Nov 24

Nov 24 Gnome Sweet Gnome

When I was a little kid, my father brought home a magical book of Gnomes illustrated by the über-talented Rien Poortvliet. It was one of the most delightful things we had ever seen. We poured over Poortvliet’s gorgeous illustrations that spilled over every page with his rich palette and confident brushstrokes and line work. The gnomes he had imagined into being were crafty like foxes and masterful with their tools, wistful, humorous, adventurous, innovative, wise, and homey. I often fell asleep at night dreaming of being invited into their cozy toadstool homes, talking with and feeding their animal friends, and dancing around a fire while they played their tiny musical instruments.

Gnomes have a storied history steeped in Scandinavian folklore and mythology.

GNOMENCLATURE (blame Ben!)

Gnome means a dwarf-like earth dwelling spirit. Most think of a small garden ornament in the form of a bearded man with a pointed hat, while others gno [from the PIE root gno- “to know”] them as a small, ugly person—how rude!

Tonttu is Finnish for a fool (a person with poor judgment or little intelligence)—again, why so mean?!—yet despite their foolish reputation, for some reason they are tasked with serving as guardians and rule enforcers, and even helpers to Father Christmas. Niina’s blog, Fairy Chamber, has a thorough and quite fascinating explanation of the many and various types of elves within Finnish Folklore.

Tomte is Swedish for a solitary little guardian of a farm, a farmer, and his family who brings good fortune while warding away any misfortune. He is old, but surprisingly strong, with a long beard, conical hat, and wears farm clothing. Tomte can be greatly offended by swearing, abusing the farm or farm family, or mistreating the farm animals. Then watch out for Tomten have wicked short tempers!

Nisse is Danish for a household spirit, goblin, hobgoblin, yard fellow, farm guardian, or dear little relative—awww, now that’s sweet! Nisse have the benefit of being able to shape-shift and turn invisible. They bring good fortune, ward off bad luck, and help with chores around the house and farm. But if you make one mad, hell hath no fury like a Nisse scorned! They will play tricks, hide or steal your belongings, and possibly even maim or kill your livestock. Yikes! They are pretty similar in appearance to Tomten, but have four fingers, pointed ears, reflective eyes, and have a proclivity towards red woolen clothing and headwear.

Two of many gnome sketches by my father and fellow artist, Ken Wagle | StudioWagle © 2018.

Gnomes are just about everywhere now, repopularized by the global adventures of Amélie’s father’s garden gnome, the work of artists, Jim Shore and David Petersen, and the Scandinavian chalets at Christmas Markets springing up across the United States.

The production of fuzzy bearded gnomes with bulbous noses has skyrocketed, and now they can be found at nearly every national home decor chain and in many Etsy shops and similar handmade marketplaces. Because they are so abundant and easily found, I decided not to include them in this collection.

I sifted through thousands of handmade and commercially designed gnome-themed items to curate this gallery of gnomes d’art, and found some true and classic treasures. Enjoy!