What is a gargoyle and what does it symbolize?
A gargoyle is a waterspout, usually carved to resemble an odd or monstrous creature, that protrudes from a structure’s wall or roofline. By definition, a real gargoyle has a function—to throw rainwater away from a building. Many early Christians were led to their religion by the fear of the gargoyle, a symbol of Satan.
Are gargoyles evil or good?
A gargoyle is usually chaotic evil. Gargoyles are sentient, cunning, and malevolent to the extreme.
What was the purpose of gargoyles?
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.
How do gargoyles drain water?
So we’ve established that gargoyles drain the water from rooftops away from the walls of the building and off of the roofs. The word ”gargoyle” comes from the old French word gargouille, meaning throat. Appropriate, as they make a gurgling noise as they spit out rainwater.
What do gargoyles represent spiritually?
Many considered gargoyles the spiritual protectors of churches as well, scaring off demons and evil spirits. Some historians believe gargoyles were inspired from pagan eras and were used to make churches feel more familiar to new Christians.
Why are gargoyles on Catholic churches?
The Catholic Church’s primary use of the gargoyle was to illustrate evil. The church wanted to convey a realistic image of the possibility of a damned afterlife. The Gothic idea was one of pain and suffering and the buildings loomed over the citizens in a romantically dramatic cloud.
Why are gargoyles so scary?
Some think that the gargoyles’ angry faces were meant to scare away evil spirits and protect the building. Others think that scary gargoyles were placed on churches to remind people that there is evil in the world, so they should enter the church often and live a good life.
What are gargoyles weaknesses?
Despite their strengths, gargoyles’ weaknesses include: proximity (cannot fly too far from their posts), and sunlight (turn into stone when exposed to the sun’s rays).
Do gargoyles come to life?
Most gargoyles are depicted as grotesque creatures, but it is said that – like snowflakes – you will never find two that are exactly alike. Some legends say that these stone creatures actually come to life to ward off evil, and that they can communicate with others when the wind or rain passes through their mouths.
Are gargoyles water spouts?
In architecture, and specifically in Gothic architecture, a gargoyle (/ˈɡɑːrɡɔɪl/) is a carved or formed grotesque with a spout designed to convey water from a roof and away from the side of a building, thereby preventing rainwater from running down masonry walls and eroding the mortar between.
Do gargoyles still exist?
Gargoyles have been used throughout the ages. In Ancient Egyptian architecture, gargoyles were prominently sculpted in the form of a lion’s head. Similar lion-mouthed waterspouts were also recorded on the Greek temples. Currently, there are 39 remaining lion-headed water drains on the Temple of Zeus.
Do gargoyles have different meanings?
But they do have a couple of ideas. Some think that the gargoyles’ angry faces were meant to scare away evil spirits and protect the building. Others think that scary gargoyles were placed on churches to remind people that there is evil in the world, so they should enter the church often and live a good life.