dUSt Posted March 27, 2015 Share Posted March 27, 2015 (edited) From Wikipedia: Gargoyles were viewed in two ways by the church throughout history. The primary use was to convey the concept of evil through the form of the gargoyle, which was especially useful in sending a stark message to the common people, most of whom were illiterate. Gargoyles also are said to scare evil spirits away from the church, this reassured congregants that evil was kept outside of the church’s walls.[9]However, some medieval clergy viewed gargoyles as a form of idolatry. In the 12th century St. Bernard of Clairvaux was famous for speaking out against gargoyles: What are these fantastic monsters doing in the cloisters before the eyes of the brothers as they read? 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. Here is a quadruped with a serpent's head, there a fish with a quadruped's head, then again an animal half horse, half goat... Surely if we do not blush for such absurdities, we should at least regret what we have spent on them.[10] According to Lester Burbank Bridaham, writing in Gargoylaes, Chimeres and the Grotesque in French Gothic Sculpture, "There is much symbolism in the sculpture of the Gothic period; but we must be wary of reading in too much meaning."[11] Let's talk about gargoyles! Edited March 27, 2015 by dUSt Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maggyie Posted March 27, 2015 Share Posted March 27, 2015 Gargoyles are amesome. Sorry St Bernard. MORE MONEY FOR GARGOYLES. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AccountDeleted Posted March 27, 2015 Share Posted March 27, 2015 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nihil Obstat Posted March 27, 2015 Share Posted March 27, 2015 I really like St. Bernard... but I always thought gargoyles were neat. I guess I will side with Bernard. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luigi Posted March 27, 2015 Share Posted March 27, 2015 Bernard's, of course, is an educated person's opinion. As stated in the original post, gargoyles were probably aimed at the illiterate. But I do agree that we shouldn't read too much into them. Personally, I'm glad American churches were built after the gargoyle fad had passed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BarbTherese Posted March 27, 2015 Share Posted March 27, 2015 Creepy things - gave me the heeby jeebies - something nasty about them in a comical sort of way! Didn't know whether to laugh or to cry. Could never understand their raison d'être.(Google has enlightened me somewhat in that they had a religious purpose, to instill the heeby jeebies about the loss of eternal life and pains of Hell and horrors to be encountered there in days when art was used because the faithful often could not read - and sometimes practical uses as water conveyors from the roof away from a building............sometimes both I would guess serving a dual purpose - two birds with one stone) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tinytherese Posted March 27, 2015 Share Posted March 27, 2015 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BarbTherese Posted March 27, 2015 Share Posted March 27, 2015 Draining water off roof away from the building and scaring the living daylights out of the illiterate Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marigold Posted March 27, 2015 Share Posted March 27, 2015 I found out about gargoyles from the animated Hunchback of Notre Dame and I thought they were pretty funny but also friendly and supportive in that reassuring Disney way... I'd never really thought about why they are included on churches, but from what Bernard is saying, could they be some kind of folk art or superstition that sneaked into the mainstream? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BarbTherese Posted March 27, 2015 Share Posted March 27, 2015 I started to read this http://www.cwrl.utexas.edu/~bump/oxford/gargoyles.html - but then realised it was too long to read just now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ash Wednesday Posted March 27, 2015 Share Posted March 27, 2015 I don't know the full context of St. Bernard's quote but it's worth considering the context of his times (he also was a critic of the Immaculate Conception as he understood it then). I get the sense that he just saw them as absurd, irrelevant, pointless and a waste of money. And probably felt they were frivolous. As an artist I will most respectfully disagree... GO GARGOYLES!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
puellapaschalis Posted March 27, 2015 Share Posted March 27, 2015 St. Bernard is also a Cistercian, not to be forgotten. Perhaps to him they're just an unnecessary piece of masonry. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dUSt Posted March 27, 2015 Author Share Posted March 27, 2015 I originally started this topic because one of my friends doesn't like to drink one of my favorite beers, not because of the taste (because he thinks it's delicious), but because he said he doesn't want to support the devil. Haha... I keep explaining to him that it is not a picture of a devil, it is a gargoyle. He doesn't care... He's a Protestant. hahaha Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
veritasluxmea Posted March 27, 2015 Share Posted March 27, 2015 You might want to introduce him to this lady Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PhuturePriest Posted March 27, 2015 Share Posted March 27, 2015 You might want to introduce him to this lady Fundamentalists are the worst people. Particularly those who spend their free time looking for Satan in their own shadows. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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