cathedrals 5:
Laon - the midst of
the gothic transition,
with added oxen

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Laon cathedral sits on a high, steep hump of limestone in the midst of the rolling, northern plain of the French wheat belt. It is a beautiful cathedral, in a beautiful position; and badly neglected like so many French public monuments, being damaged by the ravages of pollution. The two images above show this clearly. The nearest bullock has now lost its head, the other animals and floral carvings are badly decayed, while the top balustrade is cased in planking, fixed with bolts, to prevent it falling further apart.[It is possible that the decay had already started at the time of the earlier picture, the top of the balustrade looks as if it may be secured by a plank.]

Laon is one of the earliest gothic cathedrals, and as such it is transitional in its design. It does not have all of the recognised attributes of the fully-flowered gothic cathedrals. At Laon, the buttresses are not fully exposed, as may be seen at their considerable exuberance in Le Mans and Bourges. Laon cathedral has an upper tribune gallery that helps constrain the high nave walls from bulging outwards.

Cross-section of Laon cathedral nave, showing the unusual four-tier construction

There are various suggestions why sixteen bullocks are included on the twin west towers of the cathedral exterior. Twelfth century legend has it that, when the earlier church was being built, a haulage team taking equipment to the foot of the cathedral building works just could not climb up the hill. Suddenly, they saw their team had been reinforced by a bullock who, once the providential mission was completed, disappeared as mysteriously as it had appeared. It is said that the famous bullocks were added to the towers in memory of this miraculous intervention. However, this legend apparently relates to the restoration works of the previous church, burnt down in 1112. More prosaic is that the bullocks glorify the enormous labour done by these sturdy helpers of the thirteenth century architect when building the current cathedral.[1]

After the Revolution [1789 on] the bishopric of Laon was removed, so the cathedral became merely the local parish church. Nowadays, there is no hesitation in calling this building a cathedral.

four tiers of colonnades


East rose and lancets

credits on page of full versions, as necessary

Being an early Gothic cathedral, Laon has less glass compared to later buildings. The glass is mostly original thirteenth century stained glass (with some 19^th century ‘restorations’). There are four rose windows - east, west, north, south. The east facade, above the main altar, has a large rose window, together with three large lancets below. The west rose window matches the east one in its structure. The rose window in the north transept is filled with medallions. The south window is more interesting for its structure than for its glass.

On the East facade [1], the three lancets, still with their original glass, illustrate:

Right lancet

24 yoked medallions representing the life of Mary and the childhood of Jesus, sometimes on two neighbouring medallions [part of a Biblia Pauperum]

1 the Annunciation
2 The Visitation
3 & 4 The Nativity
5 & 6 The annunciation to the shepherds
7 & 8 The adoration of the Wise Men
9 & 10 The presentation to the Temple and the purification of Mary
11 The fleece of Gedeon
12 The burning bush
13 & 14 The flight into Egypt
15 & 16 The return of the Wise Men
17 & 18 Daniel prophesying the fall of the idols [‘concordant’ item from the Old Testament]
19 The sacrifice of Abel and of Cain [‘concordant’ item from the Old Testament]
20 The presentation of Mary to the Temple
21 & 22 The massacre of the innocents

Central lancet

This follows the life of Jesus from his entrance into Jerusalem until the Ascension.
There are a series of five four-lobed medallions that alternate with five circular medallions.
Some have several scenes

1 The triumphal entrance into Jerusalem
2 The Last Supper
3 The washing of feet
4 Jesus in the Garden of Olives
5 The kiss of Judas
6 Jesus before Caïphe
7 The flogging of Jesus
8 Carrying the cross
9 The crucifixion
10 Putting the body of Jesus in the tomb
11 The ‘holy’ women at the tomb
12 Peter and John at the tomb
13 the disciples of Emmaüs
15 The ascension

Left lancet

Twenty-six yoked medallions containing scenes of martyrdom and the legend of Saint Theophile.

The first six represent the life and martyrdom of saint Etienne [Stephen]
1 Etienne is made deacon by two apostles
2 Etienne proclaims the new religion in the presence of a doctor and a high priest who are
   sitting on a stepladder and wearing Jewish caps.
3 Etienne standing between two guards, having been summoned to the Sanhédrin [3] before the
   high priest, who condemns him
4 Jews grab Etienne by the hair and drag him to the place of execution
5 & 6 Etienne is stoned by his accusers, who have heaped their clothes at Saul’s feet, who is sitting.

On the other medallions is shown the miracle of Theophile:
1 Theophile, vidame [2] of the bishop of Adana, in Sicily, talking to his master
2 Disgrace of Theophile, who is removed from his functions; a third person, sitting at the feet
   of the prelate, has already replaced him
3 Theophile (whose name is at the base of the medallion) goes away, drawn by the spirit of evil.
   Devils appear to him, one holding a turncoat’s [renégat] parchment to sign, the other a step
   ladder to take Theophile when he is called by Satan
4 Theophile negotiates with a witch who promises to help him call up Satan
5 Theophile in the presence of Satan, whose appearance terrifies Theophile. Theophile has on
   his knees the book of magic with which he called up Satan
6 He renounces God and signs a parchment in blood, and presents Satan this pact
   concluded with him
7 Theophile, again a vidame because of the pact, distributes gold. He has a devil beside him who encourages him
8 Theophile, vidame, receives a fish as rent from vassals of the bishop
9 He oversees the building of a church
10 Theophile goes into this church
11 He kneels before a statue of Mary
12 Mary appears to him and, on her entreaties, he renounces Satan
13 Mary expels Satan, hitting him with the shaft of a cross
14 She returns to Theophile the pact he had signed with Satan
15 Theophile hands over the document to his bishop
16 The bishop absolved Theophile of his crime, lowering his pastoral staff over him, who is
     kneeling and groveling
17 From the pulpit, with two acolytes holding the crozier and cross, the bishop tells his
     congregation about Theophile’s miracle
18 & 19 Death of Theophile. His body, covered in a habit, is placed in a shroud helped by two
     people. The bishop sprinkled blessed water, accompanied by a clerk carrying the cross
    of his profession.

