Gargoyles - who are they and why are they so scary? Stone monsters - Gargoyles (25 photos).

Gargoyles are very disgusting, scary and vile creatures.
If you are careful, you can see them in many places hanging over our heads.

1. A gargoyle is a grotesque figure carved from stone, which was created to drain water from the roofs and side facades of large buildings.

2. Usually we associate them with medieval times (thanks to one well-known hunchback), but they appeared much earlier. These are not just scary statues. Many gargoyles are shaped like certain animals, and this is no coincidence.

3. Lev.
The lion and the lioness were favorite images of the creators of gargoyles. For example, at Dornoch Cathedral in Scotland there is such a cute lioness, grinning at passers-by below. The lion was one of the most popular non-European animals used in medieval churches and cathedrals. Later they became popular in the form of gargoyles (there are a lot of them in Pompeii), and they symbolized the sun - their golden mane represented the solar crown of our life.

4. However, in the Middle Ages, the builders of cathedrals used the lion as a symbol of pride, which, of course, was one of the seven deadly sins, and therefore it was worth avoiding. This lion, for example, looks quite proud. It is located at one of the colleges in France. In addition to lions, other types of cats were practically not used in the creation of gargoyles. Cats were a symbol of witchcraft, so they were avoided.

5. Dog. This gargoyle is located on the tower of Philip IV the Handsome in the palace in Dijon, again, in France.
Dogs have always been very popular, and they are rarely looked upon only as pets. They guarded houses at night, so they were considered smart and devoted. On the one hand, it can be assumed that, as gargoyles, the statues of dogs were supposed to guard buildings, but their presence on the roofs is also due to another reason. Dogs are always hungry, and they often stole food from people, so in those days their figures were often placed on cathedrals and churches, so that everyone could see that even such a devoted animal as a dog can succumb to the temptations of the devil and become a victim of greed.

6. Wolf.
Although wolves were also considered greedy, they were treated with some respect, as they these animals have always worked together. It was then that the expression "leader of the pack" was born. Wolves were also associated with priests who were supposed to protect people from the devil - thus, the wolf even managed to be in the form of a protector of the lambs of God. The gargoyles on the roofs also often gathered in a “flock”, because. the architects wanted to divert rainwater to different sides. During a rainstorm, one gargoyle would not be enough. Gargoyles were made elongated so that the water flowed as far as possible from the wall.

7. Eagle. Gargoyle in the form of an eagle at the Cathedral of St. Rumbold in Mechelen, Belgium.
Eagles were the protectors of buildings, in particular, from dragons, for, as the medieval people believed, eagles were the only creatures capable of defeating a winged serpent. It was said that they could heal themselves by looking directly at the sun, which had long been the personification of the deity.

8. Serpent. This serpent on a building in Krakow, Poland warns people of the sins of the flesh.
The snake is associated with original sin, and therefore this stone beast can be found in almost all the cathedrals of Europe. Since the time of Adam and Eve, the serpent has been a symbol of the constant struggle between good and evil. Among the seven deadly sins, the snake represents envy. They were also considered immortal, which meant that the fight against sins would continue forever.

9. Ram or goat. This gargoyle is located on the cathedral in Barcelona.
Like most of the animals presented here, the goat also had a dual nature in the eyes of medieval Christians. On the one hand, they were considered divine, because. they knew how to find food even among steep cliffs and survive in the most difficult situations. On the other hand, they were considered evil creatures and a symbol of lust - another of the seven deadly sins. And, of course, what animal is usually associated with Satan?

10. Monkey.
Our closest relatives have always been looked at as what will happen to us if something in nature goes wrong. However, they were often considered stupid and lazy. That is why they personified another mortal sin - laziness. This gargoyle in the form of a monkey is located in Paris, which is not surprising, because the very word "gargoyle" originated in French. Once the word "Gargouille" meant the word "throat", and the word itself came from Latin.

11. Other languages were more accurate. In Italian, the gargoyle is called "grónda sporgente", choet literally means "protruding chute". V German they are called "Wasserspeier" - "water spitters", and the Dutch went even further and nicknamed the gargoyles "waterspuwer" - "spewing water".

