The Moomins are a family of white, round-snouted trolls created by the Finnish author and illustrator Tove Jansson. They live in Moominvalley with a shifting cast of friends and visitors: Snufkin the wanderer, Little My the blunt one, Snorkmaiden, Sniff, the Hemulen, Too-ticky and the Groke. Nine novels, five picture books and a long-running comic strip.
Who created the Moomins?
Tove Jansson (1914 to 2001), a Finnish author and illustrator who wrote in Swedish. The first book, Småtrollen och den stora översvämningen (The Moomins and the Great Flood), appeared in 1945. Eight more novels followed, along with picture books and a newspaper comic strip that Jansson drew from 1954 and her brother Lars Jansson later continued.
Are Moomins hippos?
No. They are trolls. The round snout invites the comparison, but Jansson was clear on the point, and the books place them in a Nordic folk tradition of household trolls rather than anywhere near a river.
Who is who in Moominvalley
| Character | Who they are |
|---|---|
| Moomintroll | The central character. Curious, easily hurt, loyal. Most of the books follow what he notices. |
| Moominmamma | Calm under any circumstance. Carries a handbag she is never separated from for long, and an apron. |
| Moominpappa | A top hat, a set of memoirs, and a recurring urge to leave for somewhere more dramatic. |
| Snufkin | Walks south every autumn and returns every spring. Owns almost nothing, plays a mouth organ, dislikes signs telling him what not to do. |
| Little My | Tiny, fearless and entirely without tact. Says the thing nobody else will. |
| Snorkmaiden | Moomintroll’s companion. Wears an ankle ring and changes colour with her mood. |
| Sniff | Anxious and acquisitive. Wants to own things, then worries about losing them. |
| The Hemulen | A collector by temperament. Stamps, plants, rules. Order first, feelings later. |
| Too-ticky | Practical, unsentimental, good in winter. She explains rather than comforts. |
| The Groke | Cold enough to freeze the ground where she sits. Drawn to light and warmth, and puts both out by arriving. |
| The Hattifatteners | Small, pale, silent, always moving in groups. Drawn to thunderstorms and electricity. |
What the characters are called in Finnish, Swedish, Estonian and Lithuanian
Jansson wrote in Swedish, so the Swedish names are the originals. Every market that grew up with the books has its own set, and they are rarely direct translations.
| English | Swedish | Finnish | Estonian | Lithuanian |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Moomintroll | Mumintrollet | Muumipeikko | Muumitroll | Muminukas |
| Moominmamma | Muminmamman | Muumimamma | Muumimamma | Mumių mama |
| Moominpappa | Muminpappan | Muumipappa | Muumipappa | Mumių tėtis |
| Snufkin | Snusmumriken | Nuuskamuikkunen | Nuuskmõmmik | Snusmumrikas |
| Little My | Lilla My | Pikku Myy | Väike My | Mažoji Miu |
| Sniff | Sniff | Nipsu | Nuhkloom | Sniurglys |
Three more worth knowing: Snorkmaiden is Snorkfröken in Swedish, Niiskuneiti in Finnish and Snorkė in Lithuanian. The Groke is Mårran, Mörkö and Urr in Swedish, Finnish and Estonian. The Hattifatteners are Hattifnattarna, Hattivatit and Hatifnatid. The series itself is Mumintrollen in Swedish, Muumit in Finnish, Muumitrollid in Estonian and Troliai Mumiai in Lithuanian.
Which book should you start with?
Most readers start with Finn Family Moomintroll (1948), which introduces the household and the valley. Moominland Midwinter (1957) is the one adults tend to return to: Moomintroll wakes alone in a hibernating house and has to learn a season nobody prepared him for. Moominpappa at Sea (1965) is the bleakest and the best written.
Why the characters still read as modern
Jansson wrote a valley where someone is always leaving and always coming back, where the frightening thing is lonely rather than evil, and where nobody is asked to change their nature to be welcome. Snufkin is not punished for going. The Groke is not defeated, only understood a little. That is unusual in children’s writing, and it is why the books survive re-reading at forty.
Moomin clothing at Snøluv
We carry officially licensed Moomin pieces by NordicBuddies, designed in Finland and Sweden: T-shirts, hoodies, long-sleeve shirts, rain jackets and kids’ beanies. If you are buying for a child, our guide to what parents should know before buying Moomin clothes covers licensing and certifications. The full range sits in the Moomin collection.
Common questions
How many Moomin books are there?
Nine novels and five picture books by Tove Jansson, plus the comic strip, which ran for decades and was continued by Lars Jansson.
Is Snufkin related to Little My?
They share a mother, the Mymble. Snufkin and Little My are half-siblings.
What language were the Moomin books written in?
Swedish. Jansson was part of Finland’s Swedish-speaking minority, so the books are Finnish in origin and Swedish in language.
Why is the Groke cold?
She freezes the ground wherever she stops. She is drawn towards fire and lamplight, and puts them out by reaching them, which is the whole of her tragedy.
More from the atelier: Moomin T-shirts and Moomin Accessories.
Wear the characters: Sniff appears on the back of the organic cotton Sniff t-shirt, in beige and white, and Moomintroll holds a single blue flower on the Moomintroll's Flower long sleeve shirt. More in the Moomin collection.
