We first learn about gnomes, these amazing creatures in early childhood - either reading the fairy tales of the Brothers Grimm, or enjoying a Disney cartoon, or removing a book by J. R. R. Tolkien from the shelf. From these descriptions, gnomes are small, sturdy people who wear tall caps, colorful outfits and long beards, and prefer to live in caves. In addition, they are professional master blacksmiths, knowing the secrets of the mountains and possessing the secrets of mining and smelting metals.
The image is firmly entrenched: in the minds of most people, the gnome is a cute dwarf with cheerful blue eyes and a hat with a pompom. But already Karl Linnaeus distinguished these unique creatures on grounds that did not coincide at all with previous ideas. According to Linnaeus, gnomes are divided into rural (steppe, village, forest and mountain), urban (including park) and roadside. The great botanist wrote:
“Gnomes are small people with large heads, dressed unobtrusively and almost blend in with their surroundings. The hair is usually piebald and gray in color; in older individuals, massive baldness is evident. They are secretive, but sometimes willingly make contact with people. They are brilliant engineers, good builders and masters of mimicry. They lead a predominantly vegetable way of life and live long enough, at least two to three times longer than we do."
Mentions of gnomes are found in the philosopher, alchemist and physician of the 16th century Paracelsus, who correlated their images with the doctrine of the primary elements - in this case, the primary element is associated with the spirit of the earth. Paracelsus introduced into circulation the word "gnome" (presumably from "gnosis" - knowledge) for the reason that these creatures know and can reveal to man the exact location of the metals hidden in the earth. According to another version, the word "gnome" comes from the late Latin gnomus, which means "small".
The literary primary sources were Icelandic heroic songs of the 13th century from the collection "The Elder Edda", as well as the text of "The Younger Edda", compiled by the skald poet Snorri Sturluson. Both literary works contained mythological legends of the 8th – 10th centuries and elements of the Germanic heroic epic of the early 13th century. True, the use of the word "gnome" in mythology appeared much later: at first, the heroes of ancient texts were dwargs (zwergs), which in the Russian version of the Edda are usually called dwarfs. In the myths of the "Elder Edda" about the creation of the world, the gnomes originally appeared in the form of … worms in the defeated body of the giant Ymir. The black elves, who were just called gnomes, soon became the most skilled craftsmen, and even the gods often turned to them for help.
The Younger Edda explains that these creatures were as tall as a child, but possessed great physical strength. The doors endured any hardships, were incredibly hardy and hardworking. They lived much longer than humans, but still not forever. But they had a bad character: they were stubborn, absurd, touchy and greedy. They had witchcraft abilities. The Dvergs were mostly hostile to people and gods, however, not without reason: the gods constantly encroached on their treasures.
Little is known about the culture of the gnomes, but what is reported in the texts is very reminiscent of the culture of the same Vikings who, most likely, learned from the gnomes. It is interesting that the underground people mainly wrote in runes: most often they had to leave inscriptions on stone or metal, and for this, the font, where there are only straight lines, is much better suited than, say, the Latin alphabet. The poetry of the gnomes is, in fact, the same Skaldian visas, poetry without rhyme, but with alliterations - with repeating sounds and syllables.
As for religion, the Scandinavian gnomes either worshiped the aesir gods (warrior gods, inhabitants of the heavenly city of Asgard), or considered themselves equal to them - therefore, relations with them do not quite fit into traditional ideas about religion. It is curious that many medieval theologians authoritatively argued that the gnomes have a soul and that there were even cases of their conversion to Christianity, including entire settlements. However, this is quite consistent with the fact that little artisans received the so-called genuine silver - after all, only the purest soul can do something like that. Alchemists called this material either adamantite, or cold iron (that is, forged without fire), or unknown electromagnet (meaning not an alloy of gold with silver, but something like "true copper"). According to some sources,the gnomes possessed the secret of other unique metal alloys. They cut iron like wood or butter, creating incredibly strong armor, hammers and unique weapons.
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One of the main virtues of the gnomes is creativity. They work not for earnings or comfort, but for some result, and what is most valued is what will be created for centuries. That is why they are most willing to work with durable materials: metal and stone, and use wood only when absolutely necessary.
In the art of processing precious stones and metals, the gnomes had no equal - they managed to make truly wonderful things. According to legend, the Black Alves forged the Gungnir spear for the main god of the Scandinavian pantheon Odin, which struck without knowing any barriers. For the warlike god Thor, little craftsmen made a hammer Mjöllnir to fight the giants. For the dire wolf Fenrir, they made the magical bonds of Gleipnir, and also created a boar with golden bristles for Frey, a golden ring for Odin and much more.
Other legends say that in ancient times the gnomes did not live in the earth itself, but in the terrestrial ether. From the etheric body, many varieties of gnomes were created, who had power over stones and plants, as well as over the mineral elements in living things. Their habitats (depending on the species) were caves or protected forests.
