why do they put gargoyles on buildings?

Answer 1

Gargoyle (GAHR -goil): A waterspout in the form of a grotesque human or animal figure projecting from the roof or eaves of a building.

(1) Gargoyles originally functioned as down spouts to direct rain water away from the walls of medieval gothic cathedrals. It is thought that gargoyles were named for the gurgling sound that the water spilling out them makes. Gargoyles protected from their perches on high and were also thought to ward off evil from the cathedral.
(2) They were also used as educational devices for a largely illiterate population, and were believed to ward off evil spirits with their own grotesqueness.

Answer 2

It was believed that the Gargoyles were used to ward away evil and protect those with in the building. Another belief is they were used as water spout drains because their designed with mouths opened and a hollowing to allow water to pass through and out the mouth.
I found some sites that might give you a better understanding of Gargoyles, their history, use etc.

Hope this helps. I know when my husband and I can afford to have a house built I want Guardian Gargoyles atop our house.

Course I would rather look at Gargoyles than their "cousins" the Grotesques when I look up at a building.

Answer 3

The gargoyles are functional and decorative. They can be water spouts or just strenthing for part of the roof. Why are they ugly well you are not going to scare evil spirits away with nice faces. Some gargoyles are fashioned on real people, at least one church has faces of it's patrons. Not everything ugly is horrible open your mind.

Answer 4

It's avtually not known for certain why they were put there. In the case of the most famous ones at Notre Dame, we DO know that they were originally just fancy drains (the excess water poured from their mouths) But we don't know who sculpted them or why they chose the forms of demons to go on a cathedral honoring the Virgin.

Answer 5

gargoyles can be found on top of gothic cathedrals, as a sign of the existence of evil. also, as they are placed on the roof, it's like a symbolic way of saying that they cannot enter the sacred house of God, they are kept outside, they cannot hurt anyone.

Answer 6

To guard the premises against evil spirits and bad luck. Course, it actually give tribute to the financial contributors to the building when a plaque wasn't enough.

Answer 7

in the old days gargoyles were use to wart off evil.

Answer 8

They scare away evil spirits, keeping them from entering the building. If you put them in the street, they would block traffic.

Answer 9

The word means something like water and throat and they are used to push water away from buildings, like downspouts. They are also architecturally fun to make.

Answer 10

I think at first they were put there to scare off evil spirits so they were used for protection, but evenutally evolved to be just decoration and tradition.