GNOMES
In all of the years I have attended church services and forum programs at
the Unitarian Church, and at other churches and synagogues, I have never
heard a discussion of Gnomes. Now the skeptics among you will say,"that is
because there are no gnomes". However, it seems to me that much time and
energy is spent in churches discussing other mythical and fabled creatures,
people and events. So I wanted to bring to you, during these three
Sundays, a look and a chance to discuss Gnomes, Faeries and Elves, and
Dragons, and their place in the past, present and future.
The word Gnome probably comes from the Greek word "gnosis", meaning
knowledge. It was probably applied to these creatures because of their
knowledge of finding and working with precious metals and stones. In
stories and pictures they are depicted as dwarfs, usually wearing
tight-fitting brown clothes and hoods similar to those of monks. They were
thought to be hardworking folk who lived underground and guarded the
earth's treasures. They were good-natured, reliable, but hid from humans.
They typically lived for hundreds of years, usually in cold climates.
Stories of them may be found in Nordic and Teutonic literature.
Other accounts of Gnomes say that their name was given them by the medieval
scholar, Paracelcus who said that gnomes lived under the earth, where they
could move as easily through the earth as humans could walk upon the
ground. Some believe that gnomes cannot stand light and one ray from the
sun would turn a gnome to stone.
In the mountainous regions of France and Switzerland lived a small gnome
with big feet. They lived above the snow line and their hair and beards
are constantly frozen into icicles.
Some accounts of Gnomes indicate that they are only about three feet in
height, males do not have beards as do most of their cousins the Dwarfs.
However, gnomes do have large noses and perhaps the keenest sense of smell
of all the little people.
Gnomes are gregarious, devoted to their families , responsible and
interested in gathering wealth, to make sure that the family is provided
for.
All of this background on gnomes comes from a variety of sources. Much of
it conflicts with other stories. Some seems to fit other beings such as
trolls and goblins. For example, trolls in Norse mythology, were
dim-witted giants who lived in caverns in mountains and hills. They were
ugly and evil. They, too would turn to stone if struck by a ray of
sunlight. These trolls were metal smiths and guarded treasures. During
the course of time they evolved into dwarf-like creatures who were not as
strong or bloodthirsty as their predecessors. Perhaps becoming gnomes.
A Norse myth which involves Gnomes goes something like this: The supreme
god Odin had several sons. One, Thor, married the beautiful Sif. Sif had
luxurious long, golden hair. Odin's brother, Loki, a mischievous fellow,
to say the least, cut off Sif's hair while she was sleeping. Sif was
beside herself as only a goddess can be and begged Thor to do something.
After much thunder and lightning, Thor calmed down and called upon his friends the
Gnomes. They told Thor that they would make the finest wig they could.
They formed it of spun gold threads which looked like Sif's own hair. She
and Thor were over-joyed and she wore the wig until her own hair grew back.
It was just another job in the life of the Gnomes.
It is curious that Sif became pregnant by her father-in-law Odin and they
had a son Ullr. Ullr therefore was the half brother of Thor. Could Sif
have been Thor's wife and also step-mother? But, Ullr, being Sif's son
would be Thor's step-son. This is why Norse genealogy is so fascinating
These myths containing gnomes have been told and retold. The characters in
these tales have changed and evolved. Peoples in various countries have
shaped the gods, heroes and villains to fit their own backgrounds and
prejudices.. Finally, when stories were written down, fewer changes
occurred. The characters and events became somewhat set and only changed
as translations were made or revisions occurred.
For example: Saint Nicholas was either a priest, an elf, a dwarf, tall or
short, all depending on the version you believed. However, when Clement
Clarke Moore wrote his poem about the Night Before Christmas, we had a
complete physical description of this right jolly old elf.
That description has become the template for all other stories and pictures
of Santa Claus.
In the Jewish legend of the Golem, a rabbi Judah Loew 3 of Prague created
a giant of clay to protect his people. It was animated by placing a
tablet? under the tongue of the Golem and by writing the Hebrew word Ameth
(truth) on it's forehead. To stop (or kill) the Golem the tablet was
removed and the word Ameth changed to Meth (death) by erasing the first
letter.
