Gnome

Gnome

Grouping	Fairy
Sub grouping	Earth spirit.
Country	Worldwide Europe (initially)

A gnome is a mythological / fictional humanoid creature characterized by its extremely small size and subterranean lifestyle. The word gnome is derived from the New Latin gnomus. It is often claimed to descend from the Greek γνώσις gnosis, "knowledge", but more likely comes from genomos "earth-dweller", in which case the omission of e is, as the OED calls it, a blunder.

Paracelsus includes gnomes in his list of elementals, as earth elementals. He describes them as two spans high, and very taciturn. It is possible that Paracelsus simply made the name up. Sometimes they are seen as a type of fairy, though at other times are seen as a distinct species in their own right.

History

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. A fairy tale describes little brownielike creatures called "Heinzelmännchen" as nocturnal helpers for mundane tasks dwelling in the city of Cologne, they may have set the paradigm for the garden gnomes with all their gardening tools. In the Book of Lost Tales by JRR Tolkien a race of Elves (the Noldoli) are also referred to as Gnomes.

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. Further east, tengu are sometimes referred to as winged gnomes.

According to certain medieval beliefs, Gnomes were deformed, usually with a hunchback, and were led by their king, Gob, who ruled with a magic sword.

Today, Gnomes are traditionally thought of as being small, bearded and wearing pointed, colourful, conical hats. They live in natural areas close to the Earth and care for wildlife. They are more benevolent than other folkloric creatures such as goblins. This traditional view is supported in such fictional works as The Secret Book of Gnomes.

Garden gnomes

German garden gnome Wendelin.

The first garden gnomes were made in Gräfenroda, a town known for its ceramics in Thuringia, Germany, in the mid-1800s. Philip Griebel made terracotta animals as decorations, and produced gnomes 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, and wherever gardening was a serious hobby.

The manufacturing of gnomes spread across Germany with numerous other large and small manufacturers coming in and out of the business, each one having its own particular style of design. World War II 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. Currently, there are an estimated 25 million garden gnomes in Germany.

Traditional gnomes are made from a terracotta clay slurry poured into molds. 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 to stores to be sold to consumers. More modern gnomes are made from schwau resins and similar materials.

A replica of Lampy the Lamport Lamp

Garden gnomes were first 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, is on display at Lamport Hall, and is insured for one million pounds.

A more recent notable manufacturer of Garden Gnomes was Tom Major-Ball, father of former UK Prime Minister John Major. Folklore has it that Tom Major-Ball's favorite personal gnome was named Dennis Kaese as it was one of the shortest gnomes he created.

Garden gnomes have become a popular accessory in many gardens. They are often the target of pranks, known collectively as gnoming: 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"). In 2008, a 53-year-old French man in Brittany was arrested on suspicion of stealing upwards of 170 garden gnomes.

The practice of stealing garden gnomes is also sometimes referred to as "Gnome Hunting".

Gnomes are often depicted as having beards and are typically males, and usually wear red hats and are known to smoke pipes. They are made in various poses and pursuing various pastimes, such as fishing or napping.

Gnomes have become controversial in serious gardening circles in the UK, and have been 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.

It has been suggested by some scholars that the garden gnome is a descendant of the Greco-Roman fertility god Priapus, whose statue was often found in ancient gardens. Welsh rugby union centre Jamie Roberts has the largest collection of gnomes in South Wales.

There is a humorous style of garden gnome which incorporates garden implements, specifically gardening forks and spades. The fork gnome lies on the ground, face down, with the fork sticking out of his back, as though dead and impaled. The spade gnome is available in two forms, one similar to the fork gnome, but lying face up with an expression of anguish with the spade resting in his stomach, again as if impaled and stabbed. The other variant sees the gnome in the pose of someone trying to climb a fence, looking over its shoulder with an expression of agony mixed with fear, as the garden spade in its back. There is a similar variant for the garden fork.

Claims of gnome sightings

Despite the fact that gnomes are mythical creatures, there have been certain cases where people have claimed to have encountered real, living gnomes. There is no sustainable proof that the sightings have actually happened and it is commonly believed that the claimed sightings have all been cases of deception by the claimants and/or film makers. Unlike sightings of other creatures that are not believed to exist, such as the Loch Ness monster and the chupacabra, which can be subscribed to misconception or gullibility, with the sightings of gnomes this is most certainly not the case.

Spain, 1989

The gnome sightings in Spain circumscribe almost exclusively to a being that has been called the Gnome of Gerona, which was purportedly captured by some campers in Gerona, Spain in September 1989. The event gained some degree of popularity and even the interview with the alleged captors in a TV program specialized in parapsychology and akin subjects. The alleged gnome was said to have died after several days of captivity when it refused every kind of food offered. The body was adquired by Spanish parapsychogist Ángel Gordon, who preserved it in formaldehyde. Examination of the available pictures by zoologists from the Barcelona Zoologic Park revealed that althought the body itself seems not to be a fake, it is probably the fetus of some ruminant animal, leading to the conclusion that the whole issue was a fake organized by an uncertain party.

