This is an accepted version of this page
62-470: A gnome ( / n oʊ m / ) is a mythological creature and diminutive spirit in Renaissance magic and alchemy , introduced by Paracelsus in the 16th century and widely adopted by authors, including those of modern fantasy literature. They are typically depicted as small humanoids who live underground. Gnome characteristics are reinterpreted to suit various storytellers and artists. Paracelsus's gnome
124-417: A classification of six demon classes , where clearly it is not all six, but just the fifth class of subterranean demons which are relevant to mining. This demon class is also equatable to Agricola's Cobali and "Getuli" (recté "Guteli") according to commentators. It has also been noted that Agricola distinguished the "mountain devil", exemplified by Rübezahl with the small-statured Bergmännlein . Although
186-556: A monograph on Berggeist ("mountain spirit") in the Grimms' Deutsche Sagen . The equivalent German appellations of the demons/spirits were made available by the subsequent gloss published 1563. Agricola here refers to the "gnome/mine spirit" is referred to by a variety of terms and phrases, such as virunuculus montanos ("montain manikin", i.e., German: bergmännlein ) or Greek/Latin cobelos / cobelus (German: kobel ) . The pertinent gloss, also quoted by Jacob Grimm, states that
248-523: A sic' , emerged in 1889, E. Belfort Bax 's work in The Ethics of Socialism being an early example. On occasion, sic has been misidentified as an acronym (and therefore sometimes misspelled with periods): s.i.c. is said to stand for "spelled/said in copy/context", "spelling is correct", "spelled incorrectly", and other such folk etymology phrases. These are all incorrect and are simply backronyms from sic . Use of sic greatly increased in
310-448: A "spirit". However the elementals eat, drink and talk (like humans), distinguishing them from spirits. And according to Paracelsus's views, the so-called dwarf ( German : Zwerg, Zwerglein ) is merely monstra ( deformities ) of the earth spirit gnome. Note that Paracelsus also frequently resorts to circumlocutions like "mountain people" ( Bergleute ) or "mountain manikins" (" Bergmänlein " [ sic ]) to denote
372-570: A German bushel or Scheffel [ de ] . Nineteenth-century miners in Bohemia and Hungary reported hearing knocking in the mines. The mining trade there interpreted such noises as warnings from the kobolds to not go in that direction. Although the Hungarian (or Czech) term was not given by the informant, and called "kobolds" of these mines, they were stated as the equivalents of the Berggeist of
434-416: A fantastical approach. It seems the religious and moral implications of animals were far more significant than matching a physical likeness in these renderings. Nona C. Flores explains, "By the tenth century, artists were increasingly bound by allegorical interpretation, and abandoned naturalistic depictions." Sic We are prepared, under appropriate circumstances, to provide information bearing on
496-687: A limited discussion on the "metallurgical or mine demon" ( dæmon metallicus ) touching on the "Corona rosacea" mine disaster (cf. § Rosenkranz mine, Annaberg ) and the framework of Psellosian demonology (cf. § Demonology ). A Latin-German gloss in later editions identify the being he called daemon metallicus as cypher for German Bergmännlein ( Das bergmenlin [ sic ], "mountain manikin", general term for earth spirit or mine spirit). Much more details were presented in Agricola's later Latin work De animatibus subterraneis (1549) (cf. § De animatibus subterraneis ), known as
558-441: A parenthetical sentence only when used after a complete sentence, like so: ( Sic. ) Some guides, including The Chicago Manual of Style , recommend "quiet copy-editing " (unless where inappropriate or uncertain) instead of inserting a bracketed sic , such as by substituting in brackets the correct word in place of the incorrect word or by simply replacing an incorrect spelling with the correct one. Alternatively, to show both
620-407: A type of bucket mentioned by Agricola, has been suggested by Karl Müller-Fraureuth. Peter Wothers suggests that cobalt could derive (without connection to Agricola) from cobathia for noxious smoke. The erudite Swedish Olaus Magnus in his Historia de Gentibus Septentrionalibus (1555) also provides a chapter on "demons in the mines". Although Olaus uses the term "demon" ( daemon ) and not
