A gargoyle is a water spout carved in the shape of a grotesque or fantastic animal. They commonly adorn medieval churches and are said to ward off evil that would enter there.

They represent demons fleeing from inside the church and then becoming frozen in stone and forced to protect the building that they first tried to destroy. They both protect the building from water damage and pose as a warning to other demons.

They are also said to represent earlier deities, whose forms were distorted by the Church.

References

Conway, Moncure Daniel. Demonology and Devil-lore, Volume 1. New York: Henry Holt and Company, 1881.

William Andrews. Antiquities and Curiosities of the Church. London: William Andrews & Co., 1897.