Gargoyles And Grotesques

Gargoyles do not come to life at night and attack people. I don't know where this idea started, but trust me, in all my years of collecting, not a single gargoyle has come to physical life.

Gargoyles are not evil. There is no historical evidence to suggest that the Church or carvers had any evil intent in creating these figures.

Gargoyles are not a form of demon or evil entity. Why would you put demons on a church?

Gargoyles are not worshiped by witches, pagans, or any other folk.

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Although I myself will call the critters on this page gargoyles, they are not. A real gargoyle is a functioning gargoyle in the classical sense. He or she spews water and rubbish on people, most often from high above.

All the small statues we collect are really grotesques. Again that is in the classical sense. This meant any statue resembling a gargoyle, but not having a real working function.

However, since most of us hold these statues to be protectors they do have a function. Also gargoyles today do work in a way. They are lamps, night lights, fountains and more. Considering the real gargoyles of old would destroy most modern building with their weight I feel calling these collectibles gargoyles is just fine.

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There are several basic types that are fairly easy to find in stores or online.

Cement: Also common. These can range from the dollar store small gargoyles, to giant garden sculptures. Well cast items will have a smooth finish with no holes or marks.

Fabric Call them stuffed toys if you like. There are some cute gargoyles out there.

Foam: Useful for Halloween. These are also prone to breakage, but have the most variety. You can find ones that spew smoke, water, or have lighted eyes.

Latex These are foam-filled or fabric stuffed shells. They may have fabric bottoms, so watch out for wet areas. Cloth rots, hon.

Metal Often used as burners for mystical folk.

Plastic or plastic-based cast material: These gargoyles all look the same, but are among the cheapest. Small ones can be found in dollar stores around Halloween or as garden accents. They are the least durable, being easily broken or cracked by winter weather.

Tip: Not all plastic is cheap. Depending on what it was blended with, some small cast gargoyles can be very expensive. These items usually have more details or are done by a known artist.

Semi-pro These often don't move, but only a collector or small haunted house may want them. Materials vary wildy. They tend to be too pricey for something to put out once a year and can anchor a haunted house room. Yes, they doo look cool hanging around the house.

Professional props: If you have the money, you can get gargoyles that move, jump, spew blood, or even talk. These are meant for haunted house attractions, so you might not have the right voltage in your house. Check with the dealer before you burn the neighborhood down. These beauties will be latex covered or fiberglass. Remember that these are delicate electronic props, no rough housing.

Real gargoyles: There are real, functioning gargoyles you can add to your home. These stone carved beauties will last just about forever, but need very heavy supports.

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You don't have to hold any particular beliefs to work with a gargoyle. Most people just collect them, but savvy people can ask these little wonders to guard property, people, and more.

Now you will be speaking to the spirit you feel in the gargoyle. It is this spirit that protects you, not the gargoyle you can see and feel.

Simply hold the gargoyle in your lap and let your mind connect to his. He will be ready to guard, or do something useful in most cases. Let him know you appreciate his help and offer him a special resting place just for him.

You'll find that you might see movement out of the corner of your eye. This is normal, and just the feisty little guy making himself visible as he does his rounds.

Not all gargoyles want to help people. Never ever try to force a gargoyle into anything. Not only will they leave, but word will get around on the astral plane that you are not to be trusted.

Some gargoyles have had a bad experience with humans. Just like with a person, give this fellow some space and time to heal.

There are lady 'goyles too. They like all things female and bring a softness and beauty into your life. They are still ready to rumble, so don't underestimate them in the guardianship department.

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OK urban legends are stories that sound true, but aren't. They even end up on the TV news, so a lot of people believe them. Here are a few on gargoyles.

The gargoyle that guards a grave. In this legend people who try to defile the grave are found dead the next morning, often torn to pieces or strangled. Popular offshoots are angel statues, or black cat statues.

The living gargoyle. This legend features a real living gargoyle. People have seen it fly, run across the road, or attack cars. Often popular on campuses that feature gargoyles.

The wise gargoyle. May have come from an earlier legend. This gargoyle comes to life either at midnight or every 100 years and can answer any question.

Gargoyle mates with human. Even found its way into an adult film. I'd love to see the children.

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Whatever the reason, from time to time gargoyles have to be stored. Think spring cleaning seasonal decorating, or moving. Though it can vary depending on the type of material used to cast the gargoyle, here are some common tips.

Clean Clean that critter before storage. Use a dry dust rag, feather duster or soap and water. If heavy mold is present use Clorox. Miracle Gro also does a fine job of killing moss and mold.

Repair More on this later, but try and fix your gargoyle before storage if needed.

Packing Material Use newspaper, foam, those tiny air bags or bubble wrap. Just make sure the gargoyles have protection if the container breaks or is dropped.

Dry & Safe Storage Store the box in a safe dry place. You may label it to find your gargoyles later.

