Gnome

From New World Encyclopedia


A gnome (or "Nisse") hiding behind a toadstool.

A gnome is a legendary creature characterized by its very small size and subterranean lifestyle. According to the alchemist Paracelsus, gnomes are the most important of the elemental spirits of the classical element of earth; they move as easily through the earth as humans walk upon it, have conical hats, and the sun's rays turn them into stone. In other traditions, they are simply small, misshapen, mischievous sprites or goblins (with pointy caps). Some sources claim they spend the daytime as toads instead of in stone and they are also said to have magical powers that make people feel sad or happy.

Etymology

The word gnome is derived from the New Latin gnomus. It is often claimed to descend from the Greek gnosis, "knowledge," but more likely comes from genomos "earth-dweller."

Description

Modern sources often depict gnomes as diminutive, stout humanoids who wear tall, pointed conical caps and dress in solid colors such as blue, red or green; in this depiction, the male gnome always has a long white beard.

Origin

Cultural Variants

Often featured in Germanic fairy tales, including those by the Brothers Grimm, the gnome often resembles a gnarled old man living deep underground who guards buried treasure. Because of this, Swiss bankers are sometimes disparagingly referred to as the Gnomes of Zürich. Gnomes feature in the legends of many of central, northern and eastern European lands by other names: a kaukis is a Prussian gnome, and barbegazi are gnome-like creatures with big feet in the traditions of France and Switzerland. In Iceland, gnomes (vættir) are so respected that roads are re-routed around areas said to be inhabited by them. Further east, tengu are sometimes referred to as winged gnomes. Some confusion arises as the gnome is one of many similar but subtly different creatures in European folklore; mythical creatures such as goblins and dwarves are often represented as gnomes, and vice versa.

The Finnish word saunatonttu, literally translated sauna elf, means a little gnome that was believed to live in a sauna. He was always treated with respect, otherwise he might cause much trouble for people. It was customary to warm up the sauna just for the gnome every now and then, or to leave some food outside for him. It is said that he warned the people if a fire was threatening the sauna, or punished people who behaved improperly in it – for example slept, or played games or behaved otherwise "immorally" there.

Individual gnomes are not very often detailed or featured as characters in stories, but in Germanic folklore, Rübezahl, the lord over the underworld, was sometimes referred to as a mountain gnome. According to some traditions, the gnome king is called Gob.

Rudolf Steiner lectured at length on gnomes, and especially their supportive role in the development of plant life (and biodynamic agriculture).

Kabouter King Kyrië in Hoogeloon, the Netherlands

Kabouter is the Dutch word for gnome. In folklore and mythology, the Dutch Kabouters are akin to the Scandinavian kind, known as Tomte and the German kobold. The term kabouter was also adopted by a 1970s hippie movement in Amsterdam that sprang from the Provo movement. One of its best known representatives is Roel van Duijn.

In Dutch mythology and Dutch folklore, kabouters are tiny men who live underground or else are household spirits helping in the home. The males have long, full beards (unlike dwarves, who don't always have full beards) and wear tall, pointed red hats. They are generally shy of humans.

In the Legend of the Wooden Shoes, an old Dutch folktale, the kabouter teaches the Dutch man how to make piles and how to make wooden shoes.[1]

The Dutch illustrator Rien Poortvliet played an important part in Kabouter lore with his publication of "Leven en werken van de Kabouter" (English title "Lives and works of the Gnome"), later translated into English and published as "Gnomes".[2]


File:P1000744.jpg
Typical German garden gnome
A replica of Lampy the Lamport gnome.

The first garden gnomes were made in the town of Graefenroda in Thuringia, Germany in the mid-1800's by Phillip Griebel. Griebel made terracotta animals as decorations and created the gnome based on local myths as a way for people to enjoy the stories of the gnomes' willingness to help in the garden at night. The garden gnome quickly spread across Germany and into France and England, wherever gardening was a serious hobby. Gnome manufacture spread across Germany with numerous other large and small manufacturers coming into and out of the business, each one having its own particular style of design. WWII was hard on the industry and most producers gave up then. Griebel's descendants still make them and are the last of the German producers, all others having moved production to Poland or China.

