Information AboutGargoyle |
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in Scotland.]] In Architecture , gargoyles (from the French ''gargouille,'' originally the throat or gullet, cf. Latin ''gurgulio, gula,'' and similar words derived from root ''gar,'' to swallow, the word representing the gurgling sound of water; Ital. ''doccione;'' Ger. ''Ausguss'', ''Wasserspeier'') are the carved terminations to spouts which convey water away from the sides of buildings. Gargoyles are mostly Grotesque figures. Statues representing gargoyle-like creatures are popular sales items, particularly in Goth and New Age Retail stores. A similar type of sculpture that does not work as a waterspout and serves only an ornamental or artistic function is called a '' Chimera '', although these are popularly referred to as gargoyles also. History The term ''gargoyle'' is most often applied to Medieval work, but throughout all ages some means of throwing the water off roofs, when not conveyed in gutters, was adopted. In Egypt gargoyles eject the water used in the washing of the sacred vessels which seems to have been done on the flat roofs of the Temple s. In Greek Temple s, 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 . At Pompeii many terra cotta gargoyles were found that are modelled in the shape of animals. from the ''Galerie des Chimères'' on Notre Dame Cathedral ]]A local legend that sprang up around the name of St. Romanus ("Romain") ( 631 – 641 A.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 had the creature captured by a liberated prisoner. 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 ). Gargoyles, or more precisely chimerae, 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 . Gargoyles can be found on many churches and buildings. Gargoyles in fiction In contemporary fiction, gargoyles are typically depicted as a winged humanoid race with demonic features (generally horns, a tail, talons, and may or may not have a beak). 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, a reference to their structural roots. Gargoyles as a distinct ''. Two otherwise-unrelated made-for-TV movies which feature the creatures as villians are ''Gargoyles'' (). References See also External links
Photo gallery Image:Gargoyles-StPartickFlagstaf.jpg|chimera of St. Patrick Church, Flagstaff, AZ Image:Gargoyle.600px.jpg|A gargoyle on the Basilica Of The Sacré Cœur , Paris showing the water channel Image:Himeji Castle gargoyle.jpg|A Japan ese gargoyle adorning Himeji Castle Image:Mausoleum(05).jpg|Gargoyle at the St.-Petrus-en-Pauluskerk, Ostend , Belgium |