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. A gargoyle is a grotesque statue. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (480x640, 110 KB) Gargoyle, Dornoch Cathedral. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (480x640, 110 KB) Gargoyle, Dornoch Cathedral. ... Dornoch Cathedral is a parish church in the Church of Scotland, serving the small Sutherland town of Dornoch, in the Scottish Highlands. ... , The Royal Burgh of Dornoch (Gaelic: Dòrnach, pronounced ) is a town and seaside resort in the Highlands of Scotland, on the north shore of the Dornoch Firth, close to where it opens into the Moray Firth to the east. ... This article is about the country. ... This article is about building architecture. ... This article is about the word itself. ...

The term originates from the French gargouille, originally "throat" or "gullet";^[1] cf. Latin gurgulio, gula, and similar words derived from the root gar, "to swallow", which represented the gurgling sound of water (e.g., Spanish garganta, "throat"; Spanish gárgola, "gargoyle"). For other uses, see Latins and Latin (disambiguation). ...

A chimera, or a grotesque figure, is a sculpture that does not work as a waterspout and serves only an ornamental or artistic function. 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. Architectural otter chimera Used in describing an architectural feature, chimera means a fantastic, mythical or grotesque figure used for decorative purposes. ... This article is about the word itself. ...

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. 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. 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. Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (956x1188, 1233 KB) Ai Khanoum gorgoyle. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (956x1188, 1233 KB) Ai Khanoum gorgoyle. ... Hellenistic foot fragment of a giant statue, from Ai-Khanoum, 2nd century BCE. Ai-Khanoum or Ay Khanum (lit. ... The Middle Ages formed the middle period in a traditional schematic division of European history into three ages: the classical civilization of Antiquity, the Middle Ages, and modern times. ... Temple of Hephaestus, an Doric Greek temple in Athens with the original entrance facing east, 449 BC (western face depicted) For other uses, see Temple (disambiguation). ... The Greeks began to build monumental temples in the first half of the 8th century BC. The temples of Hera at Samos and of Poseidon at Isthmia were among the first erected. ... Marble sculpture is the art of creating three-dimensional forms from marble. ... Terra cotta is a hard semifired waterproof ceramic clay used in pottery and building construction. ... Cymatium, a molding on the cornice of some classical buildings. ... Example of cornice laden roof line In classical architecture the cornice is the set of projecting moldings that crown an entablature. ...

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 the creature captured by the only volunteer, a condemned man. 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). Saint Romanus can refer to: Romanus of Caesarea (Romanus of Antioch), martyr (d. ... Events Battle of Wogastisburg between Slavs led by Samo and Dagobert I, king of the Franks Births Deaths Categories: 631 ... Events Founding of the city of Fostat, later Cairo, in Egypt. ... Clotaire II (584-629), King of Neustria, and from 613-629 King of all the Franks, was not yet born when his father, King Chilperic I died in 584. ... The Archbishop of Rouen is Primate of Normandy and one of the fifteen Archbishops of France. ... , Rouen (pronounced in French) is the historical capital city of Normandy, in northwestern France on the River Seine, and currently the capital of the Haute-Normandie (Upper Normandy) région. ... The gargouille was a mythological creature originating from France. ... For the band Reliquary, click here. ... , Rouen (pronounced in French) is the historical capital city of Normandy, in northwestern France on the River Seine, and currently the capital of the Haute-Normandie (Upper Normandy) région. ...

Many medieval cathedrals included gargoyles and chimarae. The most famous examples are those of Notre Dame de Paris. 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. For other uses, see Notre Dame. ...

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. In 1724, the London Building Act passed by the Parliament of Great Britain made the use of downpipes compulsory on all new construction.^[2] Rain gutter A rain gutter (also known as eavestrough, guttering or just gutter) is a narrow channel, or trough, forming the component of a roof system which collects and diverts rainwater shed by the roof. ... The Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the supreme legislative institution in the United Kingdom and British overseas territories (it alone has parliamentary sovereignty). ...

Gargoyles were also used to scare off demonic spirts. They thought that evil spirits would come and take over their homes, to keep these aways people used Gargoyles to make the evil spirits think there was already a spirit there.

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. Gargoyles can be found on many churches and buildings. This is a file from the Wikimedia Commons, a repository of free content hosted by the Wikimedia Foundation. ... This is a file from the Wikimedia Commons, a repository of free content hosted by the Wikimedia Foundation. ... This article is about the capital of France. ... For other uses, see Notre Dame. ... This article is about the legendary creature. ... Alternative meaning: Nineteenth Century (periodical) (18th century — 19th century — 20th century — more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 19th century was that century which lasted from 1801-1900 in the sense of the Gregorian calendar. ... (19th century - 20th century - 21st century - more centuries) Decades: 1900s 1910s 1920s 1930s 1940s 1950s 1960s 1970s 1980s 1990s As a means of recording the passage of time, the 20th century was that century which lasted from 1901–2000 in the sense of the Gregorian calendar (1900–1999 in the... New York, New York and NYC redirect here. ... The Chrysler Building is an Art Deco skyscraper in New York City, located on the east side of Manhattan at the intersection of 42nd Street and Lexington Avenue. ... For other uses, see Chicago (disambiguation). ...

