What did the gargoyles serve as. Legend of the Gargoyle. Sterling Silver Jewelry Care

Gargoyles are very disgusting, scary and vile creatures.
If you are careful, you can see them in many places hanging over our heads.
I suggest looking at these mysterious creatures.

1. A gargoyle is a grotesque figure carved from stone, which was created to drain water from the roofs and side facades of large buildings.

2. Usually we associate them with medieval times (thanks to one well-known hunchback), but they appeared much earlier. These are not just scary statues. Many gargoyles are shaped like certain animals, and this is no coincidence.

3. Lev.
The lion and the lioness were favorite images of the creators of gargoyles. For example, at Dornoch Cathedral in Scotland there is such a cute lioness, grinning at passers-by below. The lion was one of the most popular non-European animals used in medieval churches and cathedrals. Later they became popular in the form of gargoyles (there are a lot of them in Pompeii), and they symbolized the sun - their golden mane represented the solar crown of our life.

4. However, in the Middle Ages, the builders of cathedrals used the lion as a symbol of pride, which, of course, was one of the seven deadly sins, and therefore it was worth avoiding. This lion, for example, looks quite proud. It is located at one of the colleges in France. In addition to lions, other types of cats were practically not used in the creation of gargoyles. Cats were a symbol of witchcraft, so they were avoided.

5. Dog. This gargoyle is located on the tower of Philip IV the Handsome in the palace in Dijon, again, in France.
Dogs have always been very popular, and they are rarely looked upon only as pets. They guarded houses at night, so they were considered smart and devoted. On the one hand, it can be assumed that, as gargoyles, the statues of dogs were supposed to guard buildings, but their presence on the roofs is also due to another reason. Dogs are always hungry, and they often stole food from people, so in those days their figures were often placed on cathedrals and churches, so that everyone could see that even such a devoted animal as a dog can succumb to the temptations of the devil and become a victim of greed.

6. Wolf.
Although wolves were also considered greedy, they were treated with some respect, as they these animals have always worked together. It was then that the expression "leader of the pack" was born. Wolves were also associated with priests who were supposed to protect people from the devil - thus, the wolf even managed to be in the form of a protector of the lambs of God. The gargoyles on the roofs also often gathered in a “flock”, because. architects wanted to take rain water in different sides. During a rainstorm, one gargoyle would not be enough. Gargoyles were made elongated so that the water flowed as far as possible from the wall.

7. Eagle. Gargoyle in the form of an eagle at the Cathedral of St. Rumbold in Mechelen, Belgium.
Eagles were the protectors of buildings, in particular, from dragons, for, as the medieval people believed, eagles were the only creatures capable of defeating a winged serpent. It was said that they could heal themselves by looking directly at the sun, which had long been the personification of the deity.

8. Serpent. This serpent on a building in Krakow, Poland warns people of the sins of the flesh.
The snake is associated with original sin, and therefore this stone beast can be found in almost all the cathedrals of Europe. Since the time of Adam and Eve, the serpent has been a symbol of the constant struggle between good and evil. Among the seven deadly sins, the snake represents envy. They were also considered immortal, which meant that the fight against sins would continue forever.

9. Ram or goat. This gargoyle is located on the cathedral in Barcelona.
Like most of the animals presented here, the goat also had a dual nature in the eyes of medieval Christians. On the one hand, they were considered divine, because. they knew how to find food even among steep cliffs and survive in the most difficult situations. On the other hand, they were considered evil creatures and a symbol of lust - another of the seven deadly sins. And, of course, what animal is usually associated with Satan?

10. Monkey.
Our closest relatives have always been looked at as what will happen to us if something in nature goes wrong. However, they were often considered stupid and lazy. That is why they personified another mortal sin - laziness. This gargoyle in the form of a monkey is located in Paris, which is not surprising, because the very word "gargoyle" originated in French. Once the word "Gargouille" meant the word "throat", and the word itself came from Latin.

11. Other languages were more accurate. In Italian, the gargoyle is called "grónda sporgente", choet literally means "protruding chute". AT German they are called "Wasserspeier" - "water spitters", and the Dutch went even further and nicknamed the gargoyles "waterspuwer" - "spewing water".

12. And by the way, from this Dutch word "waterspuwer" in English language came the verb "to spew" (to spew). However, if you do not take into account the "animal" personifications of gargoyles, then all of them were often considered chimeras.

