Gargoyles: Pagan God or Architectural Purpose?

A few years ago I bought a Gargoyle to put on one of my balconies, it wasn't Halloween.  I had gone to the Loews and seen them as garden decorations and had always loved the way they looked on Architecture so decided to take one home with me.  People have often asked me why I have them on my balconies even before I lived in my house, I used to keep them on my balcony at my condo sort of as a watchful eye for me.  I always knew that Gargoyles were placed on architecture to ward off bad spirits and decided to look for more information on them to share with you.

The history of gargoyles is really rather simple, but includes all the things that make for a fun read.  Sex, Politics and Religion.   Gargoyles hold within their stony, ugly visages aspects of pagan gods, sex with demons and the pushing of the conversion to the Catholic  Church.

Gargoyles can be found as far back as ancient Greece.  While these old stone heads served the same function as later gargoyles, the image usually resembled gods of the ancient Greeks in their animal or beast form.

Gargoyles originally served one function.  They were drain spouts for moving the rain away from the foundation of the building.  The word itself comes from the French "gargouille" which means throat or pipe.  A simple design and beginning , but as the gargoyle moved through history, it took on a political/religious purpose as well.

The Church had its own idea about how pagans entertained themselves.  Images of imps and demons having sex with devil worshippers peppered the writings of the early churchmen.  The devil was contrived as an image for Christians, not as an accurate representation of the pagan gods.  The church leaders were convinced that pagans cavorted with the incubus and succubus.

Succubus, incubus (nn.)

A succubus (plural:succubi or succubuses) is a "female demon who has sexual intercourse with a sleeping man. "Presumably the plural is rarely needed, hence the borrowed Latin plural, succubi, is more usual than the regular English one.  An Incubus is "a male demon who copulates with a sleeping woman."  Because this word is also figuratively for "nightmares, haunting dreams and visions,  the plural is fairly frequently encountered; hence the  regular English plural, incubuses. (Websters Third New International Dictionary)

Gargoyles grace some of the most beautiful buildings and churhes in the world, now often for appearance.  Many still maintain their function as water pipes, carrying rainwater away from the building.  Many historians and architects believe that it is the presence of the beasts and demons that have saved many historic buildings.  Their protection of the foundation by moving the eroding waters may just be a contributing factor to the building's preservation.  Irony at its finest.

Despite the Church's misinterpretation of non~Christian practices; despite the fact that gargoyles grew from religious misconceptions, their stony stare and protective stance perched high atop the most graceful of structures keep them a fascination for many people.

What do you think of Gargoyles, ugly or just another pretty face?