The Cat writes...

Hi Greg,

Last one from me, for awhile anyway.
Ok, these are about disabilities. I'm disabled and I was wondering about this because it seemed to me that the only gargoyles that had anything wrong with them (such as blindness or missing a limb) aquired it in battle.

1. Are any gargoyls born with problems that cause a disability?(Like, I have heart problems and they caused me to have a stroke when I was 4 years old which caused the right side of my body not to work properly.)
2. Are any gargoyles born blind, mute, deaf or missing any limbs?
3. If yes, what does the rest of the clan do with them?
4. If no, why not?

Ok, I'm being chased off the computer. I better run. Bye.

The Cat writes...

Hi Greg,

The Cat, again.
Ok, these questions are about language.

1. Do gargoyles have their own language?
2. If no, then how come the Guatamala and Japanese Clans could understand Goliath, Angela and Elisa when they were on the "World Tour"?
3. If yes, what would it be called? Don't you dare say English, that is a Human language!
4. How come the Guatamala Clan and the Japanese Clan could speak perfect English? It takes a bit of time to translate Spanish into English and vica versa. Same with Japanese.
5. Languages under go many changes. In just a generation the words that one used to mean "Nice!" Have gone from "Groovy!" to "Cool!" So, how could Elisa understand Goliath since the English language had gone through many changes in 1,000 years and most likely Goliath and his clan spoke Celtic, Gaelic or Anglo-Saxxon, not English?

Ok, Bye.

The Cat writes...

Hi Greg,

Ya said post every question separately for each topic, so that is what I'm doing.

Ok, these questions are on another topic of much controversy. Race. I'm curious about this topic because during my freshman and sophmore years in highschool my classmates were in a racial, I'll say, argument. While, I think, no one was hurt it left me wondering about what gargoyles might do in the same predicament.

So, here are the questions:
1. Are gargoyles prejudice of another gargoyle just because the other has something different than the others, like wings, a beak, ears, etc?
2. Do gargoyles ever think that they are better or worse off because of how they look?
3. If either of these two are incorrect, then why?

Well that's it, Bye.

The Cat writes...

Hey Greg,

Figured I'd nag ya just a little.

Ok, these questions are about religion. I'm curious about this one because I remember (this is still probably going on) when the northern half of Ireland was in turmoil with the southern half just because of religion.

So, here are the questions:

1. Are gargoyles concerned about religion as much as humans are?
2. Do they have their own?
3. Do they ever get into fights with other clans just because their version of the truth doesn't quite corruspond to the others version of the truth or because one clan may believe in one god or goddess while the other clan may believe in more than one god or goddess?

Or:
4. Are gargoyles so much "higher" than humans that they're not that petty and really don't care about whether or not the religion of one clan corrusponds to their's as long as it has something in it about protecting humans and being "good"?

Hope ya got all that. Hope I spelled right. Oh well, you should get the idea of what I mean if I didn't spell any big words right, like corruspond, I don't think I spelled that one right.

Mooncat writes...

If Gargoyles are biologically inclined to take a monogamous mate (as well as traditionally) why is it so easy for Thailog to discard Demona?

Can a gargoyle have physical relations with more than one other gargoyle before the "imprint" sets in? Or does the "imprint" set in during the first full physical relationship?

matt writes...

a couple weeks ago someone asked what gargoyles protected before the other races showed up and you said each other. but since we have the Mayan clan protecting a forest, the Loch Ness clan protecting prehistoric monsters, the London Clan protecting a shop in SOHO, and i'm sure there were other examples, what gargoyles protect has always been extremely varied and never limited to sentient beings.

1. it seems from clan to clan there is a wide range of what to protect. why is that?

2. every species, like the gargoyles, protect their own kind and eggs, etc., but why did gargoyles begin to extend that protection to more than themselves?

John writes...

