Gnome

The word comes from Renaissance Latin , (pl. ) which first appears in A Book on Nymphs, Sylphs, Pygmies, and Salamanders, and on the Other Spirits by Paracelsus, published posthumously in Nysa in 1566. The term may be an original invention of Paracelsus, possibly deriving the term from Latin , itself representing a Greek , approximated by "", literally "earth-dweller". This is characterized by the Oxford English Dictionary (OED) as a case of "blunder", presumably referring to the omission of the ē to arrive at gnomus. However, this conjectural derivation is not substantiated by any known prior attestation in literature, and one commentator suggests the truth will never be known, short of a discovery of correspondence from the author. ==Paracelsus==

Paracelsus uses Gnomi as a synonym of Pygmæi However the elementals eat, drink and talk (like humans), distinguishing them from spirits. According to Paracelsus's views, the so-called dwarf () is merely monstra (deformities) of the earth spirit gnome. Note that Paracelsus also frequently resorts to circumlocutions like "mountain people" (') or "mountain manikins" ("'" ) to denote the gnomi in the German edition (1567). ==Precursors==

There was a belief in early modern Germany about beings that lurked in the mines, known as (var. , ), equatable to what Paracelsus called "gnomes". Paracelsus's contemporary, Georgius Agricola, being a supervisor of mines, collected his well-versed knowledge of this mythical being in his monograph, De amantibus subterraneis (recté De animantibus subterraneis, 1549). The (corrected) title suggests the subject to be "subterranean animate beings". It was regarded as a treatise on the "Mountain spirit" ('''' by the Brothers Grimm, in Deutsche Sagen''. Agricola is the earliest and probably most reliable source on , then known as Bergmännlein, etc. Agricola's contemporary Johannes Mathesius, a Lutheran reformist theologian, in Sarepta Oder Bergpostill (1562) uses these various mine-lore terminology in his German sermon, so that the noxious ore which Agricola called is clarified as that which German miners called (also , ), and a demon the Germans called kobel was held responsible for the mischief of its existence, according to the preacher. The kobel demon was also blamed for the "" or horse's poison (cf. hippomanes, ). ==Agricola==

Georgius Agricola, in his earlier Latin work Bermanus, sive, de re metallica (first printed 1530, reprinted 1546, etc.), did delve into a limited discussion on the "metallurgical or mine demon" () touching on the "Corona rosacea" mine disaster (cf. ) and the framework of Psellosian demonology (cf. ). A Latin-German gloss in later editions identify the being he called as code for German (, "mountain manikin", general term for earth spirit or mine spirit). ore). and the OED which conjectured that the ore and the spirit / was the same word. An alternative etymology deriving ore from , a type of bucket mentioned by Agricola, has been suggested by Karl Müller-Fraureuth. with a separate frontispiece art labeled "8. Haußmänner/Kobolde/Gütgen" for the house spirits. ==Folklore examples==

The anecdote of the "Rosenkranz" mine localized in Saxony was already given above in . This and other near modern attestations are given in Wolfersdorf's anthology (1968) above. German lore regarding gnomes or (mine spirits) depicts them as beneficial creatures, at least if they are treated respectfully, and lead miners to rich veins of ore. Bergmönch of Harz and mine light The silver thaler minted by Duke Henry the Younger of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel (first minted 1539 and even before Hake, Agricola (1666) had been the first to write of a giant clad in a monk's habit roaming the Ore Mountains. ==Folkloristics==

