Gknowing Your Gnomes

My editor and I had fun with this one…

Italian Gnome guarding a sad little tree stump.

Greetings, farewells, and goodnights are expressed by rubbing noses.
– Wil Huygen (from his book Gnomes)

When I visited Germany last year, I had many great adventures that took me all over the northern part of the country. During that grand tour, I noticed an astonishing number of garden statues — gnomes in particular. From old moss covered guys that were several feet high and graced the doorsteps of many ancient stone houses to a bevy of brightly colored gnomes captured in various gardening activities. I loved their pointy, red hats and long white beards as they were frozen forever in the act of raking or sweeping or pushing a wheelbarrow.

At the same time, my friend Janelle was sojourning in Italy, a country riddled with “nano da giardino” or garden gnomes. Janelle was smart enough to take pictures; and lots of them. One of her images posted on her blog showed seven little statues huddled around a lovely, tall woman. Yup, Snow White and her dwarves. I explained to Janelle the difference between dwarves and gnomes. Dwarves prefer to stay underground in their extensive gold and silver mines. Gnomes, on the other hand, favor the serenity of the forest floor, staying close to plants and animals. They are rarely seen together… and generally don’t play well in the same sandbox.

So What or Who are Gnomes?
Representing earth in the earth-air-fire-water quadrilogy of the elemental world, gnomes are responsible for all kinds of activities related to the earth and forests. These deeds include protecting trees and gardens and the animals of the forest.

There are many different types of gnomes. There are woodland gnomes and farm gnomes. There is even a Siberian gnome! A special breed are the house gnomes who live on a hearth or in the walls of a home and are fluent in human-speak, so to speak. Their primary task is to guard and protect the humans and animals they live with… but they are averse to cats and will abandon a home where one or more felines live.

Gnomes are widespread and gknown to many human cultures. The most familiar name to us comes from Ireland, where they are known as leprechauns. My German cousins call them Erkmanleins and in Italy, Janelle’s friends call them Gnomo. In Iceland, (yes, there are gnomes there too), they are called Foddenskkmaend. While the Japanese don’t have a specific name for gnomes, they often refer to them as bakemono, which is a general term describing ghosts.

There are as many different names for gnomes as there are languages. Basically, they all mean “little man,” which rightfully outrages gnome women.

Gnome Lifestyle
As I said, there are male and female gnomes. They grow up, get married, have gnome babies, which they gname with gnomish gnames. Gnomes live about 400 years. The men wear tunics, have felt boots or wooden shoes, and always wear a pointy, red hat. Most carry a tool belt at all times in anticipation of fixing something or gathering wood for future use. Gnome women also wear pointy hats, but their choice of colors is camouflage green and brown. The women are also very shy, which is why most garden sculptures depict males going about their business.

Hats are very important to male gnomes.

The woodland gnomes live in or around the trees they protect and are avid craftspeople. Their favorite pastime activities include carpentry, weaving, ceramics, making and playing musical instruments, and, of course, animal husbandry. Gnomes also ferment woodland plants and enthusiastically partake in the resulting product.

Looks like a heist in progress to me.

For the most part, gnomes are quite clever and are experts at weather forecasting. They also have a remarkable sense of direction and “see” most of the world through their noses. (Which explains why most gnomes have a proportionately larger schnozz than other elementals.) It is said that a gnome’s sense of smell is about 19 times greater than that of humans.

So How did Gnomes Come to Grace our Gardens?
Sorry Janelle, but it appears that nano da giardino originated in Germany around the mid-1800s. They were known as Gartenzwerge or garden dwarfs. According to elemental lore — which includes that of fairies, elves, gnomes, and devas — humans existed closely with both the elemental and plant kingdoms. Over time, humans forgot how to see these distinctive creatures. Gradually, the elemental groups faded from human sight but remained in memory and stories.

Philip Griebel, a sculptor of terra cotta animals in Germany, believed in the legends, and he claims to have seen gnomes tend his garden at night. He wanted to share his experiences and began molding the first known garden gnomes out of clay. Phillip’s little sculptures soon became very popular in his small town of Gräfenroda and many citizens adorned their gardens with his sculptures. Over time, the gnomes migrated throughout Europe and became a fixture in many gardens in Germany, England, France, and especially Italy.

Four generations and two world wars later, Phillip’s descendants still make clay gnomes in Gräfenroda. However, nowadays, the majority of gnome sculptures are produced in China and Poland. (This is much to the amusement of the real gnomes as these foreign sculptures occasionally depict acts gnomes would rarely participate in, like riding motorcycles or mooning.)

Gnomes just hanging out in a parking structure.

The Gnome Liberation Movement
Yes, there really is a movement to liberate gnome statues from gardens. Some people claim that gnomes are unjustly imprisoned and treated poorly by humans. The most active group seems to be in France, where they are know as LeFront de Libération des Nains de Jardin (the Front for the Liberation of Garden Gnomes). Members “rescue” gnomes from private gardens and release them in forests and woodlands at secret locations. They even have a Facebook page and have been convicted of “stealing” more than150 gnomes.

Rescued Gnomes now live in secret forest locations.

One of my favorite stories is of Murphy, a happy garden gnome that was living quietly in a flowered shire in England when he suddenly disappeared. Owners Even and Derrick Stuart-Kelso were stunned when Murphy apparently did a “runner” from their garden. They suspected foul play by nearby college students, but there was no proof. Imagine their surprise with Murphy reappeared 11 months later. He was tightly wrapped in brown paper and accompanied by a photo album of his journeys. Murphy, renamed Barrington, was photographed rappelling down a mountain, riding a motorbike (!!!), and standing in a shark’s mouth. The immigration stamps in the photo album showed that Murphy had traveled to South Africa, Swaziland, Mozambique, New Zealand, Australia, Singapore, Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, China, Hong Kong, and Laos. A letter that accompanied the returned Murphy stated, “I came to the conclusion that the world is a big place and there is more to life that watching the daily commuter traffic and allowing passing cats to urinate on you.”

Gnow Your Garden
Have you ever been tending your garden and something catches your eye, only to see nothing when viewed full on? Then you probably already have garden gnomes assisting you. And since they sort of allowed you to see them, they probably like you too. Adding a statue or two will probably amuse both of you. Especially if made in China.

Slizweitz (goodbye in gnome-speak)

What’s not to love?

Photos by Janelle Gistelli

When Janelle Gistelli isn’t stalking gnomes in Italy, she is blogging about her Italian adventures, cooking amazing risotto, and successfully growing Mediterranean plants in Monterey.