A gnome is a mythical creature characterized by its extremely small size and subterranean lifestyle.The word gnome is derived from the New Latin gnomus. It is often claimed to descend from the Greek γνώσις gnosis, "knowledge", but more likely comes from genomos "earth-dweller", in which case the omission of e is, as the OED calls it, a blunder. Another possibility is that it comes from the Arabic نوم (Noum) which means sleep. It is also possible that Paracelsus simply made the word up. Notable Gnomes in English Folklore include Sprin, Rumo, Pinny, Fislet and Gulcifer.
Paracelsus includes gnomes in his list of elementals, as earth elementals. He describes them as two spans high, and very taciturn. Sometimes they are seen as a type of fairy, though at other times are seen as a distinct species in their own right.
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.
Gnomes feature in the legends of many of central, northern and eastern European lands by other names: a kaukis is a Prussian gnome, and barbegazi are gnome-like creatures with big feet in the traditions of France and Switzerland. Further east, tengu are sometimes referred to as winged gnomes.
According to certain medieval beliefs, Gnomes were deformed, usually with a hunchback, and were led by their king, Gob, who ruled with a magic sword
Today, Gnomes are traditionally thought of as being small, bearded and wearing pointed, colourful, conical hats. They live in natural areas close to the Earth and care for wildlife. They are more benevolent than other folkloric creatures such as goblins. This traditional view is supported in such fictional works as The Secret Book of Gnomes.
Claims of Gnome sightings
Despite the fact that Gnomes are usually seen as a mythical creature with no real existence, there have been certain cases where people have claimed to have encountered real, living gnomes, that are not fictional.
Cottingley, England, 1917
One of the Cottingley fairies photographs taken in 1917 by two young girls depicts a gnome. When the duo confessed to faking the photographs in the 1980s, they continued to insist that the one that they had taken of the gnome was genuine.
Argentina, 2007-08
The Gnome sightings in Argentina is a reported wave of sightings of Gnomes in General Güemes, Salta, Argentina that came to its climax in 2007. The craze was similar to that of the chupacabra, which had also happened in the Americas. Some reports claim that a survey showed that 90% of locals believed in the creature with over a hundred claiming to have actually seen one of the creatures, however contrasting reports claim that very few locals actually believe in it.
Locals had reported seeing gnomes (or duendes) for several decades, however reports increased in 2007 after railway workers reported seeing one run around the tracks. They reported seeing a knee height humanoid creature wearing a pointy hood who ran sideways.
The story was reported by El Tribuno in Argentina, and then The Sun in the UK. It was then picked up by Fox News in the USA, before becoming something of an urban legend. Since then, many skeptics have declared the story to be false, claiming that the video used as the main evidence is faked and that reports of the beliefs were exaggerated.
Various video recordings claiming to depict the creatures were uploaded onto websites such as YouTube. The majority follow the same formula of a group of teenagers getting scared by a gnome, and running away screaming
- May 2007 Video
In this video, lasting only 16 seconds, a group of teenage males are playing football outside when they are terrified by a gnome that appears to be only a few inches tall.]
- October 2007 Video
Two males are playing football indoors, when they are terrified at a creature that runs along the floor.
- March 2008 Video
In March 2008, a 'creepy gnome' who wears a pointy hat, that locals claim stalks the streets of General Guemes, Salta, Argentina,was caught on video by local teenagers on their mobile phone, led by Jose Alvarez, who commented on how he and some friends had encountered it one night.
- "We were chatting about our last fishing trip. It was one in the morning. I began to film a bit with my mobile phone while the others were chatting and joking. Suddenly we heard something — a weird noise as if someone was throwing stones... We looked to one side and saw that the grass was moving. To begin with we thought it was a dog but when we saw this gnome-like figure begin to emerge we were really afraid... This is no joke. We are still afraid to go out — just like everyone else in the neighbourhood now... One of my friends was so scared after seeing that thing that we had to take him to the hospital.
The video quality is fairly blurred and dark. It goes from showing the teenagers chatting, to zooming in on something rustling about in some long grass several metres away. The creature then dashes across a field, running sideways, and this is filmed for a brief few seconds.
A second video, virtually identical to the first, but with certain distinct differences, was later released on the internet, confirming that two very similar, yet different, versions of the account were filmed, providing strong evidence that the video was faked.
On October, 2008, South America’s ‘creepy gnome’ or ‘midget monster’ had again caused panic among locals. Experts examined the recorded footage, (by Juan Carlos Roldan, his brother Javier and 5 friends, by the water fountain in Clodomira, Santiago del Estero, Argentina, and running down Avenue San Martin). Photographic expert Aldegonda Alvarz, of Universidad Nacional de Santiago del Estero, stated: "This video footage seems credible. We could be looking at another ‘petiso orejudo’ - small being."
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