To understand medieval sculpture you must imagine the medieval person's powerful belief in God. The cathedral was the manifestation of their faith. Every person in the community contributed something. Those with no gold to give could harnass themselves to the large carts which dragged stones from the quarry to the building site. The cathedral was to be the most beautiful structure on earth, and no task was considered too arduous for the glory of God.
The cathedral was also to be a "sermon in stone" which could be "read" by an
illiterate
population. Some gargoyles clearly fill this instructional purpose by
illustrating Bible stories, from
Eve's
first reach for the apple to frightening images of eternal
damnation.
But not all gargoyles were for religious instruction. Some were simply grotesque. One reason for this is the belief that frightening figures could scare away evil spirits, and they were put on the outsides of buildings to do just that.
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