12. And by the way, from this Dutch word "waterspuwer" in English language came the verb "to spew" (to spew). However, if you do not take into account the "animal" personifications of gargoyles, then all of them were often considered chimeras.

13. This chimera is located at York Cathedral in England, which is generally famous for these same chimeras.
And although we are no longer afraid of these chimeras, the medieval inhabitants were rather superstitious and uneducated, and they considered them terrible creatures. A chimera is born when two parts of different bodies fuse to create an entirely new creature, such as a griffin (or a mermaid, a figure still popular in fountain making).

14. At the Milan Cathedral there is a rather interesting set of chimeras - there Renaissance thinkers stand next to these strange creatures from the imagination of madmen. These chimeras on the roofs of cathedrals and other buildings personified those who underestimate the power of the devil. Although the devil cannot create life, he can mix different forms life in order to get a new one - that is, a chimera.

15. Some of the most famous gargoyles in the world can be found on the cathedral Notre Dame of Paris.

16. Even the Disney studio could not ignore these interesting creatures.

17. The legend of the gargoyle. The French had a legend about one of their saints - Romaine. In the 17th century, he was made a bishop and had to fight a creature called the Gargull. It was a dragon-like creature with wings, a long neck, and the ability to spew fire from its mouth.

18. Having conquered the dragon, Romaine could not destroy his head, because. she was tempered by fire from her own mouth. Then Romaine placed her on the walls of the cathedral so that she would scare away evil forces. Well, this gargoyle in the photo is located in the van Saint-Jan Cathedral Basilica.

19. On the walls of St. Vitus Cathedral in Prague there are some rather scary gargoyles, but these are no longer animals or even chimeras. These are people. The moment of damnation is frozen in time for hundreds of medieval souls across Europe.

20. With their mouths open, they scream through the centuries, constantly reminding you that you need to be able to resist the devil, otherwise it can happen to you! Probably the most terrible gargoyles are still those that remind us of ourselves.

21. This terrible example of the human form in the image of gargoyles is also on the St. Vitus Cathedral in Prague. Moreover, the pipe, through which water flows, sticks out of the mouth so ominously that it seems that it is just an inhumanly long tongue.

22. This gargoyle is on the cathedral in Nottingham. She reminds all generations not to try to bite your nails. Anyone who has read Chaucer is sure to startle when confronted with the vulgar emotionality of the Middle Ages.

23. Gargoyle in Valencia, Spain, which seems to remind you that there is no doubt that the devil can take you wherever and whenever he wants if you do not watch your life.

24. Again, in Spain - the unfortunate woman at the Cathedral of Lonya in Valencia is captured in a moment of agony.

25. Well, this is a modern gargoyle. And who would you think could do such a miracle? Well, of course, the Germans. Very literally they perceive the meaning of the word "gargoyle" - to pour water.

They are scary, but they are funny, touching and even frankly shameless, most often they can be found in Western Europe, where they adorn the cornices of ancient cathedrals in great abundance and variety. They are gargoyles and chimeras - bizarre creatures whose presence in a holy place seems strange and out of place. But this is only at first glance. What an important mission the gargoyles performed, what they are and how they differ from chimeras - this will be discussed later.

Legend of the Gargoyle

An ancient legend says that a long time ago in a swamp, not far from Rouen, there lived a huge and terrible dragon. He did not allow the inhabitants of the city to live in peace, sleep in peace, and even trade in peace, as he often attacked merchant ships that came to Rouen along the Seine. Moreover, in the arsenal of the dragon were very different ways intimidation, sometimes, according to his mood, he breathed fire, and sometimes seething streams of water escaped from his mouth. To prevent the monster from completely destroying the city, the locals brought him annual human sacrifices. By the way, the dragon was female, and her name was Gargoyle.

