You didn't mention that Feanor was Noldo and he created the Silmarills, the fabled light stones made from the two trees.
The Noldo were master craftsmen when it came to magicked jewelry, much as the Dwarves were the master craftsmen of weapons and armor. It's always pissed me off when you say Dwarf and you think of 4 foot tall people living underground. In Norse Mythology, just as in Tolkien's world, they are almost 5.5 feet tall and heavily muscled.
I love Tolkien’s Dwarves and imagine them the same because what he said.
As to not mentioning that Feanor created the Silmarills I didn’t think it was necessary for the purposes of the essay but in hindsight it should have made its way into it. Sorry for that.
Two modern takes not covered here but you may be interested in are Warcraft and Elder Scrolls. Warcraft gnomes are a lot like the DnD variety, but they're actually smart and fun. They provide much of the technology in the world, even if they have a few scrapes (usually played for laughs). It helps that they're also portrayed as cute.
Elder Scrolls do not have gnomes, but their "dwarves," aka Dwemer, actually seem like a hybrid of Dwarves, Elves and Gnomes. They were inventive, lived under ground, but they weren't short or cute. Although they disappeared from the world by the time of the games, their inventions are everywhere.
I get your frustration - I get frustrated in how dwarves are often portrayed too - but the thing is, Tolkien was using terms like Elves and Gnomes through the lens of mythology and not how modern society has used those terms. I recently read (though I can't find it now) a essay about how Tolkien came to regret using the term "elf" too because of the influence of later day fairy on that term. Tolkien was not thinking "gnome" or "elf" as we see them, so even saying "gnomes = elves" isn't exactly right either.
What I think has happened is that after Tolkien, most fantasy writers started going to the fairy tales to aid them in building their other folks and not going back to mythology itself - they stopped at Tolkien's mentions of the influence of the colored fairy books and didn't take into account the full breadth of mythos of which Tolkien was an ardent student. So when they think elves and gnomes, they are looking at stories about pixies and fairies and brownies, Santa's elves, the Cobbler's elves. They are not thinking of the Asiur or Valar of the Nordic countries, the gods of the Greeks and Romans, nor the Tylwyth Teg or the Ao Si of the Welsh and Irish, or even the djin from Persia.
I know Tolkien considered using the word Gnome and did for a while before he switch to elf, but I don't think he had in mind exactly what we think of as gnomes any more than he had in mind what we have come to know as elves. If you want to get a clearer idea of what Tolkien was actually envisioning when he made his elves, you'll have to go back to the old myths and the stories and legends that are the oldest and pre-date fairy tales. Because much of what is now more commonly understood as fairy is very different in the oldest stories, and Tolkien had his eyes on the oldest stories. Fairies in the oldest myths are very different from the modern view of little whimsical nature-loving creatures with butterfly wings - i.e. the original fairies were NOT Tinkerbell....
What has become modern fantasy, while it may have started out from a love of Tolkien, is definitely nothing like Tolkien any more - D&D and its great influence from fairy tales and other sources did its job in completely remaking modern fantasy.
Very good point, I guess I look at the two terms through the lens of mythology also and struggle to just think in terms of ‘fantasy novel’ or something sorry.
Your discussion of gnomes reminds me of my own revulsion at the “oh so random” and Terry Prachett-ization of the fantasy genre. Not everything needs to be quirky and played out like these fantasy writers insist on making it. The everyday reader wants authenticity and world building to dive into, not some corny jokes.
Agreed, I’m not familiar with Pratchett’s style as much as others, but ouais I prefer authenticity and find corny jokes wearisome though I like Tolkien’s.
Have you read Tolkien 's essays on Fairyland? They read as if he had actually been there and was trying to extend the experience to the reader - even more than the whole Middle Earth cycle. Has been 30 years since I read them but he did seem to mention gnomes - and implied, as a lot of folklore did - that they are kind of halfway between dwarves and elves.
I’m reading it right now I had planned an essay on the first bit soon, I’m however hampered by the nature of the language used, as it is dense and difficult for me to understand. I might have to look into a French translation, so it might be a week or two before I release an essay on it.
I’m of the opinion Gnomes should be a mixture of Dwarves & Elves of sorts as he and you say.