13. This chimera is located at York Cathedral in England, which is generally famous for these same chimeras.
And although we are no longer afraid of these chimeras, the medieval inhabitants were rather superstitious and uneducated, and they considered them terrible creatures. A chimera is born when two different body parts fuse to create an entirely new creature, such as a griffin (or a mermaid, a figure still popular in fountain making).

14. On Milan Cathedral there is a rather interesting set of chimeras - there Renaissance thinkers stand next to these strange creatures from the imagination of madmen. These chimeras on the roofs of cathedrals and other buildings personified those who underestimate the power of the devil. Although the devil cannot create life, he can mix different forms life in order to get a new one - that is, a chimera.

15. One of the most famous gargoyles in the world can be found at Notre Dame Cathedral.

16. Even the Disney studio could not ignore these interesting creatures.

17. The legend of the gargoyle. The French had a legend about one of their saints - Romaine. In the 17th century, he was made a bishop and had to fight a creature called the Gargull. It was a dragon-like creature with wings, a long neck, and the ability to spew fire from its mouth.

18. Having conquered the dragon, Romaine could not destroy his head, because. she was tempered by fire from her own mouth. Then Romaine placed her on the walls of the cathedral so that she would scare away evil forces. Well, this gargoyle in the photo is located in the van Saint-Jan Cathedral Basilica.

Gargoyles - who are they and why are they so scary?

This serpent on a building in Krakow, Poland warns people of the sins of the flesh.

The legend of the Gargoyle appears around the 7th century AD. in the territory modern France. There are several different options myth, but something like this emerges.

In the vicinity of the city of Rouen, in a lair in the swamps on the banks of the Seine, a huge dragon (serpent) lived. The dragon attacked the ships sailing along the Seine and terrorized the locals. From the mouth of the dragon, fire, or powerful water streams, fell on everything and everyone around. The people of Rouen made sacrifices to the ferocious beast every year. The dragon's name was La Gargouille ( feminine). The gargoyle performed its many atrocities until a knight in shining armor, Saint Romanus, subdued her.

Saint Roman was a real bishop of Rouen, he zealously fought against paganism, he lived until about 640, during the time of the King of the Franks and Burgundians Dagobert I / Dagobert I (born c.608 - d.639). The miracle of the Roman about the gargoyle (serpent) is one of the exploits of the saint.

Although, he was a strange saint, if you look with fresh eyes ...

He pacified the Gargoyle in this way:

Saint Roman used the criminal as bait, sending him to the monster's lair. The gargoyle, smelling the human spirit, came out of its cave to profit from the guest. However, Saint Roman, with the help of prayers and the holy cross, deprived the dragon of will. The gargoyle obediently lay down at the saint's feet.

The bishop brought the conquered beast into the city, and what do you think? Sent to live in a local zoo? And here it is not. The joyful inhabitants of Rouen immediately built a huge fire and roasted the little animal...:(

The body and tail of the gargoyle were burned, but the fire could not destroy the throat. The throat proved to be heat-resistant due to the regular eruption of fire during previous outrages. Then the wise Ruans decided to keep the head of the gargoyle as a warning to other dragons. Or maybe it was the order of the bishop - now you can’t figure it out. Gargoyle remnants - a head with a throat attached to the Rouen Cathedral to clearly show evil spirits what happens to those who harm people ...

The Milan Cathedral has a rather interesting set of chimeras - there Renaissance thinkers stand next to these strange creatures from the imagination of madmen. These chimeras on the roofs of cathedrals and other buildings personified those who underestimate the power of the devil. Although the devil cannot create life, he can mix different forms of life to get a new one - that is, a chimera. ()

It looked like this... :)

or like this:

Since the 11th century, images of terrible gargoyles began to be carved from stone on the outer walls of Romanesque and Gothic buildings. Whether sculptures of gargoyles were made before is not known, since before that a tree was used for such purposes, which had no chance of surviving until the time of scientific description.

This gargoyle in the photo is in the cathedral basilica of van Saint-Jan.

There are some rather scary gargoyles on the walls of St. Vitus Cathedral in Prague, but these are no longer animals or even chimeras. These are people. The moment of damnation is frozen in time for hundreds of medieval souls across Europe.

With their mouths open, they scream through the centuries, constantly reminding you that you need to be able to resist the devil, otherwise it can happen to you! Probably the most terrible gargoyles are still those that remind us of ourselves.

This terrible example of the human form in the image of gargoyles is also on the St. Vitus Cathedral in Prague. Moreover, the pipe, through which water flows, sticks out of the mouth so ominously that it seems that it is just an inhumanly long tongue. (with)

The most famous gargoyles of all time live on Notre Dame Cathedral, kanesh, even the Walt Disney studio could not pass them by..:)

As I already mentioned, usually the gargoyles on the facades of Gothic temples are located so that rainwater from the roofs flows through their mouths.

