Here are a few examples of gargoyles and grotesques in England. ![]() When solely used for architectural adornment, they are known as ‘grotesques’. Gargoyles can also serve the very practical function of draining water from the roofs of churches and cathedrals to protect the stonework from erosion. They were also thought to act as a reminder of the hell that awaited anyone who did not attend church. ![]() In folklore, gargoyles are thought to ward off harmful spirits, their wide open mouths symbolic of devouring giants. Usually taking the form of a twisted face or a animal hybrid, these ominous stone icons are referred to in Greek mythology as ‘chimera’ – a creature with the head of a lion, the body of a goat, and the long tail of a snake. Gargoyle is derived from the French ‘gargouille’, meaning throat.
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