Grimm discusses the Bergmännlein somewhat under the subsection of Dwarfs (Zwerge), arguing that the dwarf's Nebelkappe (known as Tarnkappe in the Nibelungenlied) slipped from being known as a cape or cloak covering the body in earlier times, into being thought of as caps or head coverings in the post-medieval era. As an example, he cites the Bergmännlein wearing a pointed hat, according to Rollenhagen's poem Froschmeuseler. As can be glimpsed by this example, the approach of Grimm's "" is to regard the lore of the various männlein or specifically Bergmännlein as essentially derivatives of the Zwerge/dvergr of pagan Germanic mythologies. In the 1960s there developed a general controversy between this "mythological school" and its opponents over how to interpret the so-called "miner's legends". What sparked the controversy was not over the Bergmännlein type tale per se, but over Grimms' "Three Miners of Kuttenberg", who are trapped underground but supernaturally maintain longevity through prayer. Siegfried Kube (1960) argued the tale was based on ancient mythology, i.e., pagan alpine worship. This was countered by (1961) who regarded the tale as inspired by medieval Catholic notion of the purgatory. Whereas Ina-Maria Greverus (1962), presented yet a different view, that it was not based on organized church doctrine, but a world-view and faith in the miner's unique microcosm. Greverus at least in her 1962 piece, centered her argument on the Berggeist (instead of Bergmännlein). Grimm also uses the Berggeist apparently as a type of Zwerg, but there has been issued a caveat that the meaning of the term Berggeist according to Grimm may not necessarily coincide with the meaning used by the proletarian Greverus. and Greverus's Bergbau und Bergmann (1967) amply discuss the Bergmännlein. The collection of tales under the classification of "Berggeist" was already anticipated as far back as Friedrich Wrubel (1883). Later published Bergmanns-Sagen (1954), a collection of miner's legends which basically adopted Wrubel's four-part classification, except Wrubel's Part 2 was retitled as one about "Bergmännlein". In Karl Müllenhoff's anthology (1845), legends No. 443 Das Glück der Grafen Ranzau and No. 444 Josias Ranzaus gefeites Schwert feature the Bergmännlein-männchen or its female form Bergfräuchen. Other collected works also bear "Berggeist-sagen" in the title, such as the collection of legends in Lower Saxony by Wolfersdorf (1968). == Cultural references ==

