Guivre, Gargouille Facts

"The Guivre"

1. Guivres plagued France during the medieval times

2. Their breath was toxic and spread diseases

3. Guivres represented death and destruction

4. Could be defeated by a novel means

5. The sight of a naked man left them witless

6. Used to good effect because:
- no guivre came close again to human habitation
- they eventually disappeared from France!

7. The Gargouille spout fountains of water instead of toxins

8. First emerged from the Seine waters in the year 520

9. Described as having a long, reptilian neck, a slender snout and jaws, heavy brows, and membranous wings

10. Dubbed "gargouille" or "gargler" by the locals after the entire region was severely flooded by the jets of water that spewed out of the gargouille's throat

11. This gargouille was defeated by an archbishop who placed two fingers against one another in the form of the Cross

12. Gargoyles derive their name and water-spouting talents from gargouilles

[full size] "Row of Gargoyles"

13. Churches and cathedrals in France and around the world still have gargoyles

14. They sit on their haunches, projecting outwards so that water is drained and spouted well clear of the base of the building

15. Gargoyle figures served the role of books during the Medieval period too, telling stories and reporting on life because many people were illiterate.

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References:

Books -
Dragons: A Natural History, by Dr. Karl Shuker

Websites -
(Apr 2002): Unlisted (way too many sites, checked
and cross-referenced for accuracy)