Look Up and Consider the Fantastical

 

The grimacing, grinning, mischievous creatures perched close to Heaven that invite us and dare us…

I have very vivid childhood memories of walking the streets of New York and ogling at the stone creatures on tops of churches, cathedrals and other buildings. Most people only think of them as statues. To me, they were really alive with their own personalities.

I later learned that Gargoyles look like all kinds of creatures, including animals, dragons and strange, imaginary monsters. Some gargoyles are even made to look like humans.

So what is a gargoyle? Gargoyles are simply water spouts that direct water away from a building.

In architecture, more specifically in Gothic architecture which is made to draw your eyes up, a gargoyle is a carved creature with a spout designed to channel water from a roof and away from the side of a building, preventing rainwater from running down masonry walls and eroding the mortar in between. Architects often used multiple gargoyles on a building to divide the flow of rainwater off the roof to minimize the potential damage from a rainstorm.

A groove is cut in the back of the gargoyle and rainwater typically exits through the open mouth. How far the water is directed from the wall determines the elongated fantastical animal look of the gargoyle. You can think of them as glorified gutters.

The term gargoyle most often applies to medieval work. In ancient Egyptian architecture, gargoyles showed little variation — most were in the form of a lion’s head. Similar lion-mouthed water spouts were also seen on Greek temples. An example of this are the 39 remaining lion-headed water spouts on the Temple of Zeus.

In my travels as an adult, I am still fascinated by those brooding creatures perched high above the cities and villages of the world. In fact, there is much symbolism in the sculpture of the Gothic period.

There is a belief that gargoyles were placed on buildings to ward off evil, as well as represent the evil in the world. In the spiritual realm, they are protectors. They are believed to ward off evil spirits, demons and the devil. They are said to be cursed as statues during the day, and come alive at night.

There are those who truly believe in them. They will show themselves to people, even more so children. They will literally sit, and watch children to make sure that no harm comes to them. You can call on a gargoyle at any point in time. You do not even need a ritual, as they are always standing ready to be asked for. You can think of them as monstrous angels.The oldest gargoyle-like creation is a 13,000-year-old stone crocodile discovered in Turkey.

The world’s most famous gargoyles, and the ones that most influenced the popular wings-and-horns image of the creatures, are on Paris’s Notre Dame Cathedral.

If you can’t make it to Paris just yet, I understand Pittsburg, PA is a hotbed for gargoyles. More than 20 authentic gargoyles are featured throughout the city. If you travel to Pittsburg, make sure to check out the “Downtown Dragons” tour run by the History and Landmarks Foundation.

Art Deco gargoyles can be seen stop the 1930 Chrysler Building, a well-known skyscraper in New York City and one of my first sightings of a gargoyle.

Gargoyles can also be found on American Gothic Revival buildings such as the National Cathedral in Washington, D.C..

So look up and consider the fantastical, consider the appeal of things which we cannot fully understand today. Things that will ultimately have an explanation. Even if they don’t, enjoy them just for the pleasure or the intrigue they convey.