When Mary Schelly penned her story of Frankenstein, the old Golem myth of
life being created by man was now on paper and became the basis for the
many further stories which followed.
The same is true with the story of Gnomes. Two artists from Holland
captured in paintings and story the life of the Gnomes. Wil Huygen has
written a wonderful history of Gnomes, based on myth and legend. Rien
Poortvliet has illustrated the story and these marvelous drawings and
paintings of the Gnomes and their lives are now the generally accepted view
of what Gnomes look like and how they live. The book was published in 1976
and was followed by a sequel in 1981.
In their first book "Gnomes", Huygen and Poortvliet describe the various
'types of Gnomes, tell their history, legends, life style and physiology in
a very detailed and sincere way. While I do not plan on this talk being a
report on the book "Gnomes, I do want to encourage you to consider reading
the book and enjoying the art work. I believe that Rien Poortvliet is an
excellent artist of nature, of human history and an excellent illustrator
of stories.
The descriptions of the Gnomes and their relationships to each other, to
humans, to animals and plants and to 4 their enemies, the trolls and snot
gurgles are fascinating accounts which bring to life these creatures who we
may never have encountered before. Because I have never seen a Gnome does
not mean they do not exist. All of us go through life accepting much we
have never seen or experienced. I have had two grandfathers who I have
never seen, but I know they existed because of stories and pictures.
Millions of people through out the world are called upon to believe stories
and ideas much more challenging to the imagination than the story of
Gnomes.
Even Huygen and Poortvliet include what I would call a commentary by one of
the consulting Gnomes. He says to the authors, after proof reading their
initial document, "It is all very charming, delightful sketches, good
stories, but something has been omitted." He went on. "All of us come from
the Universe and the Earth - indeed, you people say it yourselves, 'Of dust
man was made, and to dust will he return.' Of course, we'll all return to
the Universe and to the Earth. But we have remained true to our origins,
while you haven't. Our relation with the Earth rests on harmony, yours
rests
on abuse, abuse of living and dead matter." The conversation continues in
this vein with the Gnome hoping that humans will someday be able to restore
their own instincts and rely less on intellect, restore the balance in
nature and strive less for power. Also, to control overpopulation.
The Gnome couldn't understand how humans so poorly treated their
outstanding artists, scientists and musicians. How humans have destroyed
the environments of plants and animals to the degree that 5 human's are
natures enemy. And he concludes with, "and stop waging war. In my lifetime
of over 400 years, there have not been twenty-five years without a war
going on somewhere in the world."
I like the sentiment which is expressed in the Gnomes books and feel they
can be positive stories for most who read and enjoy them. Whether you
believe in Gnomes or not, the beauty of these books is enriching.
Fairies:
Last weeks topic of GNOMES had it's origin in the Myths of Northern Europe.
Fairies, Elves and other mystical beings have been talked and written
about in many of the countries throughout the world. Whether you believe
in or acknowledge the existence of these entities may depend on your point
of view. I will divide this talk today into two parts. The first is an
explanation of the many kinds of creatures which have been included in
myths, folk tales and stories from around the world. The second part will
include some modern sightings of some of these beings.
Because most of us are limited in language skills to English and perhaps
one or two European languages, I will try to stick to these, especially
English, unless otherwise noted. My initial reading of one possible origin
of elves and fairies from Eve's unwashed children is but one of many
accounts of the origin of fairies and elves. Many books treat fairies and
elves as essentially the same creatures, Some imply that Fairies are female
and Elves are male. I would like to look at them separately.
Elves seem to be a form of little people who inhabit the same areas as
humans, but are seldom seen. There are many different types or forms of
elves. When the world was younger and 'Mankind' was not controlled by
'organized' religions, individuals believed in various Gods, ghosts and
spirits. Being able to speak with animals and plants, knowing that monsters
and giants were as real as neighbors, all shaped the reality of daily life.
Elves were an integral part of that reality. 1
Nancy Arrow smith, in her Field Guide to the Little People said that:
"Elves are nature spirits, Mother Nature's children. They are spritely,
sad, vengeful, morose, friendly, fun-loving, and hateful in turn, as
many-sided as nature herself - psychic fauna who take many forms, appearing
as iridescent beauties, or as crippled old men with hunchbacks, as goats,
caterpillars, cats, stones, plants or even gusts of wind. They range in
height from those the size of a man to those so small that they can hide
under a blade of grass. Elves are more unstable and transmutative in their
shapes and natures, and not so clearly distinguishable from each other as
men and animals. They are not generally bound by the material precepts of
our existence, often having the ability to travel instantaneously through
the dimensions and vanish altogether.