In Romanticism and modern fairy tales '', Carl Spitzweg, 1848 The English word is attested from the early 18th century. Gnomes are used in Alexander Pope's "The Rape of the Lock". De Villars used the term gnomide to refer to female gnomes (often "gnomid" in English translations). Modern fiction instead uses the word "gnomess" to refer to female gnomes. In 19th-century fiction, the chthonic gnome became a sort of antithesis to the more airy or luminous fairy. Nathaniel Hawthorne in Twice-Told Tales (1837) contrasts the two in "Small enough to be king of the fairies, and ugly enough to be king of the gnomes" (cited after OED). Similarly, gnomes are contrasted to elves, as in William Cullen Bryant's Little People of the Snow (1877), which has "let us have a tale of elves that ride by night, with jingling reins, or gnomes of the mine" (cited after OED). The Russian composer Mussorgsky produced a movement in his work Pictures at an Exhibition, (1874) named "Gnomus" (Latin for "The Gnome"). It is written to sound as if a gnome is moving about. Franz Hartmann in 1895 satirized materialism in an allegorical tale entitled Unter den Gnomen im Untersberg. The English translation appeared in 1896 as Among the Gnomes: An Occult Tale of Adventure in the Untersberg. In this story, the Gnomes are still clearly subterranean creatures, guarding treasures of gold within the Untersberg mountain. As a figure of 19th-century fairy tales, the term gnome became largely synonymous with other terms for "little people" by the 20th century, such as goblin, brownie, leprechaun and other instances of the household spirit type, losing its strict association with earth or the underground world. Modern fantasy literature • Creatures called gnomes have been used in the fantasy genre of fiction and later gaming since the mid-nineteenth century, typically in a cunning role, e.g. as an inventor. • In L. Frank Baum's Oz books (published 1900 to 1920), the Nomes (so spelled), especially their king, are the chief adversaries of the Oz people. They are ugly, hot-tempered, immortal, round-bodied creatures with spindly limbs, long beards and wild hair, militantly collecting and protecting jewels and precious metals underground. (After Baum's death, Ruth Plumly Thompson, who continued the series -- from 1921 to 1976 -- also used the creatures, but reverted to the traditional spelling.) For his part, Baum also featured gnomes in his book The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus. They watch over the rocks, their king is part of the Council of Immortals, and they created the sleigh bells for Santa Claus's reindeer. • J. R. R. Tolkien, in the legendarium (created 1914 to 1973) surrounding his Elves, uses "Gnomes" as the initial- but later dropped- name of the Noldor, the most gifted and technologically minded of his elvish races, in conscious exploitation of the similarity with the word gnomic. Gnome is thus Tolkien's English loan-translation of the Quenya word Noldo (plural Noldor), "those with knowledge". Tolkien's "Gnomes" are generally tall, beautiful, dark-haired, light-skinned, immortal, and wise. They are also proud, violent, and unduly admire their own creations, particularly their gemstones. Many live in cities below ground (Nargothrond) or in secluded mountain fortresses (Gondolin). He uses "Gnomes" to refer to both males and females. In The Father Christmas Letters (between 1920 and 1942), which Tolkien wrote for his children, Red Gnomes are presented as helpful creatures who come from Norway to the North Pole to assist Father Christmas and his Elves in fighting the wicked Goblins. • BB's The Little Grey Men (1942) is a story of the last gnomes in England, little wild men who live by hunting and fishing. • In C. S. Lewis's The Chronicles of Narnia (created 1950 to 1956), the gnomes are sometimes called "Earthmen". They live in the Underland, a series of caverns. Unlike the traditional, more human-like gnomes, they can have a wide variety of physical features and skin colours where some of them are either standing at 1 ft or being taller than humans. They are used as slaves by the Lady of the Green Kirtle until her defeat, at which point they return to their true home, the much deeper (and hotter) underground realm of Bism. • The Dutch books Gnomes (1976) and Secrets of the Gnomes (1982), written by Wil Huygen, deal with gnomes living together in harmony. These same books are the basis for a made-for-TV animated film and the Spanish-animated series The World of David the Gnome (as well as the spin-off Wisdom of the Gnomes). The word "gnome", in this case, is used in place of the Dutch kabouter. • In J. K. Rowling's Harry Potter series (created 1997 to 2007), gnomes are pests that inhabit the gardens of witches and wizards. They are small creatures with heads that look like potatoes on small stubby bodies. Gnomes are generally considered harmless but mischievous and may bite with sharp teeth. In the books, it is stated that the Weasleys are lenient to gnomes, and tolerate their presence, preferring to throw them out of the garden rather than more extreme measures. • In ''A. Yoshinobu's Sorcerous Stabber Orphen, the European concept of a gnome is used in order to introduce the Far Eastern notion of the Koropokkuru'', a mythical indigenous race of small people: gnomes are a persecuted minority banned from learning wizardry and attending magical schools. • In Terry Brooks' Shannara series (created 1977 to 2017), gnomes are an offshoot race created after the Great Wars. There are several distinctive classes of gnomes. Gnomes are the smallest race. In The Sword of Shannara they are considered to be tribal and warlike, the one race that can be the most easily subverted to an evil cause. This is evidenced by their allegiance to the Warlock Lord in The Sword of Shannara and to the Mord Wraiths in The Wishsong of Shannara. • Terry Pratchett included gnomes in his Discworld series. Gnomes were six inches in height but quite strong, often inflicting pain upon anyone underestimating them. One prominent gnome became a Watchman in Ankh-Morpork as the force became more diversified under the command of Sam Vimes, with Buggy Swires appearing in Jingo. Another gnome in the series was Wee Mad Arthur a pest terminator in Feet of Clay. Music • One of the first movements in Mussorgsky's 1874 work Pictures at an Exhibition is named "Gnomus" (Latin for "The Gnome"). It is written to sound as if a gnome is moving about, his movements constantly changing in speed. • "The Laughing Gnome" is a song by English musician David Bowie, released as a single in 1967. It became a hit when reissued in 1973, in the wake of Bowie's commercial success. • The 1970 album All Things Must Pass by English musician George Harrison has a cover image of the musician sitting among a group of garden gnomes. • "The Gnome" is a song by Pink Floyd on their 1967 album The Piper at the Gates of Dawn. It is about a gnome named Grimble Grumble. Games • In the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, gnomes are one of the core races available for play as player characters. They are described as being smaller than dwarves and large-nosed. They have an affinity with small animals and a particular interest in gemstones. Depending on setting and subrace, they may also have a natural skill with illusion magic or engineering. • In the Warcraft franchise (1994 to present), particularly as featured in the massively multiplayer online role-playing game World of Warcraft, gnomes are a race of beings separate from but allied to dwarves and humans, with whom they share the lands of the Eastern Kingdoms. Crafty, intelligent, and smaller than their dwarven brethren, gnomes are one of two races in Azeroth regarded as technologically savvy. It is suggested in lore that the gnomes originally were mechanical creations that at some point became organic lifeforms. In World of Warcraft, gnomes are an exile race, having irradiated their home city of Gnomeregan in an unsuccessful last-ditch effort to drive out marauding foes. • in the RuneScape franchise (2001 to present ), gnomes are featured as NPCs, with the Tree Gnome Village, and Gnome Stronghold, being featured in a number of quests. A Gnome child NPC has since become a meme, and is featured on a number of merchandise items. Movies • The 1967 Walt Disney movie The Gnome-Mobile • The 2011 animated movie Gnomeo & Juliet • The 2018 animated movie Sherlock Gnomes featured gnomish versions of several classic Sherlock Holmes characters. TV Shows • The Disney+ Series The Santa Clauses • The Little Troll Prince features the troll prince Bu, turning into a gnome and gnomes by the end of the special • David the Gnome, The Wisdom of Gnomes and The New World Of the Gnomes • Scooby-Doo! Mystery Incorporated episode "The Grasp of the Gnome" • Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl , a 2024 British stop motion animated comedy film produced by Aardman Animations and the BBC released for Christmas features a large number of robotic garden gnomes. ==Derivative uses==

