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Middle Age Arts
About Gargoyles
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Introduction to Gargoyles
During the 12th century, when gargoyles appeared in Europe, the Roman
Catholic Church was growing stronger and converting many new people.
Most of the population at this time were illiterate, and therefore images
were very important to convey ideas. In the medieval world many creatures
had mystical powers attributed to them. Also, human qualities were sometimes
ascribed to specific animals�that is, the animals were anthropomorphized.
Lions were the most common non-native animal crafted as a gargoyle in the
medieval period. In ancient times, the lion was linked to the sun, most
likely due to its golden mane bearing similarity to the solar wreath of the sun.
During the medieval period lions became the symbol of pride.
Dogs were the most common native animal crafted as a gargoyle. Dogs were
seen as faithful, loyal, and intelligent, making them excellent guardians.
Their well-known hunger and tendency to steal food from kitchens showed
that even dogs were vulnerable.
Although the wolf was a feared creature in medieval times, it was also
respected. Wolves have the ability to live and cooperate as a pack which
gave rise to the metaphor that a wolf could be a leader of a pack and protect
the members. The wolf was also linked to greed.
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WebMaster Daymean Lewis • Last Updated August 2014
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