But one of the gargoyles of the Freiburg Münster, on the contrary, keeps its hands and feet against the wall, and the water pours out through its anus.

According to urban legend, during the construction of this cathedral, the city council increased the requirements for masons without increasing wages. The masons did the job, but placed this defecating sculpture in front of the city council windows.

A trifle, as they say, but nice ...)

Who is a gargoyle - this is a demonic creature that personifies the forces of chaos, subordinate to divine power. Serves the angels for the sake of maintaining an orderly universe. Translated from Latin - gargoyle - a symbiosis of the words "throat" and "whirlpool". According to one version, their cry resembled a gurgle, according to another, they were the same symbol of eternity as water.

Gargoyle - who is it?

Gargoyles are found in various myths, they are better known thanks to legends. Ancient Greece. The Hellenes made them the personification of the evil or good will of the gods, who determine the fate of people. There are several versions about the origin, the gargoyle is:

Lesser demonic deity.
The personification of the underworld.
Guardian of Darkness, who serves the Forces of Light.

myths different peoples saved a few characteristic features these creatures:

hatred for all living things, both for people and for evil spirits;
sometimes enter into an alliance with other creatures for the sake of profit;
the most incorruptible and strict Guardians.

What does a gargoyle look like?

Gargoyle is a mythical creature distinguishing feature- the ability to turn into stone and awaken from it, but does this only of his own free will, and not someone else's. Depicted as humanoid, with a characteristic appearance:

leathery wings;
sharp talons;
lion or wolf heads, sometimes a symbiosis with a human face.

When a gargoyle is injured, it regenerates by turning into stone. Her skin is similar to human, has grey colour. Over time, gargoyles began to be portrayed as a symbiosis of different animals. There are several versions why they decided to install these demonic creatures on the roofs of temples:

They must ward off evil from home, like stronger Guardians.
To remind of the fate of sinners.
They showed a contrast between the beauty of the cathedral inside and the ugliness outside.

How does a gargoyle scream?

The cry of the gargoyle is now considered a myth, the authors of the games with might and main practice in its creation. It is only known that the creatures screamed at the approach of enemies, whether they were invaders or evil spirits. What it looks like, the legends have not preserved. The clergy were convinced that the gargoyle bird allegedly emits a cry when a city resident commits a sin. Strikingly different from other statues are the statues at St. Vitus Cathedral in Prague, these are not dragons, but ugly people frozen in a scream. Researchers explain the decision of the architects as a desire to remind humanity of the sins and curses that can be imprisoned in stone.

What is the difference between a gargoyle and a chimera?

Very often people believe that the gargoyle and are one and the same, the difference between them is relative, but still there. Gothic chimeras became famous thanks to the statues at Notre Dame Cathedral, these are creatures:

with the figure of a hunchback and the claws of an eagle;
bat wings;
heads of goats or snakes.

The Greeks attributed sea storms to the power of chimeras, the architects of the Middle Ages presented these creatures as the personification of fallen souls who cannot enter the temple. In Gothic, a gargoyle and a chimera have almost no differences, the only difference is that the former were not only an element of decor, but also drains. Through the throats of demonic creatures, the water flowed away from the walls and did not undermine the foundations of buildings. And only in the 19th century they were replaced by drainpipes, and the gargoyles remained the decoration of the facade.

Gargoyle in mythology

The gargoyle is an unusual creature, its images have been transformed over time, although initially in the legend of origin it is presented as a dragon. There is a myth that in 600 AD. near the Seine lived the dragon La Gargoule, who spat not only with fire, but with streams of water, provoking floods. The inhabitants of the surroundings propitiated him with human sacrifices, choosing criminals for this.

Many years later, the priest Romanus arrived in Rouen and agreed to destroy the dragon in exchange for the people to accept the Christian faith and build a church in the village. The hero won, they tried to burn the body of the monster, but the flame could not destroy the head. Then the inhabitants allegedly installed these remains on the roof of the temple, built in honor of the feat of the priest Romanus. Since then, a tradition has appeared to decorate buildings with statues of gargoyles.

Gargoyles are weird, creepy, obnoxious, and sometimes downright disgusting. For centuries they hang over many streets and cities, silently watching the people swarming below. They carry their silent post for so long that many of us do not even suspect that there is a point in gargoyles. Let's take a look at these stone monsters with a mysterious purpose.

