Gargoyle or Grotesque, just a head or a whole creature, used for gutters or not, they had some key similarities. The similar creatures that were carved to sit perched upon buildings but did not serve as gutter spouts for water were actually called Grotesques. The word “gargoyle” comes from the old French word ‘gargouille’ and later the Latin term ‘gurgulio’ - both meaning “throat”. Originally, Gargoyles were decorative heads that served for the mouth of the gutters on the Churches and Castles they adorned. But the original Gargoyles served a much more practical purpose. The common belief was that they were designed to ward evil spirits, and even the Devil, away from the church. The first telling and depictions of the Gargoyles we know today appeared in France during the 13th century as stone carvings of grotesque human and animal heads placed along the rooftops of castles and cathedrals. Gargoyle is a rather broad term with several specific types of them under its umbrella.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |