matt writes...

i have a question about gargoyle customs. you've said that Opheila is Gabriel's second in command and for a time, Demona was Goliath's second, is it common among gargs to choose their mate as second? if so, isn't that unfair to the other gargs hoping to become second, or am i thinking too much like a human?

Yadira - xena_lawless@hotmail.com writes...

Comment:

Shutting off the broadcast, did not make me think that would work in breaking the spell and I thought it foolish of Xanatos to be so sure that it would work. I thought I was going to see a bit of hesitation and uncertainty in Xanatos right before he shuts off the broadcast. It seemed too simple a solution. In many experiences, it's easier to start something, but a bit more complicated to end it.

I did pick up on the fact that Demona recognized and knew the true identity of the person behind the mask when they felt each other's pain, an incident which I found rather interesting and wanted to learn more about it.

I do like Xanatos' line "You want vengeance or a solution." Something a true businessman would say. Put all your personal feelings aside and let's get right down to business , this needs to be fixed right away. That line is totally Xanatos.

Then at the end when Xanatos and Goliath shook hands...I didn't like it. I thought Goliath too forgiving....I mean shaking the hands of a man who's attacked you, paid people to attack you, manipulated you, and evicted you from the only home you've ever known....to shake hands with that man after only one situation where they had to work together and call a truce....for me...it was too soon. I think they should have just nodded to each other
when they parted...letting the other know that they appreciated the other's help, but I still don't trust you. Sometimes I don't blame Demona for being so upset at Goliath and calling him a fool....because sometimes he's too trusting and forgiving....but then again that's why I love him.

Thanks again, Greg, for helping to create a fascinating
series which I will continue to watch on tape and adore.

gedoena writes...

Greg,

[ Gargoyle Science Question: ]

This probably looks a little silly, but I was just rereading my last posting and decided to reverse my thoughts on the matter.

Because gargoyles mate for life, it is probably very important to them to have someone fill that role in their lives. In an isolated clan with an unequal number of each sex for one generation, there would be very little hope of finding a mate for some of the clan members. With no possibility of mating with the equivalent of a widow, this would doom the "left-over" clan members to a lonely life, with a great gap to fill. Would this feeling cause them to bond to one-another?

This explaination is probably much less romantic then the one you would give, but I feel that there must be something in the biology and culture of a species that will at least allow for any given behavior to exist (just as you said that you did not think gargoyles would be found with a particular pashion or talent for architecture, as this was not an area where their talents were likely to be useful).

I guess this was much more of a ramble then a question. But again I would be very interested in hearing your response.

Thanks,

Gedoena

Gedoena writes...

Greg,

[ Gargoyle Science Question: ]

I have been reading through the archives lately, and was surprised to see that you believe that there would be homosexual relationships between gargoyles. This is not because of any personal moral problems; I was just wondering about the background of it within this species.

According to your other posts, gargoyles mate for life, and are driven by biological urges tied to certain scents peculiar to their mates. I would assume that even though each gargoyle has a particular scent, females' scents would be much more similar to eachother then to the scent of any male (and vice-versa). Therefore, I don't understand how two members of the same gender would become attracted to one another.

Furthermore, gargoyles only mate once every 20 years, and only lay one egg at a time. Being a warrior race, there is a probably a fair likelihood that at least one of the parents has died before more then one or two eggs have been laid, making it hard to keep up a sustainable population. It would seem that it would be of great import to the clan to have as many mated pairs as possible.

I guess this was more of a comment then a question, but I would very much like to hear your response to these thoughts.

Thanks,

Gedoena.

Laura 'ad astra' Ackerman writes...

A recent comment on the final scene in Hunter's Moon III brought a question to mind. Being typically human I had not realized Goliath putting Elisa's hair behind her hair was an equivilent to kissing- I just saw it as an intimate gesture. Is Elisa conscious of the meaning of stroking hair to to gargoyles?

Todd Jensen writes...

When Elisa dies, would Goliath and his clan be likely to give her a Wind Ceremony for her funeral? Although she's human, she is a member of the clan.