Because of these abilities and characteristics, it has always been a
difficult matter for humans to see elves. Children, poets, seers, healers,
those gifted with second sight, men and women at peace with and in tune
with their natural surroundings have historically been most likely to enter
into contact with the Little People."
The advent of Christianity and it's spread throughout the world may have
caused many folk to not believe in these little people. During some of the
periods of the past 2000 years, Christians were killed or punished for a
belief in or even consideration of the existence of such spirits. But even
with such taboos placed on the beliefs in elves and fairies, some people
throughout the world continued to sight and communicate with the little
people, especially in Ireland. Even today in the Emerald Isle, Leprechauns
and Banshees are still considered 2 important in the lives of rural
Irish.
Other types of elves you may be familiar with include:
Brownies who are generally small, shaggy and who occupy human dwellings and
tend to look after that dwelling for the human occupant. They are seldom
seen, but help with the chores, completing work started by the humans and
looking after the animals. They do expect a bowl of milk, or a bit of
cake, or bread and honey for their services. If they think they are
mistreated or taken for granted, Brownies will stop doing work and become
mischievous and even leave the house altogether.
Goblins are small, swarthy, malicious beings, who are sometime considered
to be thieves, villains and tempters. Included in the Goblin clan are the
Knockers, who live in mines, and while generally friendly to miners, are
certainly mischievous. The Phooka is an Irish goblin who takes the form of
animals such as ponies and eagles. The Bogie is a goblin who can change its
shape. Shakespeare's Puck was a bogie.
A Pixie is another type of Elf who is very small, much less than a foot
tall, and live in fields and meadows in England
Some sources separate Elves into other categories which include Light Elves,
Dusky Elves and Dark Elves. The Light Elves are considered to be the
shape-changing elves Their beauty is evanescent if seen at all. Those who
have encountered Light Elves say that they are very good-natured.
Dark Elves live mostly underground and their skin is often the color of the
earth in which they live. The few Dark Elves which do live in human houses
seldom are seen except at night.
Dusky Elves are thought to be the most numerous of elves. This may not be
true simply because the light and dark elves seldom let themselves be
observed. Dusky Elves seem to live in the same time space frame in which
humans live and do not change form nor move from one dimension to another
as Light Elves seem to do.
Fairies and Elves are sometimes considered to be the same beings. For this
discussion, I am considering Elves and Fairies to be Sprites and that
Fairies are more feminine and ethereal, although there are exceptions. The
word Fairy may have come from a French word Fays which may have been taken
from the Fatae, Latin for Fates. The classical three fates were later
multiplied into supernatural ladies who directed the destiny of men. Some
cultures think of Fairies as fallen angels who were too evil to enter
heaven, but too good to be admitted to Hell. Another source considers
Fairies to be the spirits of unbaptized children.
Those Fairies who have been seen come in many sizes and appearances, but
are generally seen as a tiny, lovely, delicate beings, often in human,
female form. Stories differ as to what Fairies eat. Some say nothing,
others say milk and honey, or they sip the nectar from flowers. Fairies
are thought to be immortal, but I remember seeing a book of Fairies which
was made by the author taking a book of blank pages and, whenever seeing a
Fairy, capturing it between the pages.
Different countries have different fairies, including Water Fairies who
inhabit lakes, streams, wells and the rain. Flower Fairies are what people
usually think of as Fairies, because they are considered the loveliest,
having a youthful female form, living among the flowers and toadstools, and
being the gardeners and protectors of these plants. Those sighted are
often mistaken for butterflies because many of the flower Fairies have
wings. Nymphs and Naiads are protectors of flora and fauna and tend to
resemble the organisms they help protect.
