Ugly and bizarre, gargoyles perched atop churches can be frightening or funny. These animals, monsters, or humans carved of stone do more than just stare down at people below. True gargoyles also direct rainwater away from the walls of the church. Today people often call any stone carving of a strange creature a gargoyle. If such carvings are not waterspouts, however, they are technically called grotesques, not gargoyles. Some of the most famous gargoyles and grotesques sit on the great cathedral of Notre Dame in Paris, France. Function and formMost gargoyles are carved from a block of solid stone set high on a church building. A channel, or groove, cut along the top of the statue directs rainwater through the gargoyle's open mouth. During a storm the gargoyle spits the water away from the church onto the streets below. Gargoyles come in many fantastic forms. Some look like animals, including dogs, goats, birds, lions, and pigs. Some gargoyles look like laughing or scowling humans. Other gargoyles are hard to identify. Some look like creatures that are half human and half animal. Others have wings, claws, and horns. Gargoyles in the shape of dragons and demons were also popular during the Middle Ages. Scholars have several theories to explain the strange forms of gargoyles. People in the Middle Ages may have thought that ugly gargoyles would scare away evil spirits. Gargoyles may have been pagan, or non-Christian, symbols to make nonbelievers more comfortable in church. They may have been ugly (symbolizing evil) to contrast with the beauty (symbolizing good) inside the church. Some especially silly gargoyles may have been carved that way just for fun. HistoryGargoyles have been around since ancient Greece and Rome. They were most popular in parts of Europe during the later Middle Ages, from the 11th to the 16th century. During that time the largest and most important building in any town was the church or cathedral. Those buildings were costly to build. There were many skilled workers involved and precious materials used. Rainwater running down the walls would eventually ruin the building. Therefore, workers carved decorative statues to act as waterspouts. The gargoyles directed rainwater away from the walls and foundation of the building. At the end of the Middle Ages people began using lead drainpipes, so true gargoyles became less common. |