[matthew321]

I think this is the most appropriate section for this. I do apologize if I am wrong.

Anyway the topic is lawn gnomes. Who invented lawn gnomes? What is their true purpose? Are they merely decoration or hold a deeper meaning?

The reasons I posted this are that we needed a new topic here and it gives everyone a chance for homework. I will also be doing my fair share of research. I had been wondering this for a while so time to find out.

What sparks my interest in lawn gnomes being worth discussing is the possibilities. Most people consider them tacky and think people who display a large amount in their garden as weird. Why is that? Where is this innate avoidance to this coming from? Is it society or subconscious knowledge that makes us avoid them? I have always seen them collected and displayed in even numbers. There are no all female gnome displays I have seen, they always have a male counterpart. The people who collect them seem to be more in touch with gnomes. There was a man on tv known as the gnome man. He had a large collection of gnomes in his house and dressed as one. He called them friends and did not care if he was laughed at.

Now let the research begin!

[Angelus]

I have been looking over my new domain and found your unanswered topic. So, I will get this rolling. Garden Gnomes, or Lawn Gnomes as they became known in the US were invented in the mid 1700s by a German company that made garden onaments in the forms of animals. They based the gnome off of local folklore. Germany, like all European countries have the tales of domestic fairies/dwarves/gnomes. The german variety seem to prefer gardening to household chores. As time went on other types of gnomes from other folklore started being made, such as the cobler. In much fairy lore it is stated that the female gnomes also have beards, and look just like the males, so how do you know you haven't seen a female gnome?

[bearserkar]

Everytime I see or read about Gnomes I think of the tv show King of the Hill and Peggy Hill with her WinkleBottom. My grand mother had a few in her flower garden when I was a child. My wife and I threaten each other with the possiblity of collecting Gnomes. We think they are really neat. Honetly we are afraid of the Home Owner Association if we were to put one on the lawn.

[bearserkar]

Okay I had a senior moment here, but Gomes are cool...

But I thought in the races of Gnomes and Dwarfs both sexes wore beards

[Angelus]

I already said that.

[lifelonglearner25]

What sparks my interest in lawn gnomes being worth discussing is the possibilities. Most people consider them tacky and think people who display a large amount in their garden as weird. Why is that? Where is this innate avoidance to this coming from? Is it society or subconscious knowledge that makes us avoid them? I have always seen them collected and displayed in even numbers. There are no all female gnome displays I have seen, they always have a male counterpart. The people who collect them seem to be more in touch with gnomes. There was a man on tv known as the gnome man. He had a large collection of gnomes in his house and dressed as one. He called them friends and did not care if he was laughed at.

Now let the research begin!

I have always been afraid of lawn gnomes. they just give me the creeps. i dont like gnomes at all, im really bothered by them. i have no idea where this fear of them comes from, so maybe there is some sort of subconscious knowledge that causes fear. i was thinking that maybe i had nightmares about them as a kid or something and i forget the nightmare, but not the fear of the gnomes themselves...

[Angelus]

My girlfriend has a ear of gnomes. So its not too silly. Lol.