Window 014 - Temptation of Christ, Marriage at Cana, Blue Virgin (detail, restored)
• Upper half: Mary with the Infant Christ. The three panels containing Mary and Christ, along with the three lancet windows beneath the western rose, are the sole remaining example of the glass from the cathedral largely destroyed in the fire of 1194, dating to approximately AD 1180. The face of Mary is modern; note how she is shaped almost throne-like as Christ sits enthroned upon her. Often called "Notre Dame de la Belle Verrière" (Our Lady of the Beautiful Stained Glass Window). The framing panels and remainder of the window are from the current cathedral--circa 1215 - 1220.
†Central Diamond 1: Placidas hunts a stag. • Row 1: Part of the hunt. • Row 2: Part of the hunt. • Row 3 (two circles): Sees crucifix between stag's antlers; Placidus chooses to be baptized a Christian, and receives the name Eustace. • Row 4: Drapers, as donors. • Row 5: Furriers, as donors.
† Central Diamond 2: Eustace leaves city with wife and children. • Row 6 (two circles): Negociates for passage on ship and sails to Egypt (2 panels).
† Central Diamond 3: Eustace and children driven from the boat, while boat captain retains his wife [story continues in row 9].
• Row 7: Eustace's two sons meet and recognize each other; Eustace converses with the emperor's messengers and they realize he is Placidas whom they have been sent to find [story continues row 10]. • Row 8: Emperor Trajan sends for Placidas (now Eustace); The messengers lodge with Eustace without recognizing him [story continues in row 11, right]. • Row 9 (two circles): Eustace fords a river; one child is carried off by pink lion, another attacked by wolf who is in his turn attacked by shepherds [story continues in row 8]. • Row 10: Two recruits (his sons) brought to Eustace but he does not recognize them [story continues in row 11, left]; EITHER family celebrates their reunion OR the messengers tell Eustace's friends of his exploits [story continues in Central Diamond 4].
† Central Diamond 4: Eustace, wife, and children re-united [story continues row 12, left].
• Row 11: Eustace's kidnapped wife leaves to find him [story continues in row 10, right]; Eustace's son selected for military service [story continues row 10, left]. • Row 12: Roman emperor thanks his idols for bringing victory to Eustace; Eustace will not worship the idols. • Row 13: Eustace's execution ordered (also in round panel directly above); servants carry out the emperor's execution order (see also round pan
Bottom to top, left to right (some rows have the story proceed RIGHT to left; marked '!' where this occurs:
• Row 13: Jews are angry at James' preaching; Hermogenes preaches to those who used to follow him. • Row 14: James preaches Christ's divinity while in prison. • Row 15: Josias converts and Jewish high priest orders him beaten; Josias, a scribe, leads James with a rope (!) • Row 16: Herod condemns Josias and James to death; James performs healings while he and Josias are taken away. • Row 17: James and Josias taken to be executed. • Row 18: James and Josias are beheaded. • Row 19: Christ on cloud with candelabra.
Top to bottom, left to right [See diagram for the proper order of reading.]
• Row 01: Wheelwrights, carpenters, coopers (barrel-makers) as donors. See also donors in the very small squares bottom left and right. Perhaps appropriate given the ark's water-tight construction of wood....
Window 013 - Story of Saint Anthony of the Desert and Saint Paul the Anchorite (restored)
Top to bottom, left to right, including medallions.
• Row 04: A hermit teaches Anthony; he digs, manual labor as part of the hermit's life. • Row 05: Devil (green face and feet) tempts Saint Anthony; Anthony before his fire is tempted by the devil in the form of a woman (also in green dress). • Row 06: Anthony asks friend to bring him bread in preparation for his hermitage in the desert; Devils come to attack Anthony in the hermitage.
Window 059 - Symbolic Window, Typology of the Passion of Christ (restored)
NB: Read TOP to BOTTOM, unlike most windows. Some are modern (marked *).
• Row 12: (Bottom row): Blacksmiths as donors. • Row 11: Samson carries gates of Gaza; Christ's body being annointed; David slays lion to protect sheep [some argue for Samson slaying lion, but sheep make me think likely David. On the other hand, the other side panels are often of the same characters, so I suppose a repeat of Sampson would fit that pattern. - GLS] • Row 10: Elijah raises son of widow of Sareptha; Jacob blesses Ephraim and Manasseh; Elijah meets widow of Sareptha. • Row 09: King David with pelican feeding young on her own blood. • Row 08: Abraham takes Isaac to Mount Moriah for sacrifice; Descent from the Cross; Abraham is stopped from sacrificing Isaac. • Row 07: Jonah near Ninevah (*). • Row 06: Moses shows brass serpent; Adam collects blood at the foot of the cross (*); Israelites mark their doorposts with blood of the lamb (tau).