Exactement, I should have pointed out this fact in the essay damn, but I screwed up. It just incenses me that the literal embodiment of ‘secret knowledge’ is reduced to a bumbling, drunken meme. It’s the Left poking fun at and secretly tricking the rest of the world into mocking their own traditions or so it seems to me.
In the earliest editions of the Hobbit, he even refers to the High Elves as the Gnomes. It’s such a good name for intelligent beings that it is a pity it’s been poisoned. The Poortvliet gnomes I can accept, because of the connections to wisdom despite their garden-gnome appearance but the Keynote and D&D gnomes … just no.
Fully agree, it just seems like an attack but maybe I’m just personalizing crap. I remember reading the Gnomes stuff and thinking ‘cool, so Elves = Gnomes’ then came the later fantasy universes with their weirdo Gnomes.
If ever there were theories that one might wish true, Paracelsus' ones on spirits are greatly appealing.
This teller could be mistaken but from what little he has read of Paracelsus' writings, the man was one of the good alchemists, not gripped by the magician's lust for fame, money and power or forbidden knowledge.
I didn't even know people were writing gnomes in that way as most of the books I read don't have them at all. That kind of gnome would probably annoy me too (although I do love garden gnomes). I have two projects I'm working on that mention gnomes, but not in this way at all. In one, they're drawing from the old myths/folklore and, in the other, I had need for two groups of elf-kind with one being shorter and with slightly different magic (I'm setting up for a retelling where high elves don't fit as well) and it was simply the best choice of term give the precedent that Tolkien had also used the term gnome for elves at one point. I'm putting my own twist on them in that one (elves too for that matter) though far closer to Tolkien's versions than any other.
I'm not all that familiar with DnD and simular mythologies. When I think of gnomes I'm more likely to picture something between garden gnomes and Baum's nomes than Tolkien, and I'd probably place the Noldor in a completely different class, even if i recognize that he called them that.
(I am also unreasonably annoyed with Baum for trying to change the spelling like that.)
But Tolkien didn't invent the term "gnome", nor is he the only one who is allowed to image it.
Completely agree and it's a shame, there's a lot of potential with a serious use of gnomes. I'm reluctantly and apprehensively going to selfishly mention my nascent comic strip, Neddimus, which features gnomes--I'm hoping to portray gnomes as smart and relatable, but there will be a few other characters who are lacking (there has to be some conflict!).
HEY! No talk of narcissism when you’ve a masterpiece to share! Jokes aside, I want you to post me a link, and to also remind me every Saturday and Wednesday if need be to restack/share your comic and to direct people to it on Warrior Wednesday & Sword & Saturday events.
When I think Gnomes, I think about garden gnomes and other decorative fairy tale creatures. Very cute protectors of forests and animals. I do not think they belong in Tolkien’s work.
Lmao, garden gnomes are fine I get why they come to mind first, Tolkien’s gnomes are the Noldorin Elves. He clearly had different stuff in mind than the rest of us hahaha.
"Holy moly," the good Brother exclaimed this morning, "how did this break 400 views?!"
I'll tell you how. You took it to the absolute worst race in fantasy fiction and did so with the proverbial sword of the Silmarillion. Facts is facts, and fact is gnomes suck.
As an side, I loved the first two times Tinker Gnomes showed up in the Dragonlance novels, but was pretty much rolling my eyes when they turned up again (except in one of three short stories that featured them - one was good, played down the silly side but did not ignore it altogether). I have only played gnome PCs three times by choice (and once by it being the last PC left at a tournament table) - one was an archer far more interested in art than in combat (his "battle cry" was "Hold that pose!" ... It worked once...). One was a 5e Rock Gnome played at a convention and not used enough to develop much of a personality, and the other was a HackMaster Illusionist/Cleric (of a God of Thieves); he was one of my favorite PCs, really, reciting from the Book of Scams or Book of Larceny, ordering the undead to return the bodies they stole without permission to their graves, etc.
When gnomes are brought up in D&D I always remember that build where the grease covered gnome jumps into someone's butt and uses enlarge to burst forth from their body, killing them horribly. That's it, that's all gnomes in D&D amounts to for me.
Yeouch, that sounds painful! Butt yeah they do tend to end up like that in my head sometimes, my disdain has softened but I still would prefer the Gnome/Noldor Elves rather than the subverted ones.
