At a time when the world was busy coming to terms with the implications of Einstein’s general theory of relativity, while simultaneously coping with the aftermath of the First World War, the Theosophical Society – earnest seekers of ancient wisdom – turned their attention to the truly important question of the day: Do gnomes have navels?
The debate arose as a result of the publication of the Cottingley Fairy photographs, one of which appeared to show 15-year-old Elsie Wright in the company of a garden gnome – a distant relative of the much rarer laughing variety. If studied closely, the point of a hatpin in the gnome’s stomach – used by the photographer to keep the cut-out figure standing – was visible. The Theosophists concluded that this pinpoint was a navel, sparking a bizarre discussion on gnome reproduction methods.The question remains open to debate, but current thinking on the matter maintains that gnomes do indeed possess navels, for where else would they rest their fishing rods?
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