The French word "Gargouille" itself comes from the Latin term for throat or pharynx and is very consonant with the sound of bubbling water. Apparently, this name was given to the dragon precisely because of his habit of often acting as a water cannon. Traditions say that thanks to this skill, the Gargoyle masterfully sank rather large ships and raised such a storm on the river that huge waves flooded the city streets and flooded many buildings.
However, the time came, and the monster found justice in the person of St. Roman of Rouen, who occupied the local episcopal chair. By the way, Roman effectively fought not only with dragons, but also with pagans, for which he was later canonized.
Before going to pacify the monster, Roman was looking for an assistant for a long time. As a result, only a criminal sentenced to death agreed to help the bishop. The fight with the dragon seemed to him the best way out than a chopping block. Saint Roman decided to use his assistant as a bait, and when the Gargoyle crawled out of its cave to feast on a little human, the bishop deprived the monster of his will with a cross and prayers, and she, like a tame, lay down at his feet.
Then the story developed less touchingly. Despite the dragon's complaisance, the people of Rouen decided to burn it, and they almost succeeded. However, they did not take into account that the throat and head of the Gargoyle, for obvious reasons, turned out to be non-combustible, and it was not possible to destroy them in this way. It was decided to place the remains of the unfortunate monster on public display, as a symbol of the victory of the holy Church over the forces of evil, and for this purpose the cornice of the local cathedral was best suited.

Over time, people got used to such an exotic decoration of the temple, moreover, the inhabitants of neighboring cities began to envy Rouen and wished to have the same “decoration” on their cathedrals. But since the entire population of dragons in Europe had already been exterminated by that time, real trophies had to be replaced with stone ones.

Since the 11th century, statues of gargoyles (the name has become a household name) flaunted in abundance on many places of worship in Europe. Mindful of the monster's ability to spew water, architects began to use its stone counterparts as drains. That is why in many cathedrals there are whole companies of gargoyles, since one drain for a huge building was clearly not enough. Only in the century before last, people pardoned their stone "servants" and freed them from work, giving the function of draining water to ordinary drainpipes.

What are gargoyles

Gargoyles on temples do not always depict a dragon; many have the appearance of quite real animals or birds. All of them not only serve as a drain, but also carry a deep symbolic meaning, including personifying some of the seven deadly sins.

lions- the only felines that can be found in the form of a gargoyle. Cats in the Middle Ages were considered magical animals, so they were not liked, and the lion, always considered a symbol of pride and courage, according to the plan of the architects, was supposed to warn parishioners about the danger of falling into the mortal sin of pride.

Dogs- they, unlike cats, were loved in the Middle Ages, as they were considered a symbol of loyalty and devotion. But their appearance in the form of a gargoyle made people remember another deadly sin - greed. It's no secret that hungry dogs often steal food, and in the Middle Ages, when every bite counted, this was considered the machinations of the devil.

Wolf- although they were afraid of wolves, they respected them for their ability to live in a large pack and unconditionally obey the leader. By the way, the priests themselves were often compared with the “leaders of the pack”, since they were called upon to unite the parishioners around themselves in order to jointly resist evil and the squeaks of Satan.

Eagle- Eagles were considered the only creatures other than knights who could defeat a dragon on their own. In addition, according to legend, they could heal themselves by simply looking at the sun.

Snake is a symbol of original sin. The epitome of the struggle between good and evil. Serpents were considered immortal, and this once again proved that the confrontation between the devilish and the divine would be eternal. Of the deadly sins, envy was associated with the serpent.

Goats and rams- were considered a symbol of lust, also one of the seven deadly sins. In addition, Satan himself was often depicted with goat legs.

Monkey- for a strange and incomprehensible reason, personified laziness. Perhaps such a delusion arose among Europeans from the fact that it was as difficult to meet a live monkey in the forests of the Old World as a surviving dragon. I had to trust the rumors, and they could be very far from the truth.

Chimeras

V Ancient Greece A chimera was an animal with the body of a goat, the head of a lion, and the tail of a dragon. Hesiod in his writings described a different kind of monster, according to his version, she had as many as three heads: a lion, a goat and a rooster. Medieval chimeras were even more bizarre than ancient ones and could combine the features of a wide variety of animals, only the principle of multi-composition remained the same.

Chimeras appeared on cathedral cornices much later than gargoyles, and unlike the latter, they were completely useless. As a rule, they served simply as a grotesque decoration, symbolizing the power of the devil, who can give birth to terrible and strange creatures. By the way, some chimeras could have anthropomorphic features. Among the humanoid chimeras, there are both frankly creepy and frankly comical characters.