I looked it up again and there's a funny story about a halfling variant. Needless to say you can imagine what happens with the D&D 3.5 Escape Artist description for 80+
"Extremely Tight Space
This is the DC for getting through a space when one’s head shouldn’t even be able to fit; this can be as small as 2 inches square for Medium-size creatures. Halve this limit for each size category less than Medium-size; double it for each size category greater than Medium-size. If the space is long, such as in a chimney, multiple checks may be called for."
I also recall a GM who used them as NPCs and the players made up iron diapers or somesuch horrific adaptation to the verisimilitude nightmare that D&D 3.5 was. Yes, fantasy had truly become a mockery around that time.
"Now having said that, if anyone borrows from the Garden Gnome folklore go ahead, that stuff is hilarious with this being one piece of lore I believe Harry Potter did quite well, with having Garden Gnomes be little more than butt-monkeys to be laughed at."
Slight issue is taken here, as so called garden gnomes can be played as straight as flower fairies, being nature spirit fairies themselves. There's whole series of adult's and children's fiction like this, though in comparison to the ever playful flower fairys, gnomes are often made into the role of forest guardian, being somewhat of a gardener or forest warden going beyond nature to bind animal wound, trim plants and so on.
But futher on seriousness, going to folklore you have evil gnomes giving wishes in exchange for a bride or a first born. Indeed there's a deep connection with the later understanding of the fairfolk, the little people of irish folklore, and while many think them a sanitized version of those folk from which elves and dwarves also have connections to, in behaviour they're scarcely different.
Now, gnomes that are some manner of stupid inbetween hobbits and dwarves are unquestionably lame.
Note though, dwarves have left behind elves and fairyfolk both, and hobbits were never really such a thing.
So, the gnome is best served remaining a wild nature spirit, one of fairyfolk a more serious male counterpart to the often female flower fairies, though you can have male flower fairies and female gnomes, but visually the reverse has stronger image.
In this manner, their size is smaller than dwarf or hobbit both and their identity is clearly seperated. One can even rob them of fairyhood and make them mortal race that lives in the forests and fields.
Of course one can just have butt-monkey garden gnomes.
Better than dnd gnomes at least, but still neglecting a fine identity.
The wee fairy men however with their fairy magic fill a space hobbits have never had, and dwarves have left long behind, keeping only the magic of the forge, and the wonders there of.
Return the gnomes to the forest and the field and gardeners they may be, but garden gnomes no more, each like in some ways a tiny Tom Bombadil.
No, this teller (putting aside his conemen who didn't bear the name of gnome at first, made without thought of them) favours gnomes as wee fairyfolk, else what name do the little people have?
A final note, on folklore and myth, originally names like elf, dwarf, goblin, troll, gnome and even giant just tended to mean 'humanoid being that is not human' in the old tales they'd vary in behaviour and looks, even if they bore the same name, but over the grinding of time, more and more differences were made or found, but once there were strange nonhumans that were often malevolent but usually magical. Even giants varied in their descriptions.
Only a few of these remain to those origins of strange magical non-humans. Troll for example remains greatly undefined though frequently cast as ogrish monster.
No, the small bearded man, smaller than a hobbit, with conical hat, will mess you up if any dare say he is not the archetypical gnome.
You didn't mention that Feanor was Noldo and he created the Silmarills, the fabled light stones made from the two trees.
The Noldo were master craftsmen when it came to magicked jewelry, much as the Dwarves were the master craftsmen of weapons and armor. It's always pissed me off when you say Dwarf and you think of 4 foot tall people living underground. In Norse Mythology, just as in Tolkien's world, they are almost 5.5 feet tall and heavily muscled.
But that's just me talking. For what it's worth.
I love Tolkien’s Dwarves and imagine them the same because what he said.
As to not mentioning that Feanor created the Silmarills I didn’t think it was necessary for the purposes of the essay but in hindsight it should have made its way into it. Sorry for that.
The Essay was good. I was just pointing out a few things that most people wouldn't know.
Not everyone is as versed in Tolkien's worldview as those of us on Substack.
I have this theory that sting and other weapons of the sort were made by Dwarven and Noldo hands working together.
