View source for Gnomes

{{Character Data
|title=Gnome
|photo=
|names=Gnomes
|age= 
|race=Gnomes
|occupation= stealing, fighting, drinking, watchmen, rat catchers
|appearance=small but very strong 
|residence=[[Ankh-Morpork]], [[Skund]] 
|death= 
|parents= 
|relatives= 
|children= 
|marital status= 
|books= {{TLF}}, {{FOC}}, {{J}}, {{MR}} 
|cameos= {{MP}}, {{TOC}}, {{NW}} 
}}
'''Gnomes''' on the [[Discworld (world)|Discworld]] are six inches tall, resembling humans in general body shape, and usually live alone.  A gnome has more physical strength than his size would suggest, and sometimes gives painful, bone-cracking hits to people who have underestimated him. [[Swires]], the first gnome to appear in the ''[[Discworld]]'' chronicles, made his appearance in a forest area (''[[Book:The Light Fantastic|The Light Fantastic]]''), but in recent years, some gnomes have come to the city of [[Ankh-Morpork]] and obtained jobs as tradesmen ([[Wee Mad Arthur]], pest terminator in ''[[Book:Feet of Clay|Feet of Clay]]'') or even Watchmen ([[Buggy Swires]], first appearance as a [[Ankh-Morpork City Watch|Watchman]] in ''[[Book:Jingo|Jingo]]'').

Gnomes appear to be identical to the Ramtops [[Pictsies]] but they are found as individual examples; there is no mention of a Gnome society. They may be exiles from the hive-like societies that created them. Wee Mad Arthur is very like the Feegles; Buggy Swires less so, although he uses the same bird-taming method as Hamish the Aviator.

The differences between the Gnomes and the Pictsies can be likened to the rivalries between the Jocks (Scots, so Pictsies) and the Geordies (Northern English, like the Gnomes).

In {{SOD2}} [[Ponder Stibbons]] and [[Rincewind]] are consulting with [[Hex]] concerning the difficulties the [[Faculty]] are having with a viral infestation of [[Elves]] on [[Roundworld]]. 

''A mechanical eyeball about a foot across lowered itself carefully from the ceiling. Ponder didn't know exactly how it worked, except that it contained vast amounts of incredibly finely drawn tubing. Hex had drawn the plans one night and Ponder had taken them along to the gnome jewelers...'' ({{SOD2}}, p14).

In other words, ''gnomes'' made Hex's scanner-analogue, and work as jewelers in [[Ankh-Morpork]], presumably on the (logical) basis that their tiny hands and fingers would be ideal for incredibly fine metalwork of any kind. This presumes a settled people with mechanical/engineering knowledge and a certain amount of intellectual curiosity.  These may be the famed ''Gnomes of Dzu'rich'', yet we've only so far met the ''other'' sort of gnome, whose relationship with precious metals and stones would be limited to how much they can carry after robbing the jewelers.

However Gnomes, unlike Pictsies, are generally more reliable and sensible (and other words ending in …ible) so could hold down jobs as jewelers, or glass blowers, or as we have seen: working in puppet shows. ([[Short Story:Theatre of Cruelty| Theatre of Cruelty]]).

'''Behind the scenes'''
 
''Gnomes'' are not to be confused with ''[[Nomes|nomes]]'', which are the protagonists in the [[:Category:Bromeliad series|Bromeliad series]]. (Except that they're both sub-miniature humanoids living a mainly parasitic existence beneath the notice of the "biggers". So go ahead, be confused.) Gnomes are found on Discworld; Nomes are probably on [[Roundworld]] (cf. {{wp|The Borrowers|the "Borrowers"}}). 

'''List of Gnomes'''

* [[Buggy Swires]], constable in the AM Watch
* [[Sniddin]] was a gnome actor in {{MP}}
* [[Wee Mad Arthur]], a [[Pictsie]] raised as a Gnome
* [[Swires]] (an early version, maybe)
* A male in red, female called Judy, another male dressed as a policeman and baby Gnome from {{TOC}}.  They also have a tiny dog called Toby and a very small crocodile (which must be gnome animals)

[[Category:Discworld humanoid species]]
[[de:Gnome]]