The grotesque Gargoyle world

Architecture is an architectural feature that has existed for thousands of years.

Originally, it was used to filter the rain on the edge of buildings, and it also had a mysterious purpose-to drive away evil spirits.

Gargoyle was originally designed to prevent rain from flowing down the side of the monument and eroding the mortar between stones, thus preventing the structural damage of the building.

They are usually associated with magnificent buildings in the Middle Ages, and usually appear in grotesque images, spouting water from terrible corners of their mouths.

This grotesque appearance is the reason why stone monsters with no structural purpose on the side of buildings are called "monsters". Its peculiar and unique appearance makes it the favorite feature of many ancient buildings, and even the theme of some legends and folk stories. The English term "stone monster" originated from French.

It comes from the word gargouille, which means "throat" and gariser, which means "gurgling".

This reflects the trend of water flowing out of the stone mouth.

In other languages, Gargoyle's terms are usually more descriptive.

In Italian, Gargoyle is called doccione o gronda sporgente, which translates as "protruding drainage pipe", while the German word wasserspeier means "sprinkler".

In Dutch, waterpuwer means "spitter".

Drip nozzles are used to spray water, not to repair drains.

Gargoyle is carved from stone and has many forms.

Many of them depict chimeras-strange mixed creatures mixed with different animal parts.

These include familiar chimeras, such as the Griffin (half-female and half-bird) and the harp, but there are also more abstract hybrids.

Many of the hundreds of Gargoyle in Notre Dame de Paris in the Middle Ages are (or were) chimeras, the most famous of which is Strix, or Stilga, a hybrid of human and bird, with his head in his hand.

It was Gargoyle of Notre Dame who provided Gargoyle with an image with wings and horns, which is also described by many people today.

They were not added to the cathedral until the19th century, but after careful design and production, they look like the Gargoyle/chimes on Notre Dame.

Because their function is to protect buildings from erosion, many Gargoyle bears the brunt of bad weather and storms.

This makes the stone statues extremely vulnerable to destruction and erosion.

Over the years, the stone monster has inspired many writers with its peculiar appearance.

They are outstanding in victor hugo's hunchback of Notre Dame (together with Disney's movie of the same name) and modern novels (such as Doctor Who, Future and Gargoyle). Many people believe that they can exorcise evil spirits, and the myth of Gargoyle has a new life. The relatively new concept is that stone beasts are resurrected in the dead of night, fighting ghosts with their bodies and acting as guardians, and so are their terrible appearances.

Some stories are centered on Gargoyle in Pi Nuo's Cao-style scenes, but as the architects instill hatred and evil thoughts in them, Gargoyle appears in Pena Castle in Sintra.

(NICOLA/Adobe Stock), they are also portrayed as a mythical race-this is a more modern idea, which appears in games and myths, such as dungeons and the world of dragons.

The concept that Gargoyle is a race, including their spawning, hatching and integration into new architectural features, seems to be ignored by visitors to these buildings.

The original legend of Gargoyle (or more accurately, Gargoyle) is French. It describes the heroic behavior of Saint Roman, Bishop of Rouen in the 7th century. It is said that he saved this area from a monster named Gar gouhir.

The garland is like the neck of the pterosaur Saint Romanu, and its ability to breathe fire is similar. With the help of a convicted man, he subdued Gaguyi with a cross.

They took the creature back to Rouen, where it was burned to death-its head and neck were not burned to death, because it could spray flames to keep them unaffected, and later they were installed on the church wall.

To commemorate the contribution of condemned prisoners, Archbishop Rouen pardons one person every year at the site of St. Romanu.

Just like the legendary Gargoyle, Gargoyle was also installed on the wall of the church.

They are usually complicated, and if they are carved in situ, it will be very difficult to carve them.

Although they are usually associated with medieval architecture, their functional use means that they have existed for a long time.

They appeared in ancient Egypt, Greece, Rome and Etruscan architecture.

The oldest known Gargoyle has a history of 13000 years and is located in modern Turkey-it is a stone crocodile.

Ancient Gargoyle never appeared in the form of chimera or fictional beast, but was based on local animals. Almost all Gargoyle in ancient Egyptian and Greek architecture appeared in the form of a lion.

Many ancient Egyptian stone statues are also engraved with hieroglyphics.

The Temple of Zeus originally had 102 marble statues depicting the lion's head.

Marble is heavy. Due to erosion and the weight of grottoes, many grottoes have fallen off from temples over time.

Today, 39 Gargoyle survived.

Gargoyle the lion is in St John's Cathedral in Lyon.

(HJBC/ adobe stock) The stone statue of lion's head is also a feature of many buildings in Pompeii. Many villas and buildings in Pompeii are modeled after Greek architecture.

This is the stone statue of the lion's head, which is a symbol of the normality of the whole ancient Greek world.

In the Middle Ages, lions were still a popular choice in Gargoyle, probably because they were previously associated with the sun.