That theory would be so cool! And ouais not everyone is as well versed I suppose hahaha.
Two modern takes not covered here but you may be interested in are Warcraft and Elder Scrolls. Warcraft gnomes are a lot like the DnD variety, but they're actually smart and fun. They provide much of the technology in the world, even if they have a few scrapes (usually played for laughs). It helps that they're also portrayed as cute.
Elder Scrolls do not have gnomes, but their "dwarves," aka Dwemer, actually seem like a hybrid of Dwarves, Elves and Gnomes. They were inventive, lived under ground, but they weren't short or cute. Although they disappeared from the world by the time of the games, their inventions are everywhere.
Ah okay, I’m not fond of the WoW Gnomes (and I did cover them), but that’s just me as to Elder Scrolls don’t know the franchise all that well.
I get your frustration - I get frustrated in how dwarves are often portrayed too - but the thing is, Tolkien was using terms like Elves and Gnomes through the lens of mythology and not how modern society has used those terms. I recently read (though I can't find it now) a essay about how Tolkien came to regret using the term "elf" too because of the influence of later day fairy on that term. Tolkien was not thinking "gnome" or "elf" as we see them, so even saying "gnomes = elves" isn't exactly right either.
What I think has happened is that after Tolkien, most fantasy writers started going to the fairy tales to aid them in building their other folks and not going back to mythology itself - they stopped at Tolkien's mentions of the influence of the colored fairy books and didn't take into account the full breadth of mythos of which Tolkien was an ardent student. So when they think elves and gnomes, they are looking at stories about pixies and fairies and brownies, Santa's elves, the Cobbler's elves. They are not thinking of the Asiur or Valar of the Nordic countries, the gods of the Greeks and Romans, nor the Tylwyth Teg or the Ao Si of the Welsh and Irish, or even the djin from Persia.
I know Tolkien considered using the word Gnome and did for a while before he switch to elf, but I don't think he had in mind exactly what we think of as gnomes any more than he had in mind what we have come to know as elves. If you want to get a clearer idea of what Tolkien was actually envisioning when he made his elves, you'll have to go back to the old myths and the stories and legends that are the oldest and pre-date fairy tales. Because much of what is now more commonly understood as fairy is very different in the oldest stories, and Tolkien had his eyes on the oldest stories. Fairies in the oldest myths are very different from the modern view of little whimsical nature-loving creatures with butterfly wings - i.e. the original fairies were NOT Tinkerbell....
What has become modern fantasy, while it may have started out from a love of Tolkien, is definitely nothing like Tolkien any more - D&D and its great influence from fairy tales and other sources did its job in completely remaking modern fantasy.
Very good point, I guess I look at the two terms through the lens of mythology also and struggle to just think in terms of ‘fantasy novel’ or something sorry.
Your discussion of gnomes reminds me of my own revulsion at the “oh so random” and Terry Prachett-ization of the fantasy genre. Not everything needs to be quirky and played out like these fantasy writers insist on making it. The everyday reader wants authenticity and world building to dive into, not some corny jokes.
Agreed, I’m not familiar with Pratchett’s style as much as others, but ouais I prefer authenticity and find corny jokes wearisome though I like Tolkien’s.
Have you read Tolkien 's essays on Fairyland? They read as if he had actually been there and was trying to extend the experience to the reader - even more than the whole Middle Earth cycle. Has been 30 years since I read them but he did seem to mention gnomes - and implied, as a lot of folklore did - that they are kind of halfway between dwarves and elves.
I’m reading it right now I had planned an essay on the first bit soon, I’m however hampered by the nature of the language used, as it is dense and difficult for me to understand. I might have to look into a French translation, so it might be a week or two before I release an essay on it.
I’m of the opinion Gnomes should be a mixture of Dwarves & Elves of sorts as he and you say.
I didn’t see this directly expressed, but Tolkien used the word in the sense that Paracelsus used it( https://www.americansteeldesigns.com/blogs/news/exploring-the-mythology-of-gnomes-a-look-at-their-place-in-folklore#:~:text=The%20word%20%22gnome%22%20itself%20is,and%20possessors%20of%20secret%20knowledge ) “The word "gnome" itself is derived from the Greek word "gnōmē," meaning "intelligence" or "knowledge." Gnomes are often associated with wisdom and a deep understanding of nature and the Earth. In many tales, they are depicted as guardians of hidden treasures and possessors of secret knowledge.” If that doesn’t describe the Noldor I don’t know what does!
