Egypt and Greece

• Though they are not referred to as such, gargoyles were used in Ancient Egyptian and Greek temples. Water from rituals would be dumped on the roofs and passed through their mouths.
  
  

India

• Gargoyles in India date back to the mid-12th century, where they appeared in Airavateswarar Temple in Darasuram.
  
  

Protection

• According to legend, the bishop of Rouen (in Normandy) saved the countryside from a living gargoyle in the 7th century AD with the help of a condemned prisoner. Because its form was thought to be so frightening, it was subsequently added to church designs to scare off evil spirits.
  
  

Notre Dame

• Gargoyles appeared on many medieval cathedrals, but the most famous was Notre Dame in Paris. Its renowned Galerie des Chimeres added a number of gargoyles and chimeras during its restoration in the mid-19th century.
  
  

Modern Designs

• Many contemporary building designs incorporate gargoyles. Notable examples include the steel gargoyles on the Chrysler Building in New York and the gargoyles at the National Cathedral in Washington, DC.