See also Asian Lion Dogs and Shedu and Lammasu for other kinds of fantastic creatures derived from statuary. This is less common in modern fiction.įun fact: the technical term for a gargoyle that doesn't include a rainspout is a grotesque - this means something different on this wiki, although the two can coexist.Ĭompare Animate Inanimate Object and Our Alebrijes Are Different. Traditionally, in folklore, they were benevolent, despite their appearance, which was framed as being frightful to scare demons away from churches, but meeting their gaze was dangerous. If that's the case, they (or at least the first of their kind) may have actually been statues before being brought to life. Some, however, may actually be made of stone rather than flesh and blood.

Given their origins, they also tend to have an ability to turn to stone, voluntarily or not.Īnother common feature is that any damage done to them while animated can be repaired while statuefied, but destroying the statue kills them permanently.

Most commonly found on large buildings from The Middle Ages and early modern era such as cathedrals.įiction, however, has decided that they'd make a great fictional species, so they often appear in fantasy settings ( Urban or otherwise) as a race of Winged Humanoids that have a penchant for perching on high terrain. In Real Life, gargoyles are sculptures of grotesque humans and animals designed to ward off evil spirits and channel rainwater from rooftops and spit it out, (hence gargling) away from the building to prevent damage from erosion.

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