According to the book "Secrets of the Dwarfs" by the Dutch author and painter Will Huigen, the kingdom of the dwarves consisted of several tribes. First of all, these are mountain, or rock, gnomes, with whom many peoples are familiar. Unlike their reclusive cousins, the deep and forest gnomes, the mountain is an inquisitive people. They are known as technicians, alchemists, inventors, as well as magnificent illusionists. However, they did not particularly strive for life in the big cities, but preferred hilly places in the countryside.
Mountain gnomes are much friendlier and more sociable than their other cousins. They are known for their penchant for jokes and practical jokes, as well as for skillfully done things. Like all gnomes, they adore gems of all kinds, especially diamonds. But the forest gnomes prefer hermitage. They are quiet and shy, try to avoid contact with others whenever possible, therefore they are often invisible and almost invisible. They love nature very much, especially deep and soft forests, far from civilization and any human settlements. For this reason, people very rarely meet forest gnomes who consider themselves the true guardians of the forests.
Dwarf women wear gray or khaki clothes. The suit usually consists of a blouse and a skirt. On the feet you can see black and gray knee-highs and high shoes or slippers. Before marriage, the gnome wears a green cap, and when she gets married, she hides her hair under a shawl in dark colors. Some sources say that gnomes, like dwarfs, turn to stone under the rays of the sun, but at night they can come to life and continue their activities again.
The main enemies of the gnomes are, of course, trolls or other creatures that are trying to destroy their homes. The gnomes themselves never attack first and are reputed to be quite peaceful creatures. They feed on all kinds of nuts, mushrooms, peas, beans, potatoes, they love applesauce, fruits, berries, many forest tubers, spices, vegetables. They drink dew, honey (mead), berry tinctures and spicy gin.
This people maintains a close connection with the land, and the presence of gnomes can sometimes be noticed by changes in the landscape. An area of unusually lush grass on a hilly lawn may well indicate an underground forge or a gnome's stove, which with its flame heats the soil and accelerates the growth of plants. The knocking sound coming from the bowels of the earth, which the miners have not yet reached, may indicate the work of a search party of dwarfs. And in Scandinavia itself, the echo generated by the rocky spurs of the mountains was called dvergamal in the local dialect - “the voice of the dwarf”. It is said that the dwarves (perhaps for fun) created echoes themselves, imitating any sound that reached their domain.
I must say that the more intensively human civilization developed, the further the paths of the gnomes and people diverged, the less chances it became to see little hard workers in their natural habitat. Over the centuries, gnomes have learned to hide from people very well, to be imperceptibly present where they needed to be, and to leave almost silently, leaving no trace.
In medieval Europe, gnomes were found almost everywhere where there are mountains. This is understandable: in the mountains there is usually ore, which was of exceptional professional interest to the dwarves. But most often they were seen in Scandinavia, the Alps and even in the Carpathians. They say that not far from the Ukrainian city of Skala Podolskaya a few centuries ago there were gnomish buildings. Dwarves also lived on the plains - for example, in Finland, where they were called khiisi. Here's what writer Tim Appenzeller says in The Gnomes:
“There was a time when the gnomes lived throughout Northern Europe. Inhabiting rocks, caves, hills and even imperceptible crevices in people's homes and sheds, they led the same earthly and stressful lifestyle as the peasant neighbors. The Dwarves were a fabulous rural people with many abilities: they were unusually skilled artisans, knew how to predict the weather and cultivate the soil. The gnomes have one more feature, defined by the German term "stillfolk", which means "quiet people", in other words, a kind of hermit race."
With the development of civilization, underground inhabitants gradually changed. Noble knights visit underground kingdoms filled with treasures, make friends or feud with dwarf kings, fight dwarf knights. As in ancient times, gnomes supply people with witchcraft accessories and weapons of extraordinary power. So, in the "Song of the Nibelungs" the brave son of King Siegfried, thanks to the help of the dwarf Alberich, fights with a sword forged by underground masters. From other sources we learn how the same Siegfried is visiting the immensely rich dwarf king Egwald, and a thousand dwarfs in rich armor wish to serve him.
Over time, the dwarf gnomes practically disappear from the pages of literature, continuing to live in folklore. Now the folk fantasy presents them in the form of uncommunicative creatures, old men with beards and even with bird's legs. They can help people, thank them for their cooperation, but at the same time they are extremely suspicious and unfriendly. However, some gnome-like characters get along peacefully with people, although they are capricious, such as, for example, Scottish brownies or Irish claricons.
The gnomes owe their return to general cultural life to the brothers Grimm, researchers of German antiquity and connoisseurs of ancient German literature: in 1812 they published Children's and Household Tales, where gnomes were among the main characters. These creatures already bear little resemblance to the dwarfs of "Younger Edda", but they are not yet cartoonish little ones in red caps. They are moderately good-natured, mischievous, sometimes openly malicious and hostile to people, although they are devoid of the insidious belligerence of their ancestors. Further stylized Disney-Hollywood "evolution" of the gnomes led to the emergence of a good-natured little man, friendly to people, but … dishonoring the proud name of the miniature.
