#snufkin wirtanen

[wanderersoflight]

The beautiful branch and her sweet, precious, adorable saplings!

[alwaysmanages]

I picked up My’s ffxiv account again but THIS TIME my sister, @mambybambi (who drew the top piece while I colored), joins the adventure as her dear brother, Snufkin. She’s a vet who’s caught up in the story so she’s just holding my hand while I endure the suffering.

We just started Heavensward together, and for those of you playing, you can imagine the pain I’m feeling rn. 8′)

[smokeys-house]

Normally I wouldn't address something this trivial but it's a take I keep seeing pop up in the moomin fandom by non moomin fans and it's annoying me. I don't even ship snufmin but periodic reminder that

1. Snufkin and moomin are around the same age. This confusion pops up a lot since the English VA for the 90s series is John Chancer and moomintroll's VA sounds like a child, but no explicit ages are ever given to any of the characters for the intention of whimsy and easy of story telling. This is intentional. The gap between their ages has always been that the children are younger than the "adult" characters, and old enough for whatever adventure is planned for them, and that Moomintroll and snufkin are close enough in age to share a room. Any idea that one is older than the other at all would be speculative at best and fanon at worst.

2. Snufkin is not a human, and a relationship between two fantasy species does not at all mirror the very real crime of animal abuse (I can't believe I have to say that, did you people have a problem with beauty and the beast, too? Lmao)

3. Snufkin was made to resemble or mirror Tove's at the time partner Atos Wirtanen, and Moomintroll represented herself at the time as well. She's said as much in interviews. While this doesn't mean "O: snufmin canon!" It also means you cannot discredit the fact that their dynamic was predicated on an existing romantic relationship.

4. Whether you ship it or not or even find the ship annoying, you can't discredit facts. You're allowed to just not like something. But I'd also remind you that nobody wants to hear about how much you hate what they like. Live and let live, there is 0 harm occurring in either circumstance regarding this situation. It is simply not that serious

5. This is specifically addressed to the person who annoyed me who I blocked but the English translations really do not lose or gain much compared to the original versions. The stories don't change just because it's in another language. I'm sorry you hate that a beloved series of stories was adapted to animation and translated so that the world could love these stories, too, but part of cherishing something is not squeezing it so tight that you crush it. You simply must face that people are going to enjoy things differently to you. It is not blasphemy. The moomins are not some sacred holy text, you can literally buy chewing gum with moomins face on it lmao

Like I said I don't really ship it. I don't see it. But it's not something I'm going to bother others about and dwell on. It's not out of character. There's no real reason for you to bash so hard on it outside of just generally disliking it. There's not a moral high ground to take with it, unless you just hate gay people I guess lol I get that the infatuation with snufmin and the way some folks strip them down to barebones just to have an mlm ship can suck, but that's literally all fan content. Any fandom has this. Relaaaaxxxxx

[youzicha]

Atos Kasimir Wirtanen (27 January 1906 in Saltvik – 10 March 1979) was a Finnish left-wing intellectual, journalist, member of Finnish parliament (1936–1953) and cultural critic. [...] Wirtanen was a close friend and lover of the author Tove Jansson and a model for the Snufkin character, whose green hat is borrowed from Wirtanen. The first Moomin comic strips were published in October 1947 in Ny Tid. The series had to stop earlier than planned, as readers criticized it and especially the Moominpappa character for his bourgeois sympathies.[3]

Leftist Moomin discourse...

[fox-under-the-willow-tree]

Movie Review - Comet in Moominland

Biography

(Swedish: Kometjakten / Mumintrollet på kometjakt / Kometen kommer) is the second novel by the Finnish author Tove Jansson in the Moomin-series.

The story tells the tales of the Moomins in Moomin Valley, a fictional land created by Tove Jansson, who wrote the novels before, during, and after the Second World War. Unlike the grim situation in which Jansson found herself, Moomin Valley is a dreamy place where no great worries exist; a place of escapism from the harsh reality of Europe, which was being occupied by the Germans.

In Jansson's case, I find it difficult to distinguish the art from the artist, which is why I deemed it necessary to add a bit of biography. Why I do so, will become clearer as you read on.

Coming from a Swedish speaking minority in Finland, Jansson grew up with two parents who were both talented artists. Her father, Victor, who she would later have a complicated relationship with due to his pro-nazi sentiments, was a well-known sculptor, and her mother, Signe, worked in design and illustration. Tove's siblings also became renowned artists. Her brother Per Olov became a famous photographer, while Lars' ambitions were in illustrations and writing.

