gnomes/elves

[bryniana]

currently i am reading Book of Lost Tales I. I have become confused as to if in fact gnomes and elves are one in the same or not. It seems to waver back and forth on this issue--and even the notes seem to waver. Does anyone have the definitive answear on this?

[Orald]

In Book of Lost Tales, and a few others, Gnomes refers to the Noldor, a specific group of elves. I think it is pretty obvious that it was abandoned for the term Noldor.

[Inziladun]

I think Tolkien considered 'Gnomes' would in the mind of the modern reader have had a more negative fairy-tale connotation than 'Elves'. He took pains to elevate his work above that of the standard 'fairie story'.

[Eldar14]

On some page in HoME 1 there is a little chart thingy that seems to state pretty clearly the name-changes Tolkien made for the different groups of the Quendi (elves)

[ January 26, 2002: Message edited by: Eldar14 ]