Norway – the land of happy people, black metal, pickled herrings, and stunning geology – is missing an important piece of its epically rugged coastline, after the “Trollpikken” (translated as “Troll Dick”) rock formation was found severed following an attack by vandals this weekend.
The legend of Troll Dick will continue, however. In a matter of days, locals have raised thousands of dollars in an effort to re-erect this popular tourist attraction.
The Troll Dick, located near the coastline of Eigersund municipality south of Stavanger, bears its name because of its impressive resemblance to a penis (obviously) and Scandinavia's long affiliation with trolls. It was found collapsed by hikers on Saturday morning. At the scene of the incident they found chisels and many are suspecting an automatic drill was also involved.
“It looks like someone has used a drill on top. This is vandalism, there is no doubt,” said Olav Magne Egebakken, one of those who found the damage, to Norway’s TV2.
It’s unclear why the vandals attacked this geological phallus (although I'm sure Freud would have a lot to say about it). Regardless, police are currently trying to hunt down the unknown perpetrators, who could even face jail time for their antics.
“I was pissed, this is a crime and totally unacceptable. I hope those who have done it, get a snap of the fingers,” Bjarne Sigve Kverneland from Ålgård told Norwegian tabloid newspaper Verdens Gang (disclaimer: translated via Google).
But all is not lost just yet. Local residents began a crowdfunding campaign to put the rock back in its place. The campaign has already blasted past its 200,000 Norwegian kroner ($30,500) target with over 30 days left to fundraise. Local geologists and building contractors have already been in touch and believe the feat is entirely possible.
“We have the Viagra it takes!” said contractor Sverre Garpestad, also speaking to TV2.
Although optimism is high, it won’t be an easy task. Photographer Kjetil Bentsen, who has been involved with the rock’s transformation into a tourist attraction, told the BBC World Service the area is surrounded by a harsh rocky environment, so it’s going to be a challenge to bring in large machinery. He suspects they will have to build a crane on-site, assembled especially for this very important purpose. All in all, it’s expected to take at least two months. Although even Bentsen was unsure how they would actually perform this task.
However, to those endeavoring to return this icon to its previous position, we salute you.
