Gargoyles, what do we really know about these monstrous creations? Their sculptures adorn the roofs of churches and castles for several centuries and serve as original drains of water from the roofs. And recently they have become the main characters of fantasy film and popular animated series.

These mysterious creatures, however, have their very fascinating history, with which the thrilling film in which the frost runs on their backs can not be compared.

Monsters from the depths of the dark ages

According to myths, these monstrous winged monsters have been born of stone since ancient times. In the large crowd of ancient Egyptian gods, these monsters considered themselves ghosts on the dark side of the world and had the task of punishing a man who behaved dishonestly. The ancient Egyptians believed that these winged monsters could inflict misery on man, send down disease, and torment until the villain began to regret his action.

It was in old Greece the sparrow protector of the dwelling. At that time, their first stone depictions also appeared on the roofs of houses. The Greeks thought that the insidious basilisks of Tartarus, searching for their victims on earth, would, when they saw such a statue, decide that the house was already occupied by their "colleagues" and focus elsewhere.

But most of these monsters were considered in the British Isles. In Celtic myths, we can learn that in the past they were relatively friendly beings who fossilized with the sunrise and came to life at sunset. In stone form, however, they were completely defenseless against their many enemies.

This circumstance forced their leader to make a deal with the Celts. The convention was that during the day the Celts would give refuge to the fossilized creatures in their castles, and at night the gargoyles would protect their daily refuge. The friendship between humans and strange beings lasted until one of the gargoyle leaders insulted a very powerful witch.

The disgraced witch cursed the entire family of gargoyles, condemning them to eternal stone sleep. It is said that their preserved statues can still be found today among the ruins of ancient castles and will wake up when the end of the world.

Dragon from which water flows

As gargoyles became the adornment of European temples, they tell one preserved Christian oral presentation.

Many centuries ago, one of the dragons settled in France, on the banks of the river Seine. This creature, a wingless sleigh, was very vicious and tried to provoke people as much as it could. The dragon sank merchant and fishing boats and sent floods to the villages, destroying houses and destroying crops.

Exhausted and overwhelmed by such actions, the people turned to St. Roman, who had defeated the monster in a cruel battle. Saint Roman crushed the sleigh's body to dust, but failed to destroy its head with its mouth wide open.

It was then that Roman decided to adorn Notre-Dame, the cathedral in Paris, with this trophy, thus proving the supremacy of Christians over dark forces.

From that time comes the custom of decorating the roofs of temples with repulsive stone statues. And so the gargoyles also became a symbol of victory over the dark creatures that bowed to the forces of light. Tamed devilish monsters, from which sulfur no longer springs, winged and horned statues serving only as a drain of ordinary rainwater from the roofs of the house of God.

By the way, several humorous words have emerged from this "activity" of gargoyles. Still in France, hopeless drinkers claim to "drink as a gargoyle" or to "drink so much that if he sees the gargoyle, he dies with envy."

Some time has passed and the statues of monsters have shone not only on the roofs, but also in the side aisles of the temples to remind the faithful of the hardships of hell.

Little Palecek and others

We have many statues of gargoyles, but it is difficult to find similar images among them.

This is explained by the fact that in the Middle Ages, few literate people and gargoyles were an illustrative tool that helped the simple people better understand the Holy Scripture.

That is why we often encounter the forms of demonic lions, goats, monkeys among medieval statues… These animals represent the deadly sins to which humanity is exposed and which need to be fought. For example, a lion displayed pride, a dog greed, a goat lewdness, and a snake envy.

An interesting fact is that the demonic representation of the monkey was laziness. It is hard to believe today, but a few centuries ago, Europeans considered primates to be a bastard and a lazy animal, and the best place for crazy monkeys was a bestial symbolizing sins.

Among the monstrous statues are also distorted depictions of people, which was to be a clear demonstration of what will happen to a person if he succumbs to the temptation of the devil.

Gargoyles have their own story

In the crowd of hideous figures of gargoyles, there are also creatures who have their own story. Among the gargoyles on Notre-Dam is the figure of the little Dedo (Thumbelina), whom the Parisians know well.

Legend has it that when this cathedral was built, one of the nuns, concerned about the devilish appearance of the gargoyles, decided to contribute to the beautification of the temple. She disguised herself as a man, and as she traveled to the capital, she carved a figure out of stone that resembled a barefoot child with a lovely animal face. The nun crept secretly into the building and placed her creation, which she named Dedo, on the ledge of the roof. Then she returned to her monastery.

For a long time no one noticed this unusual statue among the gargoyles, but then an accident happened to the son of one of the servants of the cathedral. The child was playing on the roof of the temple, slipping and rolling down. An ugly death would await a little more and the boy. At the last moment, however, he grabbed the statue of Paleček and thus avoided a fatal fall.

Thanks to this incident, Parisians not only learned about a good gargoyle, but also liked it. It is said that if a person asks for Palečka for something good, the wish, which comes from a pure heart, is immediately fulfilled.

Night Pilgrims

However, contemporary esotericists believe that gargoyles in our time do not occur only in stone form. These fantastic creatures are hidden in ancient ruins and underwater caves. From time to time, it emerges from its hiding places to fly across the dark sky or admire the moon from the coastal cliff.

According to old legends, gargoyles have enormous magical powers, which is why many people have tried to get their help. However, to achieve this, you must first find refuge for them, come there at midnight during the full moon, and then explain your problem.

But it is important to keep in mind that if you turn to a monster with a "bad" request, you may anger him, and then all the evil contained in the request may turn against the petitioner.

In their essence, when we look away from their appearance, gargoyles are good creatures and never harm humans if they have no reason. It is also important not to try to deceive the gargoyles, to sense scams and to punish liars.

Stone spouts can be very useful for people. According to esoterics, a person who has "lost" or suffered from ugly memories in his life can share his burden with statues. It is claimed that gargoyles are very well absorbed by negative energy, process it and return it to a person without negative content.

Researchers who have been observing gargoyles in temples for a long time are convinced that there is still a "drop" of life left in them. Sometimes they move or change their attitude. However, they do it very rarely and usually on nights when storms are raging.

If we believe the legends, part of the great magical power is present in every gargoyle, even in the smallest one, which does not even have a history of several hundred years.

And so many may be convinced that even simple decorative statues of gargoyles can be a good protector of residence. After the strange creature settles in the house, its inhabitants can sleep peacefully and will not be threatened by a thief or a dark force.

Tip from Sueneé Universe

Prague in legends

Perceive Prague with all your senses. Among the tones of church bells and bells, you may hear the clasps of Knight Dalibor from the tower of Prague Castle. On Charles Bridge, you happen to touch the stone that hides Bruncvík's magical sword, and on the Old Town Bridge Tower you can see a portrait of Zuzana's brave bathhouse. In the church at the Infant Jesus of Prague you will feel the wings of seven guardian angels and in the Jewish Town the shadow of a huge man made of clay flickers somewhere behind the Old-New Synagogue - all of you and many other legendary characters will take you through this book and you can meet them live while walking through Prague.

Prague in legends

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