(Total 25 photos)

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1. A gargoyle is a grotesque figure carved from stone, which was created to drain water from the roofs and side facades of large buildings.

The lion and the lioness were favorite images of the creators of gargoyles. For example, at Dornoch Cathedral in Scotland there is such a cute lioness, grinning at passers-by below. The lion was one of the most popular non-European animals used in medieval churches and cathedrals. Later they became popular in the form of gargoyles (there are a lot of them in Pompeii), and they symbolized the sun - their golden mane represented the solar crown of our life.

5. Dog. This gargoyle is located on the tower of Philip IV the Handsome in the palace in Dijon, again, in France.

Dogs have always been very popular, and they are rarely looked upon only as pets. They guarded houses at night, so they were considered smart and devoted. On the one hand, it can be assumed that, as gargoyles, the statues of dogs were supposed to guard buildings, but their presence on the roofs is also due to another reason. Dogs are always hungry, and they often stole food from people, so in those days their figures were often placed on cathedrals and churches, so that everyone could see that even such a devoted animal as a dog can succumb to the temptations of the devil and become a victim of greed.

Although wolves were also considered greedy, they were treated with some respect, as they these animals have always worked together. It was then that the expression "leader of the pack" was born. Wolves were also associated with priests who were supposed to protect people from the devil - thus, the wolf even managed to be in the form of a protector of the lambs of God. The gargoyles on the roofs also often gathered in a “flock”, because. the architects wanted to divert rainwater in different directions. During a rainstorm, one gargoyle would not be enough. Gargoyles were made elongated so that the water flowed as far as possible from the wall.

7. Eagle. Gargoyle in the form of an eagle at the Cathedral of St. Rumbold in Mechelen, Belgium.

Eagles were the protectors of buildings, in particular, from dragons, for, as the medieval people believed, eagles were the only creatures capable of defeating a winged serpent. It was said that they could heal themselves by looking directly at the sun, which had long been the personification of the deity.

8. Serpent. This serpent on a building in Krakow, Poland warns people of the sins of the flesh.

The snake is associated with original sin, and therefore this stone beast can be found in almost all the cathedrals of Europe. Since the time of Adam and Eve, the serpent has been a symbol of the constant struggle between good and evil. Among the seven deadly sins, the snake represents envy. They were also considered immortal, which meant that the fight against sins would continue forever.

9. Ram or goat. This gargoyle is located on the cathedral in Barcelona.

Like most of the animals presented here, the goat also had a dual nature in the eyes of medieval Christians. On the one hand, they were considered divine, because. they knew how to find food even among steep cliffs and survive in the most difficult situations. On the other hand, they were considered evil creatures and a symbol of lust - another of the seven deadly sins. And, of course, what animal is usually associated with Satan?

10. Monkey.

Our closest relatives have always been looked at as what will happen to us if something in nature goes wrong. However, they were often considered stupid and lazy. That is why they personified another mortal sin - laziness. This gargoyle in the form of a monkey is located in Paris, which is not surprising, because the very word "gargoyle" originated in French. Once the word "Gargouille" meant the word "throat", and the word itself came from Latin.

11. Other languages were more accurate. In Italian, the gargoyle is called "grónda sporgente", choet literally means "protruding chute". In German they are called "Wasserspeier" - "water spitters", and the Dutch went even further and called the gargoyles "waterspuwer" - "spewing water".

12. And, by the way, from this Dutch word "waterspuwer" the verb "to spew" (to spew) came into English. However, if you do not take into account the "animal" personifications of gargoyles, then all of them were often considered chimeras.

13. This chimera is located at York Cathedral in England, which is generally famous for these same chimeras.

And although we are no longer afraid of these chimeras, the medieval inhabitants were rather superstitious and uneducated, and they considered them terrible creatures. A chimera is born when two different body parts fuse to create an entirely new creature, such as a griffin (or a mermaid, a figure still popular in fountain making).

14. At the Milan Cathedral there is a rather interesting set of chimeras - there Renaissance thinkers stand next to these strange creatures from the imagination of madmen. These chimeras on the roofs of cathedrals and other buildings personified those who underestimate the power of the devil. Although the devil cannot create life, he can mix different forms of life to get a new one - that is, a chimera.

15. One of the most famous gargoyles in the world can be found at Notre Dame Cathedral.

16. Even the Disney studio could not ignore these interesting creatures.

19. On the walls of St. Vitus Cathedral in Prague there are some rather scary gargoyles, but these are no longer animals or even chimeras. These are people. The moment of damnation is frozen in time for hundreds of medieval souls across Europe.