When they are associated with the evil of pride, their popularity will decline, because they are no longer ideal patterns in religious buildings.

In the Middle Ages, domestic cats were rarely regarded as Gargoyle, because they were associated with witchcraft and mysticism.

Although most Gargoyle depicts mythical beasts or real animals, there is a third kind-depicting real people.

These Gargoyle usually represent outstanding figures in society.

Many of them depict local donors, such as those who fund the work. On other occasions, stone statues are people who carve stone statues or architects who design buildings.

There is even an example of Gargoyle imitating a local priest or bishop.

When the lion fell out of favor, other animals were still very popular among architects, and many animals originated in Europe were selected to protect the building.

The most commonly used animal is the dog. People think that dogs are loyal to their owners, loyal and intelligent, so they are excellent guardians.

In the Middle Ages, dogs were usually used to protect houses from intruders.

This may be another reason why they are often chosen as the theme of dogs on the exterior wall of the new Lathouse in Gargoyle and Gargoyle.

(Ad Meskens/CC BY-SA 4。

0), another common creature is the wolf.

Like dogs, they are respected, considered smart and protective.

They are also considered to work in groups, which is a way that many buildings around Gargoyle should be used to help protect buildings.

Besides lions and dogs, eagles are also a popular choice.

Eagle is a legendary theme. It is said that they are one of the only creatures that can kill dragons.

They were also respected for their amazing eyesight, and another reason why they were popular in the Middle Ages was that literacy was not common among ordinary people.

The church can send messages through Gargoyle, and one of them is such a message, which reminds us of the existence of evil and the devil. Their ominous appearance is a notice that it is very important to attend mass under the protection of the church.

The magical power they perceive and the protection of their beautified buildings also remind the public that the church is a sacred place and is not affected by evil spirits.

However, some clergy openly opposed Gargoyle.

St Bernard of clervaux was the leader of the church in the 2nd century A.D./KLOC-0. He criticized Gargoyle bluntly.

He vividly described his reasoning and described it as impure, barbaric and absurd.

Lester burbank Brida Han is very cautious about these explanations of Gargoyle. In his book Gargoyle, he pointed out that there are too many symbolic meanings in French Gothic sculptures.

Although he admits that there is symbolic meaning in architecture, he thinks that there is not as much information as some people think, and Gargoyle really seems to be used to help pagans convert.

Many of them refer to pagan traditions and folklore, especially anthropomorphic animals, while Gargoyle usually reminds people of the images of Gothic churches, such as Notre Dame and medieval European buildings, which are still in use in modern times.

The vast majority of modern Gargoyle are monsters without drainage function, but they are widely called Gargoyle, which is what most people think of as monsters.

They were very popular in the buildings of19th and 20th centuries, and many great buildings in these periods were decorated with Gargoyle.

The Chrysler Building in new york is such a building, which is characterized by many stainless steel garages.

(Raw2daBon3/ public domain), other modern Gargoyle can also be found in churches, especially those built during the Gothic Renaissance.

Pittsburgh is home to many Gargoyle and monsters, because it rolled up during the Gothic Renaissance and attracted the imagination of many architects.

1908, construction of Washington National Cathedral in Washington, D.C. began.

It has many Gargoyle, carved from limestone.

Many Gargoyle portrayed more modern "beasts", such as Darth Vader or treacherous politicians-a clever idea. Monsters are evil enough to scare away souls.

Especially the Si Tong Museum in Darth Vader, is the result of a children's competition. Their task is to design a new stone museum outside Washington National Cathedral.

(pabrady63/Adobe Stock),12nd century, Paisley Abbey added a more famous modern Gargoyle.

The church was renovated in the 1990s, when some original stone statues needed to be replaced.

In an absurd and surprising move, one of them, Gargoyle, replaced the description of aliens in the movie 1979 of the same name.

Although it seems to have such a modern expression in an ancient church, Gargoyle is not juxtaposed with beautiful stained glass windows and Gothic architecture-it is a perfect fusion. Another example of this modern Gargoyle is Bethlehem Church, a medieval French church.

By the 1990s, it was in ruins. When it was restored, the stonemason in charge of carving the new stone statue made an unusual decision to build the new stone statue on the basis of modern fictional creatures.

In addition to another foreign Gargoyle (truly integrated into it), there are many Gargoyle churches in Bethlehem. They were inspired by Mogwai and the elves in the movie Elves. One of them depicts a cartoon robot named Elf. Although they are not widely used, Gargoyle has been an inspiration for architects for thousands of years.

Why so many civilizations decorate such utilitarian features in this way is a mystery, but they continue to entertain and impress people today, and they are likely to remain a feature in many years of architectural construction. Above: Gargoyle on Notre Dame overlooking Paris.

Source: scaliger/Adobe Stock.

Sarah P. Yang is studying for a master's degree in archaeology, specializing in early human behavior, especially the evidence of the interaction between humans and Neanderthals.

She hopes to continue her studies and get a doctorate.