The Gnome Manuscript: Part One: Origins, Habit and Culture

by Wilmar Taal

In 2003, a fascinating handwritten manuscript about Dutch gnomes was discovered in the mysterious Richel-Eldermans collection that had recently been donated to the British Museum of Witchcraft and Magic. This book presents an annotated translation of this intriguing work, with comments on the provenance of the manuscript and studies of the places described within it. Focusing on the origins of gnomes, their way of life, and their astonishing cultural expressions, this first book of the series opens a doorway into traditional beliefs and magical experiences that will forever transform your understanding of the world of the gnomes.

318 pages, Paperback

First published November 1, 2019

About the author

From a young age Wilmar Taal was interested in anything out-of-this-world. From parapsychology to UFO's and from magic to strange cults and anything outlandish. About a decade ago his interest was spiked by two small books concerning folklore tales of his native Netherlands and the locations to which these tales were connected. He decided to visit these places to see what caused people to tell such tales and a whole new expertise was taking shape, resulting in a first book concerning the Round House mysteries, currently published in 2021 under a new title. Wilmar is the world's leading expert on the Richel-collection in the Museum of Witchcraft and Magic in Boscastle, with defining works on both J.H.W. Eldermans and Bob Richel. His works appear both in English and Dutch. He also writes articles for magazines like 'The Enquiring Eye' and 'Skepter'.

Reviews

[ʕっ•ᴥ•ʔっ · Rating 2 out of 5]

An amateur presentation of a historical curiosity. The most interesting parts of the manuscript seem to be the ones that haven't survived the ages. The commentary is poorly written and translated, almost adolescent in its expression. I think the book would have been more interesting if it presented The facsimiles of the actual manuscript without any context so that readers had to put it together on their own.