Exactement, I should have pointed out this fact in the essay damn, but I screwed up. It just incenses me that the literal embodiment of ‘secret knowledge’ is reduced to a bumbling, drunken meme. It’s the Left poking fun at and secretly tricking the rest of the world into mocking their own traditions or so it seems to me.
In the earliest editions of the Hobbit, he even refers to the High Elves as the Gnomes. It’s such a good name for intelligent beings that it is a pity it’s been poisoned. The Poortvliet gnomes I can accept, because of the connections to wisdom despite their garden-gnome appearance but the Keynote and D&D gnomes … just no.
Fully agree, it just seems like an attack but maybe I’m just personalizing crap. I remember reading the Gnomes stuff and thinking ‘cool, so Elves = Gnomes’ then came the later fantasy universes with their weirdo Gnomes.
*KRYNN darned autocorrect
Hahaha s’okay I get that happening on my pc sometimes.
If ever there were theories that one might wish true, Paracelsus' ones on spirits are greatly appealing.
This teller could be mistaken but from what little he has read of Paracelsus' writings, the man was one of the good alchemists, not gripped by the magician's lust for fame, money and power or forbidden knowledge.
Interesting theories
Paracelsus was great as far as I can see. A protochemist and a sort of theosophist in one handy package.
Cool
I didn't even know people were writing gnomes in that way as most of the books I read don't have them at all. That kind of gnome would probably annoy me too (although I do love garden gnomes). I have two projects I'm working on that mention gnomes, but not in this way at all. In one, they're drawing from the old myths/folklore and, in the other, I had need for two groups of elf-kind with one being shorter and with slightly different magic (I'm setting up for a retelling where high elves don't fit as well) and it was simply the best choice of term give the precedent that Tolkien had also used the term gnome for elves at one point. I'm putting my own twist on them in that one (elves too for that matter) though far closer to Tolkien's versions than any other.
Good make your Gnomes your own.
I'm not all that familiar with DnD and simular mythologies. When I think of gnomes I'm more likely to picture something between garden gnomes and Baum's nomes than Tolkien, and I'd probably place the Noldor in a completely different class, even if i recognize that he called them that.
(I am also unreasonably annoyed with Baum for trying to change the spelling like that.)
But Tolkien didn't invent the term "gnome", nor is he the only one who is allowed to image it.
Very good point
Completely agree and it's a shame, there's a lot of potential with a serious use of gnomes. I'm reluctantly and apprehensively going to selfishly mention my nascent comic strip, Neddimus, which features gnomes--I'm hoping to portray gnomes as smart and relatable, but there will be a few other characters who are lacking (there has to be some conflict!).
HEY! No talk of narcissism when you’ve a masterpiece to share! Jokes aside, I want you to post me a link, and to also remind me every Saturday and Wednesday if need be to restack/share your comic and to direct people to it on Warrior Wednesday & Sword & Saturday events.
I’m very eager to see what your gnomes are like.
When I think Gnomes, I think about garden gnomes and other decorative fairy tale creatures. Very cute protectors of forests and animals. I do not think they belong in Tolkien’s work.
Lmao, garden gnomes are fine I get why they come to mind first, Tolkien’s gnomes are the Noldorin Elves. He clearly had different stuff in mind than the rest of us hahaha.
"Holy moly," the good Brother exclaimed this morning, "how did this break 400 views?!"
I'll tell you how. You took it to the absolute worst race in fantasy fiction and did so with the proverbial sword of the Silmarillion. Facts is facts, and fact is gnomes suck.
Lmao fair point, and the thing is nobody seems to use them. I’m glad you liked this essay so much.
Gnomes are short-bus hobbits and should be placed on a reservation and given rations of government cheese.
lmao agreed
As an side, I loved the first two times Tinker Gnomes showed up in the Dragonlance novels, but was pretty much rolling my eyes when they turned up again (except in one of three short stories that featured them - one was good, played down the silly side but did not ignore it altogether). I have only played gnome PCs three times by choice (and once by it being the last PC left at a tournament table) - one was an archer far more interested in art than in combat (his "battle cry" was "Hold that pose!" ... It worked once...). One was a 5e Rock Gnome played at a convention and not used enough to develop much of a personality, and the other was a HackMaster Illusionist/Cleric (of a God of Thieves); he was one of my favorite PCs, really, reciting from the Book of Scams or Book of Larceny, ordering the undead to return the bodies they stole without permission to their graves, etc.
