"Trollkarlens hatt" - Tove Jansson

This is the 3rd entry in the main Moomin series

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"Trollkarlens hatt"—or Finn Family Moomintroll in the original Swedish!

Moomintroll, Snufkin, and Sniff discover a magical hat. Unaware of its hidden powers, they bring it back to Moominhouse.

The third book in the series was published in the autumn of 1948. It became Tove Jansson’s first major literary success, both in the Nordic countries and internationally.

The author wrote it in a frenzy of positive emotions, which resulted in a manuscript that was too long—ultimately, two chapters had to be cut! The Moominvalley in this book is infused with a zest for life, yet it still holds space for melancholy and longing.

In late autumn of 1946, Tove met Vivica Bandler (a future theater director). They fell in love, and their relationship inspired the characters of Tofslan and Vifslan. "They are inseparable (...). No one understands what they say, but that doesn’t matter as long as they understand each other," Jansson explained. Their struggle for warmth and color is, at its core, about love, symbolized by the Royal Ruby hidden in their suitcase.

One can notice painterly influences in Jansson’s descriptions of colors. For instance, there is not just a yellow butterfly, but a golden one. On the island of the Hattifatteners, silver-white flowers grow, and on a June night, "the sea and sky blend into a bright blue, shimmering surface."

In Trollkarlens hatt, the personalities, signature traits, and speech patterns of the characters become more refined—for example, Moominpappa’s famous exclamation "On my tail!" is introduced. Many of the Moomins' traditions and customs originate in this book, such as hibernation and the use of a rope ladder.

For the first time, Jansson used descriptive chapter headings (similar to Gulliver’s Travels). She also adopted a new illustration technique: only pencil and ink, without washes. In the final version, the book contained 40 drawings.

(Excerpts from the book Tove Jansson, Mama Muminków by Boel Westin.)

The original Moomin series in Swedish

Level B2

This is the 3rd entry in the main Moomin series

Why Should You Read This Book in Swedish?

Timeless stories have a stronger impact when read in their original language.
This is the original edition from the Finnish publisher.
The book includes the author's original illustrations.
It is beautifully published, featuring a fabric spine and embossed details.
A perfect gift idea!
A great read for children who speak Swedish.

Children's Books?

With Det osynliga barnet (Tales from Moominvalley), the discussion about Tove Jansson as a children's author gained momentum. Critics unanimously debated the appropriate age of her audience.

In 1963, Stockholms Tidningen awarded Jansson the Finland-Swedish cultural prize for her short story collection.

Per Olov Sundman wrote that Tove’s stories “are not merely fairy tales for children.” With “all their inventiveness, poetic softness, whimsical and sometimes macabre accents,” they are also a read for older audiences. He described Tales from Moominvalley as “a collection of stimulating stories for adults.”

Perfect gift!

Could there be a better gift for a Moomin fan than the entire collection of adventures featuring the fantastic creatures of Moominvalley?

The books from the Finnish publisher Förlaget make a perfect gift for a loved one—or for yourself! They are beautifully published:

Featuring fabric, linen-bound spines
Preserving the author’s original illustrations
With a sturdy, hardcover design that is wonderfully tactile

Despite common assumptions, the books were originally written with an adult audience in mind. However, over the years, they have gained a devoted following among children as well. After all, Moomin stories have the power to captivate and delight everyone!

Tove Jansson, a Finnish writer, painter, illustrator, and comic artist.

She made her debut at the age of 14, and a year later, her comic The Story of the Lovelorn Larvae, Kropelli and Fabian was published. Always eccentric, she changed schools, dropped out of university, and knew she wanted to be a painter. The Moomin saga began with the creation of Sniff in 1940. From then on, Jansson wrote several children's books, novels for adults, and painted hundreds of artworks. She celebrated her successes by buying herself hats.

She claimed that she identified most with Snufkin, as he enjoyed being alone with himself.