Hi Greg,
now, I have something REALLY nice for you:

http://www.imdb.com/Title?0108783#comment

Oh, yes. I've allmost forgotten my question: the Gargoyles in 995 took a new children as a children of the whole clan. Will it be the same in 2198, or will the Gargoyles here raise their kids like we do??

CU, John

Justin writes...

Hi Greg,

1a) I would like to know whose responsibility is it to train the younger warriors in a clan? 1b)Is it the leader? 1c)The second? 1d)Or some other garg entirely?

2) If the answer is the second then did Hudson's mate train while she was alive? Did Goliath take the job once he was chosen? Did Demona take it after him?

matt writes...

1. would two gay or lesbian gargoyles still be considered rookery parents to certain generations of hatchlings?

2. if a gargoyle had no mate, would he/she still be able to be a rookery parent to certain generations if he/she wanted too?

3. if a gargoyle is the biological parent to a hatchling in a rookery, can he/she choose not to be a rookery parent and be accepted by the clan for that choice?

Lord Sloth writes...

1. Why does Hudson where a full set of clothes when most of the other Wyverin Gargoyals seem content with loin cloths and bra cloths (or whatever they are called).

2. Do you know what thoes "bra cloths" the female Gargoyles wear are really called? I'm not sure why this question interests me. Really.

Vashkoda writes...

Referring to that Tootsie Roll quote, did you mean "my sympathies" to those who know of it because it would mean that we're old, or were you apologizing to us for using that quote as your answer? Anyways, like Sapphire said, it's not *that* old--in fact, it played when Gargoyles was still part of The Disney Afternoon (I know because it's on one of my tapes, though it's a version with a robot and a dinosaur monster instead of "Mr Owl" and "Mr Turtle").

I know I had a question to insert in here somewhere.... Ah yes:

You also just said, "Tachi will also get some individual rearing, because B&K will be the only parents in range." Maybe I misheard you, but I thought that at the Gathering you said that from your timeline calculations, it turns out that Tachi will still be an egg when Brooklyn returns from his timedancing. So did I misunderstand, or did you do some re-calculating?

matt writes...

1. in 1996, does the Loch Ness clan use names?

2. does the New Olympus clan?

3. does the Pukhan clan?

4. does the Xanadu clan?

Lord Sloth writes...

Do they main 7 Gargoyles only protect Manhattan and not the rest of new york? I know protecting Manhattan alone must be a lot of work, but still, why are they being so selective?

Kelly L Creighton/Kya White Sapphire writes...

just another FYI

I was watching discovery, learning about human relationships. a theory says that way back when humans were hunter/gatherers, a pair would mate, and stay together long enough for the offspring to no longer "burden" its parents. then the pair would split, and find new mates, therefore keeping a large range of genetic possibilities.

the theory further stats that modern humans seem to have kept this behavior somewhat, which explains the trouble so many humans have staying with a life mate.

another part of the theory says that humans generally have three marriages: the first for sex, the second for children, the third for comanionship.

so gargoyles combine all three into one. cool. but again, that hurts their genetic diversity :)

Sexy Queer writes...

Do Garagoyle Clans view or declare a Homosexual mating or as some humans do they think thats to werid?

Jimmy writes...

If gargoyles evolved before humans and the fay, what did they to protect?

Steven L. writes...

Gargoyles mate for life. Does that mean that once two gargoyles show interest in each other, and become intimate, that they've mated, and are officially forevermore monogamous?
If so, what happens if, over the years, the two gargoyles come to drift apart, or realize they have nothing in common? Do they stay together simply because of tradition? I take it there's no gargoyle equivalent of divorce. (Or at least there wasn't until Goliath and Demona kinda set precident).
And in that vein; should a gargoyle have an affair, then what happens if that affair is discovered? Does the unfaithful gargoyle and the one he/she had the affair with get banished from the clan?
Hope this hasn't been asked before.

Gipdac writes...

Do the members of the Avalon clan celebrate their hatch-days the same way we celebrate our birthdays? I know hatch-days aren't important to Gargoyles, but humans raised them, so.