Fairy rings are those circular areas sometimes found in the grass, not
unlike the rings recently seen in English wheat fields, but on a much
smaller scale. It is thought that fairies, dancing in the grass caused the
grass to be flattened by their wild dancing and that a human who chanced to
pass by one of these dances would be taken into the dance and would be
forced to dance till he dropped. Then would come a sleep which was like
that of Rip Van Winkle. It is thought that Washington Irving's story was
based on stories of such Fairy dances. Fairy mushrooms are the plants
which seem to grow in a circular pattern on lawns and in woods.
It is curious that while there are many skeptics who do not believe that
Elves and Fairies exist, they use names for many plants and animals which
reflect the idea of Fairies and Elves. The Fairy Bell is a common name for
one of the Foxgloves, Digitalis purpea.. There is a Fairy grass. There are
Fairy shrimp. One type of fossil sea urchin is called the Fairy stone. The
Fairy Wren is an Australian bird and several mushrooms have names such as
Yellow-Fairy club, Slender-Elf-cap, and Pixie Cups.
I have read that if you want to enter the world of Fairies or Fairyland,
you must assume and actually believe that there is more to the Universe
than you can see, feel and hear. You need to look beyond the usual, to
feel what you cannot touch, hear and smell what does not seem to be there.
There have been times when I think that I have done this, to look beyond
what I cannot see, to smell what is not there. Most of us do this in
dreams. Perhaps it is an extension of our dream world that would enable us
to enter the land of the Fairies.
Some of you are familiar with the Scottish community of Findhorn. A tall
elf-like being appeared to workers at Findhorn and gave suggestions for the
improvement of crops and of the settlement. Following these suggestions
improved the crops and conditions around Findhorn.
A book by Penny Kelly, "The Elves of Lily Hill Farm", is the account of her
struggle with a 58 acre grape farm in Michigan, and how the Elves and
Fairies on the farm helped show her new ways of living and improving her
crops. According to Mrs. Kelly, she at first found it hard to believe and
understand. Even when she accepted being able to communicate with Elves
and Fairies, she seldom followed their advice until all of the demands she
made on herself caused such physical problems that she new she had to make
a change in her life.
If you were here last Sunday, I read what a Gnome said to the authors of
the Gnome Book, about how humans were creating the destruction of the Earth
and we need
to make changes in our lives to improve the Earth. 6
Penny Kelly's Elf friend Alvey had something similar to say. [read quote
page 191.]
"The basis of your reality is the world of nature. We all come
from the world of nature. Lose that direct connection and you will lose
the whole reality because you have lost your base. Humans are at the top of
nature's heap. You humans need everything that's n the heap under you to
support your form of life, but nothing in the heap needs that human at the
top. You humans are the most expendable of all - yet you think that you
are indispensable!
Picture the security of the human race right now as one lonely
person riding a unicycle across a tightrope that is tied between two poles
anchored in soup bowls floating on an ocean. Your position is tenuous - at
best."
Elves and Fairies may be imaginary beings to some of us, but to others they
are very real. It is very curious that Scientific American of January 1997
had an article entitled Sprites and Elves. Sprites, they say are colorful,
usually red, and may stretch upward nearly 100 kilometers. They seem to be
caused by ionized nitrogen that appears above thunderheads and last only a
few tens of milliseconds.
Elves are diffuse glows of ionized gas molecules that occur just below the
ionosphere about 56 miles above the ground. They are shorter lived than
Sprites.
I find this scientific information very interesting, but much more
difficult to understand than a belief in Fairies and Elves.
DRAGONS
This is the third topic in my trilogy of summer services this month. We
have talked about Gnomes, Fairies and Elves, their history and stories.
While not human, Fairies, Gnomes and Elves had many human-like qualities.
When seen, they more often than not, had body shapes and forms more like
people than other organisms. Except, of course, Phookas, who could change
their shape and form. Now, as Eric Idle of Monty Python fame said, 'for
something completely different - Dragons.
I guess the first question I need to address is 'What are Dragons?' These
are mythical creatures who, in the western world, seem to have been
involved in the creation stories of many countries, have been the guardians
of treasures, the enemy of people, the destroyers of lives, the lovers of
beautiful virgins, and who still have a place in the literature of past and
present. The eastern Dragons have long played a more important role with
the people of China and Japan. Eastern Dragons are beneficial, seldom
destructive and have found a place in the daily lives of folk from these
countries.
