Gargoyels were said to protect us during the night..
There is a website about gargoyels you may like it..
2006-07-18 15:39:47
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answer #1
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answered by trouble comes a knockin 5
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gargoyles were originally a superstirious statue that was placed around buildings of sacred or holy places. The gargoyle is a creature that is soooo ugly it scares away bad or evil spirits. Over time and ingenuity, building architects and engineers devised a way to funnel water through the creatures, so they would actually serve a purpose...they became rain gutters around the early gothic to renaissance buildings and a few architects even worked them into modern buildings of the late 19th and early 20th century. Gargoyles are not really used in todays buildings as they are errected, as they are seen as artistic and nonessential. However if you have the money and the plans you too can errect your own gargoyles for rain water drainage and dare I say ward off evil spirits from your sacred places.
2006-07-18 23:53:29
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answer #2
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answered by Anonymous
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In architecture, gargoyles (from the French gargouille, originally the throat or gullet, cf. Latin gurgulio, gula, and similar words derived from root gar, to swallow, the word representing the gurgling sound of water; Ital. doccione; Ger. Ausguss, Wasserspeier) are the carved terminations to spouts which convey water away from the sides of buildings.
Gargoyles are mostly grotesque figures. Statues representing gargoyle-like creatures are popular sales items, particularly in goth and New Age retail stores.
A similar type of sculpture that does not work as a waterspout and serves only an ornamental or artistic function is called a chimera, although these are popularly referred to as gargoyles also.
History
View of Paris from the Galerie des Chimères on Notre Dame cathedralThe term gargoyle is most often applied to medieval work, but throughout all ages some means of throwing the water off roofs, when not conveyed in gutters, was adopted. In Egypt gargoyles ejected the water used in the washing of the sacred vessels which seems to have been done on the flat roofs of the temples. In Greek temples, the water from roofs passed through the mouths of lions whose heads were carved or modelled in the marble or terra cotta cymatium of the cornice. At Pompeii many terra cotta gargoyles were found that are modelled in the shape of animals.
A local legend that sprang up around the name of St. Romanus ("Romain") (631 – 641 A.D.), the former chancellor of the Merovingian king Clotaire II who was made bishop of Rouen, relates how he delivered the country around Rouen from a monster called Gargouille, having had the creature captured by a liberated prisoner. The gargoyle's grotesque form was said to scare off evil spirits so they were used for protection. In commemoration of St. Romain the Archbishops of Rouen were granted the right to set a prisoner free on the day that the reliquary of the saint was carried in procession.
Gargoyles, or more precisely chimerae, were used as decoration on 19th and early 20th century buildings in cities such as New York (where the Chrysler Building's stainless steel gargoyles are celebrated), and Chicago. Gargoyles can be found on many churches and buildings.
2006-07-19 05:59:24
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answer #3
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answered by Mye 4
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They Prevent Evil From Coming Into The House. That's Why They Are On Many Curch Roofs.
2006-07-21 18:02:18
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answer #4
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answered by Anonymous
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there are many types of gargoyles, you have the garden gargoyled, ones for your childs room one for the gates to your home, thats just to mention a few. Yes they ward off evil. Check this out on the churches in england they are on the used to line the front roof edges.
2006-07-18 22:43:24
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answer #5
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answered by Anonymous
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People used to believe that the gargoyles protected sacred areas, and kept people safe from evil spirits and demons etc. by scaring them away before they could do any harm. Now its just a tradition
2006-07-19 05:44:13
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answer #6
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answered by kyky 1
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Realistically, as an architectural feature they were rain spouts.
People like to think that scary or holy objects will keep away evil. Gothic catherals a covered with religious objects and have gargoyles on their edifices.
2006-07-18 22:40:36
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answer #7
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answered by practical thinking 5
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Gargoyles ward off water damage on stone structures by serving as drainspouts for rainwater flow. Their name comes from the sound they make when water flows through their stone pipes and mouths.
2006-07-18 22:41:17
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answer #8
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answered by sunfell2001 3
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gargoyles are supposed to ward of evil spirits with their creepy appearance. they are also decorative water sprouts. pretty much a decorative form of guttering. how would modern day plain guttering look on the side of the beautiful and gothic notre dame? not very appealing.
2006-07-18 23:02:11
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answer #9
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answered by werewolfpixie 5
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They're a form of Imp, mainly dark spirited. They watch and point out evil doers to other more powerful demons.
Funny so many of them are in and on churches huh? ;) LOL
2006-07-18 22:41:34
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answer #10
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answered by Izen G 5
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