A gargoyle adorning Dornoch Cathedral in Dornoch, Scotland

In architecture, a gargoyle is a carved stone grotesque with a spout designed to convey water from a roof and away from the side of a building. Dornoch Cathedral is a parish church in the Church of Scotland, serving the small Sutherland town of Dornoch, in the Scottish Highlands. Dornoch ( Gaelic: Dòrnach, d̪̊ɔːɾnəx is a town and Seaside resort, and former Royal burgh in the Highlands of Scotland Scotland ( Gaelic: Alba) is a Country in northwest Europethat occupies the northern third of the island of Great Britain. The term architecture (from Greek αρχιτεκτονικήarchitektoniki) can be used to mean a process a profession or documentation When used in conversation grotesque commonly means strange fantastic ugly or bizarre and thus is often used to describe weird shapes and distorted forms such as Halloween

The term originates from the French gargouille, originally "throat" or "gullet";^[1] cf. French ( français,) is a Romance language spoken around the world by 118 million people as a native language and by about 180 to 260 million people Latin gurgulio, gula, and similar words derived from the root gar, "to swallow", which represented the gurgling sound of water (e. Latin ( lingua Latīna, laˈtiːna is an Italic language, historically spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. g. , Spanish garganta, "throat"; Spanish gárgola, "gargoyle").

A chimera, or a grotesque figure, is a sculpture that does not work as a waterspout and serves only an ornamental or artistic function. Used in describing an architectural feature chimera means a fantastic mythical or grotesque figure used for decorative purposes When used in conversation grotesque commonly means strange fantastic ugly or bizarre and thus is often used to describe weird shapes and distorted forms such as Halloween These are also usually called gargoyles in laypersons' terminology,^[1] although the field of architecture usually preserves the distinction between gargoyles (functional waterspouts) and non-waterspout grotesques.

Reproductions of statues representing gargoyle-like creatures, available in some retail stores, although sometimes functional, are more often than not grotesques modeled after famous gargoyles.

History

A 2nd century BC Hellenistic gargoyle representing a comical cook-slave from Ai Khanoum, Afghanistan

The term gargoyle is most often applied to medieval work, but throughout all ages some means of water diversion, when not conveyed in gutters, was adopted. Ai-Khanoum or Ay Khanum (lit “Lady Moon” in Uzbek, probably the historical Alexandria on the Oxus, also possibly later named Eucratidia Afghanistan /æfˈgænɪstæn/ officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan ( Pashto: د افغانستان اسلامي جمهوریت, In Egypt, gargoyles ejected the water used in the washing of the sacred vessels which seems to have been done on the flat roofs of the temples. This article is about the country of Egypt For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Egypt topics. A temple (from the Latin word Templum) is a structure reserved for religious or spiritual activities such as prayer and sacrifice or analogous rites In Greek temples, the water from roofs passed through the mouths of lions whose heads were carved or modelled in the marble or terra cotta cymatium of the cornice. Greek temples ( Ancient Greek:, grc-Latn ho naós "dwelling" semantically distinct from Latin la templum " Temple Marble sculpture is the Art of creating three-dimensional forms from marble Terra cotta ( Italian: "baked earth" is a Ceramic. Its uses include vessels water & waste water pipes and surface embellishment in Building construction Cymatium, a molding on the Cornice of some classical buildings The term cornice comes from Italian cornice, meaning “ledge

A local legend that sprang up around the name of St. Romanus ("Romain") (631–641 A. Events By Place Europe The Battle of Wogastisburg is fought between the Slavs led by Samo, and the Franks Events By Place Europe Chindaswinth deposes Tulga, and becomes king of the Visigoths. D. ), the former chancellor of the Merovingian king Clotaire II who was made bishop of Rouen, relates how he delivered the country around Rouen from a monster called Gargouille, having the creature captured by the only volunteer, a condemned man. Chlothar II (or Chlotar, Clothar, Clotaire, Chlotochar, or Hlothar, giving rise to Lothair; 584 &ndash 629 called Rouen (ʁwɑ̃ in French) is the historical capital city of Normandy, in northwestern France on the River Seine, and currently the capital The gargouille was a dragon and Legendary creature originating from France. The gargoyle's grotesque form was said to scare off evil spirits so they were used for protection. In commemoration of St. Romain the Archbishops of Rouen were granted the right to set a prisoner free on the day that the reliquary of the saint was carried in procession (see details at Rouen). A reliquary (also referred to as a Shrine or by the French term Chasse) is a container for Relics These may be the physical Rouen (ʁwɑ̃ in French) is the historical capital city of Normandy, in northwestern France on the River Seine, and currently the capital

Many medieval cathedrals included gargoyles and chimarae. The most famous examples are those of Notre Dame de Paris. NotreDameFlyingButtressjpg|right|thumb|250px|Notre Dame de Paris Flying Buttress]] Notre Dame de Paris is a Gothic Cathedral on the eastern half of the Although most have grotesque features, the term gargoyle has come to include all types of images. Some gargoyles were depicted as monks, combinations of real animals and people, many of which were humorous. Unusual animal mixtures, or chimeras, did not act as rainspouts and are more properly called grotesques. They serve more as ornamentation, but are now synonymous with gargoyles.

