Wind Ceremony

The Wyvern Clan completes the Wind Ceremony.

A Wind Ceremony is the traditional gargoyle farewell to Stone and Flesh held for a dead member of a gargoyle clan. [1]

Ritual

Atop the pyre.

"Sacrifice" conducts the Wind Ceremony.

"Sacrifice" lifts the ashes.

"Sacrifice" spreads the ashes upon the wind.

A Wind Ceremony does not require a specific site to be performed, so it could theoretically take place anywhere. [2] It is unknown how the ritual has evolved over time or if it is practiced uniformly across clans. A Wind Ceremony in 10th Century Scotland was shown to be conducted by a clan's warrior-priestess and a clan's Rhydderch and his Second holding torches for the ritual. If the gargoyle died as flesh and blood, they were cremated atop a large funeral pyre; if they died during stone sleep, their remains are pulverized. The clan stands vigil around the fire until everything has been consumed in the blaze. The mourners then take the ash or dust remains to the highest point in the local area, and hold a memorial service on the departed; by gargoyle custom, everyone is permitted a voice, even the enemies of the deceased. At the end, the gargoyles spread the mortal remains upon the wind, with the words "Ashes to ashes or dust to dust. All is one with the wind." (This ritual speech was later adapted and used in Western human funerals.) The gargoyles then glide out amid the wind-borne ashes or dust, so that part of the deceased will remain with them forever. ("The Oath") [3]

Pulverizing a deceased gargoyle that died during stone sleep may be a disturbing concept, but gargoyles very seldom die in their sleep – except when shattered. The practice likely evolved from gargoyles coming to terms that stone sleep had become a vulnerability). [4]

Any gargoyle eggs that do not hatch due to "stillborn" or "bad egg" issues are also given a Wind Ceremony. [5]

It is the same basic ritual if no body can be recovered (just without the ashes or the dust), but like humans, the gargoyles involved might be reluctant to declare someone dead without evidence. [6]

It is likely that, in the past, Wind Ceremonies may have also been performed for humans. [7]

History

In 971, following the defeat of Culen, the Wyvern Clan assembled for the Wind Ceremony of "Verity" and two other gargoyles. Robbie and his daughter were the only humans that attended. They opted to witness the ritual instead of attending the coronation of Kenneth II. The clan's warrior-priestess conducted the ceremony and the clan's leader and his second acted as torchbearers. ("The Oath")

After the Sruighlea Cell of Angel's new clan was massacred by Constantine III and his men, "True" suggested that the clan perform a Wind Ceremony for the lives lost. Angel insisted that they kill those responsible instead. It is unknown whether any gargoyle returned to the cave to perform a proper Wind Ceremony for the gargoyles killed there. When Angel, now called Demona, discovered the massacre of the Northumbria Clan in 1093, the clan's sole survivor asked if the two should perform a Wind Ceremony for the fallen clan. Demona told the rookling she was welcome to do as she wanted, but that it would not bring them back. The two gargoyles departed without conducting a ceremony of any sort. ("Tyrants", "Fools Rush In...")

Tidbits

It has been suggested that part of the reason why Xanatos and Demona were able to revive the Coldtrio through their creation of Coldstone was that the Wind Ceremony was never performed for them after the sack of Castle Wyvern – a concept somewhat reminiscent of how, in Greek mythology, the souls of the dead who were denied funeral rites were unable to gain complete access to the afterlife in the Underworld – cf. Homer's Iliad and Sophocles's Antigone. [8] Having been denied a Wind Ceremony likely contributed to Coldstone's personal recollection of "oblivion" in the moments after he was shattered. ("Reawakening") [9]

Despite some similarities, the rest of the Manhattan Clan standing around what they believed to be Hudson's remains in "The Price" was just the early stages of mourning, not an actual Wind Ceremony which would have come later. [10]