The Moomin

Muumitalo - Muumimaja - Moominhouse

Ever heard of the Moomin? The Moomin tales were written by the Swedish-speaking Finn Tove Jansson (starting in the 1940's) who was born in Helsinki in 1914. You can see that the original language of the Moominvalley stories is Swedish in that many of the Moomin characters are transliterated from that language. 

The stories first appeared as books of course, but later on as children's theater production, cartoon strips and filmed versions, and then in the 1990's as TV-series made in Japan. It revived these wonderfully told stories to whole new generations, and created a "Moomin Boom". In Finland the series is known as Muumilaakson tarinoita, and you can see them right here. And in English e.g. here.

A popular thing to do on the ferry boats between Helsinki and Stockholm is to visit the taxfree gift shop on deck 7, and purchase Moomin merchandise: plates, mugs, key holders, toys, T-shirts, jewellery, character hangstraps and what not! Japanese tourists are especially fond of all that, and it is no wonder really since the series and  Moomin characters are so well-known in Japan. But maybe not something for the U.S. audience?

You can read about the different characters in the Moominvalley in the vocabulary links below. Because of the Japanese connection, this time with Japanese equivalents as well, doozo onegai-shimasu! And if you have small kids, don't forget that there is the Muumimaailma theme park in Naantali, on the west coast of southern Finland.

PS. 

Hauskaa juhannusta! 

Lõbusat jaanipäeva! 

Happy Midsummer Day! 

sanasto = sõnastik = vocabulary
Haisuli = Stinky = スティンキー
Hattivatit = Hatifnatid = Hattifnatters =  ニョロニョロ (Nyoro-nyoro)
Hemuli = Koduvana = Hemulen = ヘムレン
Hosuli = Nuhkloom =
Juksu = Sekeldaja = The Joxter
Muumilaakso = Muumiorg = Moominvalley =
Muumimamma = Muumimamma = Moominmamma = ムーミンママ
Muumipappa = Muumipapa = Moominpappa = ムーミンパパ
Muumipeikko = Muumitroll = Moomintroll = ムーミントロール
Muumitalo = Muumimaja = Moominhouse = ムーミン一家の家
Mörkö = Urr = The Groke = モラン (Moran)
Niisku = Tusklik = Snork = スノーク
Niiskuneiti = Tusklikupreili = The Snork Maiden = スノークのお嬢さん 
Nipsu = Sniff = Sniff = スニフ
Nuuskamuikkunen = Nuuskmõmmik = Snufkin = スナフキン
Näkymätön Ninni = Ninny =
Pikku Myy = Väike My = Little My = ミイ (Mii)
Taikuri = The Hobgoblin = 飛行おに
Vilijonkka = Filifjonka = Fillyjonk = フィリフヨンカ