Both ornamented and unornamented water spouts projecting from rooves at parapet level were a common device used to shed rainwater from buildings until the early eighteenth century. From that time, more and more buildings employed downpipes to carry the water from the guttering at roof level to the ground and only very few buildings using gargoyles were constructed. A rain gutter (also known as eaves trough, guttering or simply as a gutter) is a narrow channel or trough forming the component of a Roof system In 1724, the London Building Act passed by the Parliament of Great Britain made the use of downpipes compulsory on all new construction. The Parliament of Great Britain was formed in 1707 following the ratification of the Acts of Union by both the Parliament of England and Parliament of Scotland ^[2]

For anyone who believed in evil apirits, a gargoyle was a powerful spirit in the service of the church. Thus the faithful had no need to fear any evil spirit, and could even laugh at it impunity.

19th and 20th centuries

A view of Paris from the Galerie des Chimères on Notre Dame de Paris

Monsters, or more precisely chimarae, were used as decoration on 19th and early 20th century buildings in cities such as New York (where the Chrysler Building's stainless steel gargoyles are celebrated), and Chicago. Paris (ˈpærɨs in English; in French) is the Capital of France and the country's largest city NotreDameFlyingButtressjpg|right|thumb|250px|Notre Dame de Paris Flying Buttress]] Notre Dame de Paris is a Gothic Cathedral on the eastern half of the A monster is any of a large number of Legendary creatures which usually appear in Mythology, Legend, or Horror fiction. The 19th century of the Common Era began on January 1, 1801 and ended on December 31, 1900, according to the Gregorian calendar The twentieth century of the Common Era began on The City of New York The Chrysler Building is an Art Deco Skyscraper in New York City, located on the east side of Manhattan at the intersection of 42nd Chicago (ʃɪˈkɑːgoʊ is the largest City by population in the state of Illinois and the American Midwest of the United States. Gargoyles can be found on many churches and buildings.

One impressive collection of modern gargoyles can be found at Washington National Cathedral in Washington, DC. Washington National Cathedral, whose official name is the Cathedral Church of Saint Peter and Saint Paul is a Cathedral of The Episcopal Church. The cathedral, begun in 1908, is encrusted with the limestone demons. This collection also includes Darth Vader, a crooked politician, robots and many other modern spins on the ancient tradition. Anakin Skywalker Darth Vader is a fictional character in George Lucas ' Science fiction saga Star Wars. The 20th Century collegiate form of the Gothic Revival produced many modern gargoyles, notably at Princeton University, Washington University in St. Louis, Duke University and the University of Chicago. The Gothic Revival is an architectural movement which began Princeton University is a private Coeducational research university located in Princeton, New Jersey. Duke University is a private Research University located in Durham, North Carolina, United States. The University of Chicago is a Private university located principally in the Hyde Park neighborhood of Chicago.

Gargoyles in fiction

In contemporary fiction, gargoyles are typically depicted as a (generally) winged humanoid race with demonic features: generally horns, a tail, and talons. They are said to be guardians of the building on which they reside. These fictional gargoyles can generally use their wings to fly or glide, and are often depicted as having a rocky hide, or being capable of turning into stone in one way or another.

See also

• Hunky Punk
• Sheela na Gig
• Architectural sculpture
• Rainhead

References

• Guide to Gargoyles and Other Grotesques (2003) Wendy True Gasch, ISBN 0-9745299-0-7
• The Stone Carvers: Master Craftsmen of the Washington National Cathedral (1999) Marjorie Hunt, ISBN 1-56098-829-0 & 978-1-58834-247-8

External links

- The origin of Gargoyles

Photo gallery

Chimera of Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary Chapel in Flagstaff, Arizona. Flagstaff (Kinłání is a city located in northern Arizona, in the southwestern United States The State of Arizona ( is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States.	View of a gargoyle on the Notre Dame cathedral in Paris, France. NotreDameFlyingButtressjpg|right|thumb|250px|Notre Dame de Paris Flying Buttress]] Notre Dame de Paris is a Gothic Cathedral on the eastern half of the	A gargoyle on the Basilica of the Sacré Cœur, Paris, France, showing the water channel. The Sacré-Cœur Basilica ( French: Basilique du Sacré-Cœur, "Basilica of the Sacred Heart" is a Roman Catholic Basilica and popular	A Japanese gargoyle adorning Himeji Castle. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Japan topics. is a flatland-mountain Japanese castle complex located in Himeji in Hyōgo Prefecture and comprising 83 Wooden Buildings It is occasionally
Gargoyle at the St. -Petrus-en-Pauluskerk, Ostend, Belgium. ||-||-||} Ostend  (  Oostende, French and German Ostende) is a Belgian City and municipality located in the Flemish The Kingdom of Belgium is a Country in northwest Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts its headquarters as well as those	Gargoyle at St Margaret's Church, Wolstanton, England.	Gargoyle Notre-Dame d'Amiens, France. The Cathedral of Our Lady of Amiens (French Cathédrale Notre-Dame d'Amiens) or simply Amiens Cathedral, is the tallest complete Cathedral in	Gargoyle, right top, at la Llotja, Palma (Mallorca),
Notre Dame Church in Dijon, France. Majorca ( Spanish and Mallorca is the largest island of Spain. Dijon ( diʒɔ̃ is a city in eastern France, the capital of the Côte-d'Or departement and of the Bourgogne region