(This is something that I've been wondering for some time, actually, but I hesitated for a long while for submitting it in case it appeared as an idea. I certainly didn't intend it to be one, at any rate - more just wondering about the bearing that a gargoyle custom you'd recently described might have on Elisa's membership in the clan).

(The Guppi) writes...

Given gargoyle customs of demonstrating affection, what are their attitudes about baldness?

Vilija writes...

Hi Greg! Happy Christmas! My question this time's on Christmas presents.

What does Goliath want for Chirtmas this year?
(Does he celebrate Christmas? If not, what does he and other gargs celebrate? Winter Solistce?)

How about Demona? (Santa knows she's been naughty, though.)

What'd Elisa like this year?

Thank you, .... Wait! Today's winter solistce! Have a good one. (and a good holiday.)

P.S. What're you wishing for this year?

The Sojourner writes...

Why did you make it so that gargoyles do not traditionally name?

zakhur writes...

When gargoyles have a rookery, do they have always someone protecting them, or are they just left in a hiden place and left alone?

Demona Taina writes...

Dear Greg:

If the gargoyles' equivalent of kissing is stroking each other's hair, then was Goliath "kissing" Elisa when he tucked her hair behind her ear in "Hunter's Moon III"?

It appears to be so, judging by the look on his face and the soft tone of his voice. He seemed to be expressing his love to her, I suppose, by caressing her hair and lightly touching her cheek. Then Elisa, being a human, jumped and kissed him instead, being the humans' way to express love for someone else.

Well, is this true, or am I totally off? :P

Thank you for your time. :)

Lawrence Stone writes...

Hey greg I was the one awhile back that asked if clans would accept homosxual garoyles with open arms. Anyway sense I posted that a few months ago I saw a few other people posted quistions about homosexual gargoyes as well and you said said that there are Gay/Lesbian gargoyles, but I have not seen it labled in the already answerd archives. Why is that?

DrFaust writes...

Since the naming custom was taken up, are gargoyles given names, or do they choose their own?

Aris Katsaris writes...

This question (or one similar to it) was also asked in that adult Gargoyles chat of a couple months ago but I notice it was overlooked...

Do you feel that clothes is yet another custom (like names) that the Gargoyles species adopted from humans? (and probably for the sake of humans) With both their tougher skins and their better resistance against temperature extremes, gargoyles would seem to have less actual need for clothes. And the tidbit you've given us about Caesar Augustus seems to imply that it's again the humans who have a greater sense of "decency" related to clothes and nudity.

So... did gargoyles wear clothing before they started interacting with humanity?

If no, at what period of time do you feel the Wyvern clan started wearing clothes? 971? Decades before 971? Centuries before? Prehistorical times? etc...

matt writes...

i was a bit surprised that every clan that goliath and co met had started using names. have these clans abandoned other garg customs to such as the rookery children thing?

warrioress writes...

Can Gargoyles be vegetarians? In the Dark Ages did the Gargs hunt their own food or depend on humans to supply it?

Aris Katsaris writes...

At what age do you feel that gargoyles learn to glide?

Will Tachi (aged six) know how to glide when she timedances into the present, or will it be something she'll learn during the course of the series?

matt writes...

in "turf" elisa tells angela that the boys haven't been around an attractive female garg in a thousand years. how does elisa know that angela is attractive by gargoyle standards? is demona also considered an attractive garg? is opheila?

Wingedbeast writes...

Do the gargoyles have any kind of religion in their own culture?

If so, can you tell anything about their religion without giving anything about future plans away?

Sapphire writes...

Would any Gargoyles and New Olympians take up human vices in the future like smoking and drinking?

LSZ writes...

Have gargoyles ever converted to human religions in the past?

Siren writes...

I had asked whether gargoyles voted before...To be more specific.
Say a gargoyle leader chooses a second-in-command, the leader dies and the new leader is corrupt and so on. And the clan despises him. Could they knock him down a few blocks so to say? Could they be like a pride of lions where as someone comes forward to fight for leadership? Or would it be more like impeachment or banishment when the whole clan votes to kick him/her out and/or vote for a new leader?

Osboy writes...