As a teenager, Jansson travelled all over Europe with her family and took inspiration from several landscapes to follow in her mother's footsteps in designing book covers. What differed, however, was Jansson's interest in satirical cartoons, especially against the fascist or nazi regime.

Inspired by her artistic upbringing, Jansson would continue her education at Stockholm University in Sweden and then would move to Paris to study at the École des Beaux Arts.

In the 1940s, Jansson was briefly engaged to her close friend Atos Wirtanen, who would eventually become the inspiration for fan favourite character Snufkin.

This relationship would unfortunately not last and Tove would be left heartbroken, though without resentment towards Atos, as he is portrayed in Moomin Valley as a kind-hearted, calm, adventurous person, who comes in the summer and spring to spend time with Moomintroll (this character is most likely Tove Jansson herself), but would always leave in the winter to find adventure elsewhere, leaving him behind.

It is not only Atos who became a character in the world of Moomin Valley. Jansson would say that Moomin Papa and Moomin Mama were inspired by her own parents. This caused some backlash due to his political views and stance on the position of the Swedish speaking minority in Finland. Despite this fact, Jansson always had a special place for her father in her heart and portrayed both parents favourably, though Moomin Papa was sometimes depicted as distant, introverted, and sometimes even melancholic.

After Atos, Jansson entered a relationship with a woman named Tuulikki Pietilä, a graphic design artist. She has inspired a few characters, among which are (Swedish) Tofslan and Vifslan. A pair of twins, who live life synchronised to one another. Another character inspired by Tuulikki is Too-ticki, a friend of the Moomin family and close friend of Moomintroll.

Tuuuliki and Tove would end up being life long partners and they lived as neighbors in Helsinki, with a secret attic that connected their houses together.

For a more detailed biography, I recommend watching this documentary:

The Comet

The Moomins, consisting of Moomin Papa, Moomin Mama, Moomintroll, Sniff and Lille My, are calmly enjoying life, when a stranger comes and changes everything. One rainy evening, the Muskrat, a homeless philosopher, comes over to stay, as his house has been destroyed and tells the Moomins that the black rain is actually soot from the upcoming comet. Moomin Papa is startled by this revelation and tells the family about a group of professors who live far away in the mountains and observe the stars. He tells Moomintroll to go to the Observatory in the Lonely Mountains and ask the professors whether the comet will hit Moomin Valley and come back to share the news with the family. And so the adventure begins, Moomintroll, Sniff and Lille My set off to the Lonley Mountains and along the way they meet Snufkin and Snork Maiden, Moomintroll's girlfriend.

When they reach the Observatory, the professor tells them they only have a few days left until the comet will hit Earth and destroy life forever. The group is frightened by this prediction and rush back home to share the horrible news with their family. They notice the bright, red comet coming closer to Earth and see the sea and rivers on their way back have completely evaporated.

As the comet is nearing closer and closer, it covers the skyline with its oppressive presence. Moomintroll and Sniff luckily find their family in time and decide to save them by hiding in a cave they found coincidentally. There, the whole group waits anxiously, not sure when the impact of the comet will take place and whether they'll even be alive after it. A tense couple of minutes are spent saying goodbye to each other and life as they knew it, preparing themselves for an inevitable death. As they wait for death to come, the group falls asleep, unknowing whether they will ever wake up.

The next day, a miraculous event has occurred. They notice the comet changed course in the last moment and managed to avoid destroying Earth. Delighted by the great news, the group runs out of the cave into the sea, which has returned and rejoice in celebration that life has gone back to normal.

Themes

Published in 1946, this 157 page novel and movie made an impact on the children of the Scandinavian North. Years later it would still be considered as one of the most grim and dark works Jansson has ever published. Inspired by the fear of nuclear bombing in Finland and Sweden, Jansson wrote the book as a way to convey the existential dread she experienced waiting for the "comet" to hit her. As the characters of Moomin Valley were inspired by her close friends and family, the book and movie express her anxiety over losing everyone she knew in an all-encompassing explosion. The fear lies not only in the fact that the comet is coming, but the hopelessness it creates; what can a few humans do against such a great disaster except wait for the inevitable?

The color scheme in the movie makes this dread visible by contrasting the calm blues and whites, which are often associated with the Moomins, and the bright, oppressive red and yellow colors that cover the whole screen as the comet approaches.

In between those two scenes, there is only darkness as they travel the Lonely Mountains. A fitting choice, as the darkness represents the loneliness and uncertainty they experience, as make their way to the Observatory.

Furthermore, the group going to the Observatory is completely on their own. All the adults are waiting at home, hoping for good news, not knowing whether Moomintrolls and friends will return with good news or return at all.

Characters

Moomintroll: the protagonist of the story. A calm, friendly character, who enjoys playing and spending time with his friends.

