Many cultures throughout history have created sculptures of fantastic creatures. These gargoyles and grotesques stir our imaginations, as they stirred the imaginations of the sculptors and carvers who created them. We try to understand them, to explain them. The most common belief is that they are protectors, keeping evil away from the buildings and their occupants.
The best known examples of gargoyles are from the Medieval period, a time when most people were illiterate. The carvings served the role of books, telling stories and reporting on life. The only documentation of the reasoning behind them is in the carving itself. Any original legends have probably been lost or have changed so much over time that they don't tell us anything about the original intentions.
Gargoyles and grotesques have always given carvers and sculptors a chance to use their creativity, to explore the possibilities of stone and imagination. They free us from the limits imposed by most other types of carving, and this was especially true in the Middle Ages.
Gargoyles are grotesque, often humorous, stone creatures or figures most commonly found on gothic buildings at the roof or eaves. The word stems from the Old French: "Gargouille": which meant throat (gargle) and was the unadorned spout that extended outward from a rain gutter or parapet; the gargoyle allowed water to fall free of the building, preventing seepage and damage to masonry. Eventually the spout became a carved head or winged body with exaggerated human or animal features. Superstition held that the gargoyle frightened away evil spirits while serving its practical function. After the introduction of the lead drain pipe in the 16th century, gargoyles primarily served a decorative function. Historic gargoyles such as the "hooded" gargoyle of Notre Dame, the "howling" gargoyle of Brussels, or the "Chimera" gargoyle of atop the cathedral of Saint John, in the Netherlands, have not been replaced. Modern gargoyles have only added to their historic beauty.
"Gargoyle", the dictionary definition: a spout usually in the form of a grotesquely carved face or figure, projecting from a roof gutter. From the Old French "gargouille" and the Late Latin "gurgulio", both meaning throat. (from Chambers Concise dictionary)
"Gargoyles (in the strict sense) are carvings on the outside of buildings designed to direct water from the roof away from the base of the walls... ...Some gargoyles are undecorated but many are zoomorphic or anthropomorphic - often very imaginative and/or grotesque. This has led to the term 'gargoyle' being applied more widely to any grotesque carving in medieval buildings." (from Bob Trubshaw, posting in BritArch archives, 23Feb1999)
Their first usage seems to have been in the early 1200's as channels or tubes to shed rainwater from buildings, to keep the rainwater off the buildings themselves and away from the foundations. Initially most were made of wood with some made of stone, and were generally undecorated.
As time progressed, more stone ones appeared as did lining some with lead and decoration in the form of carvings of people or animals or grotesque representations of these (grotesque in the sense of being extravagantly formed, bizarre, ludicrous, absurd, fantastic and also in the sense of being ugly and frightening). Often these carvings are so imaginative as to bear little or no resemblance to any conventional creature and are the products of fertile imaginations and skilled hands.
They are common on the more expensive buildings from medieval times, particularly cathedrals, and particularly France, and particularly the Gothic style. Presumably, as today, the average wage did not run as far as paying for ornate stone guttering for your own humble dwelling.
It seems that this increasingly ornate carving extended to non-functional architectural features resembling them, so that "gargoyles" appear on the sides of towers and walls, and to stretch the term even further, inside the buildings (though these are more correctly called "grotesques" of which gargoyles are one kind).
During the 1200's when gargoyles first appeared (and at many other times), the Roman Catholic Church was actively involved in converting people of other faiths to the Catholic, often very keenly indeed (as the Christian but non-Catholic Cathars could testify). The argument for decorated gargoyles runs as follows. Since literacy was generally not an option for most people, images were very important. Since the religious images (if any) that non-Christians were accustomed to were of animals or mixtures of animals and humans (e.g. the horned god, the Green Man), then putting similar images on churches and cathedrals would encourage non-Catholics to join the religion and go to church, or at least make them feel more comfortable about it, or at least ease the transition.
This argument has reasonable grounds if you think about some of the other accomodations the Christian (not just Catholic) church has made, such as fixing the birth of Christ at around the winter solstice and having twelfth night around ?...? The Romans did similar things, e.g. in Britain the Celtic goddess Suli worshipped at modern day Bath bore a remarkable resemblance to the Roman goddess Minerva. Both were incorporated into and revered in the Roman baths there.
Religion and superstition (not entirely incompatible) were both very important indeed to people of medieval times, much more so than to most "westerners" today. People looked to God or gods and other supernatural beings for answers to fundamental questions and for help and especially protection.
What could be better protection for your place of worship than to put images of supernatural beings on it, although ones on your side naturally. Images of God or the Holy Spirit, perhaps, but these were frowned upon and anyway who knew what God really looked like?. Images of Christ might be better, but then Christ was also a man and he was already inside the house of God. Images of the old gods might work, but of course that would be heresy. It's a small logical step to the use of gargoyles as protectors and the myths about their abilities.
They can stand guard and ward off unwanted spirits and other creatures. If they're hideous and frightening they can scare off all sorts of things. They come alive at night when everyone's asleep (and can't see them to prove that they don't) so they can protect you when you're vulnerable. Better still, the ones with wings can fly round the whole area and cover the village or town as well as the church. (And if someone does see something, who's to say whether it was just a bat or one of the gargoyles on the wing?) They return to their places when the sun comes up (and no-one can prove that they weren't out and about, and no-one respectable is going to be mistaken by them for an enemy and be dealt with). If you want to see an example of this kind of gargoyle, look at the ones on Woburn church.
