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View Full Version : Gargoyles on St. Magnus Cathedral, Orkney


joxville
22-Aug-08, 21:29
http://img148.imageshack.us/img148/8527/1001077oc3.jpg



http://img395.imageshack.us/img395/1537/1001076jv3.jpg
wifie
23-Aug-08, 00:44
Thanks Jox - have seen the cathedral many many times but I don't think I have noticed the gargoyles! :roll:
Torvaig
23-Aug-08, 00:46
Thanks Jox - have seen the cathedral many many times but I don't think I have noticed the gargoyles! :roll:

Ah, but this is Friday night, the time for gargoyles to make merry! ;)
wifie
23-Aug-08, 01:06
They dinna look awful merry - infact the first one looks a bit bored!
Torvaig
23-Aug-08, 07:34
Wifie, that's because his pals went on the tiles without him! :)

Gargoyles are always ugly creatures aren't they? If I was not too lazy to "google" I'm sure there is a reason for their ugly mugs. Maybe to ward off evil spirits but then again, surely there would be no evil spirits near a Cathedral.

OK, I'll go and google....
Torvaig
23-Aug-08, 07:44
OK, have googled:

The word "gargoyle" shares a root with the word "gargle": they come from "garbouille" an old French word for "throat". A true gargoyle is a waterspout.

An unusual carved creature that does not serve that purpose is properly called a "grotesque".

So, originally gargoyles were an architectural feature to drain rainwater away from the building. Very interesting.......and that is my "new fact" for today. They say you are never too old to learn. ;)
wifie
23-Aug-08, 11:55
Hey thanks Torvaig! Now I did think it would be the ward off evil spirits thing but the water spout makes sense too! Even tho they are no very bonnie they are better than a piece of plastic pipe! ;) So technically speaking then, Jox has put up pics of grotesques! :)
Torvaig
23-Aug-08, 14:25
Hey thanks Torvaig! Now I did think it would be the ward off evil spirits thing but the water spout makes sense too! Even tho they are no very bonnie they are better than a piece of plastic pipe! ;) So technically speaking then, Jox has put up pics of grotesques! :)

Ah but maybe not; I don't know when the cathedral was built but with their open mouths the grotesques may very well be gargoyles! :lol:
Sporran
23-Aug-08, 16:30
Wikipedia has an interesting and informative article about gargoyles:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gargoyle