Traditional gnomes are made from a terracotta clay slurry poured into molds and then the extra is poured back out. The gnome is removed from the mold, allowed to dry, and then fired in a kiln until it is hard. Once cooled the gnome is painted to the level of detail desired and sent off to do his work in someone's garden. More modern gnomes are made from resins and similar materials.

The first garden gnomes were introduced to the United Kingdom in 1847 by Sir Charles Isham, when he brought 21 terracotta figures back from a trip to Germany and placed them as ornaments in the gardens of his home, Lamport Hall in Northamptonshire. Only one of the original batch of gnomes survives: Lampy as he is known, fully washes himself every Tuesday, and is on display at Lamport Hall, and is insured for one million pounds.

Garden gnomes have become a popular accessory in many gardens, although they are not loved by all. They are often the target of pranks: people have been known to return garden gnomes "to the wild," most notably France's "Front de Liberation des Nains de Jardins" and Italy's "MALAG" (Garden Gnome Liberation Front). Some kidnapped garden gnomes have been sent on trips around the world (the travelling gnome prank; this later became the basis for Travelocity's "Roaming Gnome").

Due to the recent rise of pranks against gnomes, a website called Gnomes Without Homes was created as an international data base of missing gnomes. The site allows people looking for wayward gnomes to post photos and information that might lead to their return. In addition, GnomesWithoutHomes.com allows gnome-gnappers to post travel photos and information on gnomes that have been abducted.

Gnomes have become controversial in serious gardening circles in the UK, and are banned from the prestigious Chelsea Flower Show as the organisers claim that they detract from the garden designs. Gnome enthusiasts accuse the organisers of snobbery because they are popular in working class and suburban gardens.

A sub-culture exists among those who collect garden gnomes, which is frequently lampooned in popular culture.

