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Originally Posted by redwing00 I'm sorry to bring back up a question I've already asked, but i'm still a little curious. You answered WHY you put gnomes into the game, but I'm just wondering WHERE you got them. I know there are gnomes all throughout mythology, but each description varies from culture to culture. Did you take the gnome from one particular culture or combine traits from each culture? Why do you think gnomes would have appealed to gamers (when you introduced them, since there are already to "short" races: dwarves and halflings)
another question: you answered in my previous question that dwarves and elves came from myth and folklore. Again, each description varies by culture. Which did you draw from? I'm assuming Norse, but I'm not quite sure.
Thank you Gary! |
Happy to respond, Redwing00
Gnomes in myth were created as one of the four elementals, that of earth. I took what I recalled from fairy tales and folklore about mine spirits to create a unique race for the D&D game. Yes, there were already halflings and dwarves, but i made the gnomes sufficiently different so as to allow another choice for character race. I have used it in a PC, he being a gnome illusionist-thief.
Inspiration for the D&D dwarves came from the Norse mythology, legends, and fairy tales. Elves came mainly from folklore and fairy tales.
I have read all the Andrew Lang (various colors in the titles) save the Yellow Book of Fairy Tales, Andersen, and Brothers Grimm fairy tales as well as many a book on folklore and legends.
Halflings were mainly drawn from JRRT's fiction, of course.
Cheers,
Gary
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