682-452: Is appended in the margin (pl. cobali , sing. cobalus ) They were thus called on account of them aping or mimicking humans. They have the penchant to laugh, while seeming to do things, without accomplishing anything. In classical Greek literature, kobalos ( κόβαλος ) refers to an "impudent rogue", or in more modern parlance, "joker" or "trickster". The chemist J. W. Mellor (1935) had suggested " mime ". These were otherwise called
SECTION 10
#1732845657332744-403: Is most often inserted into quoted or reprinted material to indicate meticulous accuracy in reproducing the preceding text, despite appearances to the reader of an incorrect or unusual orthography ( spelling , punctuation , grammar, syntax, fact, logic, etc.). Several usage guides recommend that a bracketed sic be used primarily as an aid to the reader, not as an indicator of disagreement with
806-526: Is recognized to have derived from the German miners' legend about Bergmännlein or dæmon metallicus , the "metallurgical or mineralogical demon", according to Georg Agricola (1530), also called virunculus montanos (literal Latinization of Bergmännlein , = " mountain manikin ") by Agriocola in a later work (1549), and described by other names such as cobeli (sing. cobelus ; Latinization of German Kobel ). Agricola recorded that, according to
868-426: Is to inform the reader that any errors in a quotation did not arise from editorial errors in the transcription, but are intentionally reproduced as they appear in the source text being quoted; thus, sic is placed inside brackets to indicate it is not part of the quotation. Sic can also be used derisively to direct the reader's attention to the writer's spelling mistakes and erroneous logic, or to show disapproval of
930-659: Is to regard the lore of the various männlein or specifically Bergmännlein as essentially derivatives of the Zwerge / dvergr of pagan Germanic mythologies. In the 1960s there developed a general controversy between this "mythological school" and its opponents over how to interpret so-called "miner's legends". What sparked the controversy was not over the Bergmännlein type tale per se, but over Grimms' "Three Miners of Kuttenberg ", who are trapped underground but supernaturally maintain longevity through prayer. Siegfried Kube (1960) argued
992-606: The Trullis (trolls?) as they are called especially by the Swedes, said to shapeshift into the guise of human males and females, and sometimes made to serve men. Purportedly a mountain demon incident caused 12 fatalities at a mine named Rosenkrans at Anneberg or rather Rosenkranz or Rosenkrone (Corona Rosacea) at Annaberg-Buchholz , in the Erzgebirge ( Ore Mountains ) in Saxony . The demon took on
1054-440: The virunculos montanos , literally translatable into German as Bergmännlein , or English as "mountain manikin" due to their small stature (about 2 feet). They had the appearance of old age, and dressed like miners, in laced/filleted shirt and leather apron around the loins. And although they may pelt miners with gravel/pebbles they did no real harm, unless they were first provoked. Agricola goes on to add there are similar to
1116-750: The Bergeist burrowing underground which guides miners to exact spots. In the Harz area, it is a being Bergmönch or "mountain monk" who uses the so-called "mining light ( Grubenlicht or Geleucht ) to guide miners to their quarry or to their exit. The lantern he holds is apparently an ignited lump of tallow ( Unschlitt ). It is also said that the Bergmönch was originally a mine supervisor who begged God to let him continue oversight of mines after death. If ignored it will angrily appear in its giant true form, with eyes as large as cartwheels, his silver lantern measuring
1178-438: The Berggeist (instead of Bergmännlein ). Grimm also uses the Berggeist apparently as a type of Zwerg , but there has been issued a caveat that the meaning of the term Berggeist according to Grimm may not necessarily coincide with the meaning used by the proletarian Greverus. Gerhard Heilfurth [ de ] and Greverus's Bergbau und Bergmann (1967) amply discuss the Bergmännlein . The collection of tales under
1240-465: The Bergmännlein-männchen or its female form Bergfräuchen . Mythological creature A legendary creature (also called a mythical creature or mythological creature ) is a type of fantasy entity, typically a hybrid , that has not been proven and that is described in folklore (including myths and legends ), but may be featured in historical accounts before modernity . In
1302-526: The Holy Spirit , and the classical griffin represented a guardian of the dead. Medieval bestiaries included animals regardless of biological reality; the basilisk represented the devil , while the manticore symbolised temptation. One function of mythical animals in the Middle Ages was allegory . Unicorns, for example, were described as extraordinarily swift and uncatchable by traditional methods. It
