BA2 - Gargoyle Research

BA2 - Gargoyle Research

Gargoyles have existed for a long time throughout History, even found upon Ancient Egyptian architecture. The form of a Gargoyle has changed a lot in between the different time periods but it’s purpose have always stayed the same, to diverse water from eroding building walls. They do this by having a spout designed to convey the water from a roof and away from the side of a building, preventing masonry walls and the mortar between getting ruined by the rain water.

 Basic function of a Gargoyle

Picture from: http://blenderartists.org/forum/showthread.php?247007-Gargoyle-asset-final

The term “Gargoyle” itself comes from the old French word “Gargouille” and the Latin word “Gugulio” which both mean throat. It’s also believed that the word is connected to the gurgling sound it makes when the water is pouring through the spout. 

Nobody is completely sure where the idea behind “Gargoyles” themselves originate from. One theory believes that they come from an old French legend, where St.Romanus saved his country from a monster by the name of Goji (Gargouille). The monster was supposed to look so scary that it frightened off evil spirits, this is the reason why Gargoyles are often portrayed as monsters or beasts. 

Gargoyles started to become a popular first around the 1200’s but strong evidence suggests that they were purely used for architectural purposes instead of decorative. We know this since most were made out of wood or stone, and were usually undecorated. As history progressed, Gargoyles became more and more decorative. They started to appear in different kinds of materials and usually found in the shape of people, animals and grotesques.

We also improved our architectural design and the Gargoyles became more of an ornament than to actually serve its purpose.  From the 19^th century and onward, gargoyles act more as a decoration than anything else. 

Gargoyle Moodboard
(Click to enlarge) 

Sources: 

http://www.authenticireland.com/gargoyles/ 

http://www.stratis.demon.co.uk/gargoyles/gg-ety-hist-myth.htm 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gargoyle