Gnomes in popular culture

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  • The Gnome King is the principal villain in Eva Katherine Gibson's Zauberlinda the Wise Witch. The book was one of the first to capitalize on L. Frank Baum's The Wonderful Wizard of Oz and this character leaves one to wonder if it in turn influenced Baum.
  • The Gnome King in L. Frank Baum's The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus. The Gnome King, one of the immortals, wants toys for his children (presumably as fixed in ages as the Light Elf princes Flash and Twilight), but he does not believe in the concept of gifts, so he trades a string of sleigh bells, one for each of Santa Claus's ten reindeer, in exchange for each gift he receives. He is also among the council that votes to give Santa Claus the Mantle of Immortality.
  • The Nome King (spelled without the silent "G") and his nome subjects nearly transformed Dorothy Gale and her friends into bric-a-brac in Ozma of Oz, the third book in L. Frank Baum's The Wonderful Wizard of Oz series. The character appeared several times in later books in the series, usually as an ambitious enemy. Fans have debated what relationship, if any, he has to the above character.
  • J. R. R. Tolkien used the word gnome in his early work The Book of Lost Tales for the people later called the Noldor (part of his High Elves). He dropped the term in his published works, since he found the gnomes of folklore to be so unlike his High Elves as to confuse his readers.
  • Gnomes are one of several races on Terry Pratchett's Discworld, where they are also called goblins. The Nac Mac Feegle are sometimes considered an ethnic subgroup of gnomes. One notable gnome character is Wee Mad Arthur.
  • Nomes (again without a "G") are a race of tiny aliens who have been living on Earth for centuries in Pratchett's trilogy of children's books The Bromeliad.
  • Revenge of the Gnomes was a popular 1989 Korean film, banned in several countries for racist dialogue. [citation needed]
  • Gnomes and Secrets of the Gnomes by Wil Huygen and Rien Poortvliet are illustrated fictional guidebooks to the mythical creatures, and resulted in the spin-off animated series The World of David the Gnome. These are originally written in Dutch, where gnomes are called Kabouters. These books depict gnomes as a wise, noble, and civilized race whose natural enemies are the trolls, due to their contrasting natures.
  • In some games, including the MMORPG RuneScape, Dungeons & Dragons (see Gnome (Dungeons & Dragons)), EverQuest, Horizons: Empire of Istaria, and World of Warcraft (see Gnome (Warcraft)), gnomes are a short race of humanoids closely related to dwarves, exceptionally adept at tinkering and mechanics. This often results in they and their allies having technologies not normally found in fantasy settings, such as firearms or robot-like automata.
  • In the SNES RPG Secret of Mana, Gnome was the guardian of the Earth Temple, found in Gaia's Navel, and the 2nd summon magic available to the player. His magic was primarily earth based: his "black" magic involved using either a stone or gem projectile to attack an enemy or using vines to slow an enemy down; while his "white" magic involved increasing defense and speed, or encasing your weapons (and by extension, your enemies) in stone.
  • J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter book series makes a brief mention of garden gnomes. Unlike the common portrayal of congenial, human-like dwarves with beards, the gnomes in Harry Potter are crude creatures "like a potato with legs." To the wizarding community, gnomes are nothing more than an average garden nuisance like a mole.
  • In the American television situation comedy 3rd Rock From The Sun a garden Gnome holding an axe can often be seen as a prop on the apartment living room set. This gnome was commercially available as one of a collection of vinyl garden gnomes manufactured by Chicago garden statuary company, ArtLine, Inc. and originally sculpted by Cincinnati, Ohio artist Christopher Howes. The gnome with the axe seems to have a bit of a crazed look in his eyes!
  • In Lost Magic, the Gnomes are small, brown dirt-like earth elementals found in Goldsand Dunes; they attack using the horns on the top of their heads.
  • In Terry Brooks' Sword of Shannara series, gnomes are a race of short, ugly humanoids that share many common characteristics with the goblins of Tolkien's Middle-earth and other works of modern fantasy fiction.
  • The French film Amélie includes a portrayal of the popular custom of stealing a garden gnome and returning it with pictures of the gnome in various faraway places. Various other popular works, such as the music video for the Matthew Good Band's song Anti-pop, similarly depict the practice.
  • In King of the Hill's 9th season episode "Yard, She Blows!," Peggy Hill becomes infatuated with a garden gnome named Winklebottom and places it on the front lawn, to the embarrassment of her husband, Hank. Their son Bobby accidentally breaks its ear off, so Hank takes the opportunity to destroy and bury it, telling Peggy it was stolen. Peggy is distraught and Hank, not wanting to continue to lie to Peggy, goes to a German tourist town to buy a new garden gnome, named Figgleforth. Peggy loves her new gnome but suggests it be kept indoors to prevent theft. Hank is delighted until the gnome is placed in his bedroom. He is so creeped out by the gnome that he cannot undress in front of it.
  • In the Pixie Tricks series by Tracey West, Robert B. Gnome is of the Otherworld, given permission by the Fairy Queen to live as a colonist of sorts in the human world. He poses (literally) as a garden statue for much of the time, but can be interacted with as if with a living being.
  • The Gnome is the eighth track on Pink Floyd's debut album The Piper at the Gates of Dawn.
  • Tales of the Traveling Gnome is a popular webcomic that details the life of a gnome wizard traveling through a very Dungeons & Dragons-esque world.
  • In a fictitious book written by E.G. Khrenson, Gnomes are referred to as a "Cassies."
  • Garden gnomes are often used in video games in relation to easter eggs, secrets, and intentional cheats. Examples of games that do this as a recurring gag include The Sims Bustin' Out and Psi-Ops: The Mindgate Conspiracy.
  • In the animated TV show Home Movies an inanimate garden gnome makes an appearance in every episode, often hidden in the background or subtly incorporated into a scene. It also appears on the DVD menus for the show.
  • A group (3 or more) of garden gnomes is often referred to as a gaggle.
  • A garden gnome appears in every eposode of the Disney Channel's Higglytown Heroes.
  • The South Park episode Gnomes features gnomes with a business plan parodying the dot.com era: 1. Collect underpants; 2. ?; 3. Profit!
  • The album artwork for George Harrison's All Things Must Pass features garden gnomes.
  • "The Roaming Gnome" is the official mascot and commercial "spokesman" for the online travel agency Travelocity.

Notes

  1. Legend of the Wooden Shoes, as retold by William Elliott Griffis in Dutch Fairy Tales For Young Folks. New York: Thomas Y. Crowell Co., 1918. (English). Available online by SurLaLane Fairy Tales.
  2. (1977) Gnomes, Harry N. Abrams Inc., ISBN 0-8109-0965-0 (20th Anniv.) ISBN 0-8109-5498-2 (30th Anniv.)


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