SECTION 20
#17328456573321364-547: The Hydra to be killed by Heracles , while Aeneas battles with the harpies . These monsters thus have the basic function of emphasizing the greatness of the heroes involved. Some classical era creatures, such as the (horse/human) centaur , chimaera , Triton and the flying horse Pegasus , are found also in Indian art . Similarly, sphinxes appear as winged lions in Indian art and
1426-452: The Piasa Bird of North America. In medieval art , animals, both real and mythical, played important roles. These included decorative forms as in medieval jewellery, sometimes with their limbs intricately interlaced. Animal forms were used to add humor or majesty to objects. In Christian art , animals carried symbolic meanings, where for example the lamb symbolized Christ, a dove indicated
1488-594: The Vegetable Lamb of Tartary , a sheeplike animal which supposedly grew tethered to the earth. A variety of mythical animals appear in the art and stories of the classical era . For example, in the Odyssey , monstrous creatures include the Cyclops , Scylla and Charybdis for the hero Odysseus to confront. Other tales include Medusa to be defeated by Perseus , the (human/bull) Minotaur to be destroyed by Theseus , and
1550-551: The classical era , monstrous creatures such as the Cyclops and the Minotaur appear in heroic tales for the protagonist to destroy. Other creatures, such as the unicorn , were claimed in accounts of natural history by various scholars of antiquity. Some legendary creatures originated in traditional mythology and were believed to be real creatures--for example, dragons , griffins and unicorns. Others are based on real encounters or garbled accounts of travellers' tales, such as
1612-500: The gnomi in the German edition (1567). There was a belief in early modern Germany about beings that lurked in the mines, known as Bergmännlein (var. Bergmännlin , Bergmänngen ), equatable to what Paracelsus called "gnomes". Paracelsus's contemporary, Georgius Agricola , being a supervisor of mines, collected his well-versed knowledge of this mythical being in his monograph , De amantibus subterraneis (recté De animatibus subterraneis , 1549). The (corrected) title suggests
1674-521: The "Rosenkranz" mine localized in Saxony was already given above in § Rosenkranz mine, Annaberg . This and other near modern attestations are given in Wolfersdorf's anthology (1968) above. German lore regarding gnomes or berggeist (mine spirits) regard them as beneficial creatures, at least if they are treated respectfully, and lead miners to rich veins of ore. The silver thaler minted by Duke Henry
1736-413: The 19th century, growing in popularity during the 20th century as garden gnomes . The name of the element cobalt descends from kobelt , a 16th century German miners' term for unwanted ore ( cobalt -zinc ore, or possibly the noxious cobaltite and smaltite ), related as mischief perpetrated by the gnome Kobel (cf. § cobalt ore ). This Kobel is a synonym of Bergmännlein , technically not
1798-570: The Germans. Nineteenth-century German miners also talked of the Berggeist , who appeared as small black men, scouting ahead of miners with a hammer, and with their banging sound indicating whether veins of ore, or breaks in the veins called 'faults', and the more knocks, the richer the vein lay ahead. There is also a experiential report of a German mine sprite communicating residents and visiting their house (cf. Kobold#Visitors from mines ). The gnomes of Swiss folklore are also associated with riches of
1860-500: The Greek term, cadmia . This cadmia / kobelt appears to have denoted a cobalt-zinc ore, but Agricola ascribes to it corrosive dangers to the miners' feet, and it is noted that smaltite , a cobalt and nickel arsenide mixture presents corrosive properties. This ore, which defied being smelted by the metallurgy of that time, may also have been cobaltite , composed of cobalt, arsenic, and sulfur. The presence of this nuisance ore kobelt
1922-583: The Other Spirits by Paracelsus , published posthumously in Nysa in 1566. The term may be an original invention of Paracelsus, possibly deriving the term from Latin * gēnomos , itself representing a Greek * γηνόμος , approximated by " * gē-nomos ", literally "earth-dweller". This is characterized by the Oxford English Dictionary (OED) as a case of "blunder", presumably referring to
Gnome - Misplaced Pages Continue
