The Bonehead of Notre Dame
c1240 AD
1240 1240
02.21E48.47N
ART

PARIS, FRANCE
	What -- you may ask -- is this boneheaded creature doing perched atop a beautiful cathedral?
	This carved stone demon, on Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, was not placed there to be attractive. This monster -- and those on some other European cathedrals -- were designed to teach a religious lesson.
	In the Middle Ages, when the cathedrals of Europe were built, the population was mostly illiterate, and the themes of the Christian faith were often conveyed in part through the artistry of the great churches.
	These demons -- originally painted in living color -- were meant to remind people of the reality of Hell and the torments that awaited the unfaithful.
	These sculptures developed from lion-head water spouts on the sides of ancient Greek buildings. But instead of using lions, the designers in the Middle Ages sculpted the water spouts (called "gargoyles") in the shape of demons. Then they developed free-standing monsters, which are properly called "chimera," though they are popularly called gargoyles as well.