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Gnome

• A gnome is a mythical creature. In certain traditions and certain kinds of magickal practice, gnomes are elemental spirits of the element of earth. In other traditions, they are simply small, mischievous sprites or goblins. According to some traditions, their king is called Gob.

• Gnomes are often represented in small ornamental statues called garden gnomes, a German tradition. These are the target of a lot of pranks: people have been known to "return to the wild" these garden gnomes, most notably France's "Front de Liberation des Nains de Jardins" (Garden Gnome Liberation Front). Some kidnapped garden gnomes have been sent on trips around the world, being passed from person to person and photographed at different famous landmarks, with the photos being returned to the owner.

• There is also a tradition of calling Swiss bankers gnomes, presumably because they are stereotypically old men guarding treasure. In myth the gnome is usually a creature living deep underground and guarding buried treasure, resembling a small gnarled old man. This is clearly not a friendly nickname and no insult is meant by including it here.

• Gnomes feature in Terry Pratchett's Discworld novels, where they are also called goblins. The Nac Mac Feegle are sometimes considered an ethnic subgroup of gnomes.

• In David Brin's novel Earth, a major nuclear war is described in which many nations attack Switzerland in an effort to reclaim money from the "gnomes" (bankers), money that has been illegally smuggled out of ailing developing nations and hidden in numbered Swiss bank accounts.

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