The word "Gargoyle" shares a common root with the word "Gargle"; which comes from "gargouille", an French word for "Throat". A carved creature that does not serve the purpose of a drain pipe is frequently referred to as a "Grotesque". A true gargoyle is a waterspout. The word "gargoyle" is also a derivative from the Latin word, "gurgulio", which had a double meaning, "throat", and the "gurgling" sound water makes as it passes through a gargoyle. In medieval architecture, the gargoyles, which had to be very numerous because of the many gutters which were carried on the tops of flying buttresses, and higher and lower walls, were often very decorative, consisting, as they did, of stone images of grotesque animals, and the like, or, in smaller buildings of iron or lead.
Gargoyles can be traced back 4000 years to Egypt, Rome and Greece. Terra cotta water spouts depicting: lions, eagles, and other creatures, including those based on Greek and Roman mythology, were very common. Gargoyle water spouts were even found at the ruins of Pompeii. The first grotesque figures came from Egypt.
Gargoyles became popular in the medieval period but they date back to ancient Egypt.
gargoyles areusually made of marble or limestone. There have been some metal or terracotta gargoyles. There are no brick gargoyles.
Gargoyles are commonly associated with the Christian religion in Medieval Europe. They were often found adorning cathedrals and churches, where they served a functional purpose of directing rainwater away from the building. Additionally, gargoyles were also believed to ward off evil spirits and protect the church from harm.
In order to ward off evil medieval architects created gargoyles. This technique is referred to as apotropaism.
Gargoyles were used to ward off evil spirits, which is why they are commonly found in churches.
There are about a hundred different types of gargoyles. Gargoyles can look like animals, dragons, or be fictional. A gargoyle has a different meaning depending on what it is being used for.
gargoyles were invented by gargoyles who were invented by gargoyles and so on. This was written by gargoyle.
A lot of the time it was church officials but almost every type of person used gargoyles. They believed that the gargoyles would scare away evil spirits and by doing so it would bring them and the land good fortune. Other wise it was used as decoration.
Gargoyles first began appearing over 2000 years ago, in Ancient Greece and Egypt.
are used to scare things away. or to protect a castle
Gargoyles are an architectural feature attributed to the ignorance of medieval man who superstitiously believed in the existence of evil spirits and thus the gargoyle was created to ward off those spirits. They are purely an invention and as such were not discovered.
At first gargoyles were used as drain pipes because they did not want to building to suffer water damage. In the sixteenth century the lead drainpipe was invented and now the gargoyles are only used for decorative purposes. HOWEVER, superstition says that gargoyles are meant to ward off evil spirits. but that's just a legend.