas Eve.
In fact, the fear that Hott shows before leaving the hall, when he knows
he must go out, and the extreme fear that he shows later, can be
duplicated from the tales that are told in connection with the
superstition. There is no danger, however, so long as one remains in the
house.[62]