What did people believe about gargoyles in the medieval times?

Many people believed that these statues of hybrid creatures could ward off evil spirits. During the Middle Ages, people saw gargoyles as valuable protectors of their buildings’ residents. Historically, this may also explain why a majority of gargoyles have fierce features.

What do gargoyles symbolize?

The precise purpose of gargoyles was to act as a spout to convey water from the upper part of a building or roof gutter and away from the side of walls or foundations, thereby helping to prevent water from causing damage to masonry and mortar.

What were the literal and symbolic functions of the gargoyles or Gargouilles on medieval Gothic cathedrals?

The word ”gargoyle” comes from the old French word gargouille, meaning throat. Appropriate, as they make a gurgling noise as they spit out rainwater. Gargoyles and grotesques also serve a spiritual purpose. In some instances, grotesques were used inside the cathedral as protectors of holy items.

What was the purpose of gargoyles on buildings?

Gargoyles are waterspouts that help rainwater flow away from a building’s walls. They’re carved from a block of solid stone, usually granite.

When did gargoyles become a thing?

Gargoyles came into gothic architecture in the early 13th century and are defined as “a waterspout, projecting from an upper part of a building or a roof gutter to throw water clear of walls or foundations.” The origins of the word ‘gargoyle’ are derived from the old French word ‘gargouille’ meaning throat.

What is the story behind gargoyles?

Gargoyles were originally designed in 13th century French architecture as a means of disposing of water. Think of them as the precursor to the gutter. Typically, a trough was cut into the back of the gargoyle and the rainwater was able to run off of the roof and through the gargoyle’s mouth.

What powers do gargoyles have?

Gargoyles have six powers and abilities: immortality (invulnerable to the passing of time and to diseases), human form (shapeshift to human-like beings), flight posses wings), camouflage (blend with the inanimate grotesques to surprise intruders), endurance (cannot be wounded at night), and petrification (turns other …

What was the purpose of gargoyles on the outside of the cathedrals?

1. THEY SERVE A PRACTICAL PURPOSE. When gargoyles began appearing on churches throughout Europe in the 13th century, they served as decorative water spouts, engineered to preserve stone walls by diverting the flow of rainwater outward from rooftops.

Are gargoyles good or bad?

13. Gargoyles were also thought to ward off evil. In this sense they served as almost an “evil eye”—they were evil-looking creatures that were designed to keep evil at bay.

Why were gargoyles used in Gothic architecture?

The Gargoyles of Gothic Architecture Gargoyles have a practical purpose: they’re spouts, enabling rainwater to drain off the roof and gush through their mouths, before plummeting to the ground.

What is the story about gargoyles?

What are gargoyles actually called?

Gargoyles are carved stone creatures known as grotesques. Often made of granite, they serve an important purpose in architecture. Other than providing interesting decoration for buildings, they contain spouts that direct water away from the sides of buildings.

What is the legend of the Gargoyle?

The original legend of the gargoyle (or more accurately gargouille) was French, and it described the heroic endeavors of St. Romanus, a 7th Century Bishop of Rouen, who was said to have saved the region from a monster called the gargouille. The gargouille was similar to a dragon with wings, a long serpent like neck, and the ability to breathe fire.

When were gargoyles used in medieval cathedrals?

Many medieval cathedrals included gargoyles and chimeras. According to French architect and author Eugène Viollet-le-Duc, himself one of the great producers of gargoyles in the 19th century, the earliest known medieval gargoyles appear on Laon Cathedral (c. 1200–1220).

What is the legend of La Gargouille?

According to legend, a dragon known as La Gargouille resided in a cave near the River Seine in France. It was ‘described as having a long reptilian neck, a slender stout and jaws, heavy brows and membranous wings’ (11).

What are gargoyles and grotesques?

The other creatures that adorn a building but do not serve as a water spout are known as grotesques. Many gargoyles and grotesques are anthropomorphic, zoomorphic, and very monsterous.