Gipdac writes...

1) Will Angela and Broadway raise their kids like humans, by only two parents, or will they be raise like gargoyles, in a collective rookery?
2) If so, will that trend continue into the future?
3) What about Brooklyn and Katana's children will they raise their children collectively or individually?

Vashkoda writes...

You've said that gargoyles *could* live up to an old age, but that few survive that long because of the violence of the times.

1a) Were the Wyvern gargoyles constantly under attack in the days before castle Wyvern? b) ...after Castle Wyvern? c) I think you'd mentioned an event we'd never seen where many in the Wyvern clan were murdered, hence explaining their numbers in 994. Can you confirm this, and give us any details on the event?

2a) Are these warriors dying young, or are they dying as they start reaching their 120's or so, and start slowing down? b) Are older gargoyle warriors expected to keep fighting, or at some point are they able to retire? c) Is this expectation what's causing gargoyles not to live up to their 200's?

Blaine writes...

Okay, so we know gargoyles mate for life, but do they ever date.
1) Like, for example, Gabriel and Angela (I know they aren't a couple, it just an example it could be replace with anyone (Demona/Coldstone, Zafiro/Turquesa, etc.) but what if they had dated for a little and decided they just didn't like each other that way, and then they both go off to find other mates (Ophelia and Broadway). Again, not literally Angela and Gabriel but just for example. Could or would that ever happen? And I realize I thinking really human on this one.
2) And what if your mate dies. Could you remate (that's not a word, but you get the idea). Like Hudson, could (not will, so you wanted be revealing anything) find another mate?
Thank you, I LOVE the show ;-)

Punchinello writes...

Hello Mr. Weisman.

I don't come here often, but occasionally I'm struck by the urge to quiz you on something. I was browsing the questions you're fielding, and I was struck again by something I notice every time I visit this page. There seems to be some preoccupation here with "the mind of the other." I noticed another poster make reference to your interest in it (although I cannot find any record of your having initiated the discussion).

While the series was still active I saw you invoke this theme frequently whenever you emphasized the cultural shock that the gargoyles experienced in modern America, and I appreciated the fact that you treated our linguistic tendencies to "name everything" as a curious human social construction. It helped to push the idea that these creatures were _not_ human and that we could not understand their natures or their motivations from within the context of human sensibilities. I see there is some similar talk here of the fay, and the notion that their essential nature might be something that is sufficiently far removed from humans so as to be outside our understanding. All of this puts me in mind of the anthropomorphic problem that the SETI administration outlined for dealing with the idea of extraterrestrial intelligence's. Human beings have a tendency to ascribe human values to non human species, and beyond that have considerable difficulty in contextualizing "the mind of the other" without unconsciously resorting to the context of human sensibilities.

Which brings me to the reason for this post; because being a student of the sciences (and probably less attached to my humanity than most people), I have found reason to be extremely critical of some of the aspects of the way the anthropomorphic problem is treated within the natural sciences as it applies to non-human animals. Generally speaking, my problem is that some of the more archaic ethical distinctions that are made between humans and other animals have their foundation in the premise that the ascription of certain mental capacities ( reflection, emotion, etc.) are the ascription of _uniquely human_ qualities. The fact that this premise, itself, is socially constructed rather than informed by data, seems to be lost on at least most _social_ scientists. What is troubling me is that I have begun to observe this kind of thinking migrate into the popular domain through science fiction. I don't really follow sci fi, but I've seen star trek, and I have had occasion to see the half-dozen or so other popular sci fi programs that one can find on television. I see a trend wherein the heroes casual disintegration of a planet is commonly justified with the hazily defined and indistinct ethics of "It did not harbor any sentient life."

