Forest Folklore Friends: Gnomes

I would like to introduce to you my new series for this week: Forest Folklore Friends. The week will consist of other mythical characters said to be living on the forest floor. To start the week: Gnomes.

I don’t know why, but as I was researching gnomes this morning, I felt a little bit like Dwight Schrute from The Office. I’m not sure if Dwight’s character has ever talked about gnomes, but for some reason, it seems like the type of thing he would have an uncommonly large amount of knowledge about. And the type of ridiculous thing he’d talk about as fact.

Lol. Yes, I now know too much about gnomes. And after you finish reading this post, you will too!

And yes, I am a HUGE Office fan. It is my favorite sitcom ever created.

ANYWAYS…. Here is the information about gnomes that I was finding that lead me to feel like Dwight. These “facts” are so detailed that I can’t help but crack up over them. As you read, the details of this illustration will make more sense.

• Males indulge in pipe-smoking
• Males think of marriage about age 200 years
• Gnome women deck themselves out with blossoms or berry-bearing twigs for the celebrations
• Greetings, farewells and goodnights are expressed by rubbing noses.
• Gnomes are 7 times as strong as a man.
• Urine can be contained for a whole day
• Brain capacity larger than man’s.
• Hair grays very early, baldness unknown.
• Life-span is around 400 years.
• Not tone deaf.
• Fingertips as sensitive as those of a blind person.
• Fingerprints are mainly of a circular pattern.
• Heart attacks unknown.
• Capable of smelling 19 times better than man.
• Sense of direction (as good as a homing pigeon)
• ESP…(nonverbal communication over great distances)
• Weather forecasting
• Visit their birthday tree yearly…often live under it
• Birth of gnomes is always twins
• Pregnancy lasts 12 months
• Girl children are raised by their mothers and neighbor women in homely arts.
• Boys at age 13 are taught the manly ways and taught his fathers trade
• Boys at age 75 years are introduced to the members of the Regional Council, a few he may already know.
• Gnomes love to dance and find occasion to celebrate.
• Gnomes are usually an average of 15 centimeters tall, but with its cap on it appears much taller. Their feet are somewhat pigeon toed which gives them an extra edge on speed and agility through the wood and grass. The males weigh 300 grams, and female is 250-275 grams.
• The male wears a peaked red cap, a blue shirt, brown-green pants, and ether felt boots, birch shoes, or wooden clogs. Around his waist is a belt with a tool kit attached, holding a knife, hammer, etc. They are fair of face, though the boast rosy red cheeks. Long beards adorn their faces and turn gray far sooner than their hair.
• The female wears gray or khaki clothing, consisting of a blouse and skirt (to ankles). She also has black-gray knee socks and high shoes or slippers. Before she is married, she dons a green cap.
• Prior to marriage her hair in hanging down, the outfit is complemented by a green cap and braids with which later disappear under a scarf while the green cap is replaced by more somber tones after she marries.
• Gnomes are friends to animals.

Hope you have enjoyed brushing up on your Gnome trivia today. So tell me…. if you are an Office fan, do you feel a little more like Dwight now too?

*Gnome information drawn from here and here.