Troll has its roots in Old Norse trǫll, a word used to describe a witch, magician or wizard. 

This in turn comes from the Proto-Germanic word truzlą, a supernatural being like a demon, giant or monster, which walked clumsily (truzlą itself probably comes from another Proto-Germanic word, trudaną, which means to tread or step).

Other words which have the same root as troll include French drôle (funny or amusing) and English droll (oddly humorous or whimsical).

Anyway, back to trolls.

The definition of a troll can differ somewhat in Scandinavian folklore, where the word can describe a fairy or sprite, a magician similar in appearance to a human, or even a bumbling, dim-witted giant like those seen in modern fantasy tales like Lord of the Rings and Harry Potter (although this would usually be described as a jätte [giant] or jättetroll instead). 

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Trolls have also made their mark on Scandinavian nature – it was long believed that they would turn to stone when touched by sunlight – which is why trolls have given their name to areas like Trollsvansen (troll-tail) and Trollberget (troll mountain) in Sweden, or the Trollstigen mountain pass in Norway.

In Scandinavia, trolls can be evil or benevolent, but the common theme for all types of trolls is that they are some sort of magical or mythical creature. You may also hear Swedes refer to small children as trolls – this is a compliment and should be seen as a term of endearment, rather than a suggestion that your child looks like a cave troll. It usually means the speaker thinks your child is adorable.

The most iconic depictions of Swedish-style trolls can be seen in painter John Bauer’s illustrations for Swedish folklore and fairy tale anthology Bland tomtar och troll (Among gnomes and trolls) from the early 1900s, while more recent examples include the mumintrollen or Moomin trolls, created by Finland-Swedish author and illustrator Tove Jansson. 

In modern Swedish, the word troll is still linked to magic – the Swedish word for a wizard is a trollkarl (literally: a magic man), and the verb trolla translates as “to perform magic”. You can also förtrolla (enchant) somebody, use a trollstav (magic wand) and trolla fram or trolla bort something, to make it appear or disappear.

There is also another meaning for the word troll in Swedish: an internet troll, where the word troll has been loaned back into Swedish from English. 

Internet trolls (nättroll or internettroll in Swedish) were originally people who posted deliberately offensive or provocative messages on forums or on social media in order to provoke a response for their own amusement, but the word has more recently come to describe users or accounts who spread hate speech, fake news or disinformation. 

The phrase troll factory also exists in Swedish as trollfabrik, a group of internet trolls which are organised in order to influence or interfere with politics, decision making or public opinion, often by spreading disinformation or propaganda.

These often use large numbers of fake accounts (also known as sock puppets or marionett accounts in Swedish) to enthusiastically support a particular person, party or viewpoint, giving the impression that there is broad public support for it.

This is closely linked to “astroturfing”, where the origin of a political message or organisation is hidden and made to seem like it’s coming from the general public or a grassroots organisation rather than a political party or major company.

In May 2024, TV4’s Kalla Fakta confirmed the existence of a Sweden Democrat trollfabrik which the party uses to spread disinformation and smear the other political parties in Sweden.

Example sentences:

Titta, mamma! Jag ska trolla bort dig!

Look mummy! I’m going to make you disappear!

Kalla Faktas reporter wallraffade* i SD:s trollfabrik.

Kalla Fakta’s reporter went undercover in the Sweden Democrats’ troll factory. 

(*The verb att wallraffa, “to go undercover”, comes from the German author and journalist Günter Wallraff, who often uses undercover methods to investigate groups or companies from the inside)

Villa, Volvo, Vovve: The Local’s Word Guide to Swedish Life, written by The Local’s journalists, is available to order. Head to lysforlag.com/vvv to read more about it. It is also possible to buy your copy from Amazon US, Amazon UK, Bokus or Adlibris.