This trend is scaring the hell out of me; because the expression "sentient" is not really used within the scientific community, so it does not have any agreed upon definition attached to it and there is no objective data informing the idea of it. The word seems to have infiltrated popular culture, however, where it finds frequent expression. That's what's bothering me. I see a lot of the same hazy ethical reasoning on this board. A number of messages expressing the confusion that humans in your story were subject to when they "mistook the gargoyles for animals rather than sentient beings" and in doing so, justified a campaign to exterminate them.

I would hope that a reasonable group of people would be given pause by the almost casual disregard for life that is being demonstrated with the prioritization of one life over another based upon the presence or non-presence of this seemingly magical endowment. Because if I am reading the intentions of the contributors to this board accurately, then it would appear their position is that if the occupants of that clock tower had been a group of stray dogs or a family of polar bears, then annihilating them with a wire guided missile would have been perfectly reasonable. "It's all right. It didn't harbor any sentient life." I would encourage the fans that come to this site to give some thought to what it is they mean by "sentience." What is the content of this sentience? If it entails that a creature can react to it's environment, anticipate, reflect and emote, then it should be pointed out that what available data exists indicates that this capacity is only about as exclusive a domain as most land based vertebrates.

I guess they shouldn't have disintegrated that planet after all. I hope to encourage others to give this issue the thought that it requires. I am also hoping to elicit some commentary from you, on the matter of how you perceive "the mind of the other." What mental distinctions do you draw between humans and gargates or faeries. I would be interested in hearing you address the notion.

Punchinello

matt writes...

are there any other titles and positions in gargoyle clans besides leader and second in command? perhaps like rookery-guard, gargbeast-keeper, shaman, etc.?

Demonskrye writes...

Been a while since I asked anything. So here are a few questions related to gargoyle mating and the related customs. (Don't worry. It's pretty G rated.)

1. If a gargoyle does not mate for some reason, is he or she still considered a clan father or mother to the children of his or her rookery siblings?

2. Is there any kind of social pressure on young gargoyles to choose mates?

Thanks for answering.

matt writes...

you said that Tom, Katherine, and the Magus tried to raise the eggs in the gargoyle way as best they knew from experience and any information the Magus had, etc.
so, Tom knew that gargoyles don't use names, he had that whole conversation with who would become Brook and Lex (btw, i love this scene) so why did they give the eggs names? were they just too human to resist the temptation? did the three humans all agree to give them names or did one or two of them not want to name the gargs?

Sloth writes...

Why is it that in "Enter Macbeth" Goliath dosen't want to lose his castle and Hudson is pointing out that it's just a place of stone and wood. Then later in "Reawakining", Hudson is the one who is worried about the clocktower too much but Goliath is saying it's just where they sleep. I know it seems like a small thing, but I'd still like it clarified.
Thanks

matt writes...

you said that the cross-generational love between Yama and Sora isn't the norm, but isn't unheard of, so:

1. are there gargoyles (esspecially among the Ishimura clan) that are against relationships between non-rookery siblings?

2. have Yama or Sora ever wondered if perhaps they are biologically closely related, like brother/sister, uncle/niece? are they ever insecure about having a non-traditional relationship?

3. will they still be able to have 3 children if they want to? obviously, Sora being younger should be able to concieve 3 times, but are male gargoyles able to fertilize an egg at any time in their life? if they have 3 eggs, Yama will be a generation older than most the other fathers in the clan...

matt writes...

ok, from what you've told us, Angela and Broadway will raise their children in human fashion, being their children's only parents, but you've also said that Lex and other gargs of certain ages will be the parents of their children? how will their children be raised, from a biological standpoint or a rookery standpoint or in a combination of these ways?

Justin writes...

Greg,
Hey here are some questions
1) Will Broadway and Angela's kids know that those two are there biological parents?

2) Will Broadway be more of a traditionalist in the sense that he would want the clan to raise the children, or will he want to raise his children as his own? I would think Angela want want to do the a latter.

3)Will Broadway and Angela see eye to eye on the parenting proccess?

