Creature Feature: Gnomes

Pretty much everyone, at one time or another, has seen one of those little plastic garden gnomes. They hang out in gardens, star in television commercials and movies, and seem to constantly be getting into trouble. But where did they come from? I wasn’t really sure myself so I attempted to do some research. Unfortunately the information I found was somewhat limited. It appears that no one knows exactly where the Gnome legend comes from or how far back it dates.

It’s believed that gnomes were a part of European folklore in the 1800’s. They are mentioned in an earlier work by Paracelsus and in Grimm’s Fairy Tales and their popularity has spread all over the world.

Gnomes are thought to live underground, have a love for gardening and working the earth and like to hoard treasures and gems. Some people consider them elementals and believe they have some magical abilities. Male Gnomes are usually portrayed with long white beards.

Recently a number of people in Argentina have been claiming to have spotted Gnomes running the streets at night and there are several videos on the internet of the Argentina Gnome sightings. While these videos are most likely faked, they are pretty interesting. Here are some links to the videos.  Gnome Video 1.  Video 2. Video 3.

So I’m curious if anyone has ever spotted something that looked like a Gnome? Do you have one of those little plastic Gnomes in your garden?

Clute, John and Clute, Grant. “Elemental.” The Encyclopedia of Fantasy. New York. St. Martins Griffin.

Paracelsus. (1566.)  Liber de nymphis, sylphis, pygmaeis et salamandris et de caeteris spiritibus. Nissae Silesiorum.

Grimm Brothers. The Complete Grimm's Fairy Tales. New York: Pantheon Books, 1944

Creature Feature: The Yeti

 

The Yeti, often referred to as the Abominable Snow man, is pretty much a household name. Movies, TV shows and books love to use this sometimes scary (and occasionally lovable) guy in their stories. And why not? He is pretty cute. With a coat of long white fur and facial features that are a cross between a bear and a monkey, it’s easy to see why he is so popular.

But the Yeti is based in real mythology. The people of the Himalayas have been talking about him for generations. And the Yeti is one mythological creature that actually sounds pretty plausible. There are so few people living in the Yeti’s territory that it’s possible that he could exists for years without a single human laying an eye on him. He’s also thought to be shy and reclusive, making the potential existence even more believable. There’s also been several well known cases of Yeti footprints discovered throughout the Himalayas, giving hope to all the Yeti enthusiasts out there.

Even with all the talk about them, there are still plenty of people that believe that the Yeti is nothing more than a misidentified bear. There are bears living in the area that are similar in size and stature, so it’s easy to see how one could be identified. Plus, mythology is not the most reliable sources of information. Stories can be passed down for generations and change every time the story is told. Maybe the creature the native people claim to see is just the product of story telling and confusion.

We may never really know for sure if the Yeti is really out there (unless someone brings back a live one) but that isn’t going to stop anyone from enjoying the tale of the Yeti.

Creature Feature: The Mothman

On December 15, 1967 the Silver Bridge in Point Pleasant, West Virginia collapsed. The tragedy, which killed dozens of people, attracted press from all over. The press wasn’t coming just to learn about the accident but to cover strange reports of an unusual creature seen by several people shortly before the collapse.

Witnesses claimed to see something with glowing red eyes, gigantic wings, and an almost human shape. There were also claims that the creature made a terrifying screeching sound. Some people believed that the people involved were actually misidentifying large birds or animals. Others claimed that the Mothman was the result of a government experiment gone wrong. Many local residents thought the Mothman was trying to warn people about the disaster.

The mystery of the Mothman has never been solved. And people are claiming to see Mothman-like creatures at the sites of other major tragedies. These sightings have lead to theories that the Mothman is some sort of omen, or angel of death.



 Image by Marcus

Whatever the Mothman is, it’s got people asking questions. Mothman enthusiasts still visit the town in search of answers and Point Pleasant has become popular gathering spot for lovers of the paranormal, even though sightings in the area have mostly ended. Maybe one day the Mothman will make another appearance and we will get some answers.