Of course, such “decorations” could not exist for a long time next to people without becoming the heroes of numerous legends. Over time, chimeras began to be attributed magical properties, there were rumors that every night terrible creatures come to life, and if the temple was in danger, they could come to life during the day to ruthlessly deal with the enemy.

Gargoyles of Notre Dame

The most famous gargoyles and chimeras live on the eaves of Notre Dame de Paris. You can see them from below only by coming close to the wall of the cathedral and raising your head up.
Legends say that in the case of depicting gargoyles, the sculptors of Notre Dame were given absolute freedom creativity. It was not without curiosities, for example, one master did not like his mother-in-law so much that he captured her in the form of a gargoyle, not realizing that in this way her image was immortalized for centuries.

By the way, throughout the Middle Ages, the facade of the main cathedral of Paris was decorated only with gargoyles. The gallery of famous chimeras was added much later, only in the 19th century. Then a large-scale restoration was carried out in the cathedral, the building was repaired after the destruction caused to it by the events of the Great French Revolution. Now the gallery of chimeras is located right at the base of the towers, at a height of 46 meters, and to get there, you need to overcome almost 400 steps of a steep staircase.

True, there is a version that chimeras at the cathedral existed before, they were installed here in the XIV century, after the defeat of the Knights Templar and the execution of its Grand Master Jacques de Molay. At the same time, all the chimeras had goat heads that depicted Baphomet, a strange creature that the Templars were accused of worshiping.
Many chimeras of Notre Dame have their own stories and names. For example, the most famous of them is called Strix. Her image has long become a textbook and it is her that most people first of all imagine when they hear the word "chimera". According to legend, this strange pensive creature only looks like a stone, and at night spreads its wings and soars around the cathedral. Parisians still believe that Strix can kidnap a baby carelessly left unattended, so mothers in the Notre Dame area should always be on their guard.

Another famous chimera of Notre Dame Cathedral is the baby Dedo. Tradition says that once a nun from a provincial monastery visited the temple. Looking at the terrible gargoyles and no less fearsome chimeras, she decided to add a more charming character to their company. The nun herself carved a pretty figure out of stone with the body of a child and the muzzle of an incomprehensible little animal. She named her creation Dedo and secretly installed it among the other chimeras of the cathedral.

Inhabitants of Paris for a long time they did not suspect that another inhabitant appeared in the gallery of chimeras. Only a case helped to declassify baby Dedo. The son of one of the employees of the cathedral was playing on the roof and almost fell down. Falling, the boy managed to grab onto one of the stone chimeras and only thanks to this he escaped inevitable death. The unwitting savior of the boy turned out to be baby Dedo. Since then, the kind chimera has been greatly loved by the inhabitants of Paris, who are sure that Dedo is able to fulfill any desire, if you ask him from the bottom of your heart.
Everyone who has seen the chimeras of Notre Dame with their own eyes claims that these creepy creatures are damn charming. They are so expressive that taking pictures with them is completely useless, a living person next to them seems like a soulless doll.

Chimeras today

The image of chimeras has become so popular that today they are found not only on churches, and even not only in Europe. There are chimeras in Tokyo, Seoul, New York and Philadelphia. There are chimeras in Russia, for example, on the building of the conservatory in Saratov.

Gargoyles and chimeras were created to terrify people, but as a result they fascinate and fascinate. They should be feared, and people go to them to make wishes. Apparently, these strange creatures really have a certain magic power whose nature we will never be able to unravel.

Who is a gargoyle - this is a demonic creature that personifies the forces of chaos, subordinate to divine power. Serves the angels for the sake of maintaining an orderly universe. Translated from Latin - gargoyle - a symbiosis of the words "throat" and "whirlpool". According to one version, their cry resembled a gurgle, according to another, they were the same symbol of eternity as water.

Gargoyle - who is it?

Gargoyles are found in various myths, they are better known thanks to the legends of Ancient Greece. The Hellenes made them the personification of the evil or good will of the gods, who determine the fate of people. There are several versions about the origin, the gargoyle is:

Lesser demonic deity.
The personification of the underworld.
Guardian of Darkness, who serves the Forces of Light.

myths different peoples saved a few characteristic features these creatures:

hatred for all living things, both for people and for evil spirits;
sometimes enter into an alliance with other creatures for the sake of profit;
the most incorruptible and strict Guardians.

