Notre Dame: Facade In The Sun. And My New Favorite Quote About Gargoyles

It's pretty simple.  Photos, whether people, animals, landscapes, or buildings, usually look better with sunlight beaming on to the subject.  Not always, but usually.  Given that the facade of Notre Dame faces west, my pictures of the facade the other morning were not very illuminating.

So, after Invalides, I pitched Carol on cabbing to Notre Dame despite our being tired, just so I could take some pictures.  She wasn't thrilled with the idea at first, but changed her mind.  So here's a string of photos, only two of which are selfies:

The Bored Gargoyle.

The ancient Kings of Israel (not Palestine)

St. Denis.  Ya can't

say he lost his head.

Jesus with his mom.

Trumpeter on the left.

A better shot of the Devil and

the Archangel Micheal.

Don't have a cow, man!

Mary and two angels on the

outside of the rose window.

One of the three portals.

Gargoyle is derived from the

French "gargouille" which

means throat.  They usually

take the form of a twisted

face or an animal hybrid.  In

Greek mythology, they are

called "chimera."

They are used to drain rain

water off church roofs, to

ward of harmful spirits, and

to remind those who did not

attend church that they are

going to straight to hell.

Great quote I found on the website "The Historic England Blog" whilst looking up info on gargoyles:

In the 12th century, church leader, St. Bernard of Clairvaux was famous for speaking out against gargoyles.

“What are these fantastic monsters doing in the cloisters before the eyes of the brothers as they read? What is the meaning of these unclean monkeys, these strange savage lions, and monsters? To what purpose are here placed these creatures, half beast, half man, or these spotted tigers? I see several bodies with one head and several heads with one body. Here is a quadruped with a serpent’s head, there a fish with a quadruped’s head, then again an animal half horse, half goat… Surely if we do not blush for such absurdities, we should at least regret what we have spent on them.”

Saint Bernard was famous for dogging church architects.  Now back to our regularly scheduled photos.  

(Editor: Now that we know your new favorite quote about gargoyles, what's your old favorite quote? 

Writer: "Gargoyles are cool," said by Glen Bolger upon first seeing them on Westminster Abbey in 1984.

Editor: St. Bernard's quote sure is better than yours.

Writer: His quote is only 900 years old.  Mine is already 41 years old.)

                                

The Bored Gargoyle and his

compatriot deserve two photos.

Charlemagne.  (Not actually him,

but a statue of Charlemagne.)