Thanx

matt writes...

do baby gargs need to have diaper changes?

this question is a feeble attempt to find out if/how gargs go to the bathroom, sorry, couldn't resist!

matt writes...

ok, Sapphire, now you are starting to freak me out a little... the second i read that last post of yours i felt like someone WAS watching me... *shiver* why can't you just leave me alone! i'm not sure what i did to you, but was it really so hurtful and destructive?

anyway... i was wondering about the word "gargoyle" in the gargoyle universe. in our universe the word comes from the noise water makes when flowing off stone gargoyles, which served as rain spouts, but i was wondering if that is the explanation in the garg universe. i don't think humans in the garg universe chiseled gargs into our buildings until after we discovered living gargoyles, right? what i'm asking really is did gargoyles come up with the term "gargoyle" or did humans (as always) give them the name? and when was this term given to the gargoyles?

matt writes...

will the Manhatten clan keep wearing their loincloths and old scottish-wear forever or will they adapt more modern-like clothing? i realize that most modern clothes arn't designed for wings and tails, but you know what i mean, i hope... like shorts or jeans with a hole for the tail or something like that...

Corrine Blaquen writes...

Every now and then in the series, we hear a gargoyle use the oath "By the Dragon!" For some reason, I'd always assumed that this referred to the dragon constellation, Draco. I don't know why; it was just my first thought. Is it at all correct? If not, what is this "Dragon" they refer to?

Blacklight Lara writes...

Did the Castle Wyvern clan keep track of their history?

If so, how? It seems as though the lack of personal names would make that more difficult.

matt writes...

you said that Iago decieved Othello and Desdemona in 993 and that he was banished after that, but he came out of his banishment in 994, in time for the massacre. is all that right?
why was it such a short banishment?
how do gargoyles decide on how long to banish a clan member?
does the whole clan decide the banishment time/punishment or just the leader?
was Goliath in effect banishing the trio but only lightly when he sent them to the rookery or was that a common punishment for young gargs?

matt writes...

ok, i know you don't ever plan to reveal on-screen the biological relationship between Hudson and Broadway, but i was wondering, does Sevarius know? afterall, he discovered the link between Goliath and Angela looking at their DNA, so when he was creating the clones in "The Reckoning" did he see the father-son relationship between Hudson and Broadway? if he did, did he tell anyone about it? Thailog? Demona? Xanatos?

matt writes...

i was wondering, how particular are gargoyles about their roosting spots? Goliath always has the same spot at the top tower of Wyvern, which i assume Hudson (Mentor) had before him, Demona (Goliath's second) had the roost directly in front of and beneath Goliath's, and when Goliath put the frozen clan on their roost he left Demona's empty. so do gargoyles have certain roosting spots? if so, why was some other gargoyle roosting in Demona's spot the night of the massacre? do only the ranking and prominent gargoyles have the same daily roost? are these roosts determined by elevation or what?

matt writes...

would gargoyles from different clans still have the rookery children custom? what i mean is when lets say the Guatemalan eggs hatch, would they be considered rookery children to some gargs in other clans, like the Ishimura or London clans?

matt writes...

oh, and also in the age of characters list you said that Yama is 29 and Sora is 19. their mates, and i thought there were never mates from different generations, Broadway and Angela being the exception. i figured that gargs mated among their rookery siblings because that way they wouldn't find a mate in a close (i.e. brother and sister) biological relative. so is it common for gargs to mate between generations? or are Broadway/Angela and Yama/Sora very different from the norm?

Dexter writes...

Hey guess who? Yeah I honestly couldn't remember if i asked this yet or not, so if it sounds rather familiar, then just void it!

Alright, here I go! When me and Angela get married, if she were to lay an egg would she build a nest? I know that the clan lays eggs in a rookery, but since she'd be the only gargoyle around, would she just build a nest for her egg outta palm tree leaves or something? Or maybe she'd convert my basement into a rookery...I don't know. Please do tell!

matt writes...

i just want to make sure i'm correct on this:

among the Guatemalan clan, only the pendant wearing gargoyles have names, correct? if so, those names are always the ones that the four gargs have now, right? so when Jade passes his pendant down that garg will become Jade and Jade will become unnamed again, right?