Large cement gargoyles may be stored in garages or left outside. Unfortunately, you won't know if the gargoyle can stand up to extreme temps or ice until after it busts.

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Don't store gargoyles under heavy objects. Sounds simple, but a lot of haunted house decorators and collectors have found beheaded, smashed, or wingless gargoyles that were stored carelessly.

If you do break something try either Elmer's glue or liquid nails. Elmer's is the safest as liquid nails can melt some items like foam. Some prop sellers carry glue make for foam props. Ask for it.

Mold is not your friend. It eats paint which exposes the cement to ice, wind and water. You can nix mold with clorox or anther bleach.

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Coming from a spiritual level, gargoyles can help in healing work. Each has his or her own ideas on how to boost healing spells and rituals, so try to meet in the middle if possible.

You can also heal the spirit of a gargoyle. While it is doubtful that they can die, they can be wounded in defense of your home. So, take the statue you feel harm has come to and do a basic healing. You can do this by holding your hands over the statue and willing health and energy to the gargoyle spirit inside.

Gargoyles tend to take pride in harm to the physical statue, so they might not like you repairing things.

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Yup there are lots of film and art about hooking up with 'goyle lovers. Some pagans feel this is wrong as we are two different species. If this is your bag, try the astral realm for a willing partner. Just keep in mind these spirits have an entire culture and way of life alien to us.

Also, do you want a spirit going Fatal Attraction on you?

"The word "Gargoyle" shares a common root with the word "gargle," which comes from the French gargouille, "throat." A true gargoyle is a waterspout. The word is also derived from the Latin "gurgulio" and is therefore onomatopoetic, meaning "throat" and sounding like the water which gurgles as it passes through the throat. A gargoyle makes a gurgling sound as water passes through the waterspout.

Legend has it that a fierce dragon named La Gargouille with a long neck and membranous wings lived in a cave near the river Seine. The dragon caused much fear and destruction with its fiery breath, spouting water and devouring ships and men. Each year, the residents of Rouen would placate Gargouille with an offering of a victim, usually a criminal, though it was said the dragon preferred maidens. Around 600, the village was saved by St. Romanus, who promised to deal with the dragon if the townspeople agreed to be baptized and to build a church. Romanus, armed with only a crucifix, subdued the dragon by making the sign of the cross, and then led the now docile beast back to town on a leash made from his priest's robe. La Gargouille was then burned at the stake, it is said that his head and neck were so well tempered by the heat of his fiery breath, that they would not burn. These remnants were then mounted on the town wall and became the model for gargoyles for centuries to come.

Now this is a legend, of course. No one knows for sure just what is the exact history or rationale for gargoyles. But the grain of truth in this legend is that it carries with it the Christus Victor theme. That is, a demon's head is placed on a stake, in token of his demise. No wonder those who embellished churches saw fit to place them high on the roofs. "

I'd love to see him explain away the many full-bodied gargoyles or ones that seemed very much alive. Name a lewd or offensive behavior and gargoyles did it. Of course his view supports the "do this and you're going to Hell" theory quite nicely.

Want proof he is wrong? Look at the famous and much beloved gargoyles of Notre Dame. These critters are happy to peer down in protection of the sacred place.

I have come into a room and seen a gargoyle has moved. Now this could be from traffic in the area or the building settling, but nothing else is moved. Honestly I think it is one of the resident ghosts vying for attention. The weird part is that you can glance up and see a gargoyle in a different place while in the room. Again, could be something weird with the building. Things tend to jump off the walls even when wired down. Electrical fields? Collapsing mines? Your guess is as good as mine. I do not however believe that the gargoyle is moving itself.

Sacred statues also tend to do this, but no other objects move in this manner. The move is never vary far, but the gargoyle will be facing in another direction. To make things more fun, some objects like those wired or nailed to walls have to be moved upward then out before moving. I've thought perhaps the wood in the area has contracted or expanded, thus forcing out nails or letting them loose, but the nails are always a good five or six inches from the wall.

I know the building does slant, but not every object moves. It would be logical to assume that a slant great enough to let a gargoyle slide into a new position would also slide other objects. Since objects on the edge of a surface do not fall when a gargoyle moves, nor do other items on the surface shift, it seems impossible. Also to my shame, I'm sometimes lazy enough to see that no dust has been disturbed by anything else moving.

I've even thought of air pressure, storms, or even underground gas eruptions undected by people, but again, more than one object should move if the force is that strong.

Any researchers willing to spend millions to see if I move them myself in a dissociative state are more then welcome to.

Yes, I've also thought it could be a mild psi activity (my mind is using a yet undefined power to move an object) coming from my own mind, but why just certain objects? Also most people with these powers are well aware of them and can control them. I can stare at a pencil forever, and trust me, it won't spin.