Mediaeval Culture
Gargoyles, chimeres and grotesques hold a number of traits in common. First, they flourished in and around the Middle Ages (c.700 A.D.-1450 A.D.). As such, some of them are difficult to date. This fact was further complicated by the destruction caused in Europe during both World Wars. The fact that cathedrals took many generations to erect offers a further time-line problem. It is my assertion that they should be dated with the cathedral when other information is unavailable; or, better to not date them at all. However, they do need to be placed. For this reason, when specific dates were not available, the stone works may have been labelled purely by location sans date. They were none the less problematic and will always be attached to cathedrals figuratively and hopefully, literally.Cathedrals were a center of life in the Middle Ages. This era has been dubbed by some historians as the Age of Faith. This is very important. Many labored on the cathedral from start to finish. To do so, was an honor and a goal. Gargoyles, chimeres and grotesques are found nearly everywhere both on the exterior and within the cathedral proper. Their symbolic significance has been supposed by a number of scholars. This museum feels that each supposition holds some credibility. Further, that each theory should be considered as a part of a whole rather than an end in itself.
Grotesques (hereafter used to refer to the sum of these carvings) served a number of functions. They were an adornment of the house of God. They were carved by many many people. As such, they take a number of forms: some as animals, people, demons or fantastic creatures. They served as protectors. It is a common belief, through many cultures, that in order to keep away 'evil' spirits one must utilize something frightening. Hence the grotesque nature of these carvings. This idea is similar to some Halloween practices of donning costumes of spooks or ghouls in order to keep out the spirits that roam more readily on All Hallow's Eve. Grotesques were also an educational device. For the illiterate vulgate, this was useful. Through the use of art, Church doctrine could be taught. Some gargoyles when shown eating or snatching a naked human are in actuality demons devouring or carrying off human souls. The terrors of Hell were a common subject for artwork.
There existed grotesques with large grins, toothful smiles and protruding tongues. They verge on the absurd. They are to some a reminder of the passion of Christ. His brutalized body and crucifiction; and beyond that there is the Resurrection. This is much like the impossibility of these grotesques. As Tertullian said:
The Son of God was crucified; I am not ashamed of it. And the Son of God died; it is by all means to be believed, because it is absurd. And he was buried, and he rose again; the fact is certain, because it is impossible. (De Carne Christi)There existed at this time a dichotomy between body and soul, heaven and earth (Gurevich 1988). These grotesques portray the struggle for the mediaeval mind with this dichotomy. They are a fundamental feature of medieval man's perception of reality (Gurevich 1988). The happy and the sad, terrified and brave exist together. They are the beautiful and the disgusting. They are the sublime. They are the grotesques and the chimeres. They are gargoyles. Yet, where did they get their name? The most fascinating story follows:
A dragon called La Gargouille-described as having a long, reptilian neck, a slender snout and jaws, heavy brows, and membranous wings-lived in a cave close to the River Seine in France. It had several bad habits: swallowing ships, causing destruction with its fiery breath, and spouting so much water that it caused flooding. The residents of nearby Rouen attempted to placate La Gargouille with an annual offering of a live victim; although the dragon preferred maidens, it was usually given a criminal to consume. In the year 520, or perhaps around 600, the priest Romanus (or Romain) arrived in Rouen and promised to deal with the dragon if the townspeople agreed to be baptised and to build a church. Equipped with the annual convict and the items needed for an exorcism (bell, book, candle, and cross), Romanus subdued the dragon by making the sign of the cross and led the now docile beast back to town on a leash made from his priest's robe. When La Gargouille was burned at the stake, the head and neck, well tempered by the heat of the dragon's fiery breath, would not burn. These remnants were mounted on the town wall and became the model for gargoyles for centuries to come. (Benton 1997)Though this may not be the case, the legend itself is worth noting. In all actuality the puzzle of gargoyles has never been solved sufficiently.
In case you entered the museum by a route other than the Introduction and need further explanation of the terms Streaker, Stroller and Student, please refer to the Introduction. Thank-you.
Visitor Comments Introduction Gargoyles and Chimeres of Notre-Dame de Reims Notre-Dame de Reims
