Elementals are spirits that have only one element to their nature, usually air, fire, water or earth. Divine consciousness descends into the various realms of the created universe. The same consciousness that becomes a human being when it settles in this world may become another animal or faerie if it settled in that being's realm. It would become a different kind of elemental according to the element it forms in.
Gnomes are said to be the spiritual beings who inhabit the spirit realm of the earth element. As spirits of energy they are commonly invisible to the average person, only those that possess second sight can see them clearly. However being on the first level of the spirit realm, they are close enough to the physical realm in order to easily inter-react with it. By tradition Gnomes were the protectors of secret treasures hidden in caves beneath the earth. Legends have it that they were reluctant to help and aid humans, but if you were to gain the trust of one, they could prove to be powerful friends. On the other hand, if you were to lose their trust, deceive them or misuse their aid, then all hell could be let lose.
In Wicca/Witchcraft Gnomes are called to instill confidence, steadfastness and endurance, but can also be used to bring about gloom, melancholy and despair should that be required.
The Earth Spirits or Gnomes absorb from the ethers (a plain of existence beyond the upper and lower worlds of shamanism, and beyond the astral plane, but lower than the level of the Gods) and release the energy into matter to give it life. They are formless, but take the form of whatever they interact with. Thus, when they meet a human, they take a human form, though short, stocky and thick-set, due to their earthy nature. You can read more here.
I have included a few modern day instances where people believed they had encountered Gnomes:
The so-called Gnomo de Girona (Gnome of Girona) is the name given to the remains of an animal or a fetus (abnormal or not) found near Girona, Catalonia (Spain) in September 1989. It aroused some attention from the Spanish media, especially some TV programs specialized in parapsychology and the paranormal such as En los límites de la realidad and Otra dimensión.
The body was bluish, hairless, with little spots in the neck and face and showed a protuberance in the forehead. It also had elongated ears, reddish eyes and fingers with interdigital membranes. The total length was approximately 12 centimeters.
According to the original version, the being had been captured by campers about 11 kilometers from Girona, in route from the villages of Banyoles to Olot. They were near a forest when one of them heard noises similar to low volume moans. When he looked in the direction from where the noises were coming he spotted the being trying to escape. The being emitted “a kind of squeak similar to an old man’s laughter”. The campers managed to capture the being by throwing a blanket over it.
The being then remained alive for approximately 24 hours after its capture, although other versions of the story extend this time to 4 days. It refused all food offered to it although according to its captors showed some degree of intelligence. After its death, the Spanish parapsychologist Ángel Gordon got the body and preserved it in a jar with formaldehyde.
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8/18/07 - The Municipality trimmed the tree because its large branches were jeopardizing motorists traveling along Avenida del Inca. After work, some residents reportedly saw “little men coming out [of the tree] in single file from that location.”
The landscapes described by the prolific writer John Ronald Reuel Tolkien – author of The Lord of the Rings: 50th Anniversary, One Vol. Edition
– as the habitat of imps, elves, trolls and fairies that appear in his works do not vary all that much. These creatures enjoy living in forests, trees, small rivers and clean environments. They tend to dwell within trees or openings in the surface.Described thus, an infinite number of similar landscapes can be described in a number of points throughout the country, and Merlo is no exception, even though humans may be accused of making these places fewer and fewer.
Days ago, the Municipality of Merlo, at the request of local residents, trimmed a hundred-year old eucalyptus that is next to the Leopoldo Lugones Library in Piedra Blanca, on a tight curve by Avenida de los Incas. The large branches obscured visibility for motorists and jeopardized light and telephone wires on windy days.
While the trimming operations took place on the avenue, adjacent to a stream, traffic was interrupted and once restored, locals driving through the area, lighting it with their car headlights, claimed to have seen the strange figures. They reportedly saw “some little men coming out of the amputated tree and walking single file toward the library. Most witnesses did not offer details, but one woman described their clothing as having a brownish hue,” said Cecillia de Gabrele, an employee at the library who fielded several phone calls at her workplace from locals who sought confirmation for what they had seen nearby. However, neither the employee nor her coworkers noticed anything unusual.
Cecilia added that for many years there have been stories of “imp” sightings for many years in that district. “Thats where Aguaribay Street begins, which has abundant native flora, and many claim having seen tiny beings between the branches and shadows.”
Once the trimming operation was over in what some believe may have been the dwelling of these little people, the landscape “was devastating”, according to De Gabriele. The eucalyptus has a reddish wood and after being trimmed, this shade became visible. Faced with the bizarre scene, some have gone as far as to suggest that “the strong coloring gave the impression that the tree was bleeding.”
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The Creepy Gnome
October 17, 2008 - A sighting of South America’s ‘creepy gnome’ has caused panic among locals after a group of youngsters claimed a ‘midget monster’ ran towards them at night.
The teens – who recorded footage of the freaky being on their mobile phone – said they are now “too terrified” to go out at night.
Experts who examined the latest footage, taken in the town of Clodomira, province of Santiago del Estero, Argentina, last week, say it is ‘credible’.
But sceptics say the sidestepping ‘gnome’ could be a speedy child or even a small animal.
Last week’s footage was taken by Juan Carlos Roldan, his brother Javier and five friends, who were larking around by the water fountain in Clodomira.
Juan, who filmed the creature, referred to it as “something that looked like a dwarf”.
He said: “It was walking sideways and was wearing dark clothes. But it was impossible to see its face because its face was covered in shadows.”
