Things That Live Under Bridges
Creepy Monster Creature Field Guide and... Squirrel!
Clip-clop, clip-clop.
The sound of little goat feet sneaking over a bridge invades childhood nightmares. After the first time, we know what’s coming: a big, ugly troll who doesn’t just jump out and yell ‘boo!’ but actually devours the adorable, fuzzy animals whole.
The Realm Under Bridges Is a Scary Place
I guess in the old world, bridges themselves were scary. They probably collapsed a lot, sending people down to their doom. Instead of simply blaming the rushing river water or the pile of craggy rocks, might as well throw a troll or evil spirit in there.
There’s also a political slant to the topic: tolls. People in charge undoubtedly charged others to cross their bridges. It’s a point of tension. You can’t cross the chasm or river anywhere else, right? Captive audience.
Trolls charge tolls. (I live in NJ, the land of toll roads. No shade to the toll collectors just doing their jobs, but maybe there’s a bit of truth to those in power who decide to keep the tolls going.)
Did the troll eat the goats because they didn’t pay the toll, or was he just hungry?
It’s Not Just Trolls
You have a whole collection of water-dwelling folklore creatures that live in rivers and such that can end up close to or under bridges. Kappa, nix, and vodyanoy come from various cultures. Why wouldn’t they hang out under a bridge? It’s a good place to lure travelers from because, again, travelers have to cross bridges. They build up in a nice, steady stream.
Black Shuck, the hound of English folklore, guards bridges and is an omen of death. Japan has Hashihime, a bridge princess, who does the same. She gets jealous if she’s neglected, which might tie back into the concept of tolls.
People have been so afraid of bridges and the space underneath them that they’ve even made up rituals to bury people purposefully to guard them and lay down special offerings and such at or inside the pillars.
Should I Pull This Back to Fantasy Genre Writing?
Tons of inspiration comes from folklore. That’s pretty much where the entire genre came from, after all. Horror ties into it heavily, too. Can you write a story about a troll under a bridge…
Woah… I just had an amazing idea for one of my works in progress. There could be a bridge, a fantastic, portal-type bridge between the real world and the fantasy/imaginary one that lies somewhere on the outskirts of town and keeps drawing him closer. (Book’s name is “Troll” and it features an unreliable narrator who trolls in a video game and is losing touch with reality. Mental portal fantasy war dark fae horror thing.)
This sounds kinda cliché, but… Off to write!