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The Mystery Of Why There’s An “Alien” Gargoyle On A 12th-Century Scottish Abbey
May Have Been Solved
For years now, any sci-fi film buffs who have visited Paisley Abbey in Scotland may have
been startled by an unnervingly familiar sight. There is something uncanny about a stone gargoyle
on the structure’s lofty heights. One of the decorative carvings on the centuries-old
building’s exterior bears a striking resemblance to an all-too-recognizable movie monster.
The place of worship has become a place of pilgrimage and wonder for Ridley Scott fans.
But now, the mystery of the Alien gargoyle looks to have been resolved once and for all.
Paisley in the Scottish county of Renfrewshire is seven miles away from Glasgow and is known
as Scotland’s largest town. It has a population of more than 77,000 citizens, but nonetheless
Paisley is still not officially classed as a city. Still, that did not stop the good
people of the town from organizing a campaign to win the U.K. City of Culture title for
2021. While ultimately unsuccessful, the bid reflected the regeneration that Paisley is
currently undergoing.
Regardless of what happens in the future, Paisley looms large in the history of Scotland.
During the industrial revolution, for instance, the town became a hotbed for weaving – and
was the birthplace of the famed Paisley pattern design. Sadly, however, by the close of the
20th century, every single one of its mills had closed down. Going further back through
history, the town was a significant religious center in the 12th century, thanks to the
construction of Paisley Abbey which still stands proudly today.
The first christian use of the site was as far back as the 7th century. Indeed, the Irish
missionary Saint Mirin apparently established a community there. A chapel within Paisley
Abbey is dedicated to the saint, and the town’s soccer club is named in his honor. The abbey
site eventually became a prominent pilgrimage spot, following the building of a shrine to
Saint Mirin sometime after his death. Then, in 1163, a group of monks arrived and built
a priory, under a charter issued by the nobleman Walter fitz Alan, the first High Steward of
Scotland. The current holder of that title is Charles, Prince of Wales.
By 1245, the priory had risen in prominence to become an abbey. But 62 years later, the
invading King Edward I of England ordered that the structure be burned down. Nevertheless,
by the end of the 14th century, Paisley Abbey had been reconstructed. Alas, not well enough
– some 200 years later, the central tower of the abbey collapsed, destroying several
parts of the building.
For centuries, much of Paisley Abbey lay in ruins. Eventually, however, restoration work
began on the tower, transepts and choir in the late 19th century. It has proved to be
a continual process, with the latest round of refurbishments starting in 2002. However,
despite the physical changes to the structure down the centuries, the abbey has still been
witness to significant history.
For example, William Wallace, the Scottish hero portrayed by Mel Gibson in the film Braveheart,
is believed to have been educated in the abbey in the 13th century. And noblewoman Marjorie
Bruce gave birth by caesarean section to the Scots King Robert II there in 1316. Unfortunately
for her, this was centuries before anesthetics were used in surgery. Bruce is now buried
at the abbey, along with Robert II’s wife. But while plenty is known about Paisley Abbey’s
history, one mystery has eluded people for quite some time now – one concerning that
strange, yet familiar, stone gargoyle.
But it was as late as 2013 that a photograph of the out-of-place detail on the 600-year-old
structure became hugely popular on social media. And there was a good reason for its
worldwide renown. Indeed, as many internet users instantly picked up on, the gargoyle
in the photo bears an uncanny resemblance to a very famous movie monster. But, despite
the abbey being built centuries ago, this particular vile movie villain dates only from
1979.
Yes, sci-fi horror movie fans recognized the sculpture straight away. And that is because
it is a dead-ringer for the Xenomorph from English director Ridley Scott’s groundbreaking
movie Alien. Since the terrifying creature first stalked the starship Nostromo almost
40 years ago, the film has birthed sequels, prequels, video games, comic books and tons
of other merchandise.
Despite a mixed critical reception upon release, the original Alien starring Sigourney Weaver
became a commercial smash, and is now thought of as one of the greatest movies ever made.
Indeed, the American Film Institute ranked it seventh on its 2008 list of the best sci-fi
movies ever. Meanwhile, the Library of Congress picked the film out for preservation in the
U.S. National Film Registry in 2002.
The enormous, black Xenomorph is one of the movie’s most iconic factors, despite only
being glimpsed fleetingly in the dark shadows of the Nostromo’s interior. The creation
of Swiss painter H.R. Giger, the creature won the movie’s special effects team an
Academy Award. But how did its likeness end up on the side of an abbey constructed some
six centuries ago?
Well, as it turns out, there may be a simple explanation for the mysterious monster work
after all. At least according to the story given by Reverend Alan Birss, minister of
Paisley Abbey. In an article on the BBC News website in August 2013, Birss explained all
about the abbey’s gargoyles. Apparently, despite their highly decorative qualities,
gargoyles on a building once served a very practical purpose. Indeed, they functioned
as run-offs for rainwater from a structure’s roof in the days before gutters and drainage
pipes became commonplace.
And, as well as a great many other things, Scotland is famous for it’s rainy weather.
Over the centuries, this continual rain had eroded most of Paisley Abbey’s gargoyles
until, in Birss’ words, they “had crumbled and were in a very bad state.” So in 1991,
as part of the building’s ongoing refurbishment, 12 of the original gargoyles were removed.
Then a stonemason was commissioned to replace them with a dozen brand-new grotesque statues.
Subsequently, it emerged that this craftsman may have had a sense of humor. After all,
who else would be responsible for the incongruous statue’s stark resemblance to Giger’s
Xenomorph? Reverend Birss certainly thought as much, telling the BBC, “I think it was
a stonemason having a bit of fun.”
“Perhaps the film was fairly new when they were carving this and, if he was thinking
of an alien, perhaps the alien from the film was his idea of an alien,” Birss continued.
However, he was quick to claim that the design was still original for fear of provoking the
Xenomorph’s copyright holder. Birss said, “I’m sure he wasn’t deliberately copying
the alien in the film. It was just a concept of an alien.”
In fact, 2013 was not the first time someone had fingered the gargoyle’s familiar features.
Indeed, Birss told the BBC that he had conducted a sweep of the internet and found that an
abbey visitor had posted about the resemblance way back in 1997. But those were the relatively
early days of the world wide web and not as many people would have been able to access
this post. As the minister said, “It obviously did not pick up and take off then like it
has now.”
Meanwhile, Matthew McIntosh, the church officer at Paisley Abbey, also spoke to BBC News.
He said, “It is a beautiful building. Paisley gets a bad press but the abbey is the jewel
in the crown. People will be surprised and delighted by everything they see outside and
inside.”
Indeed, Paisley Abbey still attracts many worshippers and other visitors today. The
holy building has regular services most weekdays and weekends, and even hosts the occasional
concert. These musical offerings include guitar recitals and choral events. And, of course,
the abbey is also used as a venue for christenings, weddings and funerals.
In early 2018 the world’s attention was once again drawn to the Alien gargoyle, by
way of the Paisley 2021 Facebook profile. This community page was set up as part of
the Renfrewshire town’s bid for the U.K. City of Culture 2021 title and featured the
unique stonework in a promotional post. Sadly, Paisley lost out on that accolade to the city
of Coventry in England. Nonetheless, that English city cannot boast an abbey with an
extraterrestrial on board.
So the sight of a Xenomorph protruding from the exterior of a historic and holy building
may once have come as a shock. But it transpires that there may well be a reasonable explanation
behind its peculiar presence on Paisley Abbey after all. And it appears that a stonemason
with an advanced sense of mischief may have put the Scottish town on the map for sci-fi
fans of Alien everywhere.
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