Gnoms

For many years, the southern part of Falster has been known as troll country. Trolls are the greatest enemies of gnomes. But when the Danish Nature Fund took over Bøtøskoven and changed it from a dark pine forest into a bright, open forest with grazing animals, something exciting happened. In several places, we have found tiny traces that make us believe gnomes now live here.

We don’t know very much about the gnomes of Bøtøskoven because no one has ever seen a living gnome. Still, we are quite sure they are here. We believe they are true forest gnomes, not city gnomes or country gnomes – and there may even be different gnome families, because the traces we’ve found don’t all look the same.

An adult gnome is only about 15 centimeters tall. It can be hard to tell exactly how tall they are, because gnomes would much rather be seen without trousers than without their hats! And their hats don’t always have to be red. What is important is that gnomes wear clothes that stand out from the forest, so animals like owls don’t mistake them for mice when hunting at night.

Gnomes can be very helpful creatures. The forest animals are especially fond of them, because gnomes often help animals that are hurt or sick.

Most forest gnomes live underground in cozy burrows, decorated a bit like our own homes. The entrance is usually well hidden, but it might look like a small hole made by an animal such as a marten.

If you walk through this part of the forest, you might discover signs of gnomes – signs that helped convince us they are real. But remember if you do find something that belongs to a gnome, it’s best to leave it where it is. If an gnom is offended, it can quickly contact an gnome friend, and you will be sought out by the not-so-nice mischievous gnomes