What does a gargoyle look like?

Gargoyle - mythical creature, her distinguishing feature- the ability to turn into stone and awaken from it, but does this only of his own free will, and not someone else's. Depicted as humanoid, with a characteristic appearance:

leathery wings;
sharp talons;
lion or wolf heads, sometimes a symbiosis with a human face.

When a gargoyle is injured, it regenerates by turning into stone. Her skin is similar to human, has grey colour. Over time, gargoyles began to be portrayed as a symbiosis of different animals. There are several versions why they decided to install these demonic creatures on the roofs of temples:

They must ward off evil from home, like stronger Guardians.
To remind of the fate of sinners.
They showed a contrast between the beauty of the cathedral inside and the ugliness outside.

How does a gargoyle scream?

The cry of the gargoyle is now considered a myth, the authors of the games with might and main practice in its creation. It is only known that the creatures screamed at the approach of enemies, whether they were invaders or evil spirits. What it looks like, the legends have not preserved. The clergy were convinced that the gargoyle bird allegedly emits a cry when a city resident commits a sin. Strikingly different from other statues are the statues at St. Vitus Cathedral in Prague, these are not dragons, but ugly people frozen in a scream. Researchers explain the decision of the architects as a desire to remind humanity of the sins and curses that can be imprisoned in stone.

What is the difference between a gargoyle and a chimera?

Very often people believe that the gargoyle and are one and the same, the difference between them is relative, but still there. Gothic chimeras became famous thanks to the statues at Notre Dame Cathedral, these are creatures:

with the figure of a hunchback and the claws of an eagle;
bat wings;
heads of goats or snakes.

The Greeks attributed sea storms to the power of chimeras, the architects of the Middle Ages presented these creatures as the personification of fallen souls who cannot enter the temple. In Gothic, a gargoyle and a chimera have almost no differences, the only difference is that the former were not only an element of decor, but also drains. Through the throats of demonic creatures, the water flowed away from the walls and did not undermine the foundations of buildings. And only in the 19th century they were replaced by drainpipes, and the gargoyles remained the decoration of the facade.

Gargoyle in mythology

The gargoyle is an unusual creature, its images have been transformed over time, although initially in the legend of origin it is presented as a dragon. There is a myth that in 600 AD. near the Seine lived the dragon La Gargoule, who spat not only with fire, but with streams of water, provoking floods. The inhabitants of the surroundings propitiated him with human sacrifices, choosing criminals for this.

Many years later, the priest Romanus arrived in Rouen and agreed to destroy the dragon in exchange for the people to accept the Christian faith and build a church in the village. The hero won, they tried to burn the body of the monster, but the flame could not destroy the head. Then the inhabitants allegedly installed these remains on the roof of the temple, built in honor of the feat of the priest Romanus. Since then, a tradition has appeared to decorate buildings with statues of gargoyles.

Gargoyle - whose messenger is this and where did such an image come from? We will try to understand mythology and history in order to answer these and other questions related to such an unusual creature as the Gargoyle. Before writing an article for you, we collected all available information from all open sources. And we came up with 5 stories that describe the essence of the Gargoyle and talk about who she is.

Gargoyle is:

Castle decoration as a drain
The eponymous dragon spewing water from the throat
Messenger of God
Real being previously living
Modern artificial revival of an ancient image

Let's talk about each version in the history of mankind in order. And we will ask you to vote for the true option, in your opinion, at the end of this article. And we are waiting for your comments)

The word "gargouille" itself is translated from French as "drainpipe". In ancient times, the inhabitants of castles, cathedrals and palaces installed gutter drains in the form of winged creatures. Through their throats, drainage was carried out from the roofs during rains and showers.

Previously, everything was done not clumsily, but with grace and additional meaning. Ordinary square plums did not suit anyone in the design of the castle. To intimidate the species and for the benefit of its inhabitants, such creatures were invented. Appearance gargoyles frightened the enemies, and the inhabitants of the palaces received a convenient technical device.

Over time, the translation "drainpipe" faded into the background. And the word "" - to the front, and began to be used as a common noun in the colloquial speech of a person.

water spewing dragon

There is a legend. Not far from the city of Rouen (the historical capital of Normandy), a very large bloodthirsty dragon lived. He lived in the water and often attacked merchant ships. He went out on land, attacked local settlements.

