lahbluebonnet made a valiant attempt at guessing the answer to the last trivia question (which was far too long ago, my apologies):- "The name of this architectural feature comes from the old french word for "throat" as they were used to channel water. Their usefulness in warding off evil spirits came later and is up for debate." The answer is "gargoyle", which comes from the old French for "throat". If you think of words like "gargle" and "gorget" it makes sense. A close look at the photo to the left will reveal that the water was channeled off of and away from the building through a spout in the mouth of the figure. This one is from St. Vitus' cathedral, and is appropriately scary as we approach Halloween. The trivia for today is more of a question for all of you:- What character, historical or otherwise, are you dressing as for Halloween? Or, if you don't participate in such a holiday (as I know many of my ...
Amphorae were pottery vessels created to hold and transport goods in the Greek and Roman world; some were even highly decorative and given as prizes, or used to hold the ashes of the dead. Join me as I delve into the vessels of history...