Gargoyles

Gargoyles

By the Kent School District

The word "gargoyle" comes from a French word "gargouille" which means "gargle" or "throat."

The type of stone used by builders during the middle ages could be damaged by constant exposure to rain. As such, the gargoyles were designed to remove the rain water away from the building. With this picture, you are looking at the gargoyle from above. Notice the gutter that runs along the back and empties out through the throat of the stone creature.

In addition to the practical use of removing water away from the building, gargoyles were also used to incorporate pagan imagery into church teaching. During the middle ages, the church was heavily involved in converting people from pagan religions to Catholicism. Seeing some recongnizable images from their customs and traditions helped in the transition of these illiterate people to Catholicism

After hundreds of years of diverting water away from the cathedrals, many gargoyles have themselves been damaged by the water. Work to restore the gargoyles to their original look is ongoing.