The Groke
Encyclopedia
The Groke is a fictional character
in the Moomin
world created by Tove Jansson
. She appears as a ghostlike hill-shaped body with two cold staring eyes and a wide row of white shiny teeth. In the book Who Will Comfort Toffle?
, it is mentioned that she has a tail, but it has never been seen. Wherever she stands, the ground below her freezes and plants and grass die. She leaves a trace of ice and snow when she walks the ground. Anything she touches will freeze and on one instance she froze a camp fire by sitting down on it. She seeks friendship and warmth, but she is declined by everyone and everything, leaving her in her cold cavern on top of the Lonely Mountains. On one occasion in a comic, however, she was hailed as a hero when she, in her constant search for warmth, extinguished a forest wildfire by sitting on it.
. She appears in 1969 anime version of Moomins, where she is different from novels and is depicted as white and depressed. In Polish Moomin TV series
she is more like as novels, more dark, but bestial.
The Japanese anime series Moomin includes her as a recurring character. The character is well known about its first appearance in series. Apart from her intimidating appearance the loud growling sounds she utters contributed to this effect. However different language dubs
use different growls, as well as different malevolent theme music, which begins to play every time she appears. The Groke's primary introductions were in episode 6, 7 and 22 of the series. It was not until episode 37 that children could start seeing the Groke more sympathetically.
Fictional character
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
in the Moomin
Moomin
The Moomins are the central characters in a series of books and a comic strip by Swedish-Finn illustrator and writer Tove Jansson, originally published in Swedish by Schildts in Finland. They are a family of trolls who are white and roundish, with large snouts that make them resemble hippopotamuses...
world created by Tove Jansson
Tove Jansson
Tove Marika Jansson was a Swedish-Finnish novelist, painter, illustrator and comic strip author. She is best known as the author of the Moomin books.- Biography :...
. She appears as a ghostlike hill-shaped body with two cold staring eyes and a wide row of white shiny teeth. In the book Who Will Comfort Toffle?
Who Will Comfort Toffle?
Who Will Comfort Toffle? is the second picture book in the Moomin series by Tove Jansson. It was first published in 1960. It was first translated into English by Kingsley Hart....
, it is mentioned that she has a tail, but it has never been seen. Wherever she stands, the ground below her freezes and plants and grass die. She leaves a trace of ice and snow when she walks the ground. Anything she touches will freeze and on one instance she froze a camp fire by sitting down on it. She seeks friendship and warmth, but she is declined by everyone and everything, leaving her in her cold cavern on top of the Lonely Mountains. On one occasion in a comic, however, she was hailed as a hero when she, in her constant search for warmth, extinguished a forest wildfire by sitting on it.
Books she appears in
- 3. Finn Family MoomintrollFinn Family MoomintrollFinn Family Moomintroll is the third in the series of Tove Jansson's Moomins books, published in 1948...
- This is the first appearance of the Groke, and she is generally played as a frightening villain, though SniffSniffSniff is a character in the Moomin series of books by Finnish author Tove Jansson. Moomintroll's immature friend and later adopted brother. He is the son of the Muddler and the Fuzzy. He is one of the few characters in the Moomin series who is sincerely interested in money, and is always on the...
expresses a bit of sympathy for her, at one point moving himself to tears with a speech on how awful it must be to be so alone. - 4. The Exploits of MoominpappaThe Exploits of MoominpappaThe Exploits of Moominpappa, first published in 1950 and then considerably revised in 1968 under the title Moominpappa's Memoirs, is the fourth book in the Moomin series by Tove Jansson. The story found in this book is mentioned in the previous Moomin books, as Moominpappa writes his memoirs in...
- Here, several characters refer to the Groke eating people: The Joxter claims to have a cousin who was eaten by the Groke, and the young Moominpappa saves the Hemulen's Aunt from being eaten by the Groke. She is never actually seen to eat anyone, though, and since the book is written as Moominpappa's memoirs, it's quite possible (and quite in his character) that he exaggerated things a little in order to make himself look more heroic. - 6. Moominland MidwinterMoominland MidwinterMoominland Midwinter is the fifth in the series of Tove Jansson's Moomins books, published in 1957.This book sees Jansson adopt a darker, more introspective tone compared to the earlier books that is continued in the remainder of the series.Often in the book Moomintroll is either lonely,...
- The Groke makes a couple of cameo appearances, though she comes across as far less villainous and more to be pitied than feared. Too-Ticky even expresses sympathy for her when she wants to warm herself by the fire at the celebration for the sun, and ends up not only scaring everyone away but inadvertently putting out the fire with her own coldness. - 8. Moominpappa at SeaMoominpappa at SeaMoominpappa at Sea is the seventh book in the Moomin books by Finnish author Tove Jansson. It is based primarily around the character of Moominpappa. It was first published in 1965...
- In this work, the Groke keeps on going to Moominpappa's island to beg MoomintrollMoomintrollMoomintroll is the main character in the Moomin books by Tove Jansson. He lives in the Moominhouse together with his father Moominpappa and his mother Moominmamma and has a keen spirit of adventure. Moomintroll is a 'moomin' - a little white troll with a hippopotamus-like big round nose.His best...
to show her his lantern flame. This story builds on the new angle of the Groke that Too-Ticky offered in Moominland Midwinter, and is generally seen as the most sympathetic portrayal of her in the books, even containing short passages written from her point of view; constantly craving warmth and light but unable to get either. Here the Groke is depicted as a dark and abandoned Moominmamma. - Who Will Comfort Toffle?Who Will Comfort Toffle?Who Will Comfort Toffle? is the second picture book in the Moomin series by Tove Jansson. It was first published in 1960. It was first translated into English by Kingsley Hart....
- Toffle bites her as he is saving Miffle, however it is not known whether she was holding Miffle hostage or not.
Adaptations
There have been various adaptations of the Moomin books on televisionTelevision
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
. She appears in 1969 anime version of Moomins, where she is different from novels and is depicted as white and depressed. In Polish Moomin TV series
The Moomins (TV series)
The Moomins is a stop motion animated children's television series based on the Tove Jansson's Moomin series of books which was originally produced by Se-ma-for and Jupiter Film between the years 1977–1982, originally for Polish, Austrian and German television. The series was later on sold to...
she is more like as novels, more dark, but bestial.
The Japanese anime series Moomin includes her as a recurring character. The character is well known about its first appearance in series. Apart from her intimidating appearance the loud growling sounds she utters contributed to this effect. However different language dubs
Dubbing (filmmaking)
Dubbing is the post-production process of recording and replacing voices on a motion picture or television soundtrack subsequent to the original shooting. The term most commonly refers to the substitution of the voices of the actors shown on the screen by those of different performers, who may be...
use different growls, as well as different malevolent theme music, which begins to play every time she appears. The Groke's primary introductions were in episode 6, 7 and 22 of the series. It was not until episode 37 that children could start seeing the Groke more sympathetically.