RAGBRAI riders rolling through the town of Elk Horn on Day 2 of RAGBRAI 2026 were greeted by a mythical figure.
The 22-foot-tall wooden troll with a mischievous twinkle in his eyes was pushing a little wooden boat across the prairie, armed with a tree-branch pole. Danish artist Thomas Dambo built it as one in a series of installations around the world, where his work can be found peeking out from behind trees, frolicking through fields, crammed into buildings and even joyriding on tiny cars.
This particular troll, called Fjord Fǽrgemand, or Ferryman in English, was installed in April 2026 in the Jensen Prairie Landscape Park at the Museum of Danish America in Elk Horn. The city of 600, along with the neighboring town Kimballton, claims the largest rural population of Danish-Americans in the United States.
Given the strong cultural pride in the area, it made sense that one of Dambo’s trolls would find a home in the so-called “Danish Villages.”
“The concept behind it was that the Danish immigrants came across the ocean and now they’re coming across the prairie” to settle in Iowa, said Garey Knudsen, a volunteer with the museum.
Although the Ferryman is the only troll riders will see during RAGBRAI this year, it is not the only example of Dambo’s work in Iowa. The artist also has an installation in Clinton called “The Tree Thieves.” It includes three lumbering wooden trolls and one hidden creature, and is intended to pay homage to the city’s history as the “Lumber Capital of the World.”
Dambo, whose sculptures are all built entirely from recycled materials, was born in Odense, Denmark. The city was the home of 19th-century writer Hans Christian Andersen, whose fairytales are populated with supernatural creatures including mermaids, snow queens and, of course, trolls.
The sculptor first began leaving his whimsical mark on the world in 2012 with a troll called “Jack Lumber” on the island of Mors, Denmark. His army of trolls has only grown since then, and he has made it his mission to build a troll in every U.S. state.
So far, more than 170 of Dambo’s trolls populate 19 states, and can be found in 17 countries across five continents.
A form is available on Dambo’s website for anyone who wishes to commission a sculpture. Members of the team that brought the trolls to Clinton say it can take some persistence, but it’s well worth the effort. The sculptures have drawn tourism from all over the country.
Elk Horn ― where even on a blazing hot Monday, July 20, riders from the Register’s Annual Great Bicycle Ride Across Iowa swarmed over the prairie to pose for pictures in the Ferryman’s boat ― is hoping for the same effect.
Norah Judson is a reporter for the Register. Reach her at njudson@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Danish artist’s wooden troll sculpture brings whimsy to RAGBRAI
Reporting by Norah Judson, Des Moines Register / Des Moines Register
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Norah Judson, Des Moines Register | USA TODAY Network