1984-515: The Younger of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel which features a " wild man " (cf. right) was seen to reassert his claim of complete ownership of the local silver and forest resources of the Harz Mountains , probably depicting the supernatural that miners believed led them to the whereabouts of silver ore. Even though the wild man above surface could be a vague supernatural guide, it is pointed out that it must be
2046-440: The beings which the Germans called Guteli (singular: Gutelos ; German : Gütel , var. Güttgen ), which are amicable demons that are rarely seen, since they have business at their home taking care of livestock. A Gütel or Güttel is elsewhere explained as not necessarily a mountain spirit, but more generic, and may haunt forests and fields. The Hoovers render these as "goblins". Agricola finally adds these resemble
2108-479: The classification of "Berggeist" was already anticipated as far back as Friedrich Wrubel (1883). Later Franz Kirnbauer [ de ] published Bergmanns-Sagen (1954), a collection of miner's legends which basically adopted Wrubel's four-part classification, except Wrubel's Part 2 was retitled as one about "Bergmännlein". In Karl Müllenhoff 's anthology (1845), legends No. 443 Das Glück der Grafen Ranzau and No. 444 Josias Ranzaus gefeites Schwert feature
2170-656: The content or form of the material. In the English language, the Latin adverb sic is used as an adverb, and derivatively as a noun and as a verb. The adverb sic , meaning 'intentionally so written', first appeared in English c. 1856 . It is derived from the Latin adverb sīc , which means 'so', 'thus', 'in this manner'. According to the Oxford English Dictionary , the verbal form of sic , meaning 'to mark with
2232-614: The credibly [ sic ] and veracity of any such source. Irin Carmon quoting a law firm The Latin adverb sic ( / s ɪ k / ; thus , so , and in this manner ) inserted after a quotation indicates that the quoted matter has been transcribed or translated as found in the source text, including erroneous, archaic, or unusual spelling, punctuation , and grammar . Sic also applies to any surprising assertion, faulty reasoning, or other matter that might be interpreted as an error of transcription . The typical editorial usage of Sic
2294-544: The dwarf's Nebelkappe (known as Tarnkappe in the Nibelungenlied ) slipped from being known as a cape or cloak covering the body in earlier times, into being thought of as caps or head coverings in the post-medieval era. As an example, he cites the Bergmännlein wearing a pointed hat, according to Rollenhagen 's poem Froschmeuseler . As can be glimpsed by this example, the approach of Grimm's " Mythologische Schule "
2356-494: The following example from Fred Rodell 's 1955 book Nine Men : [I]n 1951, it was the blessing bestowed on Judge Harold Medina 's prosecution [ sic ] of the eleven so-called 'top native Communists,' which blessing meant giving the Smith Act the judicial nod of constitutionality. Where sic follows the quotation, it takes brackets : [ sic ]. The word sic is often treated as a loanword that does not require italics, and
2418-475: The gloss reveals that the "metallurgical demon" ( daemon metallicus ) or Bergmännlein is somehow responsible for leaving a rich vein of ore ( fundige zech ), specifically a rich vein of silver. According to Agricola in De animatibus subterraneis (1549), these mountain-cave demons were called by the same name, cobalos , in both Greek (i.e. kobalos ) and German (i.e. kobel var. kobal ). The Latin form
2480-509: The guise of the horse, and killed the twelve men with its breath, according to Agricola. Agricola has a passage in Bermanus which is quoted by a modern scholar as relevant to the study of his contemporary Paracelsus. The passage contains the line basically repeated by Olaus, as "there exist in ore-bearing regions six kinds of demon more malicious than the rest". This is probably misstated or misleading, since Bermanus cites Psellus , who devised
2542-551: The horn of a unicorn." This is because the translators of the King James erroneously translated the Hebrew word re'em as unicorn. Later versions translate this as wild ox. The unicorn's small size signifies the humility of Christ. Another common legendary creature that served allegorical functions within the Middle Ages was the dragon . Dragons were identified with serpents, though their attributes were greatly intensified. The dragon
Gnome - Misplaced Pages Continue