The east rose was dedicated to the glorification of Mary, who is shown in the centre crowned and sitting on a throne, carrying baby Jesus and holding in her right hand the mystical rose, a flaming scarlet flower. To her sides, are two prostrated angels, their hands joined/reaching, while higher up, two other angels sing praises/spread incense. Above her are shown: to the right, the prophet Isaiah (his name is on a scroll) who announced that Jesus would be born from a virgin; to the left, John the Baptist carrying the holy lamb.
The twelve medallions in the first circle represent the apostles, sitting on rainbows, barefoot and with haloes. Their names are written on the banner that each is holding in the right hand, they carry a book in the left. The twenty-four medallions of the second circle feature the Elders of the Revelations/Apocalypse, also sitting on rainbows, with crowned heads. They carry a phial, symbolising the prayers of the saints, and in the other hand a musical instrument: viol, rote***, harp, tambourine, psalterion***.

The north rose contains scenes representing the sciences as understood and practiced in the thirteenth century - the trivium and the quadrivium - the sciences and the liberal arts. Only Geometry, Arithmetic, Dialectic and Astronomy are original glass. The others were remade in 1865 [some say 1856], copying statues from the west facade.
The young women sit on benches: Philosophy in the centre, then going clockwise from twelve o’clock - Rhetoric writing on a tablet on her knees; Grammar, with the rods with which she threatens the little children seated at her feet; Dialectic; Astronomy, holding a bushel [8 gal, 36.4 ltr] for observing the stars by reflection when filled with water, or simply to recall that, at that time, this science fixed the dates for sowing; Medicine; Geometry and Music.[It is uncertain whether the window is as it was originally, because Philosophy, Rhetoric, Medicine and Music were missing before the 19th century restoration.]

The current cathedral building was completed in 1230, replacing the previous church destroyed by fire. There are a few carved pieces apparently from the original building in the local Laon town museum.

an interesting video on Laon cathedral (in French)

4:19 mins

Background facts
Laon	approximate population : 27,230 average altitude/elevation : 175 m cathedral dimensions total length : 110.50 m nave width : 30 m vault height : 24 m north tower : 60.5 m south tower : 56 m

Some reference keywords/tags:

Laon Cathedral,Cathedrale,photos,transitional gothic,flying buttress,tribune gallery,triforium,clerestory,scale model,image,images,photograph,picture,pics,France,Gothic architecture,stained glass,Notre Dame,St Etienne,Saint Theophile,bullocks,cows,gargoyles,tapestry,rose window,,iconography,symbol,

end notes

1. Freely translated from La cathedrale de Laon by Lucien Broche, 1926.
   
   
2. Vidame: Officer appointed by bishops to handle their temporal interests, both judicial and military, from which activities bishops were forbidden. In due course, the appointment became hereditary and sometimes the title transmuted in to viscompte.
   
   Occurring mostly in the 11^th and 12^th centuries, by the 13^th century, the post was near defunct, as French kings curtailed their powers. The vidame’s duties included managing and protecting the estates of the bishopric, administering the episcopal jurisdiction in the bishop’s name, to representing the bishop different courts, leading the bishop’s troops in battle.
   
   
3. Sanhedrin: ancient Jewish court system, the Jewish ‘Supreme Court’.
   
   
4. Yoked medallions are two medallions partially joined together.
   
   
5. Lancet: pointed, as seen in the arches and windows with a pointed head introduced in the Gothic period of architecture. [From the point of a lance, or spear.]
   
   
6. A crozier is the large shepherd’s stick carried by a bishop, or carried for him. The crozier is generally very lavish, gilded in gold and topped by an ornate hook. Shepherds use a long stick with a big hook at one end to catch individual sheep. In christianism there is a notion that the priest are like shepherds, caring for their flock or in this case their congregation, of which the crozier is the symbol.
   
   
7. In stained glass, a medallion refers to circular or oval space, generally one of many within the overall window design, that contains a figure of figures.

cathedrals – introduction: reading stained glass gothic cathedral and church construction history of ugly stained glass cathedrals 1: Rouen and Monet cathedrals 2a: Dax and church iconography cathedrals 2a: photographs, Dax Cathedrals 2b : Bazas - iconography and architectural styles cathedrals 3: Poitiers, neglected masterpiece cathedrals 3: photographs, Poitiers / photos 2 cathedrals 4: Angers, heart of the Angevin Empire cathedrals 4: photographs, Angers cathedrals 5: Laon, the midst of the gothic transition, with added oxen

cathedrals 5: photographs, Laon cathedrals 6: Saint-Jean-Baptiste de Lyon cathedrals 7: Notre Dame of Lausanne cathedrals 8: how a typical cathedral changes through the ages Lausanne rose window - photo-analysis Cambrai cathedral Soissons cathedral cathedrals in Lorraine - the Three Bishoprics cathedral giants - Amiens and Beauvais Germans in France - Arras cathedral Germans in France - Reims cathedral Germans in France - St. Quentin cathedral Germans in France - Noyon cathedral

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