One impressive collection of modern gargoyles can be found at Washington National Cathedral in Washington, DC. 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. 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. Washington National Cathedral has been the site of three presidential state funerals: for Dwight D. Eisenhower, Ronald W. Reagan, Gerald R. Ford and a presidential burial for Woodrow Wilson and a memorial service for Harry Truman. ... For information on this characters appearance in the Star Wars prequel trilogy, see Anakin Skywalker. ... Victoria Tower at the Palace of Westminster, London: Gothic details provided by A.W.N. Pugin The Gothic revival was a European architectural movement with origins in mid-18th century England. ... Princeton University is a private coeducational research university located in Princeton, New Jersey. ... Washington University redirects here. ... Duke University is a private research university located in Durham, North Carolina, United States. ... For other uses, see University of Chicago (disambiguation). ...

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

Hunky Punk is Somerset (West Country) dialect for grotesque carvings on the side of buildings (especially churches). ... Sheela-na-Gigs or Sheela Na Gigs are grotesque figurative carvings of naked females displaying an exaggerated vulva. ... Circa 1895 limestone keystone. ... A rainhead is a device used in roof plumbing for the capture of stormwater run off from the rain guttering of a building. ...

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

Houghton Mifflin Company is a leading educational publisher in the United States. ...

External links

- The origin of Gargoyles

Wikimedia Commons has media related to:

Gargoyles

Photo gallery

Chimera of Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary Chapel in Flagstaff, Arizona. Download high resolution version (637x905, 73 KB)photo by Einar Einarsson Kvaran gargoyles File links The following pages link to this file: Gargoyle Categories: GFDL images ... Nickname: Location in Coconino County the state of Arizona Coordinates: , Country State County Coconino County Government  - Mayor Joseph C. Donaldson Area  - City  98. ... Official language(s) English Spoken language(s) English 74. ...	View of a gargoyle on the Notre Dame cathedral in Paris, France. Image File history File links Download high resolution version (2592x1944, 529 KB) Summary Description: View from the Notre Dame during a sunny day in Paris. ... This article is about the Notre-Dame cathedral in Paris. ...	A gargoyle on the Basilica of the Sacré Cœur, Paris, France, showing the water channel. Image File history File links Gargoyle_Sacre_Coeur. ... The Sacré-CÅ“ur Basilica (French: Basilique du Sacré-CÅ“ur, Basilica of the Sacred Heart) is a Roman Catholic basilica and popular landmark in Paris, France, dedicated to the Sacred Heart. ...	A Japanese gargoyle adorning Himeji Castle. Download high resolution version (768x1024, 412 KB) A gargoyle on the roof of Himeji Castle, Himeji, Hyogo, Japan. ... Himeji Castle (Japanese: ; -jō) is a Japanese castle complex located in Himeji in Hyōgo Prefecture and comprising 82 wooden buildings. ...
Gargoyle at the St.-Petrus-en-Pauluskerk, Ostend, Belgium. Image File history File links File links The following pages link to this file: Gargoyle ... The esplanade with the Thermae Palace, the former Royal Residence and the casino For other uses, see Ostend (disambiguation). ...	Gargoyle at St Margaret's Church, Wolstanton, England. Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 800 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (2272 × 1704 pixel, file size: 1. ... Wolstanton is a suburban area on the outskirts of Newcastle-under-Lyme, Staffordshire. ...	Gargoyle Notre-Dame d'Amiens, France. Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 800 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (3648 × 2736 pixel, file size: 1. ... The cathedral in Amiens Location within France Amiens is a city and commune in the north of France, 120 km north of Paris. ...	Gargoyle, right top, at la Llotja, Palma (Mallorca), Image File history File links Size of this preview: 798 × 599 pixelsFull resolution (824 × 619 pixel, file size: 60 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Merlets de la Llotja de Palma File historyClick on a date/time to view the file as it appeared at that time. ... Location Location of Mallorca in Balearic Islands Coordinates : 39° 30’N , 3°0E Time Zone : CET (UTC+1) - summer: CEST (UTC+2) General information Native name Mallorca (Catalan) Spanish name Mallorca Postal code 07001-07691 Area code 34 (Spain) + 971 (Illes Balears) Website http://www. ...
Notre Dame Church in Dijon, France. Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 800 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (2304 × 1728 pixel, file size: 539 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) File historyClick on a date/time to view the file as it appeared at that time. ... This article is about the French commune. ...