This article is written by Tatiana Sokolova and continues ‘The Moomins and the Swedish/Nordic mentality’, a reflection on themes found in the Moomin books, which you are very welcome to read here
Moominmamma’s bag
Another source of my childhood fascination in the Moomin books came from Moominmamma’s bag.
‘Was there something important in it?’ they ask Moominmamma in Finn Family Moomintroll, when the bag disappears.
‘No, just the things which one needs in an emergency. Dry socks, candies, steel wire, stomach powders and such’.
Elsewhere in the Moomin books, I read, fascinated, how Moominmamma pulls out some dry socks for everyone from her bag.
We all know that in most cultures mothers have this kind of magical bags – or at least they used to have. (My mother-in-law definitely still does, and the powers of her bag remain truly remarkable.) Leaving aside the discussion of what or who Moominmamma represents in the Moomin books, it helps to look at WHAT EXACTLY makes up the emergency items.
Elsewhere in Finn Family Moomintroll we see Moominmamma packing:
‘blankets, saucepans, coffeepot, food, sunscreen, matches, everything to eat on, in and with, umbrellas, warm clothes, stomach powders, whisks, cushions, mosquito net, swimming trunks, a table cloth and her bag’.
(It’s incredible how much more sense this list makes to me now, when I am a Moominmamma myself.
Comfort and preparedness in the Moomin books
I guess what fascinated me (apart from the ever-present coffeepot)was the focus on comfort. More specifically, it showed a desire to adapt the environment to one’s needs.
To illustrate my point, I’d like you to take a trip to two places: a) Clas Ohlson and b) some sports shop, like Stadium. Nowhere else have I seen:
a) so many things, big and small, designed to make your life, in all its imaginable and unimaginable aspects, comfortable, enjoyable and beautiful;
b) so many things, big and small, designed to make you enjoy an active outdoor life, while looking very elegant.
Swedes/the Nordic people do not act as conquerors of nature. They approach its admirers and wilful, determined negotiators. And everything they do, they do not with chic as some of their Southern European counterparts, but with understated style. Armed by beautiful, extra-light, super-portable, weatherproof, everlasting coffeepots made of organically grown metal, and a good dose of irony – like Tove.
The sea
Through the Moomin books, I discovered a world shaped by the sea, even though I grew up in a landlocked part of Siberia.
‘Oh, to be a newly awoken Moomintroll and dance in the bottle-green waves at sunrise!’
…exclaims Tove, and I wondered what it would actually feel like.
Or, to the contrary, observe from the shore how:
‘The sea had changed its face. It was now black-green, and foam crowned the waves, while the depths glowed yellow, like phosphorus. Growling gloomily, the storm was approaching from the south, spreading its black sails over the sea’.
Mesmerising, isn’t it? Yes, the sea can be warm and friendly, and it can be scary and glorious. But it can also appear very cultured, and a manifestation of that is the bathhouse.
The bathhouse as a Nordic symbol
What on earth was a bathhouse, I wondered as a child. And why would one have such a thing? I knew intuitively that in Magic Winter, a bathhouse represented summer, safety, and life, in contrast to the danger of winter.
He found comfort in knowing that his old bathrobe was still there, safe and familiar. He knew that his bathrobe was blue and missed the hanger.
When he is forbidden to open the wardrobe, Moomintroll becomes anxious and cannot feel safe until he does. When he finally opens it, he finds a warm stone instead of sunglasses and releases an ancient presence from the past.
The bathhouse matters. It serves as a place where people change clothes before going swimming, and thus it symbolisespreparation for diving into the sea. That stands as a powerful symbol of joy, adventure, and life – but also of oblivion and death. Not something to toy with. Swedes and Nordic people take this seriously and design structures that support exploration and respect for the sea.
Less philosophically, the sea forms an unalienable part of the Swedish/Nordic life and culture, something you cannot get away from. Summer holidays by the sea probably shape the mentality of people here from an early age, but the sea remains present year-round, every day.
Just as Moomintroll longed for his bathrobe in the middle of winter, I longed to experience the sea myself as a child.
Today, influenced by the Moomin books, I see a narrow stretch of the Baltic Sea from my balcony while sipping my Sunday morning coffee. It makes me a truly happy Moominmamma.
