There are ugly monsters, griffins and dragons that represent the mythical creatures, while real animals such as lions, dogs, rabbits and snakes also feature.Ancient civilizations like the Greeks were carving water spitters over two thousand years ago, but Benton said gargoyles really came alive in the middle ages.īesides water control, they've been said to ward off evil and to frighten passers-by into piety. It can be hard to decipher what each gargoyle and grotesque represents, as many of the figurines look very similar. The stain glass windows give the cathedral some colour, while the interior and exterior of the building ensure that the cathedral is every photographer’s dream building to capture on film. The classic gothic architecture of the building is fascinating to explore and both scary and whimsical decorative features can be discovered.

South portal sculpture Washington National Cathedral The Southwest Tower is home to some of the most famous gargoyles and grotesques such as The Humanoid Griffin, the Horse Skeleton, the Bat and the Pan, all of which have wide, gaping mouths and are fairly easy to spot. As this grotesque represents a villainous character, he sits on the north side of the cathedral building, which is the darkest area and it is particularly hard to spot with most people using binoculars to see it. Plunkett after Christopher Rader designed it for the National Geographic World Magazine contest in the 1980s and it won third place.

The Darth Vader stone was created by Jay Hill Carpenter and Patrick J. The west rose window was dedicated in 1977 in the presence of Queen Elizabeth II

The monstrous looking creatures at the Washington National Cathedral can be seen on the outside of the building, but they actually extend backwards deep into the walls with many of the gargoyle stones weighing hundreds of pounds. They were commonly used by everyone from the Greeks and the Romans to the Ancient Egyptians and the Etruscans, although it isn’t clear who actually invented them. They represent a wide range of mysterious creatures from dragons through to monkeys and they can represent both real and mythical creatures.

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