Ever been embarrassed by your height? (Or lack thereof?) Well, today on the mythological creatures channel, we’re going to make you feel a little shorter (or a little taller) by talking giants and gnomes. You thought you had it rough?
Giants
In short, if you didn’t know already, giants are humans of enormous strength and size. Giants pop up in sorts of cultures: Hindu, Native American, Greek, Roman, Norse, Bulgarian, Europe, etc. Giant folklore is thought to have originated from Greek mythology and, while they typically had the body of men, they also were said to have serpentine legs.
Many cultures believe that giants were involved in the creation of the earth — some even saying that the world was formed from the the carcass of a dismembered giant (lovely). Other cultures blame it on a war between giants.
Characteristics of giants:
- Have a wild nature
- Occasionally eat humans (think Jack and the Beanstalk) — this comes from the Native American giant mythology.
- In folklore, giants are usually at odds with the gods.
- Often not very smart.
In Norse mythology, there are different types of giants associated with the elements. Frost giants (hey, Frozen had one of those!), fire giants (balrog? [wink]), and mountain giants (Hobbit movie!) Anyone feeling a story coming on, yet? (I certainly am.)
Every culture has a different name for its giants.
- Jotun (Norse culture)
- Daityas (Hindu)
- Nephilim (Middle East)
- Titans (Greek)
- Formorians (Irish)
Giants can have mood swings. They will often go from helping those who are in trouble to then killing trespassers in their territory. (Will someone please write a story about a bipolar giant? Please?)
What’s my favorite giant, you ask? Why the pancake-eating, axe-swinging, blue ox-riding, lumberjack named Paul Bunyan. If you don’t know what I’m talking about, go watch the movie Tall Tale and learn how to deliver fantastic insults (“You flaming pile of buffalo-puckey!”) Okay, and Fezzik.
Books with giants in them:
- Harry Potter (Grawp!)
- The Silver Chair, by C. S. Lewis (and other Narnia novels)
- Jack the Giant Killer
- Gulliver’s Travels
- The Bible
- The Princess Bride
Now…for the tiny people:
Gnomes
No, gnomes are not just ceramic mini-Santas that sit in your garden. They originated from Renaissance magic and alchemy and are, in fact, tiny little spirits that look like tiny humanoids. They also prefer living underground (which is possibly why people started decorating their gardens with them.)Gnomes, like giants, have different names and different characteristics depending on which culture we look at.
- Erdmanleins or Heinzemannchens (German) — say those two five times fast.
- Nisse (Norway)
- Tontti (Finnish)
- Foddenskkmaend (Icelandic)
- Dudje (Bulgaria)
- Skritek (Belgian)
- Mano (Hungary)
- Kleinmanneken (Swiss)
- Domovoi Djedoes (Russian)
Gnomes live in many areas of the earth, not just gardens. The most common in existence [wink] is the Forest Gnome, but they don’t like people very much. Garden gnomes don’t mind us big folk, and they like to tell melancholy tales. Then there are Dune gnomes who dress very poorly and are one of the larger races of gnomes. House gnomes know the most about human, in fact, they usually speak our languages and all gnome kings arise from the house gnome race. Farm gnomes are similar to house gnomes, but more like peasants. They dress a bit shabbier. Siberian gnomes are like the weird cousin of the gnome breeds. They interbreed with trolls, are rather nasty, and they love revenge.
Characteristics of gnomes:
- They have a lot of animal friends.
- They grow roughly 15 centimeters high
- Gnomes are 7-times stronger than a human
- They can run 35 mph
- Rosy cheeks (Santa!)
- They are some of the best gem-cutters in existence
- They’re vegetarians and usually eat nuts, mushrooms, and potatoes. They drink honey or dew (not Mountain Dew 😛 )
Now that you’re completely enamored by gnomes and want to go write them into a story, let’s take a look at some of the stories they are in. I’m not very knowledgeable, so you’ll have to let me know which main ones I missed in the comments. 🙂
Books with gnomes:
- Harry Potter
- The Chronicles of Narnia, by C. S. Lewis (the gnomes were called earthmen.)
- Shannara Series by Terry Brook
Who’s your favorite giant?
What book has gnomes in it?
My D&D character is a gnome named Sheldon Kneecapper. He was abandoned as a baby and raised by a clan of human barbarians. His cheerful nature has been swapped out for an adrenaline fueled rage. Especially when someone insults his adoptive Mother.
When I think of gnomes, I think of Shannara.
I had NO IDEA they were 6″ tall and could run 35 mph!
I love Paul Bunyan! Tall Tale is a great movie too!
*wink* Mountain Dew! 😀
Another wonderful post, Nadine!
Oh, another book series that has gnomes in it is Artemis Fowl. Great reads!
Amen!! It’s so good to hear, and know Christian people like you have a voice, and can always refer back to what the Word says. The Word of God. Thank you my Brother.
Gnomes pay a big role in many of the later Oz books. The gnomes in those live underground and are terribly afraid of eggs.
Do you think God, as defined in the bible, would shun one of His creations? I hardly think so, especially a creature as wonderful as a Gnome. Please don’t use the bible to minimize the power and scope of the creator.