The Moomin series is definitely a classic. Some may disagree, but hey! Not all people have a taste for humorous fairy tale based entertainment. For many, the Moomins were the first real source of enchanting, memorable entertainment. If they were not for you, you totally missed out. Either way, it does not matter because if you are reading this, you probably experienced all the fun entertainment the Moomins had to offer.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moomin

How well do you think you know your Moomin facts? Read on to find out.

1. Tove Jansson, the author and brains behind the Mooming series, got the inspiration to draw her first Moomin after she had a heated argument with her two brothers concerning philosophy. And get this: she drew it on a toilet wall! That Moomin she drew, turned out to be Snork. So, if you ever feel like drawing figures on toilet walls when deep in thought, don’t feel bad about it, it is a habit you share with one of the most creative and artistic minds.

2. Though Snork and the rest of the adventurous and lovable Moomin family evolved to possess a charming and friendly look, it was not always like that. See, when Tove first drew her toilet Moomin (Snork), she was striving to draw the ugliest creature her young mind could conjure. That ugly creature she drew was the birth of the Moomin family as you know it. It is a perfect pointer that sometimes, things done in anger can end up becoming really epic, and make you successful and famous . Advise though, do not bank on it much as a viable success strategy.

3. Turns out that the first Moomin ever published was in a Finnish magazine called Garm in 1938. It was a satirical anti-Hitler cartoon that Tove came up with to show her predisposition, as well as the magazines’ towards Hitler.

4. The second world war had a great impact on Tove’s Moomins and the stories she spun around them since both her brothers Peter Olov Jansson and Lars Jansson enlisted in the army. It was at this time that she wrote her first novel, Moomins and the Great Flood. The novels major themes revolved around family detachment and a home facing external dangers.

5. As you might have guessed, most of Tove’s characters were inspired mostly by her family. Moominpappa by her father, the compassionate and industrious Moominmama by her mother, Snufkin by Tove herself as well as her brother Lars, Too-ticky by her life partner, and Moomin Valley by where her family lived in Finland.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/selphie10/3749806652

6. Tove’s father, Viktor Jansson, the inspiration behind Moominpapa, loved storms, the sea, and fire. Now you know why Moominpapa has always had seafaring tendencies and ambitions.

7. Over the course of her life, Tove had close intimate relationships with partners of both sexes(male and female). Her long term partner was Tuulikki Pietila but she had a love affair with a theater director (Vivica Bandler) which was short lived but rumored to have been very intense. At that time, same sex relationships were outlawed in Finland at that time.

8. Tove’s same sex love affair with Vivica was the inspiration behind the inseparable Moomin characters Thingumy and Bob. Thingumy and Bob seemingly have their language and constantly hold hands which probably points out the intensity of the affair Tove had; also, the dreaded Groke always pursues them, which might symbolize the negative societal pressure Tove and Vivica endured being in an illicit relationship.

9. The Moomin series has inspired all manner of merchandise from Moomin mugs to a Finnish theme park that was opened in 1993 called Moomin world. Interestingly, Walt Disney approached Tove with an enticing offer wanting to buy the entire Moomin brand but she rejected the offer. If you were her, considering it all began as a drawing on a toilet wall, would you reject such an offer?

10. If all along you have been reading her name as Tove, you have been reading it wrong. The pronunciation of her name is Tor-vay Yarnson.

There you have it, now you can confidently say you know your Moomin facts. If by any chance you feel nostalgic about special memories you have because of the Moomin family; that proves it, Moomins are indeed a classic.