In appearance there is no universal Dragon. They come in a plethora of
shapes, sizes, colors and conditions. By conditions, I mean; horned or
not, bearded or not, footed or not, one head or more, scales and more,
winged or not, fire breathing or not, etc.
Some examples of dragons include:
The Fire-red Babylonian Dragon Mushussu, had a 1 serpents head,
neck and tail, but walked on four legs, the front two were lion like and
the rear legs were eagle like.
The Egyptians had a dragon which appeared to be a hooded cobra with Falcon
Wings.
The dragon Ananta,of India was serpent-like of assorted colors, but with
eleven cobra heads.
Some Chinese Dragons are pictured with a very long serpent body with two to
four legs, each foot having one to five claws. The head has a beard, long
mustaches and horns on the head.
St. George seems to have killed dozens of dragons if you count all of the
paintings, frescoes, and tapestries which commemorate the event. The
dragon he has been represented to kill is portrayed as having a serpents
body, legs or not, wings or not, often a long crocodilian head with or
without horns. St. George is usually depicted on his horse which is most
often white but sometimes black or brown, and his spear is thrust through
the dragon's neck.
One of the first recorded dragons, dating from about 1750 B.C., was called
Tiamat. She was defeated by her son Marduk who established Heaven and
Earth. This was part of the Babylonian Creation Epic.
In Egypt, the sun god Ra was perpetually threatened by the serpent dragon
Apep who is eventually slain by Seth, the chief defender of Ra. This
supposedly took place between 1590 and 1320 B.C.
These stories were chiseled in stone in tombs of these peoples. They are
accounts which try to describe the actions of the gods of these ancient
civilizations.
Later, in Turkey, the Hittites wrote the story of their God of the Heavens
having the dragon Illuyankas slain by another god, Inaras and her mortal
lover Hupasiyas.
Baal, the fertility god of Canaan, 'didst smite Lotan, the primeval serpent
and didst annihilate the Crooked Serpent, the Close-coiling one of Seven
Heads.'
In the book of Job, the dragon, Leviathan is armored with scales, has a
burning gaze [no eyelids?], and a fire breathing mouth. Also, in the old
testament, on the day of Judgment, The Lord, with his sore and great and
strong sword, shall punish Leviathan, the piercing serpent, even Leviathan,
that crooked serpent, he shall slay that dragon that is in the sea.
The Drakon of Ethiopia grew to 180 feet in length. A description by the
Roman poet Lucan [who died in A.D 65] goes something like this. 'You, the
dragon, shining with golden brightness, scorching Africa deadly. With
wings you move the air on high, and following whole herds, you burst
asunder vast bulls, embracing them in your folds. Nor is the elephant safe
through his size, everything you devote to death.'
Persian and Greek heroes often had to prove their valor with confrontations
and eventual slaying of dragons.
India, a country influenced by both Western and Eastern cultures also had
its dragons. Some accounts of their 3 creation stories have the god
Vishnu saving the Earth from Chaos by destroying the giant serpent dragon
of the Abyss. In another story, the god Indra slays the demonic dragon
Vritra to produce needed rain for the parched land. These are some of the
western views of dragon stories from India.
An Eastern look at Vishnu and the eleven headed dragon Ananta picture them
as having similar divine natures
and are often depicted together with no conflict.
Buddhist stories of serpent-like dragons or Nagas often included the good
works the dragons did.
The Chinese Lung Wang or Dragon Kings were gods of lakes, rivers and seas.
These dragons lived under the water. The Chinese dragons lived thousands
of years. It may take a serpent dragon 500 years to develop scales,
another thousand years to develop horns, and still another thousand to
produce wings.
Dragon lore developed in China for centuries. Emperors included dragons
and their symbols in their dynastic imperial designs, clothing, and
emblems. Yellow dragons were superior to other colors. Only the robe of
an emperor could be embroidered with dragons having five claws on their
feet. The bones of dragons were used as medicines for the Emperor and his
family. Chinese dragons could change form, often assuming the guise of an
old man or a beautiful woman. [remember the Dragon Lady from the old comic
strip 'Terry and the Pirates'?]
The Eastern dragon is honored as the embodiment of wisdom, strength and
good fortune, and is looked on as a benefactor and protector of humankind.