Justin writes...

Greg,

I am sorry that you misunderstood me. Here was my first question...

Justin writes...
Quick question,

You have mentioned that not all of the currently existing clans have names. So by the time of The Journey, how many of the clans have names? ( Not including London, Manhattan, Labyrinth, Ishimura, Avalon and Guatemala.) And which ones?

To which you replied,

Greg responds...

Huh? I'm not sure what you mean by names?

1. The London Clan. London, England.

2. The Ishimura Clan. Ishimura, Japan.

3. The Mayan Clan. ChacIxChel, Guatemala.

4. The Korea Clan. Pukhan, Korea.

5. The Xanadu Clan. Xanadu, China.

6. The Loch Ness Clan. Loch Ness, Scotland.

7. The New Olympian Clan. Mount Thanatos, New Olympus.

8. The Avalon Clan. Oberon's Palace, Avalon.

9. The Manhattan Clan. New York, U.S.A.

10. The Labyrinth Clan. New York, U.S.A.

recorded on 03-02-01

When I asked about the names what I meant to ask was how many of use names other than the clans I have mentioned above.

Off the record I really enjoyed the information you gave though :)

Thanks again man!

Pyro X writes...

Greg;
I am a little confused on Gargoyle Generations... let's see if this is correct.
Ex)
Hudson - Gen 1

Goliath/Demona Gen 2

Trio/Bronx Gen 3--|
| |- from same gen, but different hatching
Angela Gen 3------|

Samson (Is that his name?) Gen 4

1) Is this basically a correct assumption?
2) Does a Gargoyle ALWAYS find a mate in his hatching? IE) did all the Avalon Gargoyles pair off?
3) If the above is not true, then, would a Garoyle look to the next hatching, or would they be too young?

Mary Mack writes...

Hello there.

I have a simple, small question regarding garg culture.

What goes into the average gargoyle commitment ceremony?

That's it. You don't have to include any fun geographic-cultural variations of the thing, just outline the basics-- if there are basics. If there are no basics, that'd be good to know too.

And you know what? Even in California it's cold in February. I wish the computer with Net access weren't in the garage-- I'm reezing my fass off out here!

Cassandra writes...

Cassandra writes...
Since stroking hair is gargoyle equilvant to a kiss, all the times Goliath touched Elisa's hair was a kiss? And how long would it take him to get used to kissing with lips?

Just feeling a trifle silly with that thought. But I seem to remember Goliath touching her hair fondly before they noticed or decided to act on the feelings they have for each other.

Greg responds...

Kissing is special, particularly romantic kissing. I'm not sure one wants to "get used to it" ever. It will always be special to Goliath.

And yes, everytime he touched her hair in any intimate way (as opposed to by accident or incidentally) it was the basic equivalent of a kiss. But by the way, it wasn't often.

recorded on 02-15-01

Okay, to clarify what I was talking about I think I was remembering the end of "Deadly Force". Goliath brushes Elisa's hair back when he tells her to sleep.

I didn't mean "getting used to it" to equal "become blaise about it". More like kissing is a feels-great-still-weird-but-I-like-it situation and Goliath would feel more comfortable with gargoyle display's of affection.

I know they're both mature adults and both of them realize there is going to be a lot of compromising and explaining in their relationship. It's just a quirky idea that popped in my head.

michael regan writes...

Dear Greg
can you answer this,cause their is no scientific way about it(maybe magic,anyway)
a gargoyles flesh and bone turns to stone in the day,but how is it their clothing does as well?

Cherubique writes...

Okay, maybe you won't reveal Lex's mate, but will you tell us if he has any childrens>?

Spore-chan writes...