Snufkin: a popular character in the franchise. A stoic adventurer who enjoys the company of his friends, but ultimately loves his solitude above all. He lives in a tent outside and visits Moomin Valley now and then. As he is considered the most calm and relaxed character, the fact that he too panics, creates an even greater sense of dread.

Sniff: a friend of Moomintroll, who is afraid of most things and most people. He worries a lot and is most anxious over the comet coming, yet also showcases bravery in times of need.

Lille My: a snarky, quick-witted little girl who lives with the Moomin family. She's the least likely to show fear and isn't afraid to take risks.

Moomin Papa: the patriarch of the family. He usually spends time alone in his room, writing a memoir about his past life as a sailor.

Moomin Mama: a warm hearted, kind lady, who always has her purse filled with food, painkillers, bandage, drinks and toys for the children.

Snork Maiden: a sensitive, pretty Moomin who is in love with Moomintroll.

Muskrat: a homeless, grumpy philosopher who tells the Moomin family about the comet. He is the only character who shows little to no fear and has accepted his imminent death.

Review

The movie and book differ a bit storywise. In the book, Sniff goes pearl-fishing with Moomintroll and then finds the cave there. In the movie, it's by coincidence they come across the cave. Apart from the small differences, the movie manages to capture the existential dread one feels when faced with their inevitable death. The comet obviously symbolises the fear of nuclear war and of losing loved ones. Yet, there is also a Lovecraftian element in this tale, as the comet is simply a great force of nature, which can't be denied. This specific type of fear is also known as cosmic horror, a genre created by H.P. Lovecraft in which he explores fears ignited by creatures or circumstances that can't be changed or sometimes even comprehended by the human mind. This fear creates a deep sense of hopelessness, because the so-called enemy isn't necessarily concerned with your destruction. You are simply a by-effect of a sublime, enormous event which can't be stopped in any way.

But here is an important question: Is it a good idea to incorporate Lovecraftian horror in a children's movie? Some may argue it goes too far, and I say it's perfect. What's a better metaphor than a comet to explain to children their fear for the inevitable? Besides, the movie shows that these types of feelings of dread are normal and shouldn't be pushed away. Of course, the movie ends with a happy ending so that the Lovecraftian horror doesn't lead to the destruction of humanity. And yet, I argue that the happy ending is Lovecraftian in its own sense. It was not because of the Moomins that their lives were saved. At the end of the day, it was simply the laws of physics and nature itself that coincidentally didn't strike Earth that day. A comforting, yet disturbing note to end on.

The movie ends with them celebrating in the sea, fundamentally changed by this experience, as life can't be taken for granted. The sea, the tranquility of their lives, the stability of family relations and the happiness that seemed so self-evident were based on a shaky foundation, that can be burned away by the firey touch of the next comet that may or may not strike. When it comes, no one knows. But it is up to the Moomins to enjoy their happy life while it's untouched by the great horrors of nature.

[skruttet]

Snufkin has a bit of Uncle Harald in him and a bit of Uncle Einar, says Tove, but he most resembles a close friend she had when she was young. He was a philosopher and poet and politician and was involved in expanding the world for Tove. Just like Snufkin made Moomintroll understand that there was a world outside Moominvalley.

Like Snufkin, he also liked to wear the same old clothes and always wore the old hat, which was quite awful, Tove thought. So one time she asked him if they could change hats. In those days, young ladies also wore hats. And soon Tove was running to a laundry with the hat to get it nice and clean, but then he didn’t want it anymore. Tove was unhappy and gave the old hat an eternal memorial in Snufkin’s green hat and song:

Jag går som jag behagar I walk as I please

i min gröna hatt in my green hat

jag spelar alla dagar I play every day

jag spelar varje natt I play every night

och äga vill jag inte för man måste vara fri and I don’t want to own things because you have to be free

när man söker nya sånger, en egen melodi. when you’re looking for new songs, your own melody.

- Möte med Tove Jansson by Tordis Ørjasœter

[thornshadowwolf]

I search up ANY Moomin character and the "people also searched for" are half "Are Moomin and Snufkin dating?" "Is Moomin in love with Snufkin?" "Is Snufkin Moomin's boyfriend?" "Are Moomin and Snuffkin in love?" (and they all give answers similar to "it's a common interpretation and it's easy to see why.")

And as I was clicking through these and a bunch of the other Snufkin info, "Is Snufkin an anarchist?" also came up.

[cafenervosa]

Moomin and Snufkin from The Moomins

Another non-canonical couple that I will still argue is queer nonetheless! In The Moomins series written by Tove Jansson, the relationship between Moomin and Snufkin was not only inspired by a romantic relationship in Jansson's life, it was also likely influenced by her own experience as a queer woman.

