Moomin Valley
January 11, 2010 4:25 PM Subscribe
Cool, I have some Russian friends that are obsessed with Moomin and they will be so thrilled to see this. Thanks for posting it.
posted by saucysault at 4:33 PM on January 11, 2010
posted by saucysault at 4:33 PM on January 11, 2010
This is majorly awesome. I bear the burden of being the only person in my social circle who even knows or cares what a Moomin is. I am now going to make all of them look at this. It's gorgeous! Thanks!
posted by OolooKitty at 4:44 PM on January 11, 2010 [1 favorite]
posted by OolooKitty at 4:44 PM on January 11, 2010 [1 favorite]
Holy crap. That's gorgeous but there's so much ... stuff all over. I couldn't imagine living with all that.
posted by shelleycat at 4:55 PM on January 11, 2010
posted by shelleycat at 4:55 PM on January 11, 2010
Absolutely astounding. I wish I had this kind of space to dedicate to something like this for my kids. Who would probably not appreciate it as much as I would, but who cares?
posted by davejay at 5:10 PM on January 11, 2010
posted by davejay at 5:10 PM on January 11, 2010
at this point I'd settle for a secret passage or two
posted by davejay at 5:10 PM on January 11, 2010
posted by davejay at 5:10 PM on January 11, 2010
Needs more Hobgoblin's Hat.
posted by smartyboots at 5:19 PM on January 11, 2010 [1 favorite]
posted by smartyboots at 5:19 PM on January 11, 2010 [1 favorite]
I found out about Moomins from Postcrossing, where a large portion of the users are around the areas that Moomins are popular. I got a Moomin card in the mail and learned all about them that day. Very cool project.
posted by msbutah at 5:31 PM on January 11, 2010
posted by msbutah at 5:31 PM on January 11, 2010
Being Norwegian, I was exposed to the Moomin at an early age. It's cool, but I also remember it being vaguely scary and menacing. I can't actually recall much detail right now, but there's a dark nook in the back of my brain that connects everything Moomin-related with a vague cosmic terror.
posted by Joakim Ziegler at 5:32 PM on January 11, 2010 [3 favorites]
posted by Joakim Ziegler at 5:32 PM on January 11, 2010 [3 favorites]
Awesome. I'm probably the only person for like 5000 Km around who knows what a Moomin is (exceptr for my brother). Can't wait to read the book sto my son.
posted by signal at 6:04 PM on January 11, 2010
posted by signal at 6:04 PM on January 11, 2010
Beautiful! I love the Moomins. Thanks Artw. There was an complete collection of Moomin books in my childhood public library, but I rarely run into other people who are familiar with them.
Joakim Ziegler: It's cool, but I also remember it being vaguely scary and menacing. I can't actually recall much detail right now, but there's a dark nook in the back of my brain that connects everything Moomin-related with a vague cosmic terror.
I didn't find them scary or menacing, but I think I know what you mean--they are much more melancholy than other children's books.
Link to instructions for a knitted Moomintroll.
Also: paging hattifattener
posted by hurdy gurdy girl at 6:12 PM on January 11, 2010
Joakim Ziegler: It's cool, but I also remember it being vaguely scary and menacing. I can't actually recall much detail right now, but there's a dark nook in the back of my brain that connects everything Moomin-related with a vague cosmic terror.
I didn't find them scary or menacing, but I think I know what you mean--they are much more melancholy than other children's books.
Link to instructions for a knitted Moomintroll.
Also: paging hattifattener
posted by hurdy gurdy girl at 6:12 PM on January 11, 2010
This pushes me from "I should really start picking up some of the Moomin books" to "I really need to pick up the Moomin books. Like right now."
