thumb|Gargoyles of [[Notre-Dame de Paris]]

thumb|Dragon-headed gargoyle of the [[Tallinn Town Hall, Estonia]]

thumb|Gargoyle of the Vasa Chapel at [[Wawel in Kraków, Poland]]

In architecture, and specifically Gothic architecture, a gargoyle () is a carved or formed grotesque

Etymology

The term originates from the French gargouille (Old French gargoule (1294) "conduit for waterflow"), composed of the onomatopoeic root garg- and the Old French goule "animal mouth, throat", which remained dialectal or is otherwise known as the "gullet"; Although most have grotesque features, the term gargoyle has come to include all types of images. Some gargoyles were depicted as monks, or 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 as ornamentation but are now popularly called gargoyles.

Both ornamented and unornamented waterspouts projecting from roofs at parapet level were a common device used to shed rainwater from buildings until the early 18th century. From that time, more and more buildings used drainpipes to carry the water from the guttering roof to the ground and only very few buildings using gargoyles were constructed. This was because some people found them frightening, and sometimes heavy ones fell off, causing damage. The London Building Act 1724 (11 Geo. 1. c. 28), passed by the Parliament of Great Britain made the use of downpipes compulsory in all new construction. Akin to the leading catholic theory but slightly different, some suggest that gargoyles were meant not to intimidate evil spirits or demons, but humans. It is said that at the gateway of the city of Amiens, France, two gargoyles stood guard, and anyone with bad intentions toward the city and its people would be spewed with acid before being able to enter. On the contrary, the king of Amiens would be showered with coins with every return. Humans gargoyles were often comedic and depicted in bawdy positions, some leaning over the ledge they are perched on to vomit or defecate off of. The orifice that rainwater would come out of would imply that it was vomit or fecal matter.

The furthest evolution of human gargoyles and grotesques would be the corbel head. Extremely realistic, corbel heads were the most impressive works by stone carvers as they best depicted human facial structure and emotion. Corbel heads were not exclusive to any particular kind of person, and represented a fair array of social classes, however, it was very common for them to be mocking the clergy. His works were regarded as incredibly accurate in portraying the emotion in the expression of the original gargoyles.

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Further reading

  • Gargoyles – Dolores Herrero
  • Rouen in France claims to be the origin of gargoyles, through the legend of a dragon La Gargouille
  • VIDEO about the conservation of Gargoyles
  • The Gargoyles of Princeton University