Garden gnomes After World War II (with early references, in ironic use, from the late 1930s) the diminutive figurines introduced as lawn ornaments during the 19th century came to be known as garden gnomes. The image of the gnome changed further during the 1960s to 1970s, when the first plastic garden gnomes were manufactured. These gnomes followed the style of the 1937 depiction of the seven dwarves in Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs by Disney. This "Disneyfied" image of the gnome was built upon by the illustrated children's book classic Gnomes (1976), in the original Dutch Leven en werken van de Kabouter, by author Wil Huygen and artist Rien Poortvliet, followed in 1981 by The Secret Book of Gnomes. Garden gnomes share a resemblance to the Scandinavian tomte and nisse, and the Swedish term "tomte" can be translated as "gnome" in English. Gnome-themed parks , Poland|alt= Several gnome themed entertainment parks exist. Notable ones are: • The Gnome Reserve, at West Putford near Bradworthy in North Devon, United Kingdom • Gnomeland, at Watermouth Castle in Berrynarbor, North Devon, United Kingdom • Gnome Magic Garden, at Colchester, United Kingdom • Gnometown, USA in Dawson, Minnesota, United States • The Gnome Village, at Efteling theme park in Kaatsheuvel, Netherlands • Zwergen-Park Trusetal, in Trusetal, Germany • Gnom's Park in Nowa Sól, Poland. Gnome parades Gnome parades are held annually at Atlanta's Inman Park Festival. Numerous one-off gnome parades have been held, including in Savannah, Georgia (April 2012) and Cleveland, Ohio (May 2011). Metaphorical uses • The expression "Gnomes of Zurich", Swiss bankers pictured as diminutive creatures hoarding gold in subterranean vaults, was derived from a speech in 1956 by Harold Wilson, and gained currency in the 1960s (OED notes the New Statesman issue of 27 November 1964 as earliest attestation). • Architect Earl Young built a number of stone houses in Charlevoix, Michigan, that have been referred to as gnome homes. • A user of Wikipedia or any wiki who makes useful incremental edits without clamouring for attention is called a WikiGnome. ==See also==