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A gnome is a
mythological creature A legendary creature (also mythical or mythological creature) is a type of fictional entity, typically a hybrid, that has not been proven and that is described in folklore (including myths and legends), but may be featured in historical accou ...
and diminutive spirit in Renaissance magic and
alchemy Alchemy (from Arabic: ''al-kīmiyā''; from Ancient Greek: χυμεία, ''khumeía'') is an ancient branch of natural philosophy, a philosophical and protoscientific tradition that was historically practiced in China, India, the Muslim wo ...
, first introduced by
Paracelsus Paracelsus (; ; 1493 – 24 September 1541), born Theophrastus von Hohenheim (full name Philippus Aureolus Theophrastus Bombastus von Hohenheim), was a Swiss physician, alchemist, lay theologian, and philosopher of the German Renaissance. He ...
in the 16th century and later adopted by more recent authors including those of modern fantasy literature. Its characteristics have been reinterpreted to suit the needs of various story tellers, but it is typically said to be a small humanoid that lives underground. Diminutive statues of gnomes introduced as lawn ornaments during the 19th century grew in popularity during the 20th century and came to be known as garden gnomes.


History


Origins

The word comes from Renaissance Latin ''gnomus'', which first appears in ''
A Book on Nymphs, Sylphs, Pygmies, and Salamanders, and on the Other Spirits ''A Book on Nymphs, Sylphs, Pygmies, and Salamanders, and on the Other Spirits'' ( la, Ex Libro de Nymphis, Sylvanis, Pygmaeis, Salamandris et Gigantibus, etc) is a treatise by the Swiss lay theologian and philosopher Paracelsus, published posthumo ...
'' by
Paracelsus Paracelsus (; ; 1493 – 24 September 1541), born Theophrastus von Hohenheim (full name Philippus Aureolus Theophrastus Bombastus von Hohenheim), was a Swiss physician, alchemist, lay theologian, and philosopher of the German Renaissance. He ...
, published posthumously in Nysa in 1566 (and again in the Johannes Huser edition of 1589–1591 from an autograph by Paracelsus). The term may be an original invention of Paracelsus, possibly deriving the term from Latin ''gēnomos'' (itself representing a Greek , approximately "gē-nomos", literally "earth-dweller"). In this case, the omission of the ''ē'' is referred to as a blunder by the
Oxford English Dictionary The ''Oxford English Dictionary'' (''OED'') is the first and foundational historical dictionary of the English language, published by Oxford University Press (OUP). It traces the historical development of the English language, providing a c ...
(OED). Paracelsus uses ''Gnomi'' as a synonym of ''
Pygmæi The Pygmies ( grc-gre, Πυγμαῖοι ''Pygmaioi'', from the adjective πυγμαῖος, from the noun πυγμή ''pygmē'' "fist, boxing, distance from elbow to knuckles," from the adverb πύξ ''pyx'' "with the fist") were a tribe of dimin ...
'' and classifies them as earth elementals. He describes them as two spans high, very reluctant to interact with humans, and able to move through solid earth as easily as humans move through air. The chthonic or earth-dwelling spirit has precedents in numerous ancient and medieval mythologies, often guarding mines and precious underground treasures, notably in the Germanic dwarfs and the Greek Chalybes, Telchines or Dactyls. The gnomes of Swiss folklore follow this template, as they are said to have caused the landslide that destroyed the Swiss village of Plurs in 1618 - the villagers had become wealthy from a local gold mine created by the gnomes, who poured liquid gold down into a
vein Veins are blood vessels in humans and most other animals that carry blood towards the heart. Most veins carry deoxygenated blood from the tissues back to the heart; exceptions are the pulmonary and umbilical veins, both of which carry oxygenated ...
for the benefit of humans, and were corrupted by this newfound prosperity, which greatly offended the gnomes.