If Gargoyles traditionally do not give themselves names, (as Goliath's Clan made clear in The first five episodes) how is it that all of the other isolated clans around the world have names, when Goliath stumbles upon them in the world tour?

Skylar writes...

1) Please tell us how to practice a Wind Ceremony (didn´t find a detailed description what it is about in the archives)
If your first answer doesn´t contain it:
1a) What does a Gargoyle do the moment or the first minutes after a fellow died? Is there a special rite?
1b) What do they do with the dead body? Burying? Burning?
1c) At wich point of time starts the so called "Wind Ceremony"?

2) Are there any other special gargoyle rites or ceremonys you would tell us about?

Sapphire writes...

Do Gargoyles like being called animals?

KW Keller writes...

Gargoyle questions:

1. About what point in time did the London clan start using names?
2. About what point in time did the Ishimura clan start using names?
3. Do all the clans still in existance use names now?

SEM writes...

The 2198 contest, plus some posts I've read recently, leads me to try and ask the following question about names: since gargoyles were not initially named, and seem to have let humans name them or be involved in the naming process, will this be the case with future hatchlings?

Any more detail on this question and I fear it'll look like an idea, so I hope it is clear. Since it is a future-looking question, I also respect if you choose to pass on it.

Siren writes...

Do gargoyles celebrate birthdays? Christmas? And I know they did in Eye of the Beholder, but before then, Halloween?

Siren writes...

Can gargoyles vote? If so, who do you think they'd choose?

Skylar writes...

Hi Greg!

Again it´s September the 28th, and I´m glad to see that you really answered all the questions that had waited, so that you can read it at the right time now *g* :

CONGRATULATIONS! Happy Birthday :))

- Cause there´s now a short waiting time, I´ll ask the Questionblock I have still waiting from the ones I ever wanted to send: The one about names.

I have allways been interested in the naming of Gargoyles during the Show.
In Scottland in the Dark Ages the Gargoyles didn´t have any names at all except of Goliath, who was named by a human after an historical figur and Demona, who was later named Demona by another human (McBeth).
When the Gargoyles who had survived came into the 20th Century, they gave names to each other like Citys and things like this.
In the 20th Century all Gargoyles seem to have names: The "Eggs" from the bible (given by humans), the Guatemala-Gargoyles by their precious stones, the Japan-Gargoyles seem to have normal japan names and the English Gargoyles.. - well, later to them..

So here my questions:

1a) Is it a kind of tradition that Gargoyles don´t have (or had) names, so that some older Gargoyles could be annoyed to hear that a gargoyle wants to give himself a name and break the tradition?
1b) Or was giving names in the Gargoyle culture just not known or not usual, but they all have no problems at all with taking a name that a human gives to them?
2) In the 20th Century all (or most) Gargoyles seem to have names, so is this "tradition" (although it might be not a traditon in this sense) something that got lost during the centurys, or has it allways just existed in Scotland?
2b)Do really all gargoyles have names in the 20th Century or not all of them?
2c)Why?
2d)In with way do they get their names? By humans? By the clan? By a kind of rite? By themself? Just by coincidence? Or is there no strikt rule? (Or maybe regional differences??)
3) We are shown three english Gargoyles - Una (unicorn), Griff (griffon) and so on. So have all english Gargoyles a name that sounds similar to their looking? (I guess the variation possibilities of names that sound like "lion", "unicorn" or "griffon" are very rare), or is it an exeption and the other english gargoyles have other kind of names?
3a)If so, what kind of names do they have? Quite normal names like "Jim" or "Bob" or something like that? Or do they prefer very odd and unusal names you would rare find at a human? Or perhaps never find at a human? Or names in a completely different way?

- Maybe the questions may sound a bit strange.. - Of course there are no strikt rules in giving names (and of course not one for all over the world and time), but maybe you can give me a few hints of what´s going on.

J.K. writes...

Hi Greg!

Here's my questions: how do gargs behave during the female's season? You did suggest in the archives that the female gives off a scent, so does this scent affect a male, and if so, how? (needn't get too detailed, heh.)Is there aggression on the part of either gender? I somehow doubt clan males would fight, but maybe some generic shoulder shoving and bullying type behavior? Is there a ritual of sorts? Fanfic authors have some often alarming ideas of season behavior, and I wanted to know the real deal:)

Danielle writes...

