A gnome is a mythological creature and diminutive spirit in Renaissance magic and alchemy, introduced by Paracelsus in the 16th century. Paracelsus used Gnomi as a synonym of Pygmæi and classifies them as earth elementals. According to Paracelsus and his subsequent followers, there are four categories of elementals, which are gnomes, undines, sylphs, and salamanders. He describes gnomes as two spans high, very reluctant to interact with humans and able to move through solid earth as easily as humans move through air.

The chthonic or earth-dwelling spirit has precedents in numerous ancient and medieval mythologies, often guarding mines and precious underground treasures, notably in the Germanic dwarfs and the Greek Chalybes, Telchines or Dactyls. The gnomes of Swiss folklore follow this template, as they are said to have caused the landslide that destroyed the Swiss village of Plurs in 1618 - the villagers had become wealthy from a local gold mine created by the gnomes, who poured liquid gold down into a vein for the benefit of humans, and were corrupted by this newfound prosperity, which greatly offended the gnomes.

In L. Frank Baum's Oz books (published 1900 to 1920), the Nomes (so spelled), especially their king, are the chief adversaries of the Oz people. They are ugly, hot-tempered, immortal, round-bodied creatures with spindly limbs, long beards and wild hair, militantly collecting and protecting jewels and precious metals underground. Ruth Plumly Thompson, who continued the series (1921 to 1976) after Baum's death, reverted to the traditional spelling. He also featured gnomes in his book The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus. They watch over the rocks, their king is part of the Council of Immortals, and they created the sleigh bells for Santa Claus's reindeer.

A popular type of gnome are the garden gnomes which are lawn ornament figurines of small humanoid creatures. Traditionally, the garden figurines depict male dwarfs wearing red pointy hats. Typically, gnomes stand between one and two feet (30 and 60 cm). Originating as a decoration for the wealthy in Europe, garden gnomes are now prevalent in gardens and lawns throughout the Western world, among all social classes. They are regarded by some as kitsch.

*A Book on Nymphs, Sylphs, Pygmies, and Salamanders, and on the Other Spirits (1566)
*Comte de Gabalis (1670)
*The Rape of the Lock (1712)
*Twice‐Told Tales (1837)
*Little People of the Snow (1877)
*Among the Gnomes: An Occult Tale of Adventure in the Untersberg (1896)
*The Prince of the Pin Elves (1897)
*Father Goose: His Book (1899)
*The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus (1902)
*“Someone, the Gnome,” by Mary Graham Bonner (11 Nov. 1926) – story in newspaper column Daddy’s Evening Fairy Tale, reprinted in A Hundred Trips to Storyland (1930)
*The Gnome King of Oz (1927)
*“The Gnomes’ Castle” (1930) – anonymous story in By Seven Singing Willows
*Feathers Annual (1946)

* Babil and Bijou, or The Lost Regalia, libretto by Dion Boucicault and J. R. Planché, music by G. Jacobi (1872) – includes Skepsis and Pragma (King and Queen of the Gnomes) and their son Porthos
* The Visit of the Raindrops, by Noel Flaurier (1930) – includes six unnamed rain gnomes

* The Little Journeys of Nip and Tuck (newspaper strip) (7 Mar. 1909)
* Fairy Tale Parade #7
* Weird Terror #2
* Captain Wizard #1

* ''The Adventures of Paddy the Pelican''
** The Land of More (1950)

* A list of gnome characters on this wiki can be found here.

*[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gnome Wikipedia]
*[https://comicvine.gamespot.com/gnomes/4060-59088/ ComicVine]
*Myths in Media Wiki
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