The Proof is in the Pudding-Paintings

Gnomes are all the rage where I live. Big hats shifted down over their eyes, held up by their nose, huge beards coming down to their stomach. They’re currently “in style” so to speak as decor. Not meant to sound judgey— I’ve got a few myself, I just pulled out with our Christmas decorations.

So what’s the big deal? Give me another minute. No, I can’t prove there are gnomes or house spirits running around but there are some theories that are interesting to consider.

So talking about gnomes may feel safe, even very charming and like I’m getting lost in Scandinavian (Danish, Norwegian, Swedish + Finnish & Icelandic) legends—what on earth could be spooky? We’re here after all for the scary tales, right? I mean the paintings made into card art often show a happy nisse with a bowl of hot rice pudding topped with butter.

There are things after all, that might give us pause—the legends are all about them, but they’re outside of our usual perception.