Gargoyles … What do we know about these ugly creatures? For several centuries, their stone sculptures have been decorating the roofs of cathedrals and castles, serving as original gutters. In addition, more recently, they have become the protagonists of science fiction films and the popular Disney animated series. However, these mysterious creatures have their own fascinating stories, which cannot be compared with the plot of the most exciting film, which makes even sophisticated viewers freeze at the screens.
Monsters from the Dark Ages
According to myths, gargoyles were born from stone back in time immemorial. Among the numerous host of gods of Ancient Egypt, these monsters were considered the spirits of the dark world, whose duty was to punish people leading an unworthy life. The Egyptians believed that ugly winged monsters could rob sinners of luck, send terrible diseases and torment them in one way or another until the villain repents.
In ancient Greece, gargoyles were revered as protectors of the home. It was then that their first stone statues appeared, standing on the roofs of houses. It was believed that the evil creatures of Tartarus, looking for their victims on the ground, upon seeing such a statue, would decide: the house was already occupied by their “colleagues”, and would go to seek refuge elsewhere.
However, gargoyles were most revered in the British Isles. Celtic legends say that even a millennium ago, these were rather friendly creatures that became stone statues in the morning and came to life at sunset. Gargoyles turned to stone were defenseless against numerous enemies. This circumstance forced their leaders to conclude a treaty with the tan (heads) of the Celtic kingdoms, which consisted in the fact that during the day they give shelter to stone monsters outside the walls of the ancestral castles, and at night the gargoyles protect the peace of their refuge. For a long time, the friendship between people and monsters lasted until one of the leaders of the gargoyles offended a powerful witch with something. The offended sorceress cursed the whole race of gargoyles, dooming them to eternal stone sleep. They say that their surviving statues can still be found today among the ruins of ancient castles,and these mysterious creatures will wake up just before the end of our world.
Dragon exhaling water
Promotional video:
The following Christian tradition tells us about how gargoyles became the adornment of European cathedrals. Many centuries ago, one of the gargoyles settled in France on the banks of the Seine River. This creature, similar to a wingless dragon, had an extremely evil disposition and tried in every possible way to annoy people. The gargoyle sank merchant ships and fishing boats, and in a fit of anger sent floods to villages, destroying houses and destroying crops. Tired of her intrigues, people turned to Saint Roman for help, who defeated the monster in a fierce battle. But turning the body of the gargoyle to dust, the saint could not destroy its head with its mouth wide open. Then Roman decided to crown with his trophy the gutter of Notre Dame - the main temple of Paris, thereby showing the superiority of Christians over dark forces.
Since then, the custom has appeared to decorate the roofs and naves of cathedrals with ugly stone statues. So the gargoyles began to appear as defeated creatures of darkness, bowing to the forces of light. Initially, these winged and horned sculptures served exclusively as gutters, for the tamed devilish creatures no longer spew the disgusting stench of sulfur from their throats, but drain ordinary rainwater from the roof of God's house.
By the way, this "work" of gargoyles gave rise to some funny sayings. To this day, in France, they say about hopeless drunks that "he drinks like a gargoyle", or "he drinks so much that, looking at him, the gargoyle will die of envy."
After some time, the statues of monsters began to show off not only on the roofs, but also in the aisles of the temples, because there they were supposed to remind believers of the horrors of hell with their ugly appearance.
Baby Dedo and others
Many statues depicting gargoyles have survived to this day. However, it is difficult to find similar images among them. This is due to the fact that in the Middle Ages there were few literate people, and the sculptures of gargoyles served as a "visual aid" to help the common people comprehend the Holy Scriptures.
That is why among the medieval statues one can often find statues resembling demonic lions, goats, monkeys … The fact is that these animals personified the mortal sins that humanity is subject to and which must be fought by any means. So, a lion-gargoyle reminded believers of the ugliness of pride, a dog about greed, a goat about lust, and a snake about envy.
An interesting fact is that the demonic image of a monkey personified laziness (!). Now it's hard to believe it, but several centuries ago, Europeans considered primates worthless and lazy animals, and the most suitable place for fussy monkeys was precisely the bestiary, symbolizing sins.
In addition, among the ugly sculptures there are disfigured images of people, as if eloquently demonstrating what can happen to a person who succumbed to the devil's temptation.
I must say that among the many ugly statues of gargoyles there are personalities with their own personal history. So, among the host of gargoyles of Notre Dame lurked a small statue of the baby Dedo, well known to the Parisians. Tradition says that when this cathedral was being built, one nun from the province, dissatisfied with the devilish faces of the gargoyles, decided to contribute to the decoration of the main temple in Paris. She changed into men's clothes and, reaching the capital, carved out of stone a figurine that resembles a barefoot child with a cute little animal's face. Secretly making her way to the construction site, the nun placed her product, which she called Dedo, on the ledge of the roof, after which she returned to the monastery. For a long time, no one suspected the presence of an unusual statue among other gargoyles, until a disaster struck one of the sons of the temple servant. The child playing on the roof slipped and rolled down. A little more, and a terrible death would have awaited the baby, but, grasping the statue of Dedo in time, the little boy escaped the inevitable fall. After this incident, the Parisians not only learned about the existence of a good gargoyle, but also fell in love with it. After all, it is believed that if you ask Dedo for something good, then he will certainly fulfill any desire made from a pure heart.