When someone says the word Gnome, most people think of the little ceramic garden gnome with the white beard and red hat. The traditional garden decoration was created in Germany during the mid-1800s and spread into France then England. Today gnomes don’t always look so traditional. Some wear sports attire, others carry welcome or go away signs. Begging the question where did gnomes come from? Are there other types no one talks about, a black sheep perhaps?
Mythology
Within mythology, gnomes have many names, appearances, and temperaments. Garden or farm gnomes are a helpful sort with a green thumb. They encourage a single plant or entire field, grow. These people are where the ceramic gnome came from.
Lesser known are house gnomes. As the name implies, they live in houses with humans; these gnomes are extremely friendly. They watch children and keep them out of trouble, sometimes clipping their nails. All house gnomes are fluent in human speech, and for some reason, this gives them the right to be gnome king.
Gnomes can also be found in deserts, forests, and mountains. These gnomes keep away from humans as much as possible. They tend to use camouflage to hide within their surroundings, blending in, like a moth clinging to the bark of a tree. These nature dwelling people are guardians of animal-kind.
Sharing Characteristics
The mountain gnomes guard caches of treasure and can cut a beautiful gem. These gnomes sound a bit like dwarves. There seems to be a blurry line in the mythos. Some Europen cultures see the dwarf and gnome as the same creature. Like dwarves, gnomes seem to be all male, or perhaps, the females have beards.
In Siberian cultures, gnomes interbreed more than others of their kind. They are often associating with trolls. The Siberian gnomes are much larger than the others and have a nasty nature, presumably because of troll influence. It is best to never pick on these people, as they love revenge.
Malicious temperments
In Latian America and the Philipines, gnomes can be dangerous, taking on the prankster temperament of a brownie, pixie, leprechaun, or goblin. They are uglier than their European cousins, adding to the fear children feel for them. These gnomes are called Duende.
Rumor has it if you sit on a coconut at midnight and whistle you will see one. It’s unclear if the Duende is simply visible when that ritual is performed, or if the whistle calls them to you. But from the tone of the rumormonger, whistling at midnight is dangerous, especially on the island of Hawaii.
Duende appear and behave differently from location to location; most are mischievous tricksters, playing pranks or stealing from the unwary. Some are malicious, cursing people or kidnaping small children. Even in this folklore, there are helpful Duende who guide the lost home.
Gnome Powers
Like ants, all gnomes are strong for their size, some claiming to be seven times stronger than a human. They can run thirty-five miles an hour and have better sight than a hawk. Europen gnomes are earth elementals, allowing them to go through the earth as quickly as humans walk on top of it. These powers help gnomes find wounded or dying animals which they feel they are responsible. Because of this, all animals will help a gnome in need.
Why add gnomes to your story
As you can see, gnomes have many fluid aspects of their character and appearance. In my opinion, they are an excellent choice to add to a story, the perfect wildcard. Because they don’t have a definition that everyone agrees on, they can be whatever you need them to be.
In Bloodstone, I included a gnome named Benny. He might have Duende blood, or he might be a friendly garden gnome, precisely as he appears. Only Benny knows.
You can find more information on Gnomes and Duende here:
https://mythology.net/mythical-creatures/gnome/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gnome
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duende
https://mysteriousuniverse.org/2017/11/scary-encounters-with-the-evil-gnomes-of-central-and-south-america/
All photos were downloaded from Unsplash. https://unsplash.com/