Much of this talk has been about classical and Mythological tales. One of
the stories has produced a dragon you can see regularly. The story is as
follows: 'The Greek god Zeus led his Olympians against the monstrous
Titans. At the height of the fighting, the goddess Athena seized the
Titanic dragon by the tail and threw it into the void. The spinning
serpent tangled among the stars, where it remains to this day as the
constellation Draco. Of course, we cannot deprive you decendents of the
Norse and Teutonic families of your own Myth which claims that the serpent
dragon Midgaar lay coiled around the Sacred Ash Tree, gnawing at its roots,
until the god Odin [Wotan] seized the dragon and hurled it into the
darkness, where it encircled the world and now twists among the stars.
Let us take another approach to dragons and consider that many of these
stories say that dragons fly. Fossil hunters and paleontologists have been
searching the globe for the evidence of flying dinosaurs. H. G. Seeley has
an account of extinct flying reptiles which he calls 'Dragons of the Air'.
Seeley describes Pterodactyls and Archaeopteryx as smaller than Condors and
large Eagles.
However, since Seeley's book was published in 1901, many more flying
reptile fossils have been discovered. Many are much larger than the
Pterodactyls, but few, so far, as large as some of the dragons from the
past.
How were these huge dragons able to fly? They must have had a wingspan
large enough to provide the lift needed to soar, and muscles large enough
to move the wings and bones light but terribly strong to support
everything. Unless they had something which no other animal had. A
special flying device.
In his book, "The Flight of Dragons", Peter Dickinson has a unique
explanation of how Dragons are able to fly. He puts forth several
processes used by the dragons and various internal structures needed in
order to accomplish flight. Mr. Dickinson suggests that dragons fill large
cavities in their bodies with Hydrogen gas which being much lighter than
air, helps the dragon to rise from the ground. Since the dragon, in effect
has less weight to move, it's wings can successfully maneuver the dragon.
This sounds like a very good possibility.
However, Dickinson goes on to explain that the dragon probably generated
Hydrogen gas from its own hydrochloric acid. It would do that by reacting
the HCL with the Calcium of the bones of the victims the dragon ate. I
have a different idea.
Most of the dragons live in areas of water, in caves near lakes, streams
and rivers. Remember that the Eastern Dragons are in effect gods of water.
Water is made of Hydrogen and Oxygen. Perhaps dragons were able to break
up water molecules into these two gasses, use the Hydrogen as dirigibles
used to do, and breathed the Oxygen. This would also explain the dragon's
ability to exhale fire. Hydrogen is readily combustible and if exhaled
rapidly and ignited by some crystalline structure in its jaws or teeth. a
blast of heat and flame would be produced. The dragon would be in little
danger just as a carnival fire eater puts a flammable liquid in his mouth
and spits it out near a spark or flame.
Which ever way the dragon uses to produce a lighter than air gas, the
ability of the dragon to fly is greatly 6 enhanced over those dragons who
cannot do this.
The flight of dragons has always been an intriguing attribute of these
creatures. It was something which, until the 19 century, man could not do.
The falcon and the eagle were two large land birds with which many people
were familiar, and they could fly and soar and were majestic. Humans could
not do that. But many mythical dragons could fly, and that made them very
special.
People in all ages and all countries have found that more than just the
dragons themselves were special. Their blood, bones, eggs and other parts
were sought after. Dragon blood was used in a variety of medicines and
potions. The skin of dragons was used for love potions and charms. Other
organs found their way into magical spells. The flesh itself could be
eaten. I do not know if the purveyors of dragon parts needed to
authenticate their products or not.
Currently, dragons as well as fairies and angels are enjoying a popularity
as great as they have had in the past. Certainly, not many people claim to
see dragons, or if they do see them do not talk of them. The Loch Ness
monster, perhaps a type of water dragon, is still seen and photographed.
Songs, stories, movies and TV
still include dragons in major rolls. Not nearly as much 'fine art'
includes dragons as in previous centuries, perhaps because there was only
one St. George. As we learn more of our past, and apply what we learn to
the future, and be open to experiencing the incomprehensible, who knows
what gnomes, fairies, elves and dragons we can see.