They are scary, but sometimes funny, touching and even frankly shameless, most often they can be found in Western Europe, where they decorate the cornices of ancient cathedrals in a great variety and variety. They are gargoyles and chimeras - bizarre creatures whose presence in a holy place seems strange and inappropriate. But this is only at first glance. What an important mission the gargoyles performed, what they are and how they differ from chimeras - this will be discussed later.
Legend of the Gargoyle
An ancient legend says that a long time ago in a swamp, not far from Rouen, there lived a huge and terrible dragon. He did not allow the inhabitants of the city to live peacefully, sleep peacefully and even trade peacefully, as he often attacked merchant ships that came to Rouen along the Seine. Moreover, in the arsenal of the dragon there were very different methods of intimidation, sometimes, according to his mood, he breathed fire, and sometimes seething streams of water burst out of his mouth. To prevent the monster from destroying the city completely, the locals brought him annual human sacrifices. By the way, the dragon was female, and her name was Gargoyle.
The very French word "Gargouille" comes from the Latin term for the throat or pharynx and is very consonant with the sound of bubbling water. Apparently, this name was given to the dragon precisely because of his habit of often acting as a water cannon. Legends say that thanks to this skill, the Gargoyle masterly sank rather large ships and raised such a storm on the river that huge waves flooded city streets and flooded many buildings.
However, the time came, and the monster was found in the person of Saint Roman of Rouen, who held the local episcopal see. By the way, Roman effectively fought not only with dragons, but also with pagans, for which he was later canonized.
Before going to pacify the monster, Roman looked for an assistant for a long time. As a result, only a criminal sentenced to death agreed to help the bishop. The fight with the dragon seemed to him the best way out than the block. Saint Roman decided to use his assistant as bait, and when the Gargoyle climbed out of her cave to feast on human flesh, the bishop deprived the monster of his will with a cross and prayers, and she, like a tame one, lay down at his feet.
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Then the story developed less touchingly. Despite the docility of the dragon, the inhabitants of Rouen decided to burn it, and they almost succeeded. However, they did not take into account that the Gargoyle's throat and head, for obvious reasons, turned out to be non-combustible, and it was not possible to destroy them in this way. It was decided to place the remains of the unfortunate monster on public display, as a symbol of the victory of the holy Church over the forces of evil, and for this purpose the cornice of the local cathedral was best suited.
Over time, people got used to such an exotic decoration of the temple, moreover, residents of neighboring cities began to envy Rouen and wished to have the same "decoration" on their cathedrals. But since all the dragons in Europe had already been exterminated by that time, the real trophies had to be replaced with stone ones.
Since the XI century, statues of gargoyles (the name has become a household name) have been in abundance on many religious buildings in Europe. Mindful of the monster's ability to spew water, architects began to use its stone counterparts as gutters. That is why at many cathedrals there are whole companies of gargoyles, since one sink for a huge building was clearly not enough. Only in the century before last, people pardoned their stone "campaigners" and freed them from work, providing the function of drainage of water to ordinary drainpipes.
What are gargoyles
Gargoyles on temples do not always depict a dragon; many look like very real animals or birds. All of them not only serve as a drain, but also carry a deep symbolic meaning, including, they personify some of the seven deadly sins.
Lions are the only felines that can be found in the form of a gargoyle. Cats in the Middle Ages were considered witchcraft animals, therefore they were disliked, and the lion, always considered a symbol of pride and courage, according to the architects, was supposed to warn parishioners about the danger of falling into the mortal sin of pride.
Dogs - unlike cats in the Middle Ages, they were loved, as they were considered a symbol of loyalty and devotion. But their appearance in the form of a gargoyle made people remember another mortal sin - greed. It's no secret that hungry dogs often steal food, and in the Middle Ages, when every piece was counted, it was considered the machinations of the devil.
Wolf - although they were afraid of wolves, they were respected for their ability to live in a big pack and unconditionally obey the leader. By the way, the priests themselves were often compared with the "leaders of the pack", since they were called to unite parishioners around themselves, to jointly resist evil and the temptations of Satan.
Eagle - Eagles were considered the only creatures other than knights who could defeat the dragon on their own. In addition, according to legend, they could heal themselves simply by looking at the sun.
