The Groke

The Groke from the Japanese–European television-animation Tanoshii Moomin Ikka (Delightful Moomin Family).

The Groke (the original Swedish name Mårran and the Finnish name Mörkö. Also known in Norway as Hufsa and in Mexico as La Coca) 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. The Groke is both a live representation of loneliness and a psychological depiction of very lonely people who have a hard time accepting and expressing love in the right way, making them seem cold and scary to others, which, in turn, only leads to more loneliness.

Books she appears in

• 3. Finn Family Moomintroll - This is the first appearance of the Groke, and she is generally played as a frightening villain.
• 4. The Exploits of Moominpappa - Here, several characters refers to the Groke eating people: The Joxer 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 Midwinter - 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 inadvertedly putting the fire with her own coldness.
• 8. Moominpappa at Sea - In this work, the Groke keeps on going to Moominpappa's island to beg Moomintroll 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.
• Who Will Comfort Toffle? - 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 television. The Japanese anime series Moomin has her as a recurring character. Apart from her intimidating appearance the loud growling sounds she utters contributed to this effect as well as her malevolent theme music, which begins to play every time she appears. The Groke's primary introductions were in episode 6 and 20 of the series. Especially in her first episode, the dark image and her growling spooky voice gave some children goosebumps. It was not until episode 34 that children could start seeing the Groke more sympathetically.