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A gargoyle monster as depicted in the tabletop RPG Dungeons & Dragons. The gargoyle is a fantasy and horror monster inspired by the appearance of bestial grotesque statues in architecture - particularly those sculpted to decorate the cathedral of Notre-Dame de Paris during its 19th-century reconstruction, rather than actual medieval statuary.
Eyes were often painted to ward off the evil eye. An exaggerated apotropaic eye or a pair of eyes were painted on Greek drinking vessels called kylikes from the 6th century BCE up until the end of the end of the classical period. The exaggerated eyes may have been intended to prevent evil spirits from entering the mouth while drinking.
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. [2] This word is derived from the Italian word babbuino, which means "baboon".
“Halloween can be traced back to an ancient Celtic festival called 'Samhain' where people gathered around large bonfires and wore costumes to ward off evil spirits and the ghosts of the long ...
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. In architecture, and specifically Gothic architecture, a gargoyle (/ ˈ ɡ ɑːr ɡ ɔɪ l /) is a carved or formed grotesque [1]: 6–8 with a spout designed to convey water from a roof and away from the side of a building, thereby preventing it ...
Superstitions can be culturally informed, the publication also notes, ranging from the evil eye amulets thought to ward off evil in countries like Turkey to the American notion that wishing on a ...
The carvings may have been used to ward off death, evil and demons. [1] [2] Other grotesque carvings, such as gargoyles and hunky punks, were frequently part of church decorations all over Europe. It is commonly said that their purpose was to keep evil spirits away (see apotropaic magic). They often are positioned over doors or windows ...
Among early Christians, it was known as the manus obscena, or 'obscene hand'. [1]In ancient Rome, the fig sign, or manu fica, was made by the pater familias to ward off the evil spirits of the dead as a part of the Lemuria ritual.