THEY DATE BACK TO ANCIENT EGYPT. Although the name gargoyle dates back just a few centuries, the practice of crafting decorative, animal-themed drain spouts reaches back several millennia. The ancient Egyptians had a thing for lions, as did the Romans and the Greeks.

What is the origin of 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.

Who invented gargoyle?

Gargoyles have been used for hundreds of years. Ancient Egyptians usually created gargoyles in the shape of a lion's head. Other popular animal gargoyles were dogs, wolves, eagles, snakes, goats, and monkeys. Over the years, many other types of creatures have been used as gargoyles.

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.

Are gargoyles evil or good?

A gargoyle is usually chaotic evil. Gargoyles are sentient, cunning, and malevolent to the extreme.

The historical origin of Gargoyles

19 related questions found

Why do the gargoyles clothes turn to stone?

DC Fandome - The Loop

The Spell of Humility is a spell cast by the Roman Magus in C.E. 10 causing gargoyles' clothes and other items on their person to enter stone sleep with them, thus preventing nudity upon awakening at dusk.

Are gargoyles Pagan?

The relation of gargoyles to paganism is quite fitting. While classic gargoyles are a product of the middle ages, the practice of decorating drain spouts with animals, and creatures like gargoyles goes way back, even to Ancient Egypt and other pagan/non-christian places.

Why do Gothic churches have gargoyles?

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.

What is the oldest gargoyle?

It's hard to know for sure. But the oldest gargoyle is found on a building in Turkey. It's 13,000 years old and looks like a crocodile. The ancient Egyptians, Romans and Greeks also carved gargoyles to use as drain spouts on their buildings.

How are gargoyles born?

Instead of live birth, gargoyles hatch from eggs. The gestation period lasts for six months, but they take 10 years to hatch, and female gargoyles can only lay one egg every two decades at ages 50, 70, and 90. Gargoyles only reproduce during these seasons, which are linked to the natural biorhythms of the earth.

Who built Laon cathedral?

By the late 1150s, construction on the current cathedral had begun under Gautier de Mortagne; it was essentially completed by 1230.

What is the most famous gargoyle?

Notre Dame Cathedral, Paris

Perhaps the most well-known gargoyles in the world hover on Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris. Technically known as grotesques (true gargoyles have waterspouts as mouths), these monstrous creatures glare ominously down on the City of Light.

What do gargoyles represent in the Bible?

Some historians believe gargoyles were inspired from pagan eras and were used to make churches feel more familiar to new Christians. Others said gargoyles were morality lessons in stone, reminding people that while purity and good may be found inside the church, sin and evil are never far away.

What is gargoyle in Harry Potter?

Gargoyles are a semi-sentient stone creatures used as guards for rooms in Hogwarts. A stone gargoyle blocks the entrance to the Head's Office. It steps aside when the correct password is given to enter (CS11). A stone gargoyle is used as a water spout in the Potions dungeon (PA17).

Where are gargoyles most commonly found?

A gargoyle is an ornate spout that allows water to drain away from buildings. Early examples of gargoyles have been found in Egypt, Greece, and even as far away as China, but Gothic period gargoyles are mainly found on cathedrals in Europe.

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.

Where should I place gargoyles in my house?

They are often the things that put the finishing touches to a garden. Your gargoyle can be set simply amongst shrubbery, partly obscured from view, or made a more obvious feature and placed on columns, or pedestals at various points in the garden such as in grottoes, alcoves, staircases or at the end of a path.

What religion are gargoyles from?

Gargoyles: The grotesque carved creatures of Christian architecture were borrowed from ancient pagan religions. Gargoyles are instantly recognizable, grotesque, carved creatures peering down from the tops of churches and cathedrals.

Why was Gothic architecture called Gothic?

Gothic architecture was at first called "the French Style" (Opus Francigenum). ... An Italian writer named Giorgio Vasari used the word "Gothic" in the 1530s, because he thought buildings from the Middle Ages were not carefully planned and measured like Renaissance buildings or the buildings of ancient Rome.

What do gargoyles eat?

Gargoyle geckos (and crested geckos) are omnivores that catch insects and eat soft fruits. In captivity, they tend to do really well on powdered diets that are mixed with water to form a gecko smoothy. We have had great results with Pangea and Repashy.

Do Gargoyles sleep?

While not inherently immortal, gargoyles can be extremely long-lived, a result of stone sleep which seemingly slows or halts their aging process to an absolute standstill until they wake again the following night.

How do gargoyles become stone?

Stone Sleep is the natural phenomenon in gargoyle biology that causes them to turn to "stone" in the daytime.

Who is gargoyle?

Chic, played by Hart Denton, is alive and well, and he's the Gargoyle King. Yep, you read that right — Chic Cooper is the one behind the mask! And he's not working alone, either; Penelope Blossom took him in and groomed him to look like her late son, Jason. The layers of creepiness never stop!

Why are gargoyles on Notre Dame?

The gargoyles' main purpose is very practical. As rain water runs down the roofs of Notre-Dame de Paris, it needs to drain off without dripping down the walls and potentially damaging them. By evacuating rain water, the gargoyles protect the cathedral and protect the stone from damage caused by excessive runoff.

What is a grotesque vs gargoyle?

Basically, grotesques are decorative stone carvings on old buildings, usually the heads of strange and ugly creatures, whereas gargoyles are spouts in the form of grotesque human or animal figures projecting from a roof gutter to throw rainwater clear of a building.