2604-534: The legends of that profession, these mining spirits acted as miming and laughing pranksters who sometimes threw pebbles at miners, but could also reward them by depositing a rich vein of silver ore. Paracelsus also called his gnomes occasionally by these names ( Bergmännlein , etc.) in the German publications of his work (1567). Paracelsus claimed gnomes measured 2 spans (18 inches) in height, whereas Agricola had them to be 3 dodrans (3 spans, 27 inches) tall. Lawn ornaments crafted as gnomes were introduced during
2666-475: The measurement of what he calls the Bergmännrigen at "drey viertel einer Ellen lang", perhaps shy of one and a half feet. The mention of kobolde here as a name for the underground spirit is an unresolved contradiction to Praetorius dedicating a wholly separate chapter on the kobold as house sprite with a separate frontispiece art labeled "8. Haußmänner/Kobolde/Gütgen" for the house spirits. The anecdote of
2728-627: The mid-20th century. For example, in United States state-court opinions before 1944, sic appeared 1,239 times in the Westlaw database; in those from 1945 to 1990, it appeared 69,168 times, over 55 times as many. Its use as a form of ridicule has been cited as a major factor in this increase. The immoderate use of sic has created some controversy, leading some editors, including bibliographical scholar Simon Nowell-Smith and literary critic Leon Edel , to speak out against it. The bracketed form [ sic ]
2790-544: The mines. They are said to have caused the landslide that destroyed the Swiss village of Plurs in 1618 - the villagers had become wealthy from a local gold mine created by the gnomes, who poured liquid gold down into a vein for the benefit of humans, and were corrupted by this newfound prosperity, which greatly offended the gnomes. Grimm discusses the Bergmänlein somewhat under the subsection of Dwarfs ( Zwerge ), arguing that
2852-502: The more ferocious of the "underground demons" ( daemon subterraneus ) were called in German Berg-Teufel or "mountain-devil", while the milder ones were called Bergmännlein, Kobel, Güttel . And the daemon metallicus "mine demon" aka Bergmännlein ( bergmenlein [ sic ]) is somehow responsible for depositing rich veins of ore (" fundige zech )" (specifically rich silver ore). A different entry in
2914-549: The noxious ore which Agricola called cadmia is clarified as that which German miners called cobelt (also kobelt , cobalt ), and a demon the Germans called kobel was held responsible for the mischief of its existence, according to the preacher. The kobel demon was also blamed for the " hipomane " [ sic ] or horse's poison (cf. hippomanes , § Rosenkranz mine, Annaberg ). Agricola, in his earlier Latin work Bermanus, sive, de re metallica (first printed 1530, reprinted 1546, etc.), did delve into
2976-516: The omission of the ē to arrive at gnomus . However, this conjectural derivation is not substantiated by any known prior attestation in literature, and one commentator suggests the truth will never be known, short of a discovery of correspondence from the author. Paracelsus uses Gnomi as a synonym of Pygmæi and classifies them as earth elementals . He describes them as two spans tall. They are able to move through solid earth, as easily as humans move through air, and hence described as being like
3038-468: The ore is characterized as a "gnome or a goblin" by science writer Philip Ball . However, 20th century dictionaries had suggested derivation from kobold , for example, Webster's in 1911 which didn't distinguish kobel from kobold and lumped them together, and the OED which conjectured that the ore kobolt and the spirit kobolt/kobold was the same word. An alternative etymology deriving kobolt ore from Kübel ,
3100-547: The original and the suggested correction (as they often are in palaeography ), one may give the actual form, followed by recte , then the correct form, in brackets. The Latin adverb recte means rightly . An Iraqi battalion has consumed [ recte assumed] control of the former American military base, and our forces are now about 40 minutes outside the city. According to the Journal of Seventeenth-Century Music Style Sheet , there should be no punctuation, for example no colon, before
3162-573: The popular notion was that Rübezahl was indeed lord of the gnomes, as told in folktales around the Risengibirge ( Giant Mountains ) region in Silesia, published by 18th century folktale collector Musäus . Agricola explaining that the "mine demon" dæmon metallicus or " Bergmenlin " somehow deposited "rich mines" was mentioned above. Agricola knew of certain noxious unwanted ores the Germans miners called kobelt , though he generally referred to it by
SECTION 50
