Medieval architects slapped terrifying demonic gargoyles on the sides of sacred cathedrals under the mystical guise that these horrifying stone monsters would frighten away evil spirits and protect the holy grounds.

A closer look

Medieval architects slapped terrifying demonic gargoyles on the sides of sacred cathedrals under the mystical guise that these horrifying stone monsters would frighten away evil spirits and protect the holy grounds. In reality, the word gargoyle literally translates to throat, and these elaborate spiritual protectors are nothing more than glorified rain gutters designed to keep water from eroding the expensive masonry of the church walls. People walking below would regularly get soaked by a torrent of dirty rainwater vomiting out of a goblin’s mouth, which hardly feels like a divine blessing. You have to admire the absolute scam of a thirteenth-century stonemason convincing a wealthy bishop that his weird monster fetish was actually a crucial element of spiritual warfare