Gargoyle Ornament

The word "gargoyle" comes from the French legend of "La Gargouille," a dragon that terrorized the residents of Rouen. According to the story, for centuries the dragon had swallowed ships and flooded the town, until around 600 BC, when a priest agreed to kill the beast if the townspeople would convert to Christianity. Romanus tamed the dragon by making the sign of the cross, then led it into town where it was burned at the stake. Since the creature’s head would not burn, the townspeople cut it off and attached it to their church. The gargouille’s head became a ward against evil and a warning to other dragons.