Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1907-04-19
ORIGIN / OF GARGOYLEs


on Cathedral Of Rousn.
One Of the earliest OF the more elab
crate attempts to transform roof spouts
seems to have been at the Cathedral OF
Rouen, where the figure OF great
dragon was adopted for one Of them,
though whether it was intended as an
object Of terror to the hobgoblin fra
ternity OF the seventh century or q
symbol Of the church's triumph over a
public foe can only be conjectured.
This fearsome wild fowl terrorized
both banks Of the Seine and terribly
ravaged the city OF Rouen until he was
CALAMITY slain by st. Rominus, bishop
OF the cathedral there. Probably ia
sheer jubilatiens Of spirits and In COM
.pliment to the valorous bishop the car.
cass Of the mfschieyous beast was en-
bodied in stone and set up aloft as q
warning to all depredators ana any
evil spirits by which they might be
actuated. says the London Globe. The
name given to this unlucky animal is
said 10 have been gargoille, and hence
the name given to his efIigy, according
to some authorities.
4 Others, however, derive the appella.
tion from 'gargoille, !" the weasand Of
the throat or from 'gargale, z q disease
20 which swine are liable and which
causes gurgling sound In the throat,
like that which water makes In pass
Ing through pipe. We are all at lib
erty to choose a derivation, since no
body can speak with authority.
gargouille really was the name
given to some more or less fabulous
beast whose carcass was initiated by
come fanciful sculptor In the making
OF an ornamental spout, then the prob
ability is that we have here the origin
not only Of "gargoyle,', but Of the
French word for the weasand, as well
% Of the English words "guggle'' and
'.garsle.''
One ugly creature having been
adopted for stone efflgy on 30 famous
g church as that at Rouen ID the sew
enth century may easily be conceived
to have get the fashion for other
churches, and the superfuous hideous-
ness Of % many OF these objects Ger.
tainly supports the notion that in part
their sculptors were actuated by the
Idea Of frightening the uncanny folk
from the sacred edifces and the wor-
shippers.
The dragon Is the commencement Of
all forms for the gargoyle, ana toward
the end Of the thirteenth century.
when the propriety OF adopting this
creature had become an old tradition
Of church architecture. the form OF the
monster was transformed into a thing
OF some approach to grace and ele-
gance. In the meantime, however, al
most every bird or quadruped Of eyii
repute and of a figure that could BY
any malevolent Ingenuity be distorted
into something frightful has been cali
sed in Tor the spiritual defense Of the
church. and when animal shapes alone
had been made to undergo every con-
fortion that could be- conceived they
were combined with human figures
and faces. a development which in
eyitably led to the later adoption OF
all sorts Of imps and demons.
Thus on many Of the finest churches
IA Christendom we find not only Ell.
most every kind OF bird and beast, real
and legendary, but eyeryt thing uncanny
ana diaboiical In human form, Yt
must be allowed that 1t showed excep.
tonal originality and an uncommon
power OF good nature IN the nineteenth
century sculptor who, In the course OF
the restoration Of Chester cathedral
about the time Of the disestabiishment
OF the Irish church, capped this long
series Of ecclesiastical embellishments
with 2 caricature headpiece Of Mr..
Gladstone.
Not What They Expected.
Bfide--H Here Is q telegram from papa.
BridaQr00In faa carl A yxyl,o& .a,o,. ~