Cultural references


In Romanticism and modern fairy tales

The English word is attested from the early 18th century. Gnomes are used in
Alexander Pope Alexander Pope (21 May 1688 O.S. – 30 May 1744) was an English poet, translator, and satirist of the Enlightenment era who is considered one of the most prominent English poets of the early 18th century. An exponent of Augustan literature, ...
's " The Rape of the Lock". The creatures from this mock-epic are small, celestial creatures which were prudish women in their past lives, and now spend all of eternity looking out for prudish women (in parallel to the guardian angels in Catholic belief). Other uses of the term ''gnome'' remain obscure until the early 19th century, when it is taken up by authors of Romanticist collections of
fairy tale A fairy tale (alternative names include fairytale, fairy story, magic tale, or wonder tale) is a short story that belongs to the folklore genre. Such stories typically feature magic, enchantments, and mythical or fanciful beings. In most cult ...
s and becomes mostly synonymous with the older word '' goblin''. Pope's stated source, the 1670 French satire '' Comte de Gabalis'' by Nicolas-Pierre-Henri de Montfaucon de Villars, the
abbot Abbot is an ecclesiastical title given to the male head of a monastery in various Western religious traditions, including Christianity. The office may also be given as an honorary title to a clergyman who is not the head of a monastery. Th ...
of Villars, describes gnomes as such:
"The Earth is filled almost to the center with ''Gnomes'' or ''Pharyes'', a people of small stature, the guardians of treasures, of mines, and of precious stones. They are ingenious, friends of men, and easie (sic) to be commandded (sic). They furnish the children of the ''Sages'' with as much money, as they have need of; and never ask any other reward of their services, than the glory of being commanded. The ''Gnomides'' or wives of these ''Gnomes'' or ''Pharyes'', are little, but very handsom (sic); and their habit marvellously (sic) curious."
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 A fairy (also fay, fae, fey, fair folk, or faerie) is a type of mythical being or legendary creature found in the folklore of multiple European cultures (including Celtic, Slavic, Germanic, English, and French folklore), a form of spirit, ...
.
Nathaniel Hawthorne Nathaniel Hawthorne (July 4, 1804 – May 19, 1864) was an American novelist and short story writer. His works often focus on history, morality, and religion. He was born in 1804 in Salem, Massachusetts, from a family long associated with that t ...
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 An elf () is a type of humanoid supernatural being in Germanic mythology and folklore. Elves appear especially in North Germanic mythology. They are subsequently mentioned in Snorri Sturluson's Icelandic Prose Edda. He distinguishes ...
, 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 Modest Petrovich Mussorgsky ( rus, link=no, Модест Петрович Мусоргский, Modest Petrovich Musorgsky , mɐˈdɛst pʲɪˈtrovʲɪtɕ ˈmusərkskʲɪj, Ru-Modest Petrovich Mussorgsky version.ogg; – ) was a Russian compo ...
produced a movement in his work '' Pictures at an Exhibition'', (1874) named "Gnomus" (
Latin Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic languages, Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through ...
for "The Gnome"). It is written to sound as if a gnome is moving about.
Franz Hartmann Franz Hartmann (22 November 1838, Donauwörth – 7 August 1912, Kempten im Allgäu) was a German medical doctor, theosophist, occultist, geomancer, astrologer, and author. Biography Hartmann was an associate of Helena Blavatsky and was C ...
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 tale A fairy tale (alternative names include fairytale, fairy story, magic tale, or wonder tale) is a short story that belongs to the folklore genre. Such stories typically feature magic, enchantments, and mythical or fanciful beings. In most cult ...
s, 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 Fantasy is a genre of speculative fiction involving magical elements, typically set in a fictional universe and sometimes inspired by mythology and folklore. Its roots are in oral traditions, which then became fantasy literature and d ...
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 with spindly legs and arms, have long beards and wild hair, live underground, and are the militant protectors/hoarders of jewels and precious metals. Baum does not depict any female gnomes. Ruth Plumly Thompson, who continued the series (1921 to 1976) after Baum's death, reverted to the traditional spelling. ** L. Frank Baum also featured the classical gnomes in his book '' The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus''. They are in charge of watching over the rocks and their king is part of the Council of Immortals. In addition, they also created the sleigh bells for Santa Claus'
reindeer Reindeer (in North American English, known as caribou if wild and ''reindeer'' if domesticated) are deer in the genus ''Rangifer''. For the last few decades, reindeer were assigned to one species, ''Rangifer tarandus'', with about 10 subs ...
. * J. R. R. Tolkien, in the legendarium (created 1914 to 1973) surrounding his
Elves An elf () is a type of humanoid supernatural being in Germanic mythology and folklore. Elves appear especially in North Germanic mythology. They are subsequently mentioned in Snorri Sturluson's Icelandic Prose Edda. He distinguishes ...
, 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 Gnomic may refer to: * Gnomic aspect, a grammatical mood or tense expressing a general truth * Gnomic will, a concept in Eastern Orthodox theology * Gnomic poetry, a poetic form * A Gnome (rhetoric) or gnomic saying See also * Gnomon * Gnomonic ...
''. ''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 typically wise but suffer from pride, tend towards violence, and have an overweening love of the works of their own hands, particularly gemstones. Many of them 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 ''The Father Christmas Letters'', also known as ''Letters from Father Christmas'', are a collection of letters written and illustrated by J. R. R. Tolkien between 1920 and 1943 for his children, from Father Christmas. They were released posthumo ...
