Little by little, the gnomes arrived and took their posts.

No one knows precisely how or when, because gnomes are a spontaneous lot and prefer to pop up as the whim strikes. It’s a long story, but as the legend goes, good folks in a certain Oakland neighborhood along the eastern shore of Lake Merritt were walking along one day in late 2012 and noticed a handful of gnomes, or rather little paintings of gnomes, poised in a very respectable and unobtrusive fashion at the base of wooden utility poles. People thought them very cute and very mysterious, as gnomes are known to be, yet most saw this fanciful influx as merely a fluke — an a-gnome-aly, if you will.

But then there were more. Some were spotted near Jack London Square. More were seen in the Adams Point neighborhood, and still more in the Rockridge district and over by Highland Hospital. People started online photo galleries of known gnome locations — at one point, there were said to be about 2,300 of them out there, a gnome fact that made the national news. The little bearded, booted, red-hatted chaps — not to be confused with hipsters — brought joy to many a hardened urban heart.

“My gnome,” says one Oakland resident, claiming possession of a gnome near his Brooklyn Avenue residence, “has a cup next to him where people have been known to pour some beer in to keep him happy.”

At least we hope that’s beer.

Now while the posting of these wee portraits — said to be by an Oakland house painter and artist who wished to remain anonymous — were a delight to passers-by, they annoyed PG&E, owner of most of the poles. A brief public flap ensued in early 2013 until the folks at the utility giant, at risk of being deemed ogres, relented and agreed to sanction the gnomes. After all, they are really small and gnotably gnot a gnuisance.

So the gnomes triumphed and many still live happily ever after — at least a good lot of them do. And it’s fun to go on a gnome-hunting expedition.

Roam with the gnomes

A couple of the original photo gallery sites (such as www.localwiki.org/oakland/Oakland_Gnomes) have locator maps, but some of the gnomes have vanished, so don’t be disappointed if the maps are not accurate. It rather adds to the adventure and mystery, and may result in you doing a spontaneous jig of joy when you finally come across one.

If nothing else, trolling for gnomes is an enjoyable jaunt through various and sundry places in the merry old Land of Oak and a good excuse to stop in here and there for a hot cocoa or a nibble of chocolate along the way.

Let’s begin our journey in Rockridge. On Miles Avenue, just off College Avenue, at least eight genial gnomes grace poles alongside Claremont Middle School. Some appear to be waving a friendly hello, or perhaps summoning a hex of some sort. It’s a fine line. Some have been captured mid-jig. Some are merely standing. One is positioned in front of Oakland Fire Department Station 19. He is aptly accompanied by a diminutive firehouse Dalmatian.

The small wooden portraits typically face the sidewalk, so you can’t see them from the road. You have to get out and walk. After being in place nearly three years, some are indeed a little worse for wear, thanks to lots of sun, the occasional rain and the disgrace of disrespectful dogs.

Gnomebody knows the trouble they’ve seen.

Down near Jack London Square, more gnomes loiter in the 200 block of Fourth Street. One or two appear to be girl gnomes in little dresses, although they still bear beards and may prefer to be considered gender neutral. Back over by Lake Merritt in the gentle hills of the Adams Point neighborhood, several gnomes dwell on the north side of Perkins Street, chiefly between Van Buren and Palm avenues near clusters of nice apartment complexes. East of the lake, more gnomes await discovery along MacArthur Boulevard. One has clearly been discovered by a graffiti artist named Neak, who left his or her mark on the tiny painting with an equally tiny tag. Neak might be wise to beware of a hex.

At this point, a snack of a German chocolate cake square at the Merritt Bakery Kwik Way on Lake Park Avenue might be in order. Or perhaps a lump of dark chocolate at Michael Mischer Chocolates around the corner on Grand Avenue. Try the Kentucky bourbon ganache, suitable for gnomes with panache. Either way, your trip will come to a sweet end, and you may have had some adventures along the way.

You never gnome.

Contact Angela Hill at ahill@bayareanewsgroup.com, or follow her on Twitter @GiveEmHill.