Protection

I stand in front of you
I'll take the force of the blow
Protection...

(Remember that song?)

"The gargoyle's grotesque form was said to scare off evil spirits so they were used for protection. / ... / Some gargoyles were depicted as monks, combinations of real animals and people, many of which were humorous. Unusual animal mixtures, or chimeras, did not act as rainspouts and are more properly called grotesques. They serve more as ornamentation, but are now synonymous with gargoyles."

From Wikipedia