The troll doll — a small figurine with wild colorful hair and a mischievous grin — originated as a Scandinavian lucky charm and became one of the world's most recognizable good luck mascots.
The troll doll was created in 1959 by Danish woodcutter Thomas Dam, who carved the first one from wood as a birthday gift for his daughter. Unable to afford a toy for her, he created a figure inspired by Scandinavian folk tales of forest trolls — creatures that, despite their wild appearance, were considered lucky rather than threatening by many Nordic peoples. Dam's creation was so popular that a local shopkeeper began selling them, and within a few years, 'Dam Things' troll dolls had become a global toy phenomenon.
In the 1960s, troll dolls became one of the first major toy crazes, with millions sold across America and Europe. College students kept them as good luck charms on exam days; gamblers placed them on slot machines and poker tables. The dolls' exuberant, impossible hair (often made of nylon in shocking colors) and their wide, permanent grins made them inherently cheerful objects that seemed to broadcast positive energy.
The Nordic troll of folk tradition was a complex figure — capable of both help and harm, associated with the hidden forces of nature, sometimes wise and sometimes foolish. As a lucky charm, the troll doll captures the lucky, beneficial face of troll mythology: the wild forest spirit that brings fortune to those who treat it well. It remains in production today and has appeared in two major animated films.
Good luck through whimsy, the mischievous but ultimately benevolent energy of nature spirits, joy, and the luck that comes to those who embrace the unexpected.
Keep a troll doll on your desk during exams or important projects to channel lucky, playful energy. Give them as lighthearted good luck gifts for major life events. Place a troll doll in your car as a mascot that invites both protection and a sense of humor on the road. The original Nordic tradition held that finding a troll doll was luckiest — so hiding one for someone to discover is a thoughtful lucky-charm gift.
During the 1960s craze, troll dolls became the second-best-selling toy in America after Barbie — a position they held for several years — meaning these slightly unsettling little figures with wild hair outperformed virtually every other toy created in the decade.
No. Internet 'trolls' derive their name from the fishing technique of dragging bait (trolling for attention/reactions), not from the mythological creatures. The toy troll is directly inspired by Scandinavian folklore.
In folk practice, lucky objects should be treated with affection — keeping the doll clean, occasionally giving it a 'home,' and treating it as more than a mere object is said to keep its lucky energy active.
The original Dam Things had various occupations and accessories — nurse trolls for health luck, chef trolls for culinary success, and so on. Modern troll merchandise has expanded this into many themed variants.
Germany / Appalachian USA
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Atlantic Coast USA / Southeast Asia
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