Do you see what this is?
Paisley Abbey in Scotland. Colin/Creative Commons
If you’re old like me, a second look should be all you need to figure it out.
Yep, this grotesque is an alien—or rather, the alien. From Alien.
I didn’t know, before I read this bit by Ella Morton on Slate, that there was a difference between gargoyles (water outlet from gutter) and grotesques (funky decorative figures), tho’ both are oft intended to ward off bad mojo.
At churches! Which presumably don’t need any help warding off bad mojo due to the major mojo of the Major Domo!
Yes, Christian houses of God are done up with gremlins and robots and astronauts and Darth Vader—and more than one Alien (check Atlas Obscura).
How can a syncretist such as myself reject such marvels? I cannot.
Such useless beauty, such curious love, such mischief amidst the sacred.
AbsurdBeats 
heh timely update to the bulls, pelicans, and all…