This dragon was distinguished by its unusualness. He could breathe fire on land. And on the water he could throw a stream of water out of his throat very high temperature. The water seethed during the eruption and burned all living things in its path. Due to this property, the dragon was nicknamed "Gargoyle".

To reduce the number of attacks on the settlements, the inhabitants began to bring human sacrifices to this dragon. This helped, but did not completely eliminate the attacks.

Over time, there was a daredevil who decided to destroy the dragon - St. Roman of Rouen. Nobody from the wars dared to help him in capturing the creature. But there was only one - a prisoner who, instead of execution, chose a fight with a dragon. Roman took it and decided to use it as bait for the dragon.

Having lured the dragon out of its lair, Roman used a cross and a prayer as weapons. This helped to deprive the gargoyle of will and tame. The animal began to obey him and stopped attacking the locals.

But the fear of the animal remained with people and they decided to finally get rid of it and burn it. Which they did. But the head of the gargoyle, even after being burned, remained unharmed.

Then it was decided to hang the head on the church, on the cornice of the main entrance, as a sign of great holy power in front of the forces of the most terrible creatures.

Over time, the head petrified and became part of the church, like a specially made structure. Residents of other cities adopted this style of jewelry. Thus, it began to spread throughout all territories, and its true origin began to be gradually lost.

Gargoyle - Messenger of God

The image of a gargoyle was sent to one temple attendant in a dream. He saw him descending from the sky, a dark, huge silhouette with claws and wings. The creature let out a scream and spread its huge wings, shielding the priest from the lightning strike.

He interpreted this dream as a message from a protector from God to the earth, who would cover the messengers of God on earth from the attacks of dark forces.

After discussing this vision with senior servants, it was decided to put this image of a demon-protector on the temple from four sides in order to protect the holy territories from demons and evil forces.

This symbol of protection was adopted by the owners of castles, who believed in the word of God and wanted to protect their possessions and its inhabitants not only with the help of weapons and the army.

Exterminated creature

According to some reports, the gargoyle really existed. It is the offspring of a demon and a human. She could turn into stone, and was the strongest weapon in the hands of those who could tame her.

Its purpose is to protect. On the locks, on the edge of the roofs, small free areas were made. This place was meant for the gargoyle. Having completed the task, she returned to her place, turned into a statue and waited for the next call of the owner.

The gargoyle ate livestock, people, wild animals and even vegetables and fruits. But she needed very little food, and only when she was not in a petrified form.

Being in a state of petrification, the gargoyle could not eat or drink for months and years, waiting for the owner to call her.

There is a legend that says that on the night when all the gargoyles were sleeping in a petrified state, a spell was placed on them, which fettered their ability to turn from stone to creature. The spell was destroyed, its creator took the secret of sorcery to the grave. No one has been able to revive the winged beasts. They remained stone and became a common decoration for people.

It is said that sorcerers are still looking for an anti-spell that can revive gargoyles. Some of the statues were hidden in deep caves, far from the settlements, in order to save them from human destruction. They have been waiting for the hour of the call of the master in a semi-conscious state for hundreds of years.

Artificial revival of the image

- a very memorable image that has come to us since ancient times. A bright and active fantasy of a person could not leave him unnoticed.

Films, cartoons, and especially games, actively use the image of a winged creature in their plots. Basically, he is portrayed as a servant of the dark forces, an assistant to demons and just a monster that attacks the main character. computer game in the dark labyrinths of the dungeons.

The image of the defender of the holy forces, in a modern interpretation, quickly became a servant of evil thanks to the imagination of man.

Where is the truth

All the stories that have come down to us are interesting and attractive. I want to believe every one of them. But we, as in many mysteries of the universe, can only guess, assume and believe in this or that myth in the history of man.

It is said that in order to hide the truth, a person is presented with several stories of lies in order to hide one single truth. This is what happened with the Gargoyles. The true truth is among the above, but which one? How do you think? Vote for the truth as you understand it:

Thank you for reading our articles and participating in our surveys. Your opinion is important to us. After all, only for your sake we are looking for information and trying to find answers to thousands of questions of humanity.

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