Argentina, 2007-08

The gnome sightings in Argentina is a reported wave of sightings of gnomes in General Güemes, Salta, Argentina, that came to its climax in 2007. The craze was similar to that of the chupacabra, which had also happened in the Americas. Some reports claim that a survey showed that 90% of locals believed in the creature with over a hundred claiming to have actually seen one of the creatures, however contrasting reports claim that very few locals actually believe in it.

Locals had reported seeing gnomes (or duendes) for several decades, however reports increased in 2007 after railway workers reported seeing one run around the tracks. They reported seeing a knee height humanoid creature wearing a pointy hood who ran sideways.

The story was reported by El Tribuno in Argentina, and then The Sun in the UK. It was then picked up by Fox News in the USA, before becoming something of an urban legend. Since then, many skeptics have declared the story to be false, claiming that the video used as the main evidence is faked and that reports of the beliefs were exaggerated.

Various video recordings claiming to depict the creatures were uploaded onto websites such as YouTube. The majority follow the same formula of a group of teenagers getting scared by a gnome, and running away screaming. Daniel, Mauser. "Oh Gnomes! It's Our Top 5 Most Terrifying Gnome Videos". guanabee.com. Retrieved 2009-09-08. {{cite web}}: Text "Guanabee" ignored (help) </ref>

May 2007 Video

In this video, lasting only 16 seconds, a group of teenage males are playing football indoors when they are terrified by a 'gnome' that appears to be only a few inches tall.

October 2007 Video

Two males are playing football indoors, when they are terrified at a creature that runs along the floor.

March 2008 Video

In March 2008, a 'creepy gnome' who wears a pointy hat, that locals claim stalks the streets of General Guemes, Salta, Argentina, was caught on video by local teenagers on their mobile phone, led by Jose Alvarez, who commented on how he and some friends had encountered it one night.

File:Argentinian Gnome.jpg

Frame from the March 2008 Argentine Gnome video

"We were chatting about our last fishing trip. It was one in the morning. I began to film a bit with my mobile phone while the others were chatting and joking. Suddenly we heard something — a weird noise as if someone was throwing stones... We looked to one side and saw that the grass was moving. To begin with we thought it was a dog but when we saw this gnome-like figure begin to emerge we were really afraid... This is no joke. We are still afraid to go out — just like everyone else in the neighbourhood now... One of my friends was so scared after seeing that thing that we had to take him to the hospital."

The video quality is fairly blurred and dark. It goes from showing the teenagers chatting, to zooming in on something rustling about in some long grass several metres away. The creature then dashes across a field, running sideways, and this is filmed for a brief few seconds.

A second video, virtually identical to the first, but with certain distinct differences, was later released on the internet, confirming that two very similar, yet different, versions of the account were filmed, providing strong evidence that the video was faked.

October 2008 Video

On October, 2008, South America’s ‘creepy gnome’ or ‘midget monster’ had again caused panic among locals. The video was shot by Juan Carlos Roldan, his brother Javier and 5 friends, by the water fountain in Clodomira, Santiago del Estero, Argentina, and running down Avenue San Martin.

Gnomes in popular culture

Gnomes are often used in fantasy stories for their cunning roles, normally as an inventor. Other reasons that gnomes are used in many games and stories are because of their funny nature, appearance, and awkward behaviors, so Fantasy authors will sometimes employ gnomes, as elementals, in their fiction.

Gnomes In music

The Pink Floyd album, "The Piper at the Gates of Dawn" includes a song, "The Gnome".

The French Space rock band Gong released a series of concept albums entitled the Radio Gnome Invisible Trilogy, which featured gnomes as a major plot element.

The Floridan Progressive Rock Band Fringe have stated they will release a gnome themed folk rock album in 2015.

Gnomes In video games

Gnomes feature as a playable race in the MMORPG World of Warcraft. They are noted as being the smallest playable race in the game and having high intelligence, giving them an edge in engineering ingenuity.

See also

From a catalogue of garden ornaments. 1910.

• Christmas elf
• Dwarf
• Fairy
• Elf
• Elemental
• Erdgeist
• Gargoyle
• German folklore
• Gnoming
• Goblin
• Hob
• Heinzelmännchen/Hayntselmannke
• Kallikantzaroi
• Kabouter
• Kobold
• Leprechaun
• Pixie
• Puck
• Sprite
• Tomte/Nisse
• Troll
• Vetter
• Vedder

Other

• Plastic flamingos
• Garden Gnome
• Travelling Gnome Prank
• Gnome Liberation Front
• Gnomes of Zürich

Fiction

• Gnome, D&D
• Gnorc
• Kaliko
• Nome King
• The Secret Book of Gnomes
• The Smurfs

References

• Lewis, C. S. The Discarded Image. ISBN 0-512-47735-2. {{cite book}}: Check |isbn= value: checksum (help); Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)

External links

• 'Creepy gnome' terrorises town The Sun, March 11, 2008. Teenager Jose Alvarez records a "gnome" with his cell phone camera in General Guemes, Argentina. (Story received international coverage including a link on the Drudge Report Mar 11 2008. Update: A second video shot differently indicates this to be a hoax involving a marionette. See talk page.)
• Out of Work Lawn Gnome. A resource site on gnomes.
• Gnomos De Jardin Sin Fronteras (Garden Gnomes Sans Frontieres) organization Template:Sp icon