Not a good thing for my budget, but a good thing otherwise.
posted by darksong at 6:49 PM on January 11, 2010
Not a good thing for my budget, but a good thing otherwise.
posted by darksong at 6:49 PM on January 11, 2010
The Moomin family wouldn't know what to do with all that plastic. They'd probably plant a real tree in the middle.
posted by shii at 7:49 PM on January 11, 2010 [1 favorite]
posted by shii at 7:49 PM on January 11, 2010 [1 favorite]
Awesome. I was raised on the Moomin books for whatever reason, and other than the DOOM of the comet and the melachonly lighthouse, I... well, yeah, they were kind of dark weren't they?
posted by Foosnark at 8:01 PM on January 11, 2010
posted by Foosnark at 8:01 PM on January 11, 2010
For me, it's crossing the burnt ocean. *chills*
It's why I believe Al Gore today, I'm sure.
posted by dhartung at 11:03 PM on January 11, 2010
It's why I believe Al Gore today, I'm sure.
posted by dhartung at 11:03 PM on January 11, 2010
I too am the only person within my local social circle who knows about Moomins (I was introduced to them when in my 20s by some friends who now live on the other side of the state). On the other hand, my friends have had some opportunities to get excited by "Moomin sightings" because, even if they might not have read the books, they know of them as "something that Matildaben likes". I have recently acquired one of Jansson's books written for adults, and am looking forward to reading it.
posted by matildaben at 11:09 PM on January 11, 2010
posted by matildaben at 11:09 PM on January 11, 2010
Jansson's adult books:
The Summer Book
The Winter Book
The True Deceiver
(FWIW, I thought the post was a nice stylised evocation of the artwork, but not very Moominy - I's be very interested in actual Moomin design, particularly if it would involve tall thin houses.)
posted by Grangousier at 11:31 PM on January 11, 2010
The Summer Book
The Winter Book
The True Deceiver
(FWIW, I thought the post was a nice stylised evocation of the artwork, but not very Moominy - I's be very interested in actual Moomin design, particularly if it would involve tall thin houses.)
posted by Grangousier at 11:31 PM on January 11, 2010
Joakim Ziegler: My scary Moomin memory is the figure called The Groke in English. Here is an interpretation that pretty much is how I remember her.
posted by Harald74 at 11:33 PM on January 11, 2010
posted by Harald74 at 11:33 PM on January 11, 2010
It's cool, but I also remember it being vaguely scary and menacing. I can't actually recall much detail right now, but there's a dark nook in the back of my brain that connects everything Moomin-related with a vague cosmic terror.
There's a lot of that in the artwork and writings. Hattifattener as an example. From the Finnish book:
"Mutta yleensä he vaeltavat ympäri maailmaa, eivät pysähdy mihinkään eivätkä välitä mistään. Hattivateista ei ikinä näe, ovatko he iloisia vai vihaisia, surullisia vai hämmästyksissään. En usko, että heillä on tunteita laisinkaan." (quote from Finnish wiki page)
Rough translation: "But they usually travel around the world, never stopping anywhere nor caring about anything. With Hattifattern you can never tell if they are happy or angry, sad or confused. I believe they don't have feelings at all." As it turns out, they are chasing lightning because it is the only way they can feel something...
It's been years since I read any of the books, but some of the images from the novels and picture books are permanently ingrained in my brain from childhood. I don't think Moomins could have been created anywhere else except Finland during/just after the war: the books are filled with a profound melancholy, solitude and isolation all softened with a close connection with nature and acceptance of varying philosophies. None of the bad guys or scary monsters are actually bad or scary, just misunderstood and unable to connect with others. It's a lot more complex than the usual binary good vs. evil. All this nominally aimed at and adored by children.
Grangousier: you might find some Moominy houses in Moominworld. I found the above project to be very well executed, but as others have stated, it is missing the natural warmth that comes from prominently using wood and natural products. The place feels like a novelty cafeteria rather than evoking a true feeling of Moomin valley.
Disclaimer: I'm not actually a Moomin fan per se, just Finnish and thus indoctrinated in Moominology as a child.
posted by slimepuppy at 2:15 AM on January 12, 2010 [1 favorite]
There's a lot of that in the artwork and writings. Hattifattener as an example. From the Finnish book:
"Mutta yleensä he vaeltavat ympäri maailmaa, eivät pysähdy mihinkään eivätkä välitä mistään. Hattivateista ei ikinä näe, ovatko he iloisia vai vihaisia, surullisia vai hämmästyksissään. En usko, että heillä on tunteita laisinkaan." (quote from Finnish wiki page)
Rough translation: "But they usually travel around the world, never stopping anywhere nor caring about anything. With Hattifattern you can never tell if they are happy or angry, sad or confused. I believe they don't have feelings at all." As it turns out, they are chasing lightning because it is the only way they can feel something...