How do the gargoyles take care of the clans children.

Punchinello writes...

As long as I'm up and asking questions...

Do the Gargoyles have an architecture that is particular to their culture?

I realize that question may appear to be a bit odd. I'm also sure that no one else would possibly care, but I am preoccupied with architectural ideas.

I know that we never observed any of them manufacturing barrel vaults or drawing plans, but we do knowt hat their culture contained it's own artifacts. They wore clothing. Occasionally we would see a strange shoulder gaurd or some piece of jewlery. Who made them?

I am entertaining images gargoyles who were the blacksmiths of their clan, forging swords and mace. Might the wyvern clan have contained a master builder who constructed catapults? Maybe who aided in designing the castle, lending a gargoyles more sophisticated sensibility for defense to the design of it's walls?

Did the clan have it's own artists? Musicians? Mathematicians? astronomers?

I'd be perfectly satisfied with an answer to the architect part.

Punchinello

Lawrence writes...

Greg, I'm the one who asked if a Clan would treat a Homosexual Gargoyle good and with open arm's. Anyway thanks for answering my qusiton!
But just one more thing about it and the last one I promise, Sense by 2158 or what ever the new year my be you said that Gargoyles would be consider a Minority, but a Homosexual Garrolye would be a minoriy with in a minority group, That would be hard on that gargoyle seeing people see their spices like trash and some people looking down at them cause of there sexuailty.
The reason I ask this is cause I'm Gay myself.
Thanks

Lawrence writes...

How would a Clan treat a Gay/Lesbain Garoyle? Hopefully with open arms

Gabriel writes...

Dear Greg,
When a gargoyle died in the dark ages, what sort of funeral ceremony was contucted, if any? I doubt they kept the dead statues, but I could be wrong. Anyways, I need to know for a fanfic that I am writing; I would not like to get it wrong.
Thanks.

Lexy writes...

And finally...

1) Are those females you listed laying their eggs in Man. and then leaving them there for 10 years? Or will they 'join' the clan for that amount of time?

2) Why did _any_ of the females (for that matter) decide to go THERE to lay their eggs? I suppose I can understand the Guatemalan..(sp?) Gargs doing so..and maybe Sora..but why would anyone need to leave Avalon?

dj writes...

In the original wyvern clan didd you knoww who lex's mother would be

Maria writes...

You had mentioned that gargoyles don't generally kiss. They use a caress which in some ways for them mimics the kiss. But, considering the fact that Elisa surprised him by kissing him, what would be his reaction later? Would he ask questions about it and she would explain that she kissed him because she loved him? And, would he become curious enough to try kissing her? Would he enjoy it?
I can almost envision a silly face showing that he liked it, kind of like in the scene in Tarzan where Jane kisses an unsuspecting Tarzan. But then, that might not even happen. But it might be cute and inoccent if it did.
Anyway, thanks before hand for replying, and my apologies for some of my earlier more stupid posts. Just curious about that stuff mostly, I guess.

Todd Jensen writes...

I recently watched my tape of "Upgrade", and that prompted a fresh question on my part. In this episode, Goliath finally fills the SIC position, left vacant ever since Demona parted ways from the clan in "Awakening". What interested me was that Goliath took so long to finally think about appointing a second-in-command. "Upgrade" is 25 episodes after "Awakening Part Five", and in terms of the series' internal chronology, probably over a year later, but only now does Goliath finally get around to start looking for somebody to fill the second-in-command slot, after Hudson tells him that he needs a designated successor in case some enemy of the clan does kill or permanently incapacitate him.

So why did Goliath take so long to start looking for a new SIC? Was it anything to do with the fact that Demona had been the last one?

Gencie Salter writes...

Hi Greg.
1. Any idea where gargoyle civilizations started? Like, human civilizations started in Mesopotamia, Indus River Valley.?
2. Were there always gargoyle clans all over the world or did they migrate from wherever they started?

LSZ writes...

Did humans ever worship gargoyles?

LSZ writes...

Did gargoyles ever worship fae as gods?

