Gargoyles vs. Griffins

Gargoyles and griffins have stood watch over mankind's homes and places of worship for centuries. Gargoyle statues can be tracked back over 4,000 years, to a time when Egyptian gods, half-human, half-beast, ruled over the universe. As for griffins, one theory posits that the half-lion half-bird is based on the protoceratops, an animal more than 65 million years old. It's no wonder then that statues of gargoyles and griffins continue to exert such power over the human imagination.

Gargoyles

Small gargoyles have both practical and legendary origins. The word gargoyle is derived from the French word gargouille, which means throat. Gargoyle statues were used as water spouts or drain pipes to direct water away from buildings.

One legendary explanation for large gargoyle statues states that long ago a dragon named La Gargouille tormented travelers on the river Seine. A saint killed the dragon in battle and mounted its head and neck on a building or town wall, and these became the model for gargoyle statues.

Gargoyles took on a variety of symbolic meanings during the Middle Ages. Gargoyle statues were given prominent placement in cathedrals, and were often seen as protectors from evil or other threatening creatures.

Griffins

The origins of griffins are even more ancient than those of gargoyles. Greek vases created in 600 B.C. that depict griffins have been discovered. Griffins were said to be guardians of gold mines, and instead of eggs, it was rumored that griffins laid agates.

Griffin statues were frequently used in Persian and Elamite architecture. In Europe, the reported monogamy and dual nature of griffins came to represent for the church both Jesus Christ and the sanctity of marriage.

Artistic depictions of griffins vary (as does the spelling of the word griffin), but griffin statues can feature four legs, wings, a beak, eagle-like talons, or a serpentine tail.

Gargoyles vs. Griffins

Today, gargoyles and griffins continue to appear as both statues and architectural flourishes. Gargoyles and griffins can be glimpsed outside of churches and art museums, or keeping silent watch as garden statues. As for which is best -- gargoyle garden statues or griffin garden statues -- it's probably best to let them fight that out between themselves.