In addition to the figures of the lion<\/a>, the dog<\/a> and the eagle<\/a> \u2013 the most commonly depicted animals in gargoyles<\/a> \u2013 you can sometimes find depictions of other real animals, making unusual and unique gargoyle images that attract and fascinate passers-by.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n We’ve already seen some of these peculiar animals when we talked about the gargoyles in Quito<\/a> (Ecuador). Today we are inviting you to look at a few more examples of our fauna<\/a> and discover some aspects of their symbolism<\/a>.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The first gargoyle image that is surprising because it depicts an unexpected animal is that of an ass. As well as appearing in depictions of Christmas and Jesus’s entry into Jerusalem, the ass also features in some legends about saints. For example, the biography of Saint Jerome mentions an ass that carried wood for the monastery. The ass also has a negative meaning. It’s said that it has served Satan in the hands of artists and writers. The Christian Middle Ages made the ass the symbol of relative intelligence that will not be convinced by Truth. It’s also the emblem of obstinacy and ignorance and was used in Medieval imagery as the mount of the devil of laziness. The ass appears in other depictions too, such as in some of the choir stalls in Spanish cathedrals (Plasencia, Zamora, Ciudad Rodrigo).<\/p>\n <\/p>\n\n\t\tA Catalogue of Singular Animals in Gargoyles<\/h2>\n
Ass<\/h3>\n