Everything turned into ash except for the dragon’s head, so the townspeople mounted it to their church, serving as a watcher of evil and a protector against other dragons.

With just the sign of the cross, the beast followed Romanus into the town where it was burned at the stake.

It came from the French legend “La Gargouille”, whose main character involves a fearsome dragon that threatened the town of Rouen in France for hundreds of years, until Romanus, a local priest, agreed to vanquish the dragon in exchange for Christianity.

It also came from the Greek word gargarizein, meaning “to wash the throat”.

Derived from the Old French word gargouille which means “throat” or “gullet”, the term gargoyle refers to the sound produced when holding water in the mouth or throat while streaming air from the lungs (origin of gargle).See the fact file below for more information on the gargoyles or alternatively, you can download our 20-page Gargoyle worksheet pack to utilise within the classroom or home environment. Acting as spiritual guardians of the city, a gargoyle’s real function is to divert rainwater away from buildings.

Known for being hideous stone-like monsters, gargoyles are grotesque mythical creatures that sit on top of old cathedrals and churches. Download the Gargoyle Facts & Worksheets.

Download gargoyle statues on churches