One of the lads, who were aged 15-22, yesterday told Argentinean reporters: “We were messing about - singing and dancing - when we heard a loud rustling noise from behind us.
“This tiny thing started running down Avenue San Martin at us. It had a pointy head and dark clothes.
“It was a person of incredibly low stature. We filmed it then got scared and ran off.
“This little thing was barking like a dog - but running sideways on two legs. It headed off towards the football stadium.”
Juan added: “We stopped for a while around a block away from where we saw it. Then we returned and picked up the pieces of clothing that we had left behind and our bikes too but we didn’t see anything else.”
Photographic expert Aldegonda Alvarz, of Universidad Nacional de Santiago del Estero, yesterday said: “This video footage seems credible. We could be looking at another ‘petido orejudo’ - small being.”
It sparked hundreds coming forward to report similar sightings while a town’s mayor and police chief admitted they had known about ‘the creepy gnome’s’ existence for 20 years.
Teenager Jose Alvarez first caught the creature on film while larking about in his hometown of General Guemes, in the province of Salta, Argentina.
He said: “This is no joke. We are still afraid to go out - just like everyone else in the neighbourhood now.
"One of my friends was so scared after seeing that thing that we had to take him to the hospital."
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The Ghost Gnome
My mother and grandmother swear this story is true. I found it a bit strange but interesting.
It's the summer of 1969, and my mom is 19 years old. Before I go any further, I know what you might be thinking. My mother doesn't do any drugs. Trust me.
So, anyway, the summer of '69 and my mom is sleeping in her room, which is off the kitchen. She stayed at my grandmothers sometimes while my father served over in Vietnam. She had the window open that night and heard something outside. She sat up and continued to listen. She was about to get up and look when she saw a little man crawl through. It didn't scare her for some reason, which I thought was strange. It walked up to the foot of her bed, climbed up and sat down with his legs hanging over the edge. My mom didn't do anything; she said she just stared at him. He looked like a gnome according to her description. At least that's what I came up with. He sat there trying to get comfortable and when he was finally situated, he reached in a little bag he was carrying and pulled out a pipe. He lit it, took a couple puffs, turned and faced her.
He said that he some bad news about my father, but not to worry, he was okay. He continued on that my father was in terrible trouble and that she will hear more about it in the morning. He tapped his pipe in his hand, jumped off the bed and crawled out the window. That's when it finally sank in my mom's head, of what just happened, and she decided to call out for my grandmother. My grandmother came in turned the light on and asked her what was wrong. As my mom explained, my grandmother, not paying attention to my mother, noticed smoke lingering in the room and asked if she'd been smoking. My mom told her the story again. My grandmother didn't believe her.
The next morning, my mother got a phone call from the Army and said that my father was injured in an attack and would home in about 10 days. My grandmother believed her then.
I asked my mom why she thought it was a ghost. She said that was because she could see through him. I thought ghosts could float or whatever, why did this 'ghost gnome' have to crawl through an open window? She didn't know.
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Other Accounts:
Casablanca, Valparaiso, Chile - November 16 1996 - various
Several local students at the basic Manuel Baquedano school reported encountering several little gnome like men about 30 cm in height. The little men wore different color clothing and usually hid in the trees and bushes. Their leader appeared to be an aged looking one, dressed in black who threw stones at the curious children and emitted strange shrieking sounds, at the same time making signs with his hands to stay back. 12-year-old Felipe Guerrero Silva reported seeing other friendlier gnomes wearing red, green, and white clothing. The entity wearing the white clothing seemed to be the friendliest at times calling the children.
Source: Paranigma Chile / Albert Rosales
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Houston, Texas - early March 2003 - evening
The witness noticed his dog chasing something in the yard, thinking it was a cat he went out to investigate and yell at his dog. But when he got there he saw a 1 foot tall figure wearing red clothing, something resembling a clown suit without the big shoes and nose. He wore a pointy red hat and had white beard.
The witness called his dog over to him; he pulled him inside and closed the door. Then looked out the window to see the figure eating birdseed in the yard. As he looked out, the gnome like figure looked straight at him. It seemed to become afraid and hid behind the porch. The witness called out and the small figure peeked over the porch at him and smiled. Then it disappeared.
Source: Paranormal.About.com
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Perm Region, Russia - July 19 1989 - late night
As the witness slept in her apartment she suddenly awoke feeling a strange oppressive atmosphere around her. She opened her eyes and saw a humanoid figure bending down over her. The figure was short, about 130cm, and looked intently at the witness. The figure had a grayish green pale facial complexion. It had large dark pupil less eyes. Heavy skin folds covered the head and body of the creature. It had what appeared to be a thin beard and appeared to be elderly. A second humanoid now appeared next to the first one. This one was somewhat shorter and appeared younger, both resembled aged “gnomes”. Both figures then floated back from the bed and vanished. At this point what appeared to be a tennis ball size sphere of light appeared in their place. The sphere disappeared into the next room and then flew out an opened window.
Source: UFOZONE Russia
Nature Spirits & Elemental Beings: Working with the Intelligence in Nature
Over the Hills and Far Away: Stories of Dwarfs, Fairies, Gnomes and Elves from Around Europe
Imps, Elves, Fairies and Goblins CD-ROM and Book (Dover Electronic Clip Art)
Enchantment of the Faerie Realm: Communicate with Nature Spirits & Elementals
