I first discovered this water tower in Minneapolis about 2 years ago. While on my walk this morning I realized that I must now live not too far away from it. Heading in its direction I found that I live about 10 or 11 blocks away. The tower has 8 knights around it – I believe in the 8 cardinal points of the compass, but I need to verify that – and 8 eagles, one above each of the knights. This is a rather uncanny followup to my post yesterday, with the Invocation to the 8 Directions & the 8 Cycles. And it also connects to my Inguz post from the day before.
close-up of one of the knights
close-up of one of the eagles.
At the foot of the hill I discover another Little Library (see my earlier post ~ this makes 6!). In it I found this book:
The cover image is so reminiscent of the knights’ swords, one could not help but draw a connection. When one finds oneself in the midst of a synchronicity…
http://www.cindachima.com/Warrior_Heir/Warrior_Heir.htm
About The Warrior Heir
One March day, Jack Swift, a high school student in a small college town, forgets to take the medicine he’s taken daily since he was an infant. There ensues a cascade of events that puts him in mortal danger.
Jack discovers he carries a secret within him that has made him a target of the ruthless wizards of the Red and White Rose. Jack is a Warrior Heir, the last of a dying breed, sought after by the Roses to fight in the tournaments that are used to allocate power among the Wizard Houses. Unknown to him, Jack has lived all his life surrounded by members of the Magical Guilds: wizards, enchanters, soothsayers, and sorcerers. They are determined to save him from the Roses.
With the aid of his aunt, a beautiful enchanter, Jack desperately tries to acquire the skills that might save his life. Jack and his friends, Will and Fitch, unearth a magical sword from a cemetery and fight off the wizards who would take it from them. Jack begins training with the dark and dangerous Leander Hastings, a wizard with a mysterious past.
Meanwhile, Jack is torn between his attraction to Ellen Stephenson, a new student at Trinity High School, and Leesha Middleton, his former girlfriend, who decides she wants him back.
Discovered and besieged by treachery at home, he flees to the Lake District of England. There he is confronted by the greatest challenge of all.
So it’s a young adult book, but this should be fun. It seems there are two more books in the series.
A video of the knights as I walk around the tower. I like the effect of the fence pickets flowing by in front of the knights…
More info on the water tower:
From Wikipedia:
The Washburn Water Tower was designed by Henry Wild Jones in 1932. The story goes that as Jones was clearing underbrush at his home nearby, which was also in its construction phase, a giant eagle (with nearly an 8-foot (2.4 m) wingspan) had attacked him. He had the eagle maimed, captured, and brought to town where it began attracting much attention. In part, he used the eagle’s extraordinary dimensions (and the artistic skills of John Karl Daniels) to cast eight concrete look-alikes, that now sit atop the tower to watch over their former domain. In addition, eight 18-foot-tall (5.5 m) “Guardians of Health” were placed around the tower (one under each eagle), to prevent any bad-tasting or bad-smelling water pollutants from contaminating the water supply, which were believed to be the cause of many typhoid fever outbreaks around that time.
http://www.minneapolismn.gov/hpc/landmarks/hpc_landmarks_prospect_ave_401_washburn_park_water_tower
The Washburn Tower suggests a strong medieval feeling; its cylindrical dome is like a Roman warrior’s helmet. Eight hooded knights surround the tower in perpetual vigilance while, overhead, eight eagles stand, as if pausing in flight, atop the evenly spaced pilasters. The 110-foot structure holds 1.35 million gallons of water and still performs its original function in the summer months. The water tower remains an excellent example of the use of artistic design features in a public works facility.
Ethereal Nature 
What a magical treasure. I love the idea of knights guarding water which really is a precious resource. And it has just struck me that these art deco/moderne works appeared just when the world was slipping into the great depression — amazing symbols of luxury and glamour — perhaps at the time even more so than today? Though that could be debated. We’ve kind of lost the idea of ornamentation in architecture so maybe it stands out even more now. The matter of fact description of the eagle story kind of squicks me. Sometimes a lot can be said with only a few words.
Thank you, Debra, for your comment and for sharing your thoughts. Agreed, the eagle story does kind of “squick” one…never heard that word before, love it!….it is a fault of us Virgos that our love for information itself sometimes (frequently) leads to the blight of over-documentation. Thanks for the feedback!
Well sacrifice is supposed to be kind of painful or I suppose it would be called happy joy time instead. I met one guy who practices voodoo but with a twist. Rather than sacrifice a chicken he asks the seeker to sacrifice something that actually hurts — for many that means money. The point being you don’t get something for nothing — there has to be an exchange. In a rural setting in Haiti giving up a chicken is a meaningful loss of wealth and not just a gesture. So he tries to accomplish that same sense of real sacrifice with urban people. But, mostly it just bothers me to see any wild creature killed but to have it paraded first just feels wrong.
“It’s so deep, it’s so wide, Your inside, Synchronicity….” (Police) I believe strongly in following the path when synchronicity shows up. Such an incredible story, the history. And then, the book. Such a water tower would not be built today. Too expensive, too ornate, too whatever. What a find, my friend. Thank you for sharing your amazing story.
Don’t know that song…just checked it out…amazing lyrics!. Thank you, Debi!
Sting is Da Man. He writes beautiful songs!
I was ‘lost’ in the story, the history, the mystery. Love the ‘little’ library so very much. Happiness to you.
Kim, I believe you’re quoting from something, but I can’t place it…help me out here…
That is amazing. The architectural detail is wonderful. I love knights, and the story behind the eagle. What a great discovery (re-discovery)! Thank you for sharing this with us. I look forward to seeing what you find on your future walks. (The book sounds really interesting, too)
Thank you , Renate! Will keep you posted.
When I first saw the picture, I thought it was a castle. I’ve seen many a water tower but none like that. It definitely has a medieval flavor.
Yes, I have seen this water tower. It is fascinating. We also have lots of little libraries popping up in our area too.