Jansson often modeled characters in her stories after people she knew in real life. While Moomin is a self-insert representation of Jansson, Snufkin was modeled after her then partner, Atos Wirtanen: "In many ways the relationship of Moomintroll (Tove’s alter-ego) and Snufkin describes the relationship between Tove and Atos. Moomintroll admires Snufkin who still is quite distant and very often Moomintroll is also experiencing a deep sense of longing and yearning when Snufkin is leaving to his adventures or choosing to be at peace with his own thoughts. Moomintroll tries to understand Snufkin’s desire for freedom, even though the waiting is not easy."

Jansson was also no stranger to same-sex relationships. The characters of Thingumy and Bob, two inseparable characters who are almost always holding hands, are based on her relationship with Vivica Bandler. Their original Swedish names (Tofslan and Vifslan), were the nicknames Tove Jansson used in her love letters to Vivica. While she was initially reluctant to classify her sexual identity, Jansson eventually said she had "gone over to the ghost side," a common euphemism for being a lesbian at the time. In 1956, Jansson met the love of her life, Tuulikki Pietilä. Tuulikki was the inspiration for Too-ticky in Moominland Midwinter: "Too-ticky tells Moomintroll about the special creatures of the winter world. Without drawing too direct parallels between Moominvalley and the real word, it’s tempting to read this description as an allegory for queer people who couldn’t show their true selves in broad daylight at the time Tove wrote the story:

“There are such a lot of things that have no place in summer and autumn and spring. Everything that’s a little shy and a little rum. Some kinds of night animals and people that don’t fit in with others and that nobody really believes in. They keep out of the way all the year. And then when everything’s quiet and white and the nights are long and most people are asleep – then they appear.” (Moominland Midwinter, 1958)

To see the rest of my 2021 Pride drawings, click here!

For an image description, click the read more!

ID: a drawing of Moomin and Snufkin in shades of yellow. They are on a wooden bridge in Moominvalley, surrounded by pine trees. Moomin is leaning on the bridge's railing, head propped up on one hand. He is looking up at Snufkin, who is sitting casually on the railing, one leg crossed over the other. He is looking back at Moomin, chatting and gesturing with one had. End ID

[wanderersoflight]

I know the kindest thing Is to never leave you alone

Take your rest, wanderers. You did not expect to become heroes in this new world, did you?

[vimbry]

moomintroll’s design evolved from a doodle tove made after arguing with her brother about the philosopher kant, putting that name under what she described as “the ugliest creature imaginable”.

snufkin’s design was heavily inspired by atos wirtanen, described in multiple accounts as simply “ugly”.

what I’m saying is all the moomins and snufkin are assigned uggos at birth.

[deepeststrawberrymoon]

i forgot to send this- but i wanna do the ship bingo thing!!! I shall give you a couple ships to choose from, use as many or as little as you like; WangXian. KarlNotFound (of course the minecraft characters, but only if they are in a supermarket), Snufkin and Moomin, Jesus and John the guy, SangCheng, Those funky cobra kai guy, and lastly two of your characters. Which ones? Oh you know. Two of them

Bestie!!! Thank you very much for this ask, I'm sorry it took me so long to answer lol. I decided to do all the ships so here I go!

WangXian

As you can see, I'm not the biggest fan of this ship; I just never really saw anything particularly amazing about it I guess? Although maybe my view of it will change once I read the novel.

KarlNotFound

/j

To be honest, I can't really say much about Karl or George seeing as I have never actually watched any of their videos and I know literally nothing about their relationship, but I think the fact that I once wrote a supermarket au fanfiction about them kind of says it all really ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Snufkin and Moomin

I have very mixed feelings about this. I would say that there should be no romance in Moomins at all, since it's the type of story that focuses more on how the characters react to their situations and surroundings rather how they interact with other characters, but then again, I feel like that fact that Moomintroll genuinely prefers spending time with Snufkin than with, y'know, his actual girlfriend, says a lot. I've also seen a lot of people compare Moomintroll and Snufkin's relationship to Tove Jansson's relationship with Atos Wirtanen and/or Vivica Bandler (although her relationship with Vivica is more commonly compared with the characters Thingumy and Bob). So yeah, mixed feelings.

Jesus and..... John the Beloved?

Not a big fan of this one! I'm more of a Jesus x Simon Peter kind of person tbh!

SangCheng

10/10! This ship makes me very happy! It just makes so much sense! 5 stars!