20. With their mouths open, they scream through the centuries, constantly reminding you that you need to be able to resist the devil, otherwise it can happen to you! Probably the most terrible gargoyles are still those that remind us of ourselves.

21. This terrible example of the human form in the image of gargoyles is also on the St. Vitus Cathedral in Prague. Moreover, the pipe, through which water flows, sticks out of the mouth so ominously that it seems that it is just an inhumanly long tongue.

22. This gargoyle is on the cathedral in Nottingham. She reminds all generations not to try to bite your nails. Anyone who has read Chaucer is sure to startle when confronted with the vulgar emotionality of the Middle Ages.

25. Well, this is a modern gargoyle. And who would you think could do such a miracle? Well, of course, the Germans. Very literally they perceive the meaning of the word "gargoyle" - to pour water.

It is difficult to meet them in Russia. But it is worth going to Europe and now - they look at us from the walls of temples, sometimes unhappy, sometimes aggressive, sometimes funny, sometimes scary. Most often, gargoyles and grotesque creatures "live" on Gothic architecture, sometimes on Romanesque. However, in later buildings, including modern ones, they are quite common.

The legend of the Gargoyles dates back to the 7th century AD, in what is now France. There are different retellings of the myth, such a picture emerges roughly. In the vicinity of the city of Rouen, in a lair in the swamps on the banks of the Seine, a huge dragon (serpent) lived. The dragon attacked the ships sailing along the Seine and terrorized the locals. From the mouth of the dragon, fire, or powerful water streams, fell on everything and everyone around. The people of Rouen made sacrifices to the ferocious beast every year. The dragon's name was La Gargouille (feminine). The gargoyle performed its many atrocities until a knight in shining armor, Saint Romanus, subdued her. Saint Roman was the bishop of Rouen, he zealously fought against paganism, he lived until about 640, during the time of the King of the Franks and Burgundians Dagobert I / Dagobert I (born c.608 - d.639). The miracle of the Roman about the gargoyle (serpent) is one of the exploits of the saint.

When Bishop Roman decided to catch the Gargoyle, only one person agreed to help him, and that criminal, sentenced to death, who had nothing to lose but his chains. Saint Roman used the criminal as bait, sending him to the monster's lair. The gargoyle, smelling the human spirit, came out of its cave to profit from the guest. However, Saint Roman, with the help of prayers and the holy cross, deprived the dragon of will. The gargoyle obediently lay down at the saint's feet. The bishop brought the defeated beast to the city, where the grateful inhabitants sent evil spirits to a huge fire. The body and tail of the gargoyle were burned, but the fire could not destroy the throat. The throat proved to be heat-resistant due to the regular eruption of fire during previous outrages. Then the wise Ruans decided to keep the head of the gargoyle as a warning to other dragons. Or maybe it was the order of the bishop - now you can’t figure it out. The remnants of gargoyles - a head with a throat - were attached to the Rouen Cathedral in order to clearly show evil spirits what happens to those who harm people.

People came up with a job for the gargoyle in its ancient specialty - spewing water. Gutters began to be decorated with images of gargoyles. Gargoyles began to benefit people - through their throats they divert streams of rainwater from the walls of temples. The water thrown out of the mouth of the gargoyle fell at a distance from the walls, so the walls did not collapse, and the foundations were not washed away. In the 18th and 19th centuries, people took pity. Most, but not all, gargoyles have been spared the drudgery of draining water. This useful function was taken over by drainpipes. Old women gargoyles have become an element of building decor.

However, the gargoyles changed. Terrifying animals, birds, people, mythological and fantastic creatures, as well as their hybrids in various combinations, were added to dragons and snakes. In general, numerous grotesque creatures began to multiply.

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(via: Kevin Trotman)

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(image: Paul Malone, Ron Hilton)

Gradually, sculptural images began to appear on the buildings deprived drainage function. They were cut out simply "for beauty", or rather "for horror". Such decorative creatures are called grotesques, as well as chimeras. Name chimera comes from an ancient Greek mythical creature. In ancient Greece, a chimera was a monster with a lion's head, a goat's body and a dragon's tail, spitting fire. According to Hesiod, the chimera had three heads: a lion, a goat and a dragon. Medieval chimeras have no external resemblance to the Greek prototype. However, the chimerical principle of connecting parts of different creatures into one whole makes ancient and medieval tesks related.

