#gothic architecture

[jesterofwords]

A helpful guide to Gargoyles, Grotesques, and other statues

Gargoyles serve the same function as a modern day roof drain or gutter. Originally built to reduce erosion from storms, they became much less popular in the early 18th century. Must be built into the building high on the wall and have spout capabilities.

Example picture:

Grotesques are purely aesthetic and are the Gargoyles less functional but cooler cousin. They were believed to ward off evil spirits, so they were most popular on churches or other religious buildings. These must also be built high on walls and were usually hidden for the casual viewer's pleasure. The reason grotesques were believed to ward off evil is the hideous mixure of human and animal features, much like how halloween started.

Example picture:

Neither of these fixtures can be gifted or sit at ground level. If they do, they are neither a Gargoyle nor a grotesque, but instead a regular statue.

As far as my knowledge goes, Europeans in the 14th to 18th century never actually used grotesque-style or other statues to protect their gates. The closest I could find were The Lion Gatekeeper statues, popular in Egypt, Greece, and Mesopotamia.

This kind of thing:

NEVER EXISTED. The idea of the modern-day "gargoyle" wasn't popular until Disney's 1994 cartoon, "Gargoyles". If you ever write about Gargoyles, they were NEVER ground-level decoration.

To summarize: Gargoyles were a wall figure designed to drain water. Grotesques were a wall fixture meant for aesthetics and to ward off evil. Anything else is a statue. Do not get them mixed up.

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[2000s-angell]

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[endlessmazin]

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[livingdeadgrl666]

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