A
medieval
alchemist
and
scholar,
Paracelsus,
described
gnomes
as
elemental
spirits
of
the
earth
that
live
underground
and
move
through
the
earth
as
easily
as
humans
do
on
land.
The
word
“gnome”
comes
from
the
Greek
word
“gnome”
meaning
“to
know.”
Gnomes
supposedly
hoard
some
secret
knowledge
along
with
their
treasure.
Garden
Gnomes
One
of
the
most
famous
of
lawn
ornaments
(along
with
plastic
pink
flamingoes),
garden
gnomes
are
a
popular
outdoor
accessory.
Gnome
figurines
can
be
found
in
lawns
and
gardens
everywhere,
to
enhance
their
appearance
and
as
a
symbol
of
luck
because
gnomes
are
believed
to
be
nighttime
guardians
of
homes,
farms,
and
gardens.
The
first
gnome
statuettes
were
originally
made
in
Germany
in
the
mid‑1800s
to
decorate
gardens
and
windowsills.
From
there,
the
garden
gnome
spread
to
England,
France,
Italy,
Sweden,
the
Netherlands,
the
United
States,
and
wherever
gardening
is
a
serious
hobby.
The
traditional
garden
gnome
is
a
cheerful
white‑bearded
old
man
with
a
pointy
red
cap
and
dressed
in
solid
colors
such
as
blue,
red
or
green.
Garden
gnomes
are
made
in
various
poses
and
pursuing
different
pastimes
such
as
fishing
or
gardening.
The
modern
garden
gnome
seems
to
be
a
peculiarly
British
obsession.
They
even
have
a
garden
gnome
museum
and
sanctuary.
Nevertheless,
these
once
proud
residents
of
grand
Victorian
estates
are
now
generally
considered
to
be
kitsch,
rightly
banished
to
suburbia.
There
are
some
gardens
where
the
gnomes,
rather
than
the
plants,
are
the
main
focal
point.
Unfortunately,
though,
garden
gnomes
are
often
the
target
of
pranks.
Members
of
the
international
Garden
Gnome
Liberation
Front
have
been
known
to
“rescue”
gnomes
from
their
garden
prisons
and
“return
them
to
the
wild.”
There
is
also
a
traveling
gnome
prank
in
which
kidnapped
garden
gnomes
are
sent
on
trips
around
the
world.
This
became
the
basis
for
Travelocity’s
“Roaming
Gnome”
ad
campaign.
Garden
gnomes
appear
in
all
of
Nick
Park’s
movies:
Wallace
and
Gromit’s
“A
Grand
Day
Out,”
“The
Wrong
Trousers,”
“A
Close
Shave,”
and
“The
Curse
of
the
Were‑Rabbit,”
as
well
as
“Chicken
Run.”
As
Mr.
Tweedy
says,
“So
it’s
gnomes
now,
is
it?”
Watch
the
movies
and
see
if
you
can
find
them
all.
Books
‘Gnomes’
by
Wil
Huygen
and
Rien
Poortvliet.
(Originally
published
in
the
Netherlands,
this
is
a
charming
introduction
to
the
world
of
the
gnomes
for
the
young
at
heart.
Huygen
is
a
Dutch
physician
and
the
late
Poortvliet
was
one
of
Holland’s
favorite
illustrators.
In
page
after
page
of
detailed
illustrations,
this
book
covers
everything
about
gnomes
including
their
anatomy,
physiology,
medicine,
transportation,
marriage
and
family
life,
types
of
gnomes,
where
they
live,
favorite
foods,
what
sorts
of
pets
they
have,
how
they
care
for
animals,
etc.
Looking
at
the
adorable
cutaway
illustration
of
the
house
and
imagining
the
gnomes
in
the
midst
of
their
daily
activities
makes
one
feel
like
a
kid
again.)
‘Gnome
Life’
by
Hugh
Huygen.
(Inspired
by
the
classic
“Gnomes,”
this
delightful
picture
book
has
illustrations
taken
from
that
volume.
Arranged
in
calendar
order
from
January
to
December,
the
book
reveals
the
everyday
activities
and
adventures
of
a
gnome
family.
Whether
feeding
hungry
animals
in
the
snow,
guarding
baby
birds
from
predators,
riding
on
the
backs
of
ducks
to
tend
a
sick
human
child,
or
storing
food
for
winter,
the
lives
of
gnomes
are
full
of
wonder.)
“The
World
Guide
to
Gnomes,
Fairies,
Elves
and
Other
Little
People,”
by
Thomas
Keightley.
(This
book
was
originally
published
in
1880,
so
it
only
has
a
few
black
and
white
illustrations.
However,
it
is
a
rich
source
of
folklore,
superstitions,
and
mythology
surrounding
the
“little
people”
that
influenced
great
works
of
English
literature
and
fantasy
authors
such
as
J.R.R.
Tolkien
and
George
MacDonald.)
“Gnomes,”
by
Vivian
Russell.
(Full‑color
photographs
of
real
garden
gnomes
in
a
wide
variety
of
settings
and
poses
–
digging
in
the
dirt,
mowing
the
lawn,
pushing
a
wheelbarrow,
swinging
in
a
swing,
sunbathing
on
a
lily
pad,
sitting
on
a
toadstool,
riding
a
snail
and
a
motocross
bike.
There
is
a
gnome
chess
set,
and
a
gnome
with
a
laptop
and
cell
phone.
It’s
interesting
to
see
how
each
gnome
has
a
unique
facial
expression
and
personality.
The
book
contains
an
introduction
that
gives
a
brief
history
of
both
real
and
imaginary
gnomes.)
“Wee
Little
Garden
Gnome,”
by
Alison
Trulock
and
Jesse
LeDoux.
(A
cute
miniature
gnome
comes
with
a
pocket‑sized
book
of
essential
gnome
information.
This
would
make
a
great
gift
for
anyone
who
likes
gnomes.)
“Gnome
Away
from
Home,”
by
Andrews
McMeel
Publishing.
(Celebrate
the
roaming
gnome
with
a
mini
traveling
gnome
figurine
and
a
booklet
of
gnome
travel
tips,
travel
lore,
and
gnome
history.
A
fun
and
quirky
gift
for
gnome
lovers
and
travelers.)
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