Gargoyles takes you on a journey into a mysterious world, through bestiaries and traveling menageries, past grotesques and chimeras, through medieval cities and guilds and into huge stone buildings. Gargoyles are an embodiment of form and function -- serving a clear architectural purpose but, also, symbolically important. Whether warding off evil, frightening away fear or showcasing human foibles, when a gargoyle was placed on a building, people noticed. The book delves into historic models of arcane craftsmanship and architecture, considering the reasons for gargoyles coming into being and hearing the legends of the gargoyle, both mythic and modern. It, also, covers the emergence of stone creatures into popular culture. For modern magick users, Gargoyles explores the role of the gargoyle in magickal practice, including gargoyle use in elemental correspondences, stone magick, protection, warding, egregores, talismans, animal associations, ritual and spell work. Susan "Moonwriter" Pesznecker is a hearth Pagan and a child of the natural world. A registered nurse for many years, she is currently completing a master?s degree in creative non-fiction writing. Areas of magickal expertise include green magick, wortcunning, healing, geology and stonework, organic gardening, nature study, and folklore. A fourth generation Oregonian, Susan lives in Milwaukie, Oregon. Gargoyles From the Archives of the Grey School of Wizardry By Susan "Moonwriter" Pesznecker, Gina Talucci Red Wheel/Weiser, LLC Copyright © 2007 Susan "Moonwriter" Pesznecker All rights reserved. ISBN: 978-1-56414-911-4 Contents Title Page, Copyright Page, Dedication, Acknowledgements, Foreword, Introduction, Part 1: All Things Gargoyle, Chapter 1 - Introduction to Gargoyles, Chapter 2 - The Beasts, Chapter 3 - The Humans, Chapter 4 - The Details, Chapter 5 - Gargoyles and History, Chapter 6 - Life in the Middle Ages, Chapter 7 - The Riddle of Gargoyles, Chapter 8 - Medieval Architecture, Chapter 9 - The Stone Trades and Guilds, Chapter 10 - Building the Cathedral, Chapter 11 - Modern Incarnations, Chapter 12 - Gargoyles Today, Chapter 13 - Gargoyles and Folklore, Part II: Magick and Legend, Chapter 14 - Gargoyles and Magick, Chapter 15 - Stone Magick, Part III: Especially for the Gargoyle Hunter, Chapter 17 - A Field Guide to Gargoyles, Appendix A: A Glossary of Magickal and Medieval Terms, Appendix B: Template for Recording Fieldwork, Notes, Resources, About the Author, CHAPTER 1 Introduction to Gargoyles Picture an old, Gothic cathedral, its stone towers and archways reaching into the sky. Now, cast your eyes to the top of the eaves and the peak of the ridgeline. If you look carefully, you're likely to spot one or more creatures clinging to the side of the building, or balancing atop a needle-sharp spire. Gargoyles! Have you ever wondered why they were created, who made them, and how they got there? Carved sculptures of fantastic creatures appear throughout the history of human civilization. These figures stir our imaginations, as they stirred the imaginations of artists and craftspeople centuries earlier. The story of the gargoyle will take you on a journey through bestiaries and traveling menageries, past grotesques and chimeras, through medieval guilds, and into huge, stone buildings. We will delve into the Middle Ages, explore historic models of arcane craftsmanship and architecture, consider the reasons that gargoyles came into being, and investigate the legend and myth of the gargoyle. We'll reflect on the role of the gargoyle in modern culture and examine the magickal implications of gargoyles and their stony kin, investigating ways to integrate these ideas into magickal practices. Finally, we'll wander through a "field book" of gargoyles — both old and new — that can still be seen today. But first. ... What Is a Gargoyle? You've probably seen gargoyles at one time or another, whether in pictures or in person. They're interesting creatures, often frightening and sometimes humorous as they haunt a building's highest reaches. The word gargoyle shares a root with the word "gargle"; both come from gargouille, an old French word for throat and the French verb gargariser, meaning "to gargle." The word gargoyle is also derived from the Latin gurgulio, which has a double meaning: (a) throat, and (b) a kind of gurgling sound. The Spanish gárgola shares the same Latin roots. In Greek, gargoyles are known as gargarizein, again meaning "to gargle." In Italy, they are known by a more architecturally oriented phrase, grónda sporgente, or "protruding gutter." The German gargoyle is a Wasserspeier, literally meaning a "water spitter," while the Dutch version is waterspuwer — "water spitter" or "water vomiter." Are gargoyles gurglers? Spitters? Vomiters? The dictionary definition of gargoyle is a waterspout or drainpipe carved in the form of a decorative face or figure and pro