GNOME: Is your porridge ready for the gnomes?

(What are we talking about?) We’ve all seen the little decorative gnomes as lawn ornaments and on just about every other decorative thing imaginable.

In Scandinavian countries of old, when economic times were tough and farms were spread out throughout the land, loneliness and isolation were common. Folks started telling stories of mythical beings that protected farmlands.

The gnome’s job was to protect the welfare and health of livestock. In mid-winter, a family thanked the gnome with a delicious bowl of porridge to show gratitude for the gnomes’ hard work, to bring good luck, wealth, and protection to the family and farm, and to keep the gnomes happy so they don’t leave the farm or play tricks.

Seems like a bargain.

The legends of gnomes came to America with European settlers, and the short, bearded men with long, pointy caps became a part of life here, too.

Some legends have the creatures living underground and moving through the earth (sort of like Bugs Bunny when he makes the wrong turn at Albuquerque). Gnomes often have magical powers to help them aid nature and make gardens and farms more productive. Some, though, have a reputation for being a bit naughty.

In mythology, naughty gnomes would typically play mischievous pranks on humans, often disrupting the household, stealing small trinkets, leading people astray in the woods, causing minor mischief in farms, or even attempting to sabotage mining operations by creating cave-ins or diverting underground streams if they felt their treasure was being threatened.

Having a gnome in one’s yard is considered good luck. It does come with a caveat — should one’s gnome come to life, it won’t get along with cats! Domesticated animals might see the creatures as a threat and a fight could ensue.