The Groke is a looming grey shadow of solitude—a character with an unknown story. Almost everyone in Moominvalley is deeply afraid of her, but unlike the Hattifatteners—who also cause resentment—the Groke always wanders alone. Alongside her rock-shaped appearance, her loneliness might be one of her most characteristic features. However, the Groke might not intentionally come across as the embodiment of solitude and darkness—she is, after all, fascinated by lanterns that she constantly seeks out while wandering in the dark or sailing on an ice floe. Tove Jansson wanted the Groke to remain cold and alone. On the contrary, she wanted the small and fearful characters—such as Thingumy and Bob and Toffle—to overcome the fear the Groke has caused. In the book Moominpappa at Sea (1965), the Groke’s storyline develops as Moomintroll arrives to meet her every night at the beach. Finally, the Groke starts dancing and singing, and after this very night, the sand under her feet remains unfrozen. 

In real life, there is probably no-one exactly like the Groke. Rather, the grokes of our own lives dwell somewhere deep within us—as dark thoughts, painful memories, and overwhelming fears that flood our minds, especially during the dark hours of the night. The grokes know that light can be seen in the darkness, but a darkness cannot be seen in the light, and this is why they seldom can be seen on the outside. However, both in Tove’s stories and in real life, love and friendship overcome the Groke’s freezing darkness. 

Sometimes, fears must be seen, which is why the Groke has found her way into many of our products. Find all necessities for the warmest and freezing moments in our Groke-themed collection.