I'm gonna assume you mean Miguel and Hawk from Cobra Kai

I just think this is a good ship that makes a hell of a lot more sense that the half-baked hetero romance between Miguel and Sam. Also, I feel like people like to talk a lot about what an asshole Hawk is, but I think they're forgetting what an awful person Miguel can be too, and I think that that chaotic gremlin duo dynamic is the perfect basis for any relationship!

And finally, two of my own characters!

Purely out of spite because you did not specify which characters, I did two characters that you don't know, so.... yeah. I included picrews that I made of them though! (from this picrew)

[danlous]

Like all the finnish kids i grew up with moomins and they've been like burnt into my brain since early childhood, so i was amused and little bit weirded out by this tumblr thing of seeing Gay in everything related to moomins, especially shipping Moomintroll and Snufkin (sacrilege!) but now after reading a great Tove Jansson biography i realize you all were right all this time. I never realized how strongly the characters of Moominvalley were based on Tove's life and relationships. Like Moomintroll was Tove's alter ego since the beginning and Snufkin was based on her then fiance Atos Wirtanen, all the way to the hat. He was always coming and going while Tove missed her, just like Moomintroll missed Snufkin. I can't believe it took me this long to find this out

[historical-babes]

Tove Jansson (1914-2001).

Finnish children's writer and illustrator.

.

She was a Swedish-speaking Finnish author, novelist, painter, illustrator and comic strip author. Brought up by artistic parents, Jansson studied art from 1930 to 1938 in Stockholm, Helsinki and Paris. Her first solo art exhibition was in 1943. At the same time, she was writing short stories and articles for publication, as well as creating the graphics for book covers and other purposes. She continued to work as an artist and a writer for the rest of her life.

.

Jansson wrote the Moomin books for children, starting in 1945 with The Moomins and the Great Flood. The next two books, Comet in Moominland and Finn Family Moomintroll, published in 1946 and 1948 respectively, were highly successful in sales, adding to sales of the first book. These books were praised for their individualistic characters, complicated plots, and sophisticated humour. For her work as a children's writer she received the Hans Christian Andersen Medal in 1966.

Jansson also created the comic strip “Moomin,” which ran in the Evening News in London from 1953 to 1960.

.

Starting with the semi-autobiographical Bildhuggarens dotter (Sculptor's Daughter) in 1968, Jansson wrote six novels, including the admired Sommarboken (The Summer Book), and five books of short stories for adults.

.

Jansson had several male lovers, including the political philosopher Atos Wirtanen, who was the inspiration for the Moomin character Snufkin. However, she eventually “went over to the spook side” as she put it—a coded expression for homosexuality —and developed a secret love affair with the married theater director Vivica Bandler.

In 1956 Jansson met her lifelong partner, Tuulikki Pietilä – or "Tooti," as she was known.

.

She died from cancer.

.

Famous books:

Comet in Moominland

Finn Family Moomintroll

Sommarboken

.

Famous paintings:

Mysterious Landscape

Self-Portrait

Back of a Nude

[Submission]

[mooncustafer]

YIL Atos Wirtanen, Finnish left-wing journalist and politician, was the model for Snufkin (he and Tove Janssen were close friends):

[apelcini]

Hi! I'm a fellow autistic Moomin fan. I'm just curious, why do you see Snufkin as autistic? I see a couple traits, but not quite enough to completely head cannon him that way. (Of course, I could be missing a few which is why I'm asking you. I hope I'm not being too blunt here). Side note: I loved that drawing of Snufkin stimming that you did a few months ago. Made me happy because most people don't draw us doing that (or at all really, but that's a separate conversation lol). ☺️☺️☺️

Okay, so the thing is that my favorite moomin media is the books, and I base a lot of my interpretations around that.

In the books, Snufkin starts out very excitable, he greets these two random travelers and immediately shows them his flag, his music, stories, everything. However, over the course of the books, he becomes slowly more withdrawn, quieter, surlier. Now, we know that a large part of the reason for this is Tove becoming disillusioned with Atos Wirtanen (Snufkin’s inspiration), but from an in universe perspective I see it as an autistic character becoming increasingly tired and stressed by how confusing socializing is until he just develops a general distaste for it. I’m much the same, actually.

I see a kid who talks funny and doesn’t understand gender and hates loud noises and crowded places and can’t stay in one place for too long and won’t get new clothes and doesn’t like to be touched and doesn’t quite emote right and says things that almost make sense but not quite and I look at him and see myself.

[skruttet]

Another part I liked when flipping through the book.

The relationship between Moomintroll and Snufkin also resembles the kind of deep bond that can follow a love affair. Can there be any farewell to a friend more beautiful than this, as Snufkin sets off once again?