It's been years since I read any of the books, but some of the images from the novels and picture books are permanently ingrained in my brain from childhood. I don't think Moomins could have been created anywhere else except Finland during/just after the war: the books are filled with a profound melancholy, solitude and isolation all softened with a close connection with nature and acceptance of varying philosophies. None of the bad guys or scary monsters are actually bad or scary, just misunderstood and unable to connect with others. It's a lot more complex than the usual binary good vs. evil. All this nominally aimed at and adored by children.
Grangousier: you might find some Moominy houses in Moominworld. I found the above project to be very well executed, but as others have stated, it is missing the natural warmth that comes from prominently using wood and natural products. The place feels like a novelty cafeteria rather than evoking a true feeling of Moomin valley.
Disclaimer: I'm not actually a Moomin fan per se, just Finnish and thus indoctrinated in Moominology as a child.
posted by slimepuppy at 2:15 AM on January 12, 2010 [1 favorite]
I love the Moomins but this design leaves me really cold. It seems too contrived and way too plasticky; when I think about Moominhouse I think warmth and clutter and livability. My brother gave me a Moominhouse mousepad with cutaway floor plans that he bought in Iceland last Christmas and I love it so much I hung it up on the wall. It seems to me that anyone could live happily - really live, with kids and dogs and a basket for Little My and a room for the cranky Hemulen - in Moominhouse but not so much in these interiors.
posted by mygothlaundry at 8:21 AM on January 12, 2010 [1 favorite]
posted by mygothlaundry at 8:21 AM on January 12, 2010 [1 favorite]
My dear friend gave my daughter The Book about Moomin, Mymble, and Little My for Christmas this past year. I had never heard of the books before, but I will most definitely be adding the rest to our library. Thanks for reminding me!
posted by fancyoats at 8:33 AM on January 12, 2010
posted by fancyoats at 8:33 AM on January 12, 2010
Gripe all you want, hemulens, this is gorgeous
[NOT HEMULENIST]
posted by jtron at 9:23 AM on January 12, 2010 [3 favorites]
[NOT HEMULENIST]
posted by jtron at 9:23 AM on January 12, 2010 [3 favorites]
The place feels like a novelty cafeteria rather than evoking a true feeling of Moomin valley.
Ah yes! This is it. I knew it was off somehow but not how.
posted by shelleycat at 12:24 PM on January 12, 2010
Ah yes! This is it. I knew it was off somehow but not how.
posted by shelleycat at 12:24 PM on January 12, 2010
fancyoats - I got my daughter that book - she loves it. She especially loves that it has a "peekhole" in the back. It really is quite lovely and the cutouts in the paper work really well.
Of course my daughters had prior exposure to the 80s fuzzy felt animation version of the Moomins in the form of a big box set (all the DVD labels are in german so it's "DIE MOOMINS").
posted by Artw at 12:33 PM on January 12, 2010
Of course my daughters had prior exposure to the 80s fuzzy felt animation version of the Moomins in the form of a big box set (all the DVD labels are in german so it's "DIE MOOMINS").
posted by Artw at 12:33 PM on January 12, 2010
Very, very strange. Our Swedish friend just sent us the Moomintroll book LAST WEEK. It was the first time I'd ever heard of Tove or the Moomins, and now I wake my 3-year-old up several times a night requesting that she let me read the book to her.
HOW DID YOU KNOW ABOUT THIS, METAFILTER?
posted by staggering termagant at 1:38 PM on January 12, 2010
HOW DID YOU KNOW ABOUT THIS, METAFILTER?
posted by staggering termagant at 1:38 PM on January 12, 2010
« Older I want to read "Curious George and the Ebola... | The Unauthorized Biographies Newer »
This thread has been archived and is closed to new comments
posted by Artw at 4:29 PM on January 11, 2010