That’s fair, I could see why you’ve love the first two times, and why you might play them in DnD.
When gnomes are brought up in D&D I always remember that build where the grease covered gnome jumps into someone's butt and uses enlarge to burst forth from their body, killing them horribly. That's it, that's all gnomes in D&D amounts to for me.
Yeouch, that sounds painful! Butt yeah they do tend to end up like that in my head sometimes, my disdain has softened but I still would prefer the Gnome/Noldor Elves rather than the subverted ones.
I looked it up again and there's a funny story about a halfling variant. Needless to say you can imagine what happens with the D&D 3.5 Escape Artist description for 80+
"Extremely Tight Space
This is the DC for getting through a space when one’s head shouldn’t even be able to fit; this can be as small as 2 inches square for Medium-size creatures. Halve this limit for each size category less than Medium-size; double it for each size category greater than Medium-size. If the space is long, such as in a chimney, multiple checks may be called for."
The story of the ass-assin.
https://imgur.com/you-gotta-be-shitting-me-JnF4p0p
I also recall a GM who used them as NPCs and the players made up iron diapers or somesuch horrific adaptation to the verisimilitude nightmare that D&D 3.5 was. Yes, fantasy had truly become a mockery around that time.
Dear heavens lol!
"Now having said that, if anyone borrows from the Garden Gnome folklore go ahead, that stuff is hilarious with this being one piece of lore I believe Harry Potter did quite well, with having Garden Gnomes be little more than butt-monkeys to be laughed at."
Slight issue is taken here, as so called garden gnomes can be played as straight as flower fairies, being nature spirit fairies themselves. There's whole series of adult's and children's fiction like this, though in comparison to the ever playful flower fairys, gnomes are often made into the role of forest guardian, being somewhat of a gardener or forest warden going beyond nature to bind animal wound, trim plants and so on.
But futher on seriousness, going to folklore you have evil gnomes giving wishes in exchange for a bride or a first born. Indeed there's a deep connection with the later understanding of the fairfolk, the little people of irish folklore, and while many think them a sanitized version of those folk from which elves and dwarves also have connections to, in behaviour they're scarcely different.
Now, gnomes that are some manner of stupid inbetween hobbits and dwarves are unquestionably lame.
Note though, dwarves have left behind elves and fairyfolk both, and hobbits were never really such a thing.
So, the gnome is best served remaining a wild nature spirit, one of fairyfolk a more serious male counterpart to the often female flower fairies, though you can have male flower fairies and female gnomes, but visually the reverse has stronger image.
In this manner, their size is smaller than dwarf or hobbit both and their identity is clearly seperated. One can even rob them of fairyhood and make them mortal race that lives in the forests and fields.
Of course one can just have butt-monkey garden gnomes.
Better than dnd gnomes at least, but still neglecting a fine identity.
The wee fairy men however with their fairy magic fill a space hobbits have never had, and dwarves have left long behind, keeping only the magic of the forge, and the wonders there of.
Return the gnomes to the forest and the field and gardeners they may be, but garden gnomes no more, each like in some ways a tiny Tom Bombadil.
No, this teller (putting aside his conemen who didn't bear the name of gnome at first, made without thought of them) favours gnomes as wee fairyfolk, else what name do the little people have?
A final note, on folklore and myth, originally names like elf, dwarf, goblin, troll, gnome and even giant just tended to mean 'humanoid being that is not human' in the old tales they'd vary in behaviour and looks, even if they bore the same name, but over the grinding of time, more and more differences were made or found, but once there were strange nonhumans that were often malevolent but usually magical. Even giants varied in their descriptions.
Only a few of these remain to those origins of strange magical non-humans. Troll for example remains greatly undefined though frequently cast as ogrish monster.
No, the small bearded man, smaller than a hobbit, with conical hat, will mess you up if any dare say he is not the archetypical gnome.