Nature Spirits Of The Earth: Introduction To Gnomes
Gnomes are one of the four types of nature spirits: gnomes (earth), sylphs (air), undines (water) and salamanders (fire). Gnomes are usually depicted as small, bearded men who care for plants, trees and other aspects of the earth. Female gnomes exist, but they are less prominent in fairy tales and folk-legends.
Gnomes have been featured in legends around the world for thousands of years. Gnomes are often thought to live underground or in subterranean passageways. The word gnome is believed to have originally derived from the New Latin gnomus and the Greek genomus or earth-dweller.
Gnomes have been also known by many different names. In Brittany they are called nains. The Polish call they by the familiar gnom. Germans call them erdmanleins. In Denmark and Norway they are called nisse.
In some parts of the world, such as in Scandinavia, the terms gnomes and trolls are used interchangeably. For example, trolls are a significant part of the national culture in Norway. Many of these are very large gnomes with entire trees growing out of their noses like warts. These trolls are well-represented in all products for tourists: coffee mugs, T-shirts, postcards and children’s books.
The most famous illustrator of gnomes is Theodor Kittelsen (1857-1914). To this day, he is one of the most popular artists in Norway, mostly because of his fairy tale drawings and evocative paintings of trolls, people, animals and landscapes.
Trolls also play a part in Christmas traditions in Norway. Jul Nisse is the name for Santa. Jul Nisse literally means Christmas troll or Christmas elf. Rather than being represented as the jovial, elderly man seen in many modern traditions, Jul Nisse is a small Christmas troll who dresses in a red coat and brings presents in exchange for cookies and treats.
Garden gnomes are the most well-known type of gnomes. Other types of legendary gnomes are forest gnomes, house gnomes and dune gnomes. The use of representational statues of gnomes in gardens began in the mid-1800s are most prevalent today in England, Germany and France.
Gnomes are often misunderstood and portrayed as mischievous or bad-tempered. The true nature of gnomes is that of guardians of the earth. Gnomes are under the direction of their own hierarchs, Virgo and Pelleur, and work closely with other nature spirits and angelic hierarchs to mitigate cataclysmic events such as earthquakes.
Rose Greenwood is a freelance writer specializing in spirituality and natural health. For more information about gnomes and other nature spirits, and how we can assist them as they work on behalf of mankind please see www.theheartscenter.org. To purchase books, CD’s, DVD’s, art, and more, please visit store.heartscenter.org.
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