{"id":3071,"date":"2018-03-08T12:26:27","date_gmt":"2018-03-08T11:26:27","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/doloresherrero.com\/?p=3071"},"modified":"2026-04-16T13:59:55","modified_gmt":"2026-04-16T11:59:55","slug":"the-devil-and-his-portrayal-in-gargoyles-ii","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/doloresherrero.com\/en\/the-devil-and-his-portrayal-in-gargoyles-ii\/","title":{"rendered":"Gargoyles and the Representation of the Devil: Part Two"},"content":{"rendered":" \r\n

We continue with devilish symbolism<\/a> and its portrayal in gargoyles<\/a> and, after having seen the most common features<\/a> of iconography of the devil in our first post, we\u2019re now going to look at some other interesting aspects.<\/p>\r\n \r\n

Demons and Other Figures Associated with Evil in Gargoyles<\/h2>\r\n

Apart from the images of the devil himself, gargoyles also show figures from other typologies<\/a> that either depict the devil or have some sort of demonic connotation.<\/p>\r\n \r\n

Fabulous Creatures and Their Relation to the Devil<\/h3>\r\n

Some fantastical creatures, not only from mythological works but also from folk tradition and superstition, are sometimes associated with evil and symbolise the devil, such as the dragon<\/a>, gryphon<\/a>, basilisk, etc.<\/p>\r\n

This kind of connection can also be seen with real animals<\/a>, a link that relates to animal symbolism and especially to their negative powers, which we discussed in my posts about images of unusual animals <\/a>in gargoyles.<\/p>\r\n \r\n

Real Animals with Demonic Connotations<\/h3>\r\n

Apart from the bat<\/a>, an animal linked to devilish symbolism, we find animal gargoyles with devil-like features (bat's wings, horns, protuberance, ferocious expressions, crests, goatee beards, etc.). Some sources identify the devil with certain animals. Grivot talks about the devil in the life of some saints, revealing a very interesting source on the metamorphosis of the devil when he manifests himself and pointing to accounts that help us to understand some of the artistic portrayals of this character. For example, he tells that in 988, Saint Dunstan, Abbot of Gladstone Monastery, says that the devil manifests himself in the form of a bear, dog <\/a>or fox. In 1035, Saint Simeon of Trier heard demons howling like wolves, grunting like pigs<\/a>, roaring like lions<\/a>, cawing like crows and imitating eagles<\/a>, kites and vultures. In the 13th century, Saint Domingo saw Satan in the form of a crocodile. In 1237, the Blessed Jutte, a hermit in Huy (Belgium), saw the devil in the form of monkeys<\/a>, lions, bears, forest creatures and snakes<\/a>. In 1292, Father Victor de Buch, from the Company of Jesus, tells how the Blessed Benvenuta Bojani, from Friuli, a sister in the Third Order of Saint Dominic, was pursued by the devil in the form of a cat<\/a>, snake, monster<\/a> and dog.<\/p>\r\n \r\n

Symbolic Imagination in Demonic Gargoyles<\/h2>\r\n

It is only natural that, given the symbolic<\/a> association of the devil with various animals, gargoyle sculptors should imagine hybrid figures in which demonic forms merge with animal traits. The wide range of creatures linked to the devil in gargoyles reveals the extraordinary creativity of medieval and early modern sculptors, who conveyed fears, beliefs, and traditions through these fascinating stone figures.<\/p>\r\n \r\n

Gallery of Gargoyles with Demonic Figures<\/h2>\r\n \r\n\r\n\n\t\t