Evil fairies bewitch ploughman on Bennachie, Jim Fitzpatrick on Irish Mythology, Phil Lynott and Che Guevara, Murder lies behind sleepy Oswestry market town’s name, Evil Earth Magnetism of Bass of Inverurie, Scotland, Simon of Sudbury, a Canterbury Tale of Ghosts and Murder, Lionel Atwill’s 7 maddest and baddest scientists. This type of sculpture is also called a chimera. Credit- Aconcagua CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons. Benton, Janetta Rebold. They illustrate that sinners can be turned to stone for their deeds. This is where gargoyles come in. Feel free to send suggestions. In terms of the seven deadly sins, the serpent represented envy. Many medieval cathedrals included gargoyles and chimeras. Print. Rain spouts, decorations, guardians and googly eyes. "...Very old am I, bones stiff with cold. Below is a list of some animals commonly used as gargoyles, and some of the meanings behind them. Similar lion-mouthed water spouts were also seen on Greek temples, carved or modeled in the marble or terracotta cymatium of the cornice. I love gargoyles, they should be compulsary on all new-builds! Designed by Elegant Themes | Powered by WordPress, Why you need to experience the Buckingham Fountain, 40 Gargoyles and Grotesques Around the World. The ancient Egyptians, Greeks, Etruscans and Romans all used animal-shaped waterspouts. These include familiar chimeras such as griffins (a lion and eagle mixed) and harpies (a half woman, half bird) but also more abstract mixtures. During the medieval period lions became the symbol of pride, one of the 7 deadly sins. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. May 8, 2013 - Explore alumbricus's board "Gargoyles, Grotesques and Chimeras", followed by 527 people on Pinterest. A single gargoyle would not be much good in a ferocious storm. It is thought that they were used to scare people into coming to church, reminding them that the end of days is near. The Biltmore Estate by David Simchock Photography, via Flickr. They may be brand new designs or intended to replace badly deteriorated ones. A grotesque figure is a sculpture that does not work as a waterspout and serves only an ornamental or artistic function. Some of the more notable chimeras are griffins, centaurs, harpies, and mermaids. Wolves have the ability to live and cooperate as a pack which gave rise to the metaphor that a wolf could be a leader of a pack and protect the members. Wood, terracotta, and possibly brick have been used in the past, but don’t withstand time and the elements well. (For complaints, use ~ Chimeras are forms of fanciful animals. Eagles were respected for their ability to see far away objects, and were also said to renew themselves by looking into the sun (accounting for the glint always seen in the eagleÕs eye in paintings). Scores of color photos show where gargoyles can be found around the world. Credit- Ellie Crystal via http://www.crystalinks.com/gargoyles.html. Show off your favorite photos and videos to the world, securely and privately show content to your friends and family, or blog the photos and videos you take with a cameraphone. Their strange elongation is also deliberate as the extra length will ensure that the water cascades as far away from the wall as possible. The character displayed in each one is incredible. Specifically. Lions were the most common non-native animal crafted as a gargoyle in the medieval period. What is commonly referred to as a gargoyle may actually be a grotesque or guardian. Today, Gargoyles, Grotesques and Chimeras are once again ascending buildings, hiding away in quiet garden corners, and standing guard upon gate posts. Ov A novel by Kevin Patrick McCann BOOK REVIEW, Dracula Society, An Interview with the chair, Julia Kruk, M.R. On one side they were thought to be Christ-like because of their ability to find food on steep mountainsides and nourish themselves from almost nothing (the Feeding of the Five Thousand springs immediately to mind as a parallel). Weird Russians — Bank entrance decorations in Veliky Novgorod, From Here There Be Dragon's Facebook page, These were 2 of the three cool downspouts on the back of St. Conan's Church on Loch Awe in Scotland, and 2 of the reasons I wanted to see the church while in Scotland in June. In this book Carving Gargoyles, Grotesques, and Other Creatures of Myth, carvers will discover the history and lore surrounding the gargoyle and his cousins, the grotesque, guardian, chimera, greenman, imp - and learn to tell the difference between them all.