#17328456573323224-453: The same as kobold , but there is confusion or conflation between them. The terms Bergmännlein / Bergmännchen or Berggeist [ de ] are often used in German publications as the generic, overall term for the mine spirits told in "miners' legends" ( Bergmannssage ). The word comes from Renaissance Latin gnomus, gnomos , (pl. gnomi ) which first appears in A Book on Nymphs, Sylphs, Pygmies, and Salamanders, and on
3286-420: The source. Sic may show that an uncommon or archaic expression is reported faithfully, such as when quoting the U.S. Constitution : "The House of Representatives shall chuse [ sic ] their Speaker ..." However, several writing guidebooks discourage its use with regard to dialect, such as in cases of American and British English spelling differences . The appearance of a bracketed sic after
3348-533: The style manuals of New Zealand, Australian and British media outlets generally do not require italicisation. However, italicization is common in the United States, where authorities including APA Style insist upon it. Because sic is not an abbreviation, placing a full stop /period inside the brackets after the word sic is erroneous, although the California Style Manual suggests styling it as
3410-673: The subject to be "subterranean animate beings". It was regarded as a treatise on the "Mountain spirit" ( Berggeist by the Brothers Grimm , in Deutsche Sagen . Agricola is the earliest and probably most reliable source on Berggeist [ de ] , then known as Bergmännlein , etc. Agricola's contemporary Johannes Mathesius , a Lutheran reformist theologian , in Sarepta Oder Bergpostill (1562) uses these various mine-lore terminology in his German sermon, so that
3472-466: The tale was based on ancient mythology, i.e., pagan alpine worship. This was countered by Wolfgang Brückner [ de ] (1961) who regarded the tale as inspired by medieval Catholic notion of the purgatory . Whereas Ina-Maria Greverus (1962), presented yet a different view, that it was not based on organized church doctrine, but a world-view and faith in the miner's unique microcosm. Greverus at least in her 1962 piece, centered her argument on
3534-595: The uninvented coinage "gnome", the accompanying woodcut he provided (cf. Fig. right) has been represented as "gnome" in modern reference sources. Johannes Praetorius in Anthropodemus Plutonicus (1666) devotes a chapter of considerable length to the beings he calls Bergmännrigen or Erdleute "earth people", and follows Agricola to a large extent. Thus he considers earth spirits to be of two types, one more evil and sinister looking. The other, more benevolent and known as bergmännlein or kobolde . He gives
3596-440: The word analyse in a book review led Bryan A. Garner to comment, "all the quoter (or overzealous editor) [sic] demonstrated was ignorance of British usage". Occasionally a writer places [ sic ] after their own words, to indicate that the language has been chosen deliberately for special effect, especially where the writer's ironic meaning may otherwise be unclear. Bryan A. Garner dubbed this use of sic "ironic", providing
3658-440: Was always heat present in these locations. Physical detail was not the central focus of the artists depicting such animals, and medieval bestiaries were not conceived as biological categorizations. Creatures like the unicorn and griffin were not categorized in a separate "mythological" section in medieval bestiaries, as the symbolic implications were of primary importance. Animals we know to have existed were still presented with
3720-472: Was believed that the only way for one to catch this beast was to lead a virgin to its dwelling. Then, the unicorn was supposed to leap into her lap and go to sleep, at which point a hunter could finally capture it. In terms of symbolism, the unicorn was a metaphor for Christ. Unicorns represented the idea of innocence and purity. In the King James Bible , Psalm 92 :10 states, "My horn shalt thou exalt like
3782-459: Was blamed on the similar-sounding kobel mine spirits, as Mathesius noted in his preaching. The inferred etymology of kobelt deriving from kobel , which Mathesius does not quite elocute, was explicitly articulated by Johannes Beckmann in Beiträge zur Geschichte der Erfindungen (tr. English as The History of Inventions, discoveries and origins , 1797). The kobel spirit possibly the namesake of
SECTION 60
#17328456573323844-417: Was supposed to have been larger than all other animals. It was believed that the dragon had no harmful poison but was able to slay anything it embraced without any need for venom. Biblical scriptures speak of the dragon in reference to the devil, and they were used to denote sin in general during the Middle Ages. Dragons were said to have dwelled in places like Ethiopia and India, based on the idea that there
#331668