This doesn't really explain the rather tame looking ones. The very tame later ones, hardly gargoyles really, can be explained by the architectural trend towards more ornamentation and decoration. I think many of the slightly grotesque ones can be explained by the myth by noting that some concepts were simpler for most people in medieval times, for example, pulling your lips wide apart in a grimace using your hands and trying to look scary ("gurning") was a terrific joke. Presumably it was also more scary than now, given that any kind of deformity could be worryingly reminiscent of deformity from incurable diseases or unexplained acts of God or devil, both things to be feared. Some of them have just got to be jokes though.
Gargoyles, chimeres and grotesques hold a number of traits in common. First, they flourished in and around the Middle Ages (c.700 A.D.-1450 A.D.). As such, some of them are difficult to date. This fact was further complicated by the destruction caused in Europe during both World Wars. The fact that cathedrals took many generations to erect offers a further time-line problem. It is my assertion that they should be dated with the cathedral when other information is unavailable; or, better to not date them at all. However, they do need to be placed. For this reason, when specific dates were not available, the stone works may have been labelled purely by location sans date. They were none the less problematic and will always be attached to cathedrals figuratively and hopefully, literally.Cathedrals were a center of life in the Middle Ages. This era has been dubbed by some historians as the Age of Faith. This is very important. Many labored on the cathedral from start to finish. To do so, was an honor and a goal. Gargoyles, chimeres and grotesques are found nearly everywhere both on the exterior and within the cathedral proper. Their symbolic significance has been supposed by a number of scholars. This museum feels that each supposition holds some credibility. Further, that each theory should be considered as a part of a whole rather than an end in itself.
Grotesques (hereafter used to refer to the sum of these carvings) served a number of functions. They were an adornment of the house of God. They were carved by many many people. As such, they take a number of forms: some as animals, people, demons or fantastic creatures. They served as protectors. It is a common belief, through many cultures, that in order to keep away 'evil' spirits one must utilize something frightening. Hence the grotesque nature of these carvings. This idea is similar to some Halloween practices of donning costumes of spooks or ghouls in order to keep out the spirits that roam more readily on All Hallow's Eve. Grotesques were also an educational device. For the illiterate vulgate, this was useful. Through the use of art, Church doctrine could be taught. Some gargoyles when shown eating or snatching a naked human are in actuality demons devouring or carrying off human souls. The terrors of Hell were a common subject for artwork.
There existed grotesques with large grins, toothful smiles and protruding tongues. They verge on the absurd. They are to some a reminder of the passion of Christ. His brutalized body and crucifiction; and beyond that there is the Resurrection. This is much like the impossibility of these grotesques. As Tertullian said:
The Son of God was crucified; I am not ashamed of it. And the Son of God died; it is by all means to be believed, because it is absurd. And he was buried, and he rose again; the fact is certain, because it is impossible. (De Carne Christi)
There existed at this time a dichotomy between body and soul, heaven and earth (Gurevich 1988). These grotesques portray the struggle for the mediaeval mind with this dichotomy. They are a fundamental feature of medieval man's perception of reality (Gurevich 1988). The happy and the sad, terrified and brave exist together. They are the beautiful and the disgusting. They are the sublime. They are the grotesques and the chimeres. They are gargoyles. Yet, where did they get their name? The most fascinating story follows:
A dragon called La Gargouille-described as having a long, reptilian neck, a slender snout and jaws, heavy brows, and membranous wings-lived in a cave close to the River Seine in France. It had several bad habits: swallowing ships, causing destruction with its fiery breath, and spouting so much water that it caused flooding. The residents of nearby Rouen attempted to placate La Gargouille with an annual offering of a live victim; although the dragon preferred maidens, it was usually given a criminal to consume. In the year 520, or perhaps around 600, the priest Romanus (or Romain) arrived in Rouen and promised to deal with the dragon if the townspeople agreed to be baptised and to build a church. Equipped with the annual convict and the items needed for an exorcism (bell, book, candle, and cross), Romanus subdued the dragon by making the sign of the cross and led the now docile beast back to town on a leash made from his priest's robe. When La Gargouille was burned at the stake, the head and neck, well tempered by the heat of the dragon's fiery breath, would not burn. These remnants were mounted on the town wall and became the model for gargoyles for centuries to come. (Benton 1997)
Though this may not be the case, the legend itself is worth noting. In all actuality the puzzle of gargoyles has never been solved sufficiently.
This creature is a classic chimere. Chimeres are generally structures that
are true to the grotesque style, yet they do not divert water as gargoyles do.
It's name (Vampire) derives from tradition. It is probably one of the more
recent structures considering the more complex detail of the sculpture.
The "Legend" of Dedo
"It all began in Paris when the Notre Dame Cathedral was being built, rising majestically stone by stone towards the heavens. It was custom to top each structure with a menacing gargoyle, who protected the cathedral by warding off evil spirits.
Marie Therese, a nun from a tiny convent in Provence, disliked the evil-looking gargoyles on the new cathedral, sitting so close to the heavens.
Disguised as a man, she trekked on foot to Paris, entered the work site, and quickly carved a small block into a lovable, protective creature. She placed her creature, with its pointy ears and human-like feet, on the highest roof, visible only to God Himself.
It was undiscovered for centuries until a small boy, lost in the labyrinthine structure, stumbled off a ledge and rolled down a roof into the arms of the littlest gargoyle, perched quietly on a ledge. Since that time, Marie Therese's creature was affectionately known as Little Dedo, the gargoyle with the crossed toes."