0
Add your answer:
Earn +20 pts
Why do cathedrals need gargoyles other than for protection?
gargoyles also serve as rain spouts, there is a dish with a hole in the gargoyle that collects rain and lets it out of the gargoyle's mouth. gargoyle serve as raiinspouts as well
Can you help with my homework i need info on gargoyles?
Gargoyles are statues that are placed on buildings like medieval castles, they have open mouth's purely as when the rain starts and you are standing under one you wont get wet as the water is collected in the mouth but if there was an intruder you would tip the gargoyle over so the rain would fall on them, sometimes gargoyles are confused with grotesques which are statues to scare evil spirits away as they are so ugly.
What is the difference between a grotesque and a true gargoyle?
"Gargoyles are statues. Grotesque is a word meaning very ugly." NOTE: This answer is incomplete and seems to have been answered by someone who didn't realize that the two items in question actually have a historical similarity. Grotesque does of course mean ugly but it is ALSO the name for those varieties of stone statues that are found on buildings such as old cathedrals - and which usually take the shape of an ugly mythical creature, such as a griffin. Grotesques are commonly confused with Gargoyles but they are in reality very different. One serves a function and one is purely decorative. A gargoyle by definition differs from a grotesque because gargoyles are actually rain spouts. The mouth acts as a spout for a gutter system that passes water flowing from the roof top, into a trough, and lastly, out of the mouth of the statue. A gargoyle can be in the shape of any creature, ugly or not. The ugly ones are the most common but some gargoyles are in the likeness of angels. Most statues that are commonly thought to be gargoyles are actually grotesques because they do not serve as gutter spouts and are merely decorative.
Who made gargoyles?
Most gargoyle statues or architectural pieces come from Europe. They were made in order to carry water from the roof during the rain.
What does wind and rain have to do with how a gargoyle is carved?
Gargoyles are grotesquely decorated water spouts. The purpose was to take rain water from the rain gutters at the bottoms of roofs and pour it off far enough from the sides of the building that it did not run down the side of the building causing problems with the masonry. It was necessary to have them stick out far enough from the side of the building that the wind would not blow the water back to the building.
What are the characteristics on a gargoyle?
Gargoyles are architectural features typically found on buildings. They are often made of stone and are decorated with grotesque or monstrous designs. Gargoyles are known for their function as rain spouts, directing water away from the building, and for their distinctive and often exaggerated physical features, such as menacing faces or animal-like forms.
What is the rain that can damage statues?
Acid rain.
What is the difference between a gargoyle and a grotesque?
Gargoyles are statues. Grotesque is a word meaning very ugly. Grotesque is also a style of art characterized by ornamentations that typically use scrollwork, mythological beasts, architectural elements and a playful, imaginative manner. Grotesque does mean ugly but it is ALSO the name of those varieties of stone statues found on buildings (old cathedrals, homes, and the like). A gargoyle by definition differs from a grotesque in that it also serves as a rain spout (the mouth acted as a spout for a gutter system that passed water flowing from the rooftop, into a trough, and lastly, out of the mouth of the statue). A gargoyle can be in the shape of a grotesque-looking creature but it can also be in the shape of something more attractive, such as an angel statue. Most statues that are commonly thought to be gargoyles (of ugly, winged creatures, usually perched on the sides of buildings) are actually grotesques because they do not serve as gutter spouts and are merely decorative.
Where did the legend of the gargoyle come from?
La Gargouile was a legendary French dragon that lived on the Seine River. Supposedly the Archbishop of Rouen killed the dragon and burned the body. The head and neck were mounted on the church roof. Then architects began to make stone gargoyles to put on roofs of tall buildings as water spouts keeping rain water away from the building to prevent damage. The gargoyles were said to scare off evil spirits.
What is a grotesque carved head that catches rainwater called?
Gargoyle Rain Spouts or Roof ScuppersGargoyle has been defined as a water spout which projects from a roof gutter and is designed to drain or throw the rain water away from the walls of a building. Gargoyle water spouts or rain spouts preceded downspouts which drain water from rain gutters into a drain down pipe or downspout and have a horizontal downspout extension at the bottom end of the downspout that carries the rain water away from the foundation. The word gargoyle comes from the French word gargouille which means throat in English. The words gargle and gurgle also come from the same roots as gargoyle. Gargoyle was also derived from the Latin word gurgulio which means both throat and gurgling, which is the sound of water passing through a gargoyle rain water spout. Gargoyles have been around over 4000 years dating back to ancient Greece, Rome and Egypt. Water spouts in the likeness of eagles, lions and other creatures, some mythological, were very common. Water spouts then began to resemble grotesque or monstrous creatures and were often positioned at each corner of the rooftop.
What does acid rain do?
It erodes away statues
Why are gargoyles created?
Gargoyles were very much a part of gothic architecture. It is a carved monstrous image that contains a spout that conveys water from the roof, a sort of grotesque gutter. The church viewed them as a method of conveying the concept of evil to the common folk. They were also said to have been used to scare off evil spirits and demons away from the church. Some religious purists viewed the gargoyles as idolatry.