'' (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 ''The Little Grey Men: A story for the young in heart'' is a children's fantasy novel written by Denys Watkins-Pitchford under the pen name "BB" and illustrated by the author under his real name. It was first published by Eyre & Spottiswoode in 19 ...
'' (1942) is a story of the last gnomes in England, little wild men who live by hunting and fishing. * In
C. S. Lewis Clive Staples Lewis (29 November 1898 – 22 November 1963) was a British writer and Anglican lay theologian. He held academic positions in English literature at both Oxford University (Magdalen College, 1925–1954) and Cambridge Univer ...
's '' The Chronicles of Narnia'' (created 1950 to 1956), the gnomes are sometimes called "Earthmen". They live in the
Underland Underland may refer to: Literature * ''Underland'' (book), a 2019 non-fiction book by Robert Macfarlane * Underland (Narnia), the name for all the land under the fictional world of Narnia in the 1953 book ''The Silver Chair'' by C. S. L ...
, a series of caverns. Unlike the traditional, more human-like gnomes, they can have a wide variety of physical features and skin colours. 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 '' The Secret Book of Gnomes'' (1984), written by
Wil Huygen Wil (Willibrord Joseph) Huygen (23 June 1922  – 14 January 2009) was a Dutch book author. He is best known for the picture books on gnomes, illustrated by Rien Poortvliet. Huygen was born in Amersfoort Amersfoort () is a city and mun ...
, 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 ''Wisdom of the Gnomes'' ( es, La llamada de los gnomos, literally "Call of the gnomes") is an animated series produced by Spanish company BRB Internacional and Televisión Española about Gnomes. It was a spin-off of the series '' The World of Dav ...
''). The word "gnome", in this case, is used in place of the Dutch
kabouter Kabouter is the Dutch word for gnome or leprechaun. In folklore, the Dutch Kabouters are akin to the Irish Leprechaun, Scandinavian Tomte or Nisse, the English Hob, the Scottish Brownie and the German Klabauter or kobold. In the folklore o ...
. * In the '' Warcraft'' franchise (1994 to present), particularly as featured in the massively multiplayer online role-playing game ''
World of Warcraft ''World of Warcraft'' (''WoW'') is a massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) released in 2004 by Blizzard Entertainment. Set in the '' Warcraft'' fantasy universe, ''World of Warcraft'' takes place within the world of Azer ...
'', 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 J. K. Rowling's ''
Harry Potter ''Harry Potter'' is a series of seven fantasy novels written by British author J. K. Rowling. The novels chronicle the lives of a young wizard, Harry Potter, and his friends Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley, all of whom are students at ...
'' 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 Ronald Bilius Weasley is a fictional character in J. K. Rowling's ''Harry Potter'' fantasy novel series. His first appearance was in the first book of the series, ''Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone'', as the best friend of Harry Potter ...
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 prosecuted minority banned from learning wizardry and attending magical schools. * In Terry Brooks' ''
Shannara ''Shannara'' is a series of high fantasy novels written by Terry Brooks, beginning with ''The Sword of Shannara'' in 1977 and concluding with ''The Last Druid'' which was released in October 2020; there is also a prequel, '' First King of Shan ...
'' 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 ''The Wishsong of Shannara'' is an epic fantasy novel by American writer Terry Brooks. It is the final novel in the Original Shannara Trilogy, with the other two being '' The Sword of Shannara'' and '' The Elfstones of Shannara''. The story revo ...
''. * 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 His Grace, The Duke of Ankh, Commander Sir Samuel "Sam" Vimes is a fictional character in Terry Pratchett's '' Discworld'' series. Vimes is depicted in the novels as somewhere between an Inspector Morse-type 'old-school' British policeman, a ...
, 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 Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic languages, Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through ...
for "The Gnome"). It is written to sound as if a gnome is moving about, his movements constantly changing in speed. * "
The Laughing Gnome "The Laughing Gnome" is a song by English singer David Bowie, released as a single on 14 April 1967. A pastiche of songs by one of Bowie's early influences, Anthony Newley, it was originally released as a novelty single on Deram Records in 1967 ...
" is a song by English musician
David Bowie David Robert Jones (8 January 194710 January 2016), known professionally as David Bowie ( ), was an English singer-songwriter and actor. A leading figure in the music industry, he is regarded as one of the most influential musicians of the ...
, 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 George Harrison (25 February 1943 – 29 November 2001) was an English musician and singer-songwriter who achieved international fame as the lead guitarist of the Beatles. Sometimes called "the quiet Beatle", Harrison embraced Indian c ...
has a cover image of the musician sitting among a group of garden gnomes. * "
The Gnome "The Gnome" is a song by the English rock band Pink Floyd. Written by Syd Barrett, it is the eighth song on their 1967 debut album, '' The Piper at the Gates of Dawn''. The song takes place in a fictional gnome world from the perspective of ...
" is a song by
Pink Floyd Pink Floyd are an English rock band formed in London in 1965. Gaining an early following as one of the first British psychedelic groups, they were distinguished by their extended compositions, sonic experimentation, philosophical lyrics an ...
on their 1967 album '' The Piper at the Gates of Dawn''. It is about a gnome named Grimble Gromble.


Games

* In the '' Dungeons & Dragons''
fantasy Fantasy is a genre of speculative fiction involving magical elements, typically set in a fictional universe and sometimes inspired by mythology and folklore. Its roots are in oral traditions, which then became fantasy literature and d ...
role-playing game A role-playing game (sometimes spelled roleplaying game, RPG) is a game in which players assume the roles of characters in a fictional setting. Players take responsibility for acting out these roles within a narrative, either through literal ac ...
, 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.


Movies

The 1967 Walt Disney movie '' The Gnome-Mobile'' The 2011 animated movie ''
Gnomeo & Juliet ''Gnomeo & Juliet'' is a 2011 computer-animated romantic comedy film directed by Kelly Asbury from a screenplay by Rob Sprackling and John Smith. It is loosely based on the play ''Romeo and Juliet'' by William Shakespeare and features the voice ...
'' The 2018 animated movie '' Sherlock Gnomes'' featured gnomish versions of several classic
Sherlock Holmes Sherlock Holmes () is a fictional detective created by British author Arthur Conan Doyle. Referring to himself as a " consulting detective" in the stories, Holmes is known for his proficiency with observation, deduction, forensic science and ...
characters.


Derivative uses


Garden gnomes

After
World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...
(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 "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs" is a 19th-century German fairy tale that is today known widely across the Western world. The Brothers Grimm published it in 1812 in the first edition of their collection '' Grimms' Fairy Tales'' and numbered as ...
'' by
Disney The Walt Disney Company, commonly known as Disney (), is an American multinational mass media and entertainment conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios complex in Burbank, California. Disney was originally founded on October ...
. This " Disneyfied" image of the gnome was built upon by the illustrated children's book classic '' The Secret Book of Gnomes'' (1976), in the original Dutch ''Leven en werken van de
Kabouter Kabouter is the Dutch word for gnome or leprechaun. In folklore, the Dutch Kabouters are akin to the Irish Leprechaun, Scandinavian Tomte or Nisse, the English Hob, the Scottish Brownie and the German Klabauter or kobold. In the folklore o ...
''. 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

