Snorkmaiden

Snorkmaiden
Biographical information
Created by	Tove Jansson
Swedish name	Snorkfröken
Finnish name	Niiskuneiti
Also known as	Snork Maiden, Floren (Tanoshii Mūmin Ikka), Nonnon (Moomin and New Moomin)
Place(s) of residence	Snork's house
First appearance	Comet in Moominland
Last appearance	Moominvalley
Physical information
Species	Snork
Hair colour	Yellow, blonde
Eye colour	Dark yellow
Notable features	Bangle worn on ankle
Family information
Family members	Snork (Brother) Flip and Flop (adopted children for a brief time)

Snorkmaiden (Finnish: Niiskuneiti, Swedish: Snorkfröken) is a character in the Moomin series of books by Finnish author Tove Jansson. She is a member of the species known as Snorks, and is the sister of the Snork. She is Moomintroll's friend and playmate, sometimes seeing him as her prince charming, although their relationship is very innocent.

Physical description

Her appearance is very similar to the Moomintrolls, being round and furry, with a large snout that resembles that of a hippopotamus.

Snorkmaiden differs from the Moomins by having a curly fringe of hair at the front of her head, of which she is very proud. All Snorks change colour with their moods, although this is only mentioned in two books, Comet in Moominland and (very briefly) Finn Family Moomintroll. When Snorkmaiden is upset, she turns bright green.

She wears a little gold anklet and likes to wear a flower behind her ear (usually in a color that complements her current body color).

Personality and traits

Snorkmaiden is very loyal to her friends and somewhat emotional. She is seen to be quite energetic and often changes her mind and acts impulsively. She is brave and warm-hearted, despite sometimes coming across as selfish or vain, due to wanting to take care of her appearance.

Snorkmaiden likes stories and often daydreams, acting out stories with Moomintroll and other friends and enjoying Moominpappa's tales.

She is a good cook, and is able to make a fruit soup using fruit and lemonade and make a cure for stomach aches.

History

Snorkmaiden brushing her tail.

Snorkmaiden and her brother the Snork are first mentioned in Chapter 6 of Comet in Moominland, and encountered in the following chapter when they accompany Moomintroll and his friends back to Moominvalley after Moomintroll saves Snorkmaiden from a poisonous bush. Both the Snork and Snorkmaiden also appear, living with the Moomins, in the following book, Finn Family Moomintroll, but are not mentioned in The Exploits of Moominpappa, the events of which are solely related to Moomintroll, Snufkin, and Sniff.

Snorkmaiden then appears, without the Snork, in Moominsummer Madness - where she and Moomintroll are separated from the family for most of the book, and is asleep throughout Moominland Midwinter. Finally, she makes appearances in two of the stories in Tales from Moominvalley: the fourth, "The Last Dragon in the World", and the ninth and final story, "The Fir Tree". She is not part of the family in Moominpappa at Sea, and no account is given of when she left, though Moomintroll briefly mentions her on at least one occasion.

Moomin (Tanoshii Mūmin Ikka) (1990)

Snorkmaiden is one of the protagonists in the Moomin anime series from 1990-92, in which she is known as Floren. She is the little sister of Snork and they both live in the Snork Residence.

Trivia

• In the 1969 anime series, Moomin, as well as its 1972 successor, New Moomin, Snorkmaiden is known as Nonnon. These adaptations are the only works where this name is used, likely for similar reasons for her later name of Floren (being easier to translate).
• In the 1990 anime series Moomin (Tanoshii Mūmin Ikka), Snorkmaiden is instead named Floren. The only other adaptation this name appears in is in the Japanese dub for the 2014 animated movie, Moomins on the Riviera. It is likely that she was named Floren due to her habit of wearing flowers being a distinctive part of her appearance, and possibly as it was easier to translate.
• Similarly, in Polish she is named Panna Migotka which translates to "Miss Blinky", mostly likely noting her shiny golden ankle bracelet. The word "snork" in Polish translates to the same word as smoking pipe - "fajka", which was likely not considered a good name for her character.

Actors

• Hannelore Marschall-Oehmichen - Die Muminfamilie
• Reiko Mutô - Moomin and New Moomin
• Mika Kanai (Japanese portrayal) - Moomin and in Comet in Moominland
• Sarah Huaser- (English portrayal) Comet in Moominland
• Toni Barry (English dub) - Moomin
• Helena Mattson - Moomins and the Comet Chase
• Stephanie Winiecki - Moomins on the Riviera
• Akiya Henry (English dub) - Moominvalley
• Minami Tsuda (Japanese dub) - Moominvalley

Gallery

In Tanoshii Mūmin Ikka

Snorkmaiden in Moomins on the Riviera

In Moominvalley (2019)