La Rochelle
Cardiff
Paris
Paris
SevilleSometimes when you travel, you really have to search hard to locate the unusual. As you walk down streets you are surrounded by people, buildings which are different from what you are used to, tantalizing sounds and smells. At times, the total experience can be overwhelming. While I appreciate all of those things, if you were to watch me walking down that street you would occasionally catch me looking up intently and then focusing my camera. GARGOYLES!
I have always been attracted to gargoyles, those ornate and often bizarre creatures that decorate water spouts. There are a couple of reasons that I have that reaction. One is my love of fantasy novels. I really enjoy most variations- historical fantasy such as that written by Mercedes Lackey and Charles de Lint's and Neil Gaiman's urban fantasies. A second reason for my interest in gargoyles is historical. Imagine the European world centuries ago when minds were filled with superstitions and these creatures were very real to the viewer. Mind-boggling!
For those of you that have never seen a gargoyle and wonder what possible purpose they could have, I quote Wikipedia: "In architecture, a gargoyle is a carved stone grotesque with a spout designed to convey water from a roof and away from the side of a building. Preventing rainwater from running down masonry walls is important because running water erodes the mortar between the stone blocks.[1]Architects often used multiple gargoyles on buildings to divide the flow of rainwater off the roof to minimize the potential damage from a rainstorm. A trough is cut in the back of the gargoyle and rainwater typically exits through the open mouth. Gargoyles are usually an elongated fantastic animal because the length of the gargoyle determines how far water is thrown from the wall. When Gothic flying buttresses were used, aqueducts were sometimes cut into the buttress to divert water over the aisle walls."
I hope you have enjoyed your visit and will come again. If you have a chance, seek out a place with a gargoyle and try to imagine an earlier time or a time today when the creature you observe has the potential to take on a more lively guise. In the meantime, may your travels be interesting and enjoyable.
Kerry
2 comments:
Thanks for interesting architectural figures. I learned a new word. What might have in their mind while designing/making gargoyles?
You are very welcome. It is very interesting to me as well why they chose the figures that they did. It was a time of both superstition and strong Christian convictions. Gargoyles make me think of talisman that other cultures use to drive away evil spirits. In any case, it's hard for me to resist taking a photo of a gargoyle.
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