What do gargoyles look like

But the oldest gargoyle is found on a building in Turkey. The ancient Egyptians, Romans and Greeks also carved gargoyles to use as drain spouts on their buildings. Looking up at a gargoyle on St. Stephen's Cathedral in Vienna, Austria. After the s, gargoyles became much less common on buildings. This human-looking gargoyle can be found at St.

Vitus Cathedral in Prague, Czech Republic. Gargoyles look like all kinds of creatures, including animals, dragons and strange, imaginary monsters. Some gargoyles are even made to look like humans. Actively scan device characteristics for identification. Use precise geolocation data. Select personalised content. Create a personalised content profile. Measure ad performance. Select basic ads. Create a personalised ads profile. Select personalised ads. Apply market research to generate audience insights.

Measure content performance. Develop and improve products. List of Partners vendors. Share Flipboard Email. Jackie Craven. Art and Architecture Expert. Jackie Craven has over 20 years of experience writing about architecture and the arts. She is the author of two books on home decor and sustainable design.

Facebook Facebook Twitter Twitter. Featured Video. Cite this Article Format. Craven, Jackie. The Real Story of the Gargoyle. The Griffin in Architecture and Design. What is the meaning of these unclean monkeys, these strange savage lions, and monsters? To what purpose are here placed these creatures, half beast, half man, or these spotted tigers? I see several bodies with one head and several heads with one body. Surely if we do not blush for such absurdities, we should at least regret what we have spent on them.

In the Middle Ages, most of the public was still illiterate and thus could not read the Bible or understand most church teachings. According to legend, some gargoyles were intentionally sculpted to look like pagan gods as a way to attract nonbelievers into the Church. They were way too intricately carved to have someone get a nosebleed or, God forbid, fall to his death during the carving. Pittsburgh was caught up in the Gothic architecture revival of the late s and as a result has countless gargoyles and grotesques dotting its downtown landscape.

For most of antiquity until, oh, a hundred years ago, stone gargoyles remained just that—inanimate objects. But more recently they became sort of like the golem of legend—stone creatures that would spring to life and exact vengeance when necessary. Every Friday, we send out an email with the scariest horror movies and TV shows streaming that weekend along with creepy news, updates from the horror movie pipeline, and links to the best scary content on the web.

When you opt in, not only do you get our curated list of the best horror streaming and stories, you support our work and help us keep the lights on. Creepy Catalog is owned by the Thought and Expression Company, a small, independent media company. Our newsletter keeps our core readers connected. Signing up helps us not Zuckerberg stay in direct contact with you and create the best horror website possible.