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Ett gammalt fult och elakt troll det var en gång facts for kids

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"Ett gammalt fult och elakt troll det var en gång"
Song
Language Swedish
Published 1918 (1918)
Genre children
Songwriter(s) Felix Körling

"Ett gammalt fult och elakt troll det var en gång" is a well-known Swedish children's song. Its shorter name is "Det var en gång," which means "Once upon a time." Felix Körling wrote both the music and the words for this fun song.

The song tells a story about a troll, his wife, and their cat. They travel to Sweden in a hot air balloon! The lyrics mention different places in Sweden, making it a journey through the country.

The Story of the Song

This popular children's song describes an adventure. A troll, his wife, and their cat arrive in Sweden. They come from far away in a hot air balloon. The song names various real places in Sweden. This helps listeners imagine the troll's journey.

How the Song Began

The song "Ett gammalt fult och elakt troll det var en gång" was first shared in 1918. It was part of a collection of songs called Misse-Måns och andra visor. This book helped make the song famous.

An early recording of the song was made in 1929. A singer named Märta Ekström sang it. Otto Nordlund played the piano for her. This recording was released in 1930. More recently, in 1978, Peter Himmelstrand also recorded the song.

Different Versions

The song is mostly known in Swedish. However, it also has a Finnish version! Ingeborg (Immi) Hellén wrote the Finnish words. The Finnish title is "Oli kerran vanha peikko." Interestingly, the Finnish version uses different places in its lyrics.

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