Ok, I've got a question on gargoyle suicide, and I can't find the answer in the archives, but feel free to give me a smart-ass response if I have missed it. Let's say a gargoyle slshes their wrists, and does not bleed to death before sunrise. Would the fact that they do not want to be healed have any effect on the sun healing them? And how would a clan regard suicide anyways? As a crime? A cry for help? Something else?

Oberon writes...

Out of Gargoyles and humans, which is the first race, and which is the second.

matt writes...

when garg clans were all over the world did the clans ever have "clan protectorate" boundry lines the way we have national borders? i'm mainly refering to the clans of the British isles since there seemed to be more clans there and they are closer to each other, like the Wyvern, break-off Wyvern, Loch Ness, and London clans, and i'm sure there were once many more, so did they ever have boundries between their protectorates?

Justin writes...

Here we go again...
1) Will Goliath and Elisa ever have kids?
2) Will Brooklyn and Katana have kids in the 2008 rookery?
3) Will Lexington?

Thanks

Sapphire writes...

In gargoyle society we see how males and females are considered equal like in Goliath's clan but is there
a gargoyle clan in which males are dominant?

Sapphire writes...

In the gargoyles universe with the exception of Elisa's and Goliath's relationship has there ever been another love relationship between a human and a gargoyle

matt writes...

by "Ill met by Midnight" are Gabriel and Opheila allready chosen mates or do they decide that later? seeing as how Tom and Katherine are human and raised the gargs as brothers and sisters in a human fashion what is T and K's reaction to the coupling of the eggs? if i am wrong in how they were raised than correct me, please, but neither Tom nor Katherine was very knowledgable in garg customs, were they? did they raise the gargs in a garg way as best they could or just as they would human children and garg instincts took over for the rest?

Sapphire writes...

What is Demona's view on homosexuality?

Angel of the Night writes...

Hello, Greg...

Anyway this one questioning has been tugging me at sometime. and I just needed to know the answer to it. So, here it goes:

"Do gargoyles believe in Religon?"

I know it sounds strange.But, I have heard them at times....I think it was Hudson who said."By, the Dragon". Does that mean that the gargoyles DO believe in a higher power. Or if not..would they believe in
human religons' or something like that?

Thanks for your time.

A.O.T.N

Cassandra writes...

Since stroking hair is gargoyle equilvant to a kiss, all the times Goliath touched Elisa's hair was a kiss? And how long would it take him to get used to kissing with lips?

Just feeling a trifle silly with that thought. But I seem to remember Goliath touching her hair fondly before they noticed or decided to act on the feelings they have for each other.

Later.

Aris Katsaris writes...

A question about rookery generations...

1. If the Wyvern massacre had not happened, would the Trio normally have been considered rookery parents to the eggs that would have hatched in 998? Or was the generation of the first rookery parents the one immediately older than them? (Goliath, Demona, ColdTrio, etc)

In short are rookery parents 40 or 60 years older than their first rookery children?

2. What if one of the gargoyles had mated really young (teen pregnancy) and contributed an egg by the time she was biologically 15? Ten years later would she *not* be considered a rookery mother even though she had biologically contributed an egg? Or would she be treated as an exception among her generation?

3. For that matter would Iago be considered a rookery father to the eggs simply because of his generation, even though he was mateless and hadn't contributed an egg himself? Or not?

Jim R. writes...

How advanced were gargoyles living during the pre-historical age? For example, when cavemen started controlling fire and figuring out that round wheels were better than square ones; what was the evolutionary stage of typical gargoyles living anywhere on the planet at that time?

matt writes...

i'd just like to make a comment about gargoyles kissing. i think that stroking the brow ridges or hair is an extremely intelligent and important things in the garg series. first of all, it gives them some culture very different from humans and second, given that many gargs have beaks kissing becomes kinda hard to do. i'm surprised that Broadway and Angela kiss but i understand Greg's explanation that this is because of human influences on these two. good job, Greg, these subtle differences between humans and gargs really gives depth to the show!

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.