Each year on May 22nd World Goth Day is celebrated internationally.

Notre Dame Catholic Cathedral comes to mind when I think of Gothic architecture. It is unfortunate that the lead roof and oak spire began to burn up from a fire that was caused by new reconstruction on the building.However since then there has been rumors that a public swimming pool may be built on the roof.  Notre Dame means “Our Lady of Paris.” It was completed in 1290 CE, under the charge of the Bishop Maurice de Sully. It is known for its' legend of the elusive bell ringer, the Hunchback of Notre Dame portrayed in Victor Hugo's 1831 novel, Notre-Dame de Paris.

Another Gothic beauty is the Chartres Cathedral, also known as the Cathedral of Our Lady of Chartres  is located in Chartes,France  about 80 km (50 miles) southwest of Paris, it is  known as the seat of the Bishop of Chartes. It was constructed between 1194 - 1220 CE. it stands at the site of at least five cathedrals that have occupied the site since the Diocese of Chartes in the 4th century. It is styled in High Gothic and Roman architectural designs.

The cathedral is designated a World Heritage site by UNESCO.

images of the Chartres Cathedral at night, adds much Gothic charm. (Wikipedia)

Gothic Gargoyles decorate the five Cathedrals, they are silent watchers that prevent rainfall from the roof gutters eroding the concrete. They are supernatural guardians of the church observing the world below and above protecting it from evil.

The word gargoyle originated from the French word gargouille, it means "throat."

The French legend of "La Garguille," 631–641 CE a fearsome dragon that terrorized the inhabitants of the town of Rouen named after the Bishop of Rouen who saved the townsfolk from a large dragon with bat like wings named Garguille or Gojii. Another tale tells how the dragon terrorized the town folks by gobbling up their ships and drowning the town until  600 BCE, when Romanus a brave priest appeared and decided to slay the dragon only if the pagans to converted to Roman Catholicism. Romanus stopped the dragon by gesturing with his hands the sign of the cross.Later the poor reptile was burned at the stake. Unfortunately the beast's head, wouldn't burn so they placed it on the church as a warning.

Another popular gargoyle is the Strix, or Styrga, a human bird chimera which holds its head with its hands. It is the gargoyles of Notre Dame that have popularized the horned creatures image with wings. In the 1800's, the French builders added them to the cathedral designing the gargoyles to appear from medieval times.

To celebrate World Goth Day you may wish to read a Gothic novel such as Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein or The Modern Prometheus published in 1818.  Her protagonist Victor Frankenstein is a daunting scientist sporting much perseverance he creates in his laboratory a huge monster at least 8 feet tall. The creature is made through Alchemy and Chemistry including reanimation of dead corpse tissue. Macabre at best.

Below illustration: Steel engraving (993 × 78 mm), for the frontispiece of the 1831 revised edition of Mary Shelly’s Frankenstein, published by Colburn and Bentley, London.

Another famous Gothic author I enjoy reading is Edgar Allen Poe who died a very mysterious, controversial, death on October 7th 1849. Edgar Allen Poe's short novel The Black Cat was published on August 19th 1843 on The Saturday Evening Post.

A story about the study of psychology on guilt and how it slowly, eats away at the protagonist. The murderer covers up his crime and thinks he is untouchable, but he is so guilt-ridden that he betrays himself, from his very own nagging conscience.

You can read it here The Black Cat on The Saturday Evening Post. Below illustration of The Black Cat by Byam Shaw.

Enjoy!

Sources & References:

• Haggerty, George E. (1989). Gothic Fiction/Gothic Form. University Park, Pennsylvania: Pennsylvania State University Press. p. 37. ISBN 978-0271006451.
• Davis, Michael T. “Splendor and Peril: The Cathedral of Paris, 1290–1350.” The Art Bulletin (1998) 80#1 pp: 34–66.
• Featued image, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Gargoyles,_Notre-Dame,_Paris_(3584514985).jpg
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gargoyle#Legend_of_the_Gargouille
• Saturday Evening Post The Black Cat by Edgar Allen Poe
• Middle image of gargoyle on Notre Dame Cathedral (Public Domain.)