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Hero Overview

I am a gnome, and here in the forest I am happy. Under a tree I live, next to its root.
~ Translated lyrics from the original theme, sung by David himself.
Look around you... There are many things to see... That some would say... Could never be.
~ Lyrics from the english theme.

David the Gnome is the main character from the 1985 Spanish TV series of the same name.

He was voiced originally by the late José María Cordero, and by the late Tom Bosley in the english dub for Nickelodeon.

Personality[]

No one is better for being bigger.
~ Message seen in the original opening .

Like all gnomes (though some are crankier than others), he is good-natured and always means well for nature and its children. He never lies and has only shown signs of anger on very few occasions, particularly against humans for the damage they cause. For the most part he loves every creature in the forest and will help them if they need his healing skills, even the stinky and clumsy trolls who act as his enemies and aren't fond of his presence, but will accept his help if they're in trouble.

Appearance[]

Like all other adult gnomes, David is 15 cm (~6 inches) tall and weighs between 250 and 300 grams (8.8 and 10 ounces). He is a forest gnome (in the series, different types of gnomes are distinguished according to their habitat: the forest gnome, the garden gnome, the farm gnome, the house gnome, the dune gnome and the Siberian gnome.)

Biography[]

Born to Thym of Uppsala in the late 16th century, presumably in Sweden, David moved to a German location simply known as 'the forest' and married a gnome called Lisa by the age of 100 (which is typically the age gnomes marry at) in the late 17th century and have been a couple ever since, living in comfortable caves or in "burrows" under a large tree, in the company of a pair of mice and a guard cricket.

Throughout the majority of the series, he rarely leaves the forest and heals any animals in need, as well as humans unable to help their livestock or issues beyond their understanding.

In the series finale of David the Gnome, David and Lisa travel to The Mountains of Beyond because it is their time to die. Neither David nor Lisa are really interested in dying, but must because that’s just what happens when gnomes reach a certain age. They are accompanied by an old friend, Casper, another gnome who asks to tag along since he is unmarried and doesn't want to die alone.

In the end, David and Lisa say goodbye, give each other one final kiss, hold hands and turn into apple trees, meanwhile Casper becomes a commun tree.

The episode closes with the spirits of David, Lisa, and Casper waving goodbye.

I thank you for all the love you've given me.
~ David's last words to his wife.

Powers and Abilities[]

I'm seven times stronger than you, very fast and always in a good mood!
~ Translated lyrics from the original theme.

As a gnome, David possesses superhuman strength, especially for a creature of his stature. He's specifically seven times stronger than you (the viewer) according to the original opening theme and himself as well as other gnomes on many occasions and has demonstrated strength beyond that of a human adult, breaking open jammed doors that a man couldn't budge, however he's still small and not all that tough as he can be hurt if a man doesn't look where he goes and steps on him. If he's ever at a disadvantage against beings stronger than him (mainly trolls) he can easily evade them with incredible speed and jumping abilities.

As old as he is, David is very wise and experienced, he knows all manner of herbs in the forest and countless other ways (hypnosis, acupuncture, etc) to heal an animal and sometimes a person. Through his connection with nature, he can also speak with animals (in the series they communicate through their natural sounds, they don't have human voices) as all gnomes can (David regularly uses his friend Swift, a fox, to travel at great speeds across the forest, and geese or other migratory birds for longer travels) and even read the thoughts of an individual, guessing what they're thinking with a single look.

Longevity is natural with all gnomes, David reaching the upper limits for his kind, as he spent the entire series being 399 years old and died at the age of 400. Only a gnome of the west managed to lived more than him, with 550. When gnomes die, they become part of nature, likely dependant on their habitat. When David and Lisa passed away, they became apple trees, closely connected. They are both last seen as spirits, happily dancing in the leaves of their new forms.

Trivia[]

  • His character is based on one of the authors of the series of novels known as "The Secret Book of Gnomes" (Het leven der kabouters), who the real creators (Dutch author Wil Huygen and illustrator Rien Poortvliet) claimed was an actual gnome called David of Uppsala who was the "source" of most of their material.
  • His name in Hebrew means "beloved".
  • David and Lisa's diet is ovo-vegetarian, they only eat the products of nature and the unfertilized eggs that they are given by birds that have had a very abundant laying.
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