Windows 017 - Zodiac and Labours of the Months (restored)
Top to bottom, left to right:
• Row 04: March (prune vines); Aries. • Row 05: May & Gemeni combined. • Row 06: April (budding plants and vines); Taurus. • Row 07: July (cutting hay); Cancer. • Row 08: June (cutting wheat) & Leo combined. • Row 09: August (thresh wheat); Virgo. • Row 10: September (harvest and tramp grapes); Libra. • Row 11: October (place wine in barrels) & Scorpio. • Row 12: November (slaughter hog); Saggitarius • Row 13: December (feasting) Capricorn • Row 14: Christ with Alpha and Omega (all encompassing, even of the tasks of the year and the cosmos represented by the zodiac's progression).
Bottom to top, left to right. Circles start at 6 o'clock, proceed left to right:
• Panels 1,2,3: Cobblers, the donors of the window - • Quadrant 4: Jesus tells a parable. • Quadrant 5: Man leaves Jerusalem for Jericho • Center 6, quadrant 7: Thieves leap out to attack and rob him • Quadrant 8: Priest and levite pass by without helping.
Bottom to top, left to right. Circles start at 6 o'clock, proceed left to right:
• Quadrant 8: Priest and levite pass by without helping. - • Panels 9,10,11: Samaritan binds his wounds, places the man on his donkey, and takes him to a waiting inn-keeper. - • Quadrant 12: Samaritan cares for wounded man at the inn. • Quadrant 13: God creates man, (breathing into Adam the breath of life?). • Center 14: Adam in paradise. • Quadrant 15: God makes woman from rib ('tsela') as Adam sleeps. The appearance of the legs matching both Adam and Eve is a beautiful bit of work, rich with symbolism. • Quadrant 16: God forbids the tree of knowledge of Good and Evil. Note the red serpent already coiled about the trunk. - • Panel 17: They sit under the tree (a first step toward sin, perhaps?). • Panel 18: Satan tempts them and they eat. Note the dark, ominous red background which echoes the serpent from Quadrant 16, and contrasts with the refreshing blue of the previous. • Panel 19: God calls to them, but they hide and make fig-leaf aprons.
† Window 145 - North rose: Rose of France glorifying the Virgin (restored)
Virgin in center with Infant Jesus. Surrounded by four doves, four angels, and four Thrones. These are followed by twelve kings of Judah, Mary's ancestors. The outer ring contains twelve minor prophets.
The window was donated while Queen Blanche was regent of France (circa 1230). The arms of France alternating with Castile are seen below the rose itself. The entire ensemble is a none-too-subtle bit of royal propaganda, with Mary (the Queen of Heaven) at the center of it all. Note too that the figures below the rose in the lancets contrast a legitimate righteous sovereign with corrupt, foolish, or fallen ones. Blanche seems to have wanted no doubt about how she ought to be considered.
†North side, lancets, left to right: True versus false sovereigns (restored)
• Window 145C - North side, far left lancet: Melchizedek standing over Nebuchadnezzar (true king over the false Babylonian pretender to world-lordship, worshipping idol of his dream).
• Window 145B - North side, near left lancet: King David standing over King Saul (the chosen king over the apostate king rejected by God, who dies via suicide in despair).
• Row 07: Peace envoys from India arrive (both panels). • Row 08: The apostles teach and convert many (both panels). • Row 09: Persian magicians create serpents as evidence of their miracle-working--Simon and Jude pray that they will be bitten but not unto death. • Row 10: Chariots of the pagan moon and sun (which the apostles would not worship) • Row 11: Two angels (modern) replaced an older scene showing the saints' martyrdom.
†North side, lancets, left to right: True versus false sovereigns (restored, detail)
• Window 145B - North side, near left lancet: King David standing over King Saul (the chosen king over the apostate king rejected by God, who dies via suicide in despair).
• Surrounding border: Wine cryers or tavern keepers offering wine for sale.
† Center circles (continued uses of wine):
• Circle 03: Celler master brings wine to be consecrated. • Circle 04: Highest use of wine -- the Eucharist. • Circle 05: Christ, with Alpha and Omega.
† Left to right, top to bottom (excluding central circles and border):
• Row 06: Lubin, Nileffus and others approach another monastery, Saint Avil in Perche; Lubin et al. leave monastery (?) or welcome others to the monastery (?). • Row 07: Lubin et al. blessed by Saint Avitus [story continues next row up, left side]; Lubin is appointed bishop of Chartres [story continues next row up, right side]. • Row 08: Avitus appoints Lubin cellerer, as he hands over the keys (celler being a nice wine cryer's touch) [story continues row down, right side]; Now-Bishop Lubin leaves on pastoral visit. • Row 09: Bishop Lubin sprinkles holy water on a house as an exorcism two panels). • Row 10: Christ with alpha and omega.
† Window 145 - North rose: Rose of France glorifying the Virgin (restored)
Virgin in center with Infant Jesus. Surrounded by four doves, four angels, and four Thrones. These are followed by twelve kings of Judah, Mary's ancestors. The outer ring contains twelve minor prophets.
The window was donated while Queen Blanche was regent of France (circa 1230). The arms of France alternating with Castile are seen below the rose itself. The entire ensemble is a none-too-subtle bit of royal propaganda, with Mary (the Queen of Heaven) at the center of it all. Note too that the figures below the rose in the lancets contrast a legitimate righteous sovereign with corrupt, foolish, or fallen ones. Blanche seems to have wanted no doubt about how she ought to be considered.
†North side, lancets, left to right: True versus false sovereigns (restored)
• Window 145C - North side, far left lancet: Melchizedek standing over Nebuchadnezzar (true king over the false Babylonian pretender to world-lordship, worshipping idol of his dream).
• Window 145B - North side, near left lancet: King David standing over King Saul (the chosen king over the apostate king rejected by God, who dies via suicide in despair).
• Window 145A - North side, central lancet: Saint Anne holding Infant Mary. Beneath this are the arms of France.
• Window 145D - North side, near right lancet: Solomon over Jeroboam, who worships golden calf (wise king over the fool who worshipped idols and abandoned the LORD).
• Window 145E - North side, far right lancet: Aaron above Pharoah, covered by the Red Sea (true priesthood and power over the false).