Several gnome themed entertainment parks exist. Notable ones are: * The Gnome Reserve, at
West Putford West Putford is a small settlement and civil parish in the local government district of Torridge, Devon, England. The parish, which lies about north of the town of Holsworthy, is surrounded clockwise from the north by the parishes of East Pu ...
near
Bradworthy Bradworthy is a village and civil parish in Devon, England. The village is close to the site of the first wind turbines in Devon, erected in 2005. Bradworthy has the largest village square in England. The civil parish is bordered by the Devon p ...
in North Devon, United Kingdom * Gnomeland, at
Watermouth Castle Watermouth Castle is a building in Watermouth, near Ilfracombe, North Devon, England, designed by George Wightwick as a residence for the Bassett family in the mid-19th century and is not a true castle but a country house built to resemble one. ...
in
Berrynarbor Berrynarbor (historically Berry Narbor, Berrie Nerbert, etc) is a village, civil parish and former manor in the North Devon district of Devon, England. According to the 2001 census the parish had a population of 749, increasing to 802 at th ...
, North Devon, United Kingdom * Gnome Magic Garden, at
Colchester Colchester ( ) is a city in Essex, in the East of England. It had a population of 122,000 in 2011. The demonym is Colcestrian. Colchester occupies the site of Camulodunum, the first major city in Roman Britain and its first capital. Colch ...
, United Kingdom *Gnome Park, 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 Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,7 ...
's
Inman Park Inman Park is an intown neighborhood on the east side of Atlanta, Georgia, and its first planned suburb. It was named for Samuel M. Inman. History Today's neighborhood of Inman Park includes areas that were originally designated * Inman Park ...
Festival. Numerous one-off gnome parades have been held, including in
Savannah, Georgia Savannah ( ) is the oldest city in the U.S. state of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia and is the county seat of Chatham County, Georgia, Chatham County. Established in 1733 on the Savannah River, the city of Savannah became the Kingdom of Great Br ...
(April 2012) and
Cleveland, Ohio Cleveland ( ), officially the City of Cleveland, is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Cuyahoga County. Located in the northeastern part of the state, it is situated along the southern shore of Lake Erie, across the U.S ...
(May 2011).


Metaphorical uses

* The expression "
Gnomes of Zürich Gnomes of Zürich is a slang term for Swiss bankers. Swiss bankers are popularly associated with extremely secretive policies, while gnomes in fairy tales live underground, in secret, counting their riches. Zürich is the commercial centre of ...
", Swiss bankers pictured as diminutive creatures hoarding gold in subterranean vaults, was derived from a speech in 1956 by
Harold Wilson James Harold Wilson, Baron Wilson of Rievaulx, (11 March 1916 – 24 May 1995) was a British politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom twice, from October 1964 to June 1970, and again from March 1974 to April 1976. He ...
, and gained currency in the 1960s ( OED notes the ''
New Statesman The ''New Statesman'' is a British political and cultural magazine published in London. Founded as a weekly review of politics and literature on 12 April 1913, it was at first connected with Sidney and Beatrice Webb and other leading members ...
'' 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

*
Erdgeist Erdgeist is the Spirit of the Earth whom Johann Wolfgang von Goethe describes in ''Faust, Part 1''. 'Du, Geist der Erde, bist mir näher; schon fühl ich meine Kräfte höher,...Goethe depicts Erdgeist as a timeless being who endlessly weaves at t ...
*
Garden hermit Garden hermits or ornamental hermits were hermits (solitaries) encouraged to live in purpose-built hermitages, follies, grottoes, or rockeries on the estates of wealthy landowners, primarily during the 18th century. Such hermits would be encourag ...
*
Gnome (Dungeons & Dragons) In the ''Dungeons & Dragons'' fantasy role-playing game, gnomes are one of the core races available for play as player characters. Some speculate that they are closely related to dwarves; however, gnomes are smaller and more tolerant of othe ...
*
Wrocław's dwarfs Wrocław’s gnomes ( pl, krasnale) are small figurines (20-30 cm) that first appeared in the streets of Wrocław, Poland in 2005. Since then, their numbers have been continually growing, and today they are considered a tourist attraction: th ...
*
Travelling gnome The travelling gnome or roaming gnome is a garden gnome lawn ornament brought on a trip and photographed in front of famous landmarks. The practice is called gnoming. Some instances have become national and international news stories, where peop ...


References

{{Authority control 16th-century introductions Earth spirits Elementals Mining folklore Household deities