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A gnome is a mythical creature characterized by its extremely small size and subterranean free lifestyle.
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".In European folklore, gnomes are dwarfish, subterranean goblins or earth spirits, who guard deep mines of precious treasures. They are represented in medieval mythologies as small, physically deformed creatures resembling old men. Gob, the king of the gnome race, ruled with a magic sword and is said to have influenced the melancholic temperament of man.
The term was popularised through works of the 16th-century Swiss alchemist Paracelsus in which gnomes were described as capable of moving through solid earth as fish move through water.
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Gnome Away from Home
Gnome Away from Home
Amazon Price: $7.99 (as of 07/10/2009)
From Travelocity's Roaming Gnome commercial to Paris Hilton's famous People magazine gnome photo to the movie Amelie's wayward gnome, traveling the countryside is the hottest trend in gnome culture. Gnome Away from Home celebrates this latest craze with a mini traveling gnome figurine and a booklet of gnome travel tips, travel lore, and gnome history. The perfect quirky gift, Gnome Away from Home is a fun and hilarious tribute to the "roaming gnome" phenomenon and is sure to answer all your burning gnome questions!
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Paracelsus
Gnomey info
Died Sept. 24, 1541, Salzburg, Austria.
Known more formally as Philippus Aureolus Theophrastus Bombastus Von Hohenheim.
He was a German-Swiss physician and alchemist who established the role of chemistry in medicine. He published Der grossen Wundartzney ("Great Surgery Book") in 1536 and a clinical description of syphilis in 1530(!)
Paracelsus famously associated a different being with each of the four elements (earth, air, fire, and water) - These being gnomes, sylphs, salamanders and undines...
Are garden gnomes cool?
Have your say!
Are garden gnomes a cool accessory or tatty gimmick...
Fetching blurbs now... please stand byGnomes are for people with a sense of humour, who don't care what others think.
The_Homeopath says:
I don't understand the question. You mean there are gardens in the world WITHOUT gnomes? That's ridiculous. You can't have a proper garden without gnomes!
Posted July 08, 2008
Hillandglen says:
Geez. They're just a bit of fun. There's other things in the world to worry about...
Posted June 05, 2008
Gnomes are for people with no taste, who think they're a bit off-the-wall.
The Mooning Garden Gnome
Folklore
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, tomten in Sweden, 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. 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.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.
There's gnome limits...
Your garden will be mine!
Garden gnomes
The first garden gnomes were made in Gräfenroda, a town known for its ceramics in Thuringia, Germany in the mid-1800s. August Heissner and Phillip Griebel both 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. 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. 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.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 resins and similar materials.
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.
Garden gnomes have become a popular accessory in many gardens. 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").
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.
Gnome pics
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Basil's Well
GNOME 1, 2, 3
GNOME 1, 2, 3
GNOME 1, 2, 3
GUADEC 2009
1940s 016
IMG_7002
Vincent Untz @ openS...
You don't know what...
Fedora Picado a Mac...
Nepalese Gnome
In the Herb Garden
A Fine Catch
Paring the Parsley
Gnome central anagram
Gnome central becomes 'Not clean germ'.
Ahh, those dirty gnomey feet!
All the gnome shall be yours!
Wee Little Garden Gnome (Running Press Miniature Editions) by Alison Trulock
Following the success of our popular Pink Flamingo more...1 point
Gnomes 30th Anniversary Edition by Wil Huygen
Gnomes is the product of Rien Poortvliet and Wil H more...1 point
Gnome and Garden: A Gnovelty Kit by Marcus Mennes
To some, they are symbols of luck and hope. To oth more...1 point
Echo Valley Hiking Solar Gnome
Hiking Solar Gnome Full color natural finish. Poly more...1 point
Squatting Garden Gnome
Hilarious Garden GnomesWho needs those boring litt more...1 point
Solar Gnome Checkers
Checkers Game Solar GnomesFull color natural finis more...1 point
"Welcome" Garden Gnome
Straight out of your favorite storybook, this prec more...1 point
Fairies Gnomes & Trolls: Create A Fantasy World in Polymer Clay by Maureen Carlson
A world of polymer clay magic, all in one book! Fe more...1 point
Gnome Jack In The Box
The classic toy with a gnome. Tin box with plush p more...1 point
"ON STRIKE" GARDEN GNOME B37-095
CUTE MR. GNOME STANDS UP--OR LAYS DOWN!--FOR HIS R more...1 point
Gnome and Garden: A Gnovelty Kit by Marcus Mennes
To some, they are symbols of luck and hope. To oth more...1 point
Gnome Key Rack
Need a fun new place to hang the keys? This friend more...1 point
Gnomey news
Updated every 30 minutes
- Vote for the Roaming Gnome
- Travelocity's roaming gnome is making quite a name for his inanimate self. They've started a funny little webpage where you can vote as to where the gnome ...
- Obama to tap gnome project lead for NIH
- Francis Collins, director of the National Human Genome Research Institute, was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in the East Room of the White House ...
- LAS VEGAS EDGES ATLANTIC CITY IN ROAMING GNOME TEST
- As a result, the gnome, which represents the website in TV ads, will make a physical visit to Las Vegas while the website will feature upcoming discounts to ...
- Chrome OS gets a second look by Gruber
- The hope, then, is that Chrome OS will avoid the uncanny valley effect of KDE and Gnome, two windowing environments for Linux which try, vainly, ...
Gnomic poetry
Gnomes appear frequently in Old English epic and lyric poetry. In Beowulf they are often interjected into the narrative, drawing a moral from the hero's actions with such phrases as "Thus a man ought to act."
