This article was written by Jennifer Eisenlau
Once the sock-knitting capital of Finland, Naantali is now a magnet for Finns seeking whimsical creatures named Moomintroll, Moominmamma, and Moominpappa. The destination is Muumimaailma (or Moomin World in English). The theme park is just a few hours from Helsinki. Although unfamiliar to many Americans, the Moomintroll books by Tove Jansson (1914 - 2001) have been translated into over thirty languages. Finland's favorite author created a magical world for children in which the "moon appeared between the night clouds and made the wet sand shine like a metal disc." The Moomins--like Smurfs or Snow White's dwarves--have a gentle quality that children love. However, there is a dash of darkness in the stories: "The waves came thundering in like rows of white dragons, rising high with spread-out claws. . ." And I know, like any parent knows, that stories need a bit of fright to be fun.
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Before you go to Finland or Sweden, read one or two of the Moomin books. Some of my son's favorites include: Comet in Moominland (1946), Moominland in Midwinter (1957), and Moominpappa at Sea (1962). Moominland in Midwinter (Trollvinter in the original Finnish) is, for example, unlike anything you and your child are likely to read because the book is based in Finland. In the story, the Moomin family members hibernate throughout the frozen dark days, except for poor Moomintroll. He cannot sleep. So, the little troll wanders around the quiet house. While his family sleeps away the cold months, he sleds on a silver tray with Little My. He fishes with his pal Tooticky under the ice--in Finland giant slabs of river ice collide and create a frozen tented world over the running water. He feeds strawberry jam to invisible shrews who live in the bath-house. He sees the frightful Groke as she slowly freezes everything in her path. Eventually spring comes, but the midwinter adventure sheds a clear light on life in Finland for its readers. A Finnish winter is a frigid, yet mystical, time of year.
The author, Tove Jansson, was born and raised in and around Helsinki. Spending her summers on an island in the Gulf of Finland, the sea naturally influenced her life and her work. Her artist parents (a sculptor and illustrator) shaped Jansson's world on the Klovhuru Islands, near the town of Porvoo. She and her family were part of Finland's minority of Swedish speakers. In fact, her books were originally written in Swedish, later to be translated to Finnish. A free and natural childhood--with artistic parents--is a motif running throughout the tales. The creative Moomins welcome all; they are quite bohemian. This, too, could be an echo of Jansson's own life--one she lived quietly with her same-sex partner, Tuulikki Pietil. Pietil, many say, was the model for the gentle Tootickey of the Moomin stories.
In addition to Jansson's writing and illustrating of the Moomin books, she illustrated Swedish editions of The Hobbit and Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. Her ideas for the world of jam-eating trolls came from her uncle, who told her fairy stories about the creatures inhabiting the kitchen at night. The very first Moomin to appear was an ugly, skinny creature that Jansson drew to insult Adolf Hilter. However, the Moomin changed--in both his appearance and purpose. Today, the tiny Moomins look like hippos.
My family and I spent a month in Finland last summer (July 2006). We absorbed as much of the Moomin culture as we could--given we speak no Finnish. However, when I asked my own son why he liked Moomins, this six-year-old American boy replied, "They're soft. I like their fuzzy tails. Moomins have fun."
Moomin adventures focus on the family members: Moominpappa--a writer and dreamer; Moominmamma--an excellent cook; Moomintroll--a boy troll who loves to fish; and Little My--a mischievous little girl. In their valley live both friends and foes like Snorkmaiden, who is Moomintroll's sweet love, and the Groke, that scary creature who brings icy winter with her wherever she goes.
Jansson studied art in Stockholm and Finland. Her brother, Lars, joined her to illustrate her storybooks and comic strips. The comics were Jansson's entry into the UK, starting in the 1950s. Her work is the third most-widely translated Finnish literature (the Kalevala poems and Mika Waltari's writings are first and second) in the world. For her efforts, Jansson won many awards: the greatest of them was the Hans Christian Andersen Award for contributions in the genre of children's literature. Many European children grew up with these books. My good friend Andrew, an English writer and book editor, discovered Jansson's texts when he was a child of seven years. He says of the Moomin books, "I was compelled. I started taking all the Moomin books out from the library. . .so I could read them in their proper order." He currently owns copies of all the Moomin texts.
Jansson's many novels and comic strips have become animated television shows created and shown in Austria, Poland, and Japan. Millions of comic books are sold annually in Japan, alone. I asked my friend Leea, a native Finn and mother of two, about the Moomin mania that is part of Finland's cultural landscape. She explained, "Moomins are the most popular Finnish cartoons. . .Moomins are very nice, warm, peaceful, likeable characters." In fact, there have been surveys in Finland to gage the popularity of each of the individual Moomins. Leea continues, "All characters are so cute and likeable that [they] have fans at every age."
In a 2005 article in Suera magazine, Little My--the naughty child in a red dress--is #1 in the popularity contest. She is followed closely by the cozy apron-wearing Moominmamma at #2. Snufkin, an earthy little wander, ranks at #3. Leea guesses that Little My is Finland's favorite because she is "wise, aggressive, and has all that character!"