LSZ writes...

Were any of the Ishimuran Gargoyles converted to Buddhism or incorporate any parts of it into their religion(since Japanese Zen Buddhism seems particularly compatible..)?

LSZ writes...

Do all gargoyles have the same mono-pantheistic religion?

Demona Taina writes...

Here's a question that got lost in the crash. I posted it a LONG time ago, and I just realized that it got lost. o_O I think I posted it in May. [looks at the date] Yep. It's been a long time. :P

Okay, as I said in my previous post, my native language is Spanish, English is my second, and stuff like that. Well, first, I became a fan with the Spanish episodes first. I mean, sure, I loved the English episodes, but didn't have cable long enough to actually start taping them. [grumbles] At least the translations came along. Well, everything is different in Spanish. Goliath's voice is much less like Keith David's. I think it's done by Felipe Preciado, but I wouldn't bet on that. [laughs] Much less dramatic, let me tell you. It simply can't compare with Keith David's. His is SO dramatic, so powerful, and yet, so beautiful. [giggles]

I fell in LOVE with a cartoon character.. I mean, Goliath is SO perfect! Except for that temper, but I love him anyway! You probably found out about my love for him when you read my ramble on Goliath.. [giggles] And every word I said is true... ;)

Oops, I forgot about the question. o_O Anyway, here it goes before I forget and start talking about something else. :P

Okay, I taped the episodes in both Spanish and English, but I taped them in Spanish first. City of Stone 1 was the first I'm sure, because Demona started crying, and I totally got hooked with that scene.. it was so powerful.

Okay, so, I have the episode "Vows" in Spanish. In Spanish, it has Goliath and Demona in the Clock Tower, and they HUG. Awww... well, then my grandma got Cable again. The English episodes. USA Network. I was disappointed when I noticed that they cut out the best scenes, but at least the voices were new. I mean, they totally cut out the Keith David's narration!! I've never been able to actually see that narration in English.. [grumbles]

ANYWAY.. they aired the episodes Vows in English. Okay. so, everything seemed normal, except for the cuts, until they aired the ending. o_O It was different!! Instead of the couple being at the Clock Tower, they were in a castle! With a very bright light behind them! Well, I was beaming with joy because there was something new.

And then, Demona is left with her mouth open. I go O.O. Goliath SMILES, capes his wings around her, and brings her close. I'm like "DO IT! DO IT!" And they're about to kiss, but then they disappear into a star. [whimpers] WHY!? They were THIS close! WHY? WHY? WHY!? That was so cruel. [laughs] I wanted to see them kiss at least once. :P

Now let me put all that in a sentence. [laughs] Why are there two endings of the episode Vows? No other episode has two endings, to my knowledge anyway. [blinks, then pokes you] Are there anymore alternate endings?

You guys have done a GREAT job with the show. And you're a great guy, too. [grins] And you're cute. [snickers] Couldn't RESIST. [laughing]

That's all for now. :P

Karen writes...

Do the gargoyles, as a race, have any sort of myths/legends dealing with their own kind? We know that they have no language of their own (at least I *think* we know that) and learned writing and reading from humans, but human traditions with no written language still have oral stories/traditions passed down from generation to generation, stories told around the campfire to children of heroes. Do the gargs have any stories like this? Any legendary heroes, ie King Arthur calibre, of their own?

steven s (repost by Aris) writes...

Just watched "the edge" .In the scene when the gargs are fighting the steel clan, goliath says to brooklyn "No doubt for us to lead them back to our new sanctuary" meaning xanatos wants to find out where the Gargoyles live.

But at the end of the episode, when the gargs turn to stone they are outside on top of the clock tower. Don't u think that would be a easy place for xanatos to find the gargs? seeing as they would be visible from say a chopper?
I think it would be a lot safer if the gargs turned to stone indoors.
thanks in advance.Keep up the episode reviews, i enjoy reading your opinions on them.

Demona (repost by Aris) writes...

How come in the show you never showed Goliath and Demona kissing? You showed Coldstone and Desdemona kissing, and other characters, but never Demona and Goliath. I mean, you never even showed it in any flashbacks. Thanks, Greg!!