So, architectural term "gargoyle"/ "gargoyle" means carved figures, created with a useful function to drain rainwater from the walls of buildings, gutters on roofs, branches from gutters, decorated in the form of bizarre grotesque figures, demonic creatures, sometimes with horns, wings, sometimes half-humans, half-animals.

And grotesque sculptures ( grotesques), also called chimeras- it's decorative architectural elements without useful purpose. Unless, of course, we do not take into account the important function of scaring off enemies.

At the same time, gargoyles are also grotesques, only with their own specific purpose. Gargoyles are often mistakenly referred to as all grotesque gothic creatures. But rightly so - a gargoyle, if it was used as a drain and a chimera or a grotesque, if the figure served as an ornament.

Below are two photographs in which frozen water shows us the plumbing of gargoyles and, accordingly, their difference from other grotesques.

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Photos of Harald Hartmann from here , continuation of photos .

Perhaps the most famous gargoyles and chimeras adorn or terrify the exterior of Notre Dame Cathedral.

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In the Middle Ages, there were only gargoyles on the cathedral. The gallery of chimeras on the facade of Notre Dame de Paris appeared only in the 19th century, during the restoration that began in 1841. The temple was restored after the damage caused to it by the revolution. When Hugo published his novel Notre Dame Cathedral (1831) there were no chimeras on it yet.

Gargoyles can take on many different forms.

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(via: Angus McIntyre)

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Here we see lions guarding the Cathédrale Saint-Étienne de Meaux in Paris (left) and the Catedral de Santa María de Tarragona in Spanish Catalonia (right).

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Gargoyles are present not only on church architecture, but also on civil. And not only in Europe.
Left: Windsor Castle, United Kingdom.
Right: Himeji Castle, Japan.

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(via Angria)

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Another modern creation. Chrysler building in New York.

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Former Philadelphia prison built in 1829 by Eastern State Penitentiary, USA.

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(via Jon Dunbar)

park in South Korea. Not exactly a gargoyle, but a gargoyle-like monster.

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Church on Fifth Avenue, New York.

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And grotesque gargoyles wandered into Russia. Fragments of the facade of the Saratov Conservatory.
You can see a photo of the building itself:

The original name is the Saratov Imperial Russian Musical Society Alekseevskaya Conservatory. Named in honor of the heir to the throne - Tsarevich Alexei. In 1918, the conservatory was nationalized and received the name "State Conservatory". In 1935, the Saratov Conservatory was named after L. V. Sobinov. In the autumn of 1985, the Great Hall of the Conservatory was decorated with an organ by the German firm Sauer.

The building was erected in 1902 by the architect Alexander Yulievich Yagn. Initially, it housed a music school. However, already in 1912, the school was thoroughly reconstructed by the outstanding architect Semyon Akimovich Kallistratov to accommodate the conservatory. After that, the Saratov Conservatory acquired modern look. ()

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Left: walruses at The Arctic Club Building, Seattle.
Right: Grotesque fire gargoyles at the Fire Department Headquarters, Philadelphia. More images http://northstargallery.com/gargoyles/

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Left: The Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary Chapel in Flagstaff, Arizona, USA.
Right: Something at the University of Chicago.

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(via: Gemma Longman, Andrea Schaffer)

This gargoyle could be called "Scream". Troyes, France.

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Laughing and contented man from Ghent, Belgium.

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Left: The person appears to have heard an unpleasant sound or is simply frightened.

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(via: VT Professor)

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Dragon with ice cream (left) and an incomprehensible creature from the same place: Cathedral, Salamanca, Spain.

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(via: Paul Malone)

Fantastic dragon in Copenhagen.

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(via: Alex)

Grotesque depictions of humans and monkeys were sometimes called "baboons" (Ot. English babewyns). After all, a monkey, in a sense, is a caricature of a person.

Terms are terms, but why are all these creatures on the walls of churches? Maybe to emphasize the calm and sublimity of the situation inside the temple. The walls of the churches protect from evil spirits, which scatter with horror during the construction of the temple, petrified in the course of flight. Grotesque images personified the sinful world that the parishioners leave when entering the temple. Grotesques reminded people of sins and the inevitable retribution for them.

Not all ministers of the church liked that the temples of God serve as a refuge for whole crowds of various evil spirits. For example, the enemy was St. Bernard (12th century). There is a little about this in an article from Science and Life.

A large collection of grotesque images is available at Oxford.

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From here.

Oxford Caricature Exhibition.

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(via E. K. Chua, Wenzel)