The snake is a symbol of original sin. The personification of the struggle between good and evil. The serpent was considered immortal, and this once again proved that the confrontation between the devil and the divine would be eternal. Of the deadly sins, envy was associated with the snake.
Goats and rams were considered a symbol of lust, also one of the seven deadly sins. In addition, Satan himself was often depicted with goat legs.
The monkey - for a strange and incomprehensible reason, personified laziness. Perhaps such a misconception arose among the Europeans because it was as difficult to meet a live monkey in the forests of the Old World as it was to find a surviving dragon. Had to trust the rumors, and they could be very far from the truth.
Chimeras
In ancient Greece, an animal with the body of a goat, the head of a lion, and the tail of a dragon was called a chimera. Hesiod in his writings described another type of monster, according to his version, she had as many as three heads: a lion, a goat and a rooster. Medieval chimeras were even more bizarre than ancient ones and could combine the features of a wide variety of animals, only the principle of multiple composition remained the same.
Chimeras appeared on cathedral cornices much later than gargoyles, and unlike the latter, they were completely useless. As a rule, they served as just a grotesque decoration, symbolizing the power of the devil, which can give rise to terrible and strange creatures. By the way, some chimeras could have anthropomorphic features. Among humanoid chimeras, there are both frankly creepy and frankly comic characters.
Of course, such "decorations" could not exist for a long time next to people without becoming heroes of numerous legends. Over time, the chimeras began to be attributed with magical properties, there were rumors that every night creepy creatures come to life, and if the temple was in danger, they could come to life during the day to ruthlessly deal with the enemy.
Gargoyles of Notre Dame
The most famous gargoyles and chimeras live on the cornices of Notre Dame de Paris. You can see them from below only when you approach the wall of the cathedral and lift your head up.
Legends say that the sculptors of Notre Dame were given complete freedom of creativity in depicting gargoyles. There were some curiosities, for example, one master did not love his mother-in-law so much that he captured her in the form of a gargoyle, not realizing that thereby immortalized her image over the centuries.
By the way, all the Middle Ages, the facade of the main cathedral of Paris was decorated only with gargoyles. The gallery of famous chimeras was added much later, only in the 19th century. Then, a large-scale restoration was carried out in the cathedral, the building was repaired after the destruction caused to it by the events of the Great French Revolution. Now the Chimera Gallery is located right at the base of the towers, at a height of 46 meters, and to get there, you need to climb almost 400 steps of a steep staircase.
True, there is a version that chimeras at the cathedral existed before, they were installed here in the XIV century, after the defeat of the Templar order and the execution of its great master Jacques de Molay. At the same time, all chimeras had goat heads, which depicted Baphomet, a strange creature, in whose worship the Templars were accused.
Many of Notre Dame's chimeras have their own stories and names. For example, the most famous of them is called Strix. Her image has long become a textbook and it is her that most people first of all represent when they hear the word "chimera". According to legends, this strange, brooding creature only looks like stone, and at night it spreads its wings and soars around the cathedral. Parisians still believe that Strix can kidnap a baby who is carelessly left unattended, so mothers in the vicinity of Notre Dame should always be on their guard.
Another famous chimera of Notre Dame Cathedral is the baby Dedo. Tradition says that once a nun from a provincial monastery visited the temple. Having looked at the terrible gargoyles and no less fearful chimeras, she decided to add a more charming character to their company. The nun herself carved out of the stone a pretty figure with the body of a child and the muzzle of an incomprehensible animal. She named her creation Dedo and secretly installed it among the other chimeras of the cathedral.
For a long time, the inhabitants of Paris did not suspect that another inhabitant had appeared in the gallery of chimeras. Only chance helped to declassify the baby Dedo. The son of one of the employees of the cathedral was playing on the roof and almost fell down. Falling, the boy managed to grab onto one of the stone chimeras and only thanks to this escaped imminent death. The boy's involuntary savior turned out to be baby Dedo. Since then, the good chimera has enjoyed great love from the inhabitants of Paris, who are sure that Dedo is able to fulfill any desire, if you ask him about it from the heart.
Everyone who has seen the chimeras of Notre Dame with their own eyes claims that these eerie creatures are damn charming. They are so expressive that taking pictures with them is completely useless, a living person next to them seems like a soulless doll.
