Monday, June 29, 2020

Mythical Creature Mondays: Gnomes


A Brief History

The gnome is a mythological creature or diminutive spirit that was first introduced by Paraclesus in the 16th century and later adopted by many authors in fantasy literature. In L. Frank Baum's Oz series they are the chief adversaries of the Oz people. They've also made appearances in works by J.R.R. Tolkien, the Warcraft franchise, and C.S. Lewis' Chronicles of Narnia. It's exact characteristics have been reinterpreted to suit the needs of various story tellers, but it is typically said to be a small humanoid that lives underground. 

After World War II the small figures were introduced as lawn ornaments and became known as garden gnomes.  This is how we often see them depicted in books and media today. The gnomes in the Harry Potter series are just one recent example of garden gnomes being used in literature. 

Want to read more about Gnomes? Check out one of these books. Click on the link to be taken to the Library catalog to request materials. 

Picture Books


How to Grow Happiness by Kelly DiPucchio


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