The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1907-04-14
ORIGIN Of GARGoYLes.
stone Efioy Early Used as Roof Spout
on Cathedral Of Rouen.

( one "t the earliest OF the more clnb
oratc attcmrt, 20 transform root spouts
seems to have bccn at the Cathedral OF
Roucn. where the figure OF grcHt
dragon was adopted for one Of them.
| though whether It was intended as an
object Of terror 10 the hobgoblin fra
tcrnlty " the seventh century or Il
symbol OF the churchs triumph over n
public Zoe can only bc conIccturcd
This fcarsomc wild fowl terrorlzcd
both banks of the Seine and terribly
ravagcd the city of Roucn until he was
calamity slain 10y St Romlnus bishop
of the cathedral there. Probably In
sheer juhiiation OF spirits and I'm com
plimcnt 10 the valorous bishop the car
cass Of the mlschlevous beast was en-
bodied In stone aud set up aloft as n
warning TO all dcprcdntors and any
evil spirits by which they might be-
nctuatcd. says the London Globe. The
name given 10 this unlucky animal Is
said 20 have been gargoillc. and hence
the name given 10 his cfiigy, according
to some authorities.
Others. however. derive the appclla
ton from "gargolle." the weasand Of
the throat, or from "gargnlc," disease
to which swine nrc liable and which
causes n gurglIng sound IN the throat.
Ike that which water makes In pass
Ing through a pipe We ARE all at llb.
crty 10 choose a derivation. since no.
body can speak with authority.
II gargoulllc really was the name
given TO some moro or less fabulous
beast whose carcass was Initiated by
some fanclful sculptor In the making
OF an ornamental spout. then the prob.
ability is that we have here the origin
not only OF "gargoylc." but Of the
French word for the wcasnnd. ms well
ns OF the English words "gugglc" and
"gargle."
one ugly creature having been
adopted for stone etligy on SO famous
church as that at nouen In the sew
enth century may easily be conceived
10 have set the fashion for other
churches, and the supcrnuous hldcous-
ness OF so many OF these objects Ger.
taiuly supports the notion that I'm part
their sculptors were actuatcd by the
idea of frightening the uncauny folk
from the sacred cdificCs and the wor
shippers.
The dragon Is the commencement Of
all forms for the gargoylc. and toward
the end Of the thirteenth century.
when the propriety Of adopting this
creature had become an old tradition
- a.
monster was transformed into thing
OF some approach TO grace and clc-
| gnncc. In the meantime, however. al
most every bird or quadrupcd Of evil
| repute and OF figure that could by
| any malcyolcnt ingenuity be distorted
Into something frlghtful has been call.
| cd In FOR the spiritual defense OF the
/ church, ana when animal shapes alone
had been made to undergo every con.
tortlon that could be conceived they
We're combined with human figures
and faces, development which In
evltnbly led TO the later adoption oi
all sorts Of imps and demons.
Thus on many OF the finest churches
In Chrlstendom we find not only al
most every kind OF bird and beast. real
and legendary. but everything uncanny
and dlabolcal in human form. II
must be allowed that Il showed excep
tlonal 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 disestabllshment
OF the Irish church, capped this long
series Of ecclesiastical embellishments
with n carlcature hcadplece OF Mr.
Gladstone.