Gnomey names
* Andorra - Gnom, Follet* Belgium - Gnoom, Kabouter
* Bosnia and Herzegovina - Gnom, Patuljak
* Brittany - Korrigan
* Croatia - Patuljak, Gnom, Polutan
* Denmark - Nisse
* England - Gnome or Hob
* Finland - Maahinen or menninkäinen
* Germany - Gnom or Wichtel, though K(l)abauter is a known term as well. Gartenzwerg refers to a Garden Gnome
* Greece - Gnomos, Gnomiko
* Hungary - Manó
* Iceland - Álfur or Dvergur
* Ireland - Gnome, Goblin
* Italy - Gnomo (in Salento it's called Scazzamurreddhu)
* Malta - Nanu
* The Netherlands - Kabouter, Dwerg
* Norway - Nisse
* Poland - Krasnoludek, Skrzat, Gnom
* Portugal - Gnomo, Duende
* Romania - Gnom, Pitic
* Serbia -
* Slovenia - Kepec, Gnom
* Spain - Gnomo, Duende
* Sweden - Tomtenisse, Hustomte, Tomte or Småtomte
* Turkey - Cüce
"Time to dig another hole I guess?..."
My own gnome
What about the Dwarfs?
Short and powerfully built, Dwarfs are generally bearded and aged in appearance, although this is because they reach maturity when only three years old - and are grey bearded by the time they are seven. Their homes are the mountains of Germany and Scandinavia, where they mine for precious metals to work into arms and armour, and other artifacts which can be enchanted with special properties. It was the dwarfs who fashioned Miolnir (the hammer of Thor), the spear Gungnir, the necklace Brisinga-men of Freya and many other marvels, including a new head of hair for Thor's wife, Sif, and a rope as slender as a thread yet strong enough to bind the giant wolf Fenris... Note:
Dwarfs are extremely sensitive about showing their feet to anyone because they usually have some kind of deformity. They may be, for example, shaped like those of a crow or goose or even point backwards. This is why dwarfs wear clothes that reach down to the ground.
Dwarfs...
...cannot appear above the ground during the day. One ray of sunlight would turn them to stone. According to some accounts they spend the daylight hours as toads.
A Duergar* tale
*Malicious, ugly dwarf from the north of England
Once upon a time, a traveller, lost in bad weather, saw a glimmering light a short distance away. He found an old stone hut being lit by a dying fire. On either side of the fire were two logs. He sat down on one and rekindled the fire with some sticks from the hearth. Shortly afterwards, a Duergar entered the hut and seated himself opposite the traveller. There they sat until the fire burnt down again. The Duergar picked up one of the large logs and broke it across his knee, placing the parts on the fire. When the log was consumed, the Duergar indicated that the traveller should put the other log on the fire too. The traveller suspected some kind of trick and so refused. So they sat until dawn when at once the Duergar, the hut and the fire disappeared and the traveller found himself sitting on the edge of a tall cliff. If he had moved to get the log he would have fallen to his death... Henry the Talking Gnome
Hooray for Henry!
Paracelsus strikes again
Sylphs
A sylph is an imaginary or elemental being that inhabits the air and is mortal but soul-less. The existence of such beings was first postulated by Paracelsus, who associated a different being with each of the four elements (earth, air, fire, and water)**Not to be confused with Earth, Wind & Fire of 70's Disco fame...
Undine
The Undine is a mythological figure of European tradition, a water nymph who becomes human when she falls in love with a man but is doomed to die if he is unfaithful to her. Derived from the Greek figures known as Nereids, attendants of the sea god Poseidon, Ondine was first mentioned in the writings of the Swiss author Paracelsus, who put forth his theory that there are spirits called "undines" who inhabit the element of water. Salamander
In Alchemy circles, salamanders are the elemental spirits of fire. The salamander is not a literal salamander, but simply the form in which the elemental appears. The salamander was first proposed by alchemical philosopher Paracelsus. 
Scratchy gnomaroid
Gnome vids
The gnome links
- Gnomeland is packed with pictures and information about garden gnomes including a shop selling quality gnomes
- Garden gnome shop selling quality ceramic and plastic/resin gnomes and includes the Worlds largest gnome picture gallery showing gnomes from the 1800's up to the present day.
- garden gnomes from Gnome City, UK gnomes
- Garden gnomes from the original Gnome City in the UK. Why not visit our online gnome shop?
- Gnome reserve
- For a completely unique experience visit The Gnome Reserve and Wildflower Garden North Devon.
- BBC NEWS | Scotland | Tayside and Central | Woman faces jail over gnome theft
- A woman is facing jail after admitting six charges of stealing ornaments from gardens in Central Scotland.
- Stop Oppressive Gardening!
- FreeTheGnomes.com unites Garden Gnome Liberation activists from around the world and amplifies the call for action against contemporary slavery. FreeTheGnomes.com publishes periodic action items, breaking news updates, and alerts on events in your area.
A gnome from gnome
Comments
AndrewGreen wrote...
This lens gave me a great laugh. I do own a Gnome myself. He sits on top of a light which switches on automaticaly at night so that he can watch over my garden.
Posted May 27, 2009
WritingforYourWealth wrote...
I play a gnome in World of Warcraft. Is that close enough? :P
Posted September 03, 2008
WritingforYourWealth wrote...
I play a gnome in World of Warcraft. Is that close enough? :P
Posted September 03, 2008
The_Homeopath wrote...
Not clean germ? Oh, I have GOT to lensroll this! I love gnomes, and your lens makes me smile!
Posted July 08, 2008
enslavedbyfaeries wrote...
Gnomes are a favorite at our house! Lovely lens and great pictures. :)
Posted July 07, 2008
BYE!
Hope to see you again soon...
HILLANDGLEN 