This magazine survey was conducted for Finnish readers, but other cultures love these white trolls as well. At Moomin World, you will see that many members of the audience waiting for the Moomin Caberet will be Japanese. Over 30% of visitors are foreigners to the park (primarily other Scandinavian countries and Japan). The appeal of the trolls seems universal. Today, there are gift shops and Moomin toys galore. A Moomin merchandizing empire exists in Finland to rival that of Disney World in America.
If you go to the Moomin main web page at <www.moomin.fi> you will see the hierarchy of the Moomin Empire. The main branches include Authors, Moomin Characters Ltd., Worldwide Leasing Agents, Syndication, Licensing, Film/TV/Video, and Theme Parks. The power of the Moomin brand is considerable. In any Finnish supermarket, you can buy Moomin cookies, punch, sunscreen, and even toothpaste. Department stores sell Moomin bed sheets, wallpaper, and night lights. A line of fine China is painted with all the characters; a coffee mug with Snorkmaiden's face on it retails for 15 euros.
There is the Moomin Valley Museum in Tampere, and of course, there is Moomin World. The park has been voted the world's 4th best family park by The Independent on Sunday (UK). Moomin World was founded in 1993, and almost 32 million people have visited so far. The Moomins, although they have international appeal like Mickey Mouse, reside solely in Finland for the simple fact that they were born there. No plans exist, yet, for a Euro-Muumumaaila according to Leea: "We think Jansson is 'Ours'--she was Finnish-Swedish." Many Finns share Leea's feelings; they are fiercly proud of their Muumi (Moomins in English).
Despite the marketing hype, Finland's Moomin World is a charming park where visitors leave reality by crossing a bridge into a land of the Moomin storybooks. On a small island off Naantali's Coast, the Moomin Valley has been recreated. With live song and dance shows (sung in Finnish and Swedish), cheerful restaurants, do-it-yourself BBQ pits, and a swim area on a clear lake, a visit to Moomin World is a truly delightful way to spend a summer day. When asked if the language (Finnish and Swedish) was a barrier to having fun at the park, my son replied, "No. Everybody understands Moomins."
The best part of Moomin World for Americans is the people watching. You will see the usually-stoic Finns smile with glee as they hug trolls from their childhoods. Adult visitors will glimpse into their own past because, as my British friend Andrew explains, "childhood needs dashes of magic, long summers with picnics, scary things in the garden."
The park is pretty, colorful, and spotlessly clean. There are no rides to ring and buzz. Rather, children walk through the quiet land of Moomin tales. Signs retelling stories are posted along paths that wander above fir trees, lining the shore. In the island's center sits the blue Moomin house, open to visitors. Eager fans wait there for costumed characters like Moomintroll and Snufkin to come and jump rope. The park's entertainments are simple.
In the park, Moomin-themed treats are sold in bright white shops, and the snacks are right out of the story books, too. Visitors devour raspberry jam-covered pancakes, cloud-berry ice creams, and lots of sweet coffee (Finns love coffee). Moomin faces are everywhere--even on the paper napkins sitting on the clean red tables under green umbrellas.
In addition to the theme park, the town of Naantali offers several other attractions for you and your family once you leave Moomin World:
Old Town: On the water front sits Naantali (population 17,000), where cobble-stone streets meander past low wooden houses, antique stores, and ice cream shops. There is a Moomin Gift Shop, of course with a free train ride back to the theme park. The town is quaintly Nordic. The restaurants are all open-air, with play areas for children.
The Convent Church: This is the only remaining building from the order of St. Birgitta (established in the 1400s). This is Naantali's second most popular visitor stop. Quietly hidden on a tree-covered hill, it is a nice break from all the Moomin mania.
Kultaranta: This small island is where the president of Finland resides for the summer in a lovely stone castle. Finns flock to this site; it is a great place to meet local people. Thronged with local visitors, there is not an American in sight.
Naantali Spa: This large hotel is just a short and lovely walk along a lake to the center of old town or to Moomin World. You can purchase a day pass for about 20 euros and use the sauna, Turkish baths, and swimming pools. Since 1723, the spa has been known as the finest in all Scandinavia. It offers family-priced holiday packages that include accommodations, breakfast, pool passes, and tickets to Moomin World. The Moomin train even has a pick-up spot under the hotel's porte-cochre. The spa is a great way to soak away a day of Moomin Madness.
Naantali offers a charming port town, a Finnish Disneyland, lots of local people to meet, and a long hot soak at the day's end. And, if you and your family go, you will discover a treasure trove of Tove Jansson's stories rarely read in the United States, but loved deeply in Europe and Japan. Naantali is a magical answer to my question: How do we make everyone happy on our European adventure in Finland?
If you go:
For links to the world of the Moomins, including a monthly Moomin World newsletter, click on this link:
<http://www.themoomins.com/>
The park is open only in the summer months, with July seeing the greatest number of visitors. Click on this link:
<http://www.muumimaailma.fi/>
Naantali Spa is open year-round and offers fine dining, entertainment, and spa services. Click on this link:
<http://www.naantalispa.fi/English>
Naantali Visitors can click on this link to find an overview of the town's attractions.
<http://www.naantali.fi>
