A gargoyle is a carved or formed grotesque (fantastic or mythical figure used for decorative purposes) with a spout designed to carry water from a roo
A gargoyle is a carved or formed grotesque (fantastic or mythical figure used for decorative purposes) with a spout designed to carry water from a roof and away from the side of a building. A trough is cut in the back of the gargoyle and rainwater typically exits through the open mouth. Gargoyles are usually elongated because the length determines how far water is directed from the wall. The term originates from the French gargouille, which in English is likely to mean "throat" and similar words derived from the root gar, "to swallow", which represented the gurgling sound of water. Gargoyles are also said to frighten off and protect those that it guards, such as a church, from any evil or harmful spirits. Many medieval cathedrals included gargoyles and chimeras. The most famous examples are those of Notre Dame de Paris.
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Photo credit: © Siddharth Sachar / Alamy / Afripics
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