The internet makes widespread communication quick and easy. This has allowed jokes to travel far and wide in a short amount of time. Commonly referred to as “memes”, some jokes spread over online communities and become popular for a short amount of time. One such meme is that of Gnome Child, a character from the multiplayer online game Runescape , which was taken out of context and made into a popular internet joke.
Gnome Child was originally introduced to the Runescape franchise in 2008. However, he did not gain any fame until 2014. Youtuber Flopske created this iconic video showcasing the rise and fall of Gnome Child.
His fame truly began once Tumblr user Mirakurutaimu uploaded a photo of Gnome Child with an audio clip of the Halo kill streak announcer saying “Slayer”. Following this, various adaptations of Gnome Child were posted on social media — mainly Tumblr — using the hashtag #slayer.
Many now know Gnome Child simply as “Slayer”. He goes by both names. Tumblr users were inspired to create edits of Slayer for both comedy and motivational purposes.
The reason Slayer became so popular remains unknown. He was an internet sensation one minute, then gone the next. My personal opinion is that Slayer was such a unique form of comedy that he attracted many to his presence. Slayer also encouraged people to become slayers themselves.
While everyone has their own interpretation of what “slaying” really is, in its most basic form, slaying is excelling at a task. To slay is to accomplish.
Slayer inspires the youth of today to never give up. If you really want something, you will slay hard enough to get it. Even now, several years later, Slayer lives on in the hearts of many. Just late last year, a friend created holiday gift cards featuring our favourite gnome.
Slayer is eternal if you wish for him to be.
