Which makes the medieval cathedrals of this era an even more effective metaphor:
the mingling of bits of reality and myth can be clearly understood since the exact sources for the parts of the metaphor are not important as long as they combine to produce the desired effect (Clay & Krempel 22).
The desired effect. What was the "desired effect" of a French cathedral intended to be, especially if it could so effortlessly combine demonology and the divine within its structural whole? To begin with, there was a straightforward social function to be fulfilled.
For the most part, cathedrals in France were urban structures, built in or near cities (large towns by modern standards) that had large enough populations to supply the manpower and monies necessary to support construction. Those costs were enormous and not easily met: one of the reasons Romanesque style often flows into Gothic in the same building is that the expenses were so enormous and time-consuming that it took decades to complete. Many of the "landmark" cathedrals of the day were ne
...