In architecture, and specifically Gothic architecture, a gargoyle is a carved or formed grotesque with a spout designed to convey water from a roof and away from the side of a building, thereby preventing it from running down masonry walls and eroding the mortar between. Architects often used multiple gargoyles on a building to divide the flow of rainwater off the roof to minimize potential damage from rainstorms. A trough is cut in the back of the gargoyle and rainwater typically exits through the open mouth. Gargoyles are usually elongated fantastical animals because their length determines how far water is directed from the wall. When Gothic flying buttresses were used, aqueducts were sometimes cut into the buttress to divert water over the aisle walls.
Gargoyles of Notre-Dame de Paris
Dragon-headed gargoyle of the Tallinn Town Hall, Estonia
Gargoyle of the Vasa Chapel at Wawel in Kraków, Poland
Chimera of Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary Chapel in Flagstaff, Arizona
In architecture, a grotesque is a fantastic or mythical figure carved from stone and fixed to the walls or roof of a building. A chimera is a type of grotesque depicting a mythical combination of multiple animals. Grotesque are often called gargoyles, although the term gargoyle refers to figures carved specifically to drain water away from the sides of buildings. In the Middle Ages, the term babewyn was used to refer to both gargoyles and chimerae. This word is derived from the Italian word babbuino, which means "baboon".
Grotesque on Nidaros Cathedral, Trondheim
Grotesques on a church in Gouézec, France
Grotesque at Notre-Dame Cathedral
Grotesque made for the Florence Cathedral, now held at The Museo dell'Opera del Duomo, Florence