In the era of romanticism, gnomes were increasingly portrayed as ugly and very small dwarfs, but their features such as deceit, wealth, and the ability to magic were also preserved. Just like trolls in Scandinavian tales, for the Germans, gnomes served as the main source of riddles and miracles that happen to heroes. This is how they appear in German fairy tales of the 17th – 19th centuries: Wilhelm Hauff, Ernst Theodor Amadeus Hoffmann. Their gnomes are either positive characters ("Snow White"), then negative ("Rumplestiltskin", "White and Rose"). But sometimes it all depends on people's behavior.
Gnomes can reward kindness and severely punish indifference, cruelty or greed (for example, as in Selma Lagerlöf in the story "The Journey of Niels with the Wild Geese"). Sometimes they give magical gifts that, fulfilling wishes literally, can turn against the owner. In Scandinavia, tales of dwarfs are intertwined with tales of trolls, and sometimes the only difference between them is the name and location.
Our ancestors - the Slavs and Aryans - called the underground blacksmiths gloomy, little men (little men), diggers. In one of the manuscripts of the Solovetsky Monastery, one of their underground cities is described in detail: "Up the great Ob River, people walk under the earth in a different river day and night, with lights and come out onto an underground lake, and on that lake there is a strange light and great hail." According to Russian legends, it was from the gloomy people that people learned the blacksmith's craft, and from the diggers - the art of extracting iron ore. It is about them that remained references in Russian folk tales: "Boy-with-finger", "Little man-with-nails", "Little-Havroshechka". And in the countries of Western Europe, all children know and love the kind gnome storyteller Ole Lukkoye.
A special page in the development of the "dwarf theme" falls on our time. I must say that both John Tolkien and Clive Lewis have gnomes completely devoid of the mysticism and power that the Scandinavians and Germans endowed them with, they are just one of the many species of inhabitants of magical worlds. Tolkien's dwarfs are not only rich and secretive, but also warlike, their favorite weapon is the battle ax. Compared to the tiny gnomes of the Brothers Grimm, the British cult author has them quite tall: from 1 to 1.5 m. Tolkien in general significantly influenced the archetype of gnomes in the mass consciousness, and the role-playing system of Dungeons & Dragons finally consolidated it. In the second half of the 20th century to this day, gnomes in literature, cinema, games are brave, rude and warlike bearded men, a kind of embodiment of the archetype of Falstaff and Porthos.
In The Hobbit, gnomes are quite cute creatures, but it is very difficult to call them cute. They are inhospitable, vindictive and stingy, loyal to their comrades, but at any moment they can decide that they are no comrades. In fact, they are characters in the Icelandic saga, and as the narrative progresses, this becomes quite obvious.
It remains to tell about the psychological characteristics of the dwarf soul. The main character trait of a gnome is not greed at all, as some think, but justice, which is elevated to the absolute and instilled in a young gnome from childhood. So, for example, according to the gnome's conviction, every thing has a definite price. This is how much the materials cost, and how much is due for the work. Therefore, the gnome does not bargain: for example, for this sword he should be paid 20 coins, no more and no less. Neither a desperate need for money, nor a lack of funds from the buyer, nor flattery, nor threats, nor a sincere desire to pay with interest - nothing will force a gnome to change the price.
It is not safe to brag in the presence of a gnome. Not because it offends him, but because he thinks that someone can really do everything that is said. The words about the ability to accomplish something the gnome perceives as a resume for applying for a job. The notorious vindictiveness of the gnome also comes from a heightened sense of justice. If someone has committed meanness, he must answer for it. The gnome does not differ in sadism. It is simply that the killer must be killed - this is as obvious as the fact that the product started should be finished. Dwarfs treat most people condescendingly, however, as offensive as it may seem, they consider us a rather barbaric people.
In a sense, classical dwarfs are also considered relatives of gnomes, however, much less is known about them, and they were met much less often. They did not perform special feats, but at the same time they were very fond of hoaxes. Most likely, by their nature, dwarfs are cheerful, appreciate good food, drink, and subsequently smoking (most likely, they took over from the gnomes). They are in great friendship with some animals: badgers, moles. Dwarfs do not necessarily live in the mountains or among the hills - many, on the contrary, prefer forests. Their weird sense of humor sometimes prompts them to help the traveler get lost. Some even say that swamp lights are dwarf lamps.
In general, they are very fond of joking, including not entirely honest (for example, they can arrange a small landslide or replace ore with trickery). In the evenings, they say, they sing such indecent songs that even miners and shoemakers blush. In Europe, most of the dwarfs were found in the Alps in Switzerland and Austria. Their names are similar to dwarfs: they usually end in - and or, less often, in - in.
Little people once lived in Iceland - there they were called vettirs and were once highly revered. Later in the northern legends, the Landvettir appeared - "the little hidden people". It is noteworthy that many of the features of this tribe go back to the ancient ideas about the above-mentioned miniatures - underground dwarfs. Landvettir is found in both human farms and wilderness areas. Outwardly, representatives of this people look like people and are incredibly beautiful, but much shorter in stature. Most often they dress in gray, they live underground. They have their own livestock - tiny but giving a lot of milk. Creatures of the Landvettir tribe are capable of becoming invisible and transforming into animals, sometimes into toads. It is very difficult for an adult to notice them, but children succeed much more often.