Matching 50 mythical creatures with each of the 50 states

California: Troll

When it comes to California, there are plenty of ways we could research the perfect creature or monster. But in this case, it felt rather fitting to go with the Troll. But not just any troll, I am talking about the beast found in Norse mythology – the foul-tempered creature living under a bridge and eating unsuspecting people.

So what is it about this creature that has us placing him in the state of California of all places? How about the fact that there are actually more than 25,000 bridges in the state as of 2020! (It is actually not the number one state in the country for bridges, but the number is still so impressive that it matters.) And among those bridges are some very iconic ones including the Golden Gate Bridge, the Coronado Bridge, the Sundial Bridge, and the Bixby Creek Bridge.

Whether it is a giant troll or a smaller troll, there are enough bridges in the state to make plenty of trolls very happy, or at least as happy as these creatures get. After all, these creatures are said to be rather grumpy. And they don’t exactly like to be disturbed unless of course, they are getting a meal out of it.

Of course, if you happen to be a goat, then you should be safe because the Three Billy Goats Gruff certainly figured out a way to avoid becoming troll dinner. So if you do happen to come across a troll under a bridge, be prepared to outsmart him, because otherwise, you may find yourself as the entree course of a mythical monster.