Description: Capital supporting a fallen arcade in the middle of the south transept façade. Dating for Notre-Dame-du-Port is ca. 1185. The Corpus dates the inscriptions to second half of the 12th century.
Reference: The relatively late development of oncials in the Auvergne, and Notre-Dame-du-Port in particuliar, suggest that the inscription can be attributed to the second half of the twelfth century.
Face:
ABRAAM : ISAAC : ET IMMO
Abraam, Isaac, et immolacio. [Abraam, Isaac, et le sacrifice]
Description: Capital at south side entry to ambulatory
On the three faces of the capital is a representation of the punishment of the usuer. On the principal face a kneeling nude figure is between two demons, who are pulling on a cord around the nude figure's neck. A banderole stretches across the three faces.
Reference: The latin is clumsy and incorrect: prisist in place of periisti, ussura for usura. The last three letters are enigmatic. The commentary that accompanies this scene is almost identical to that which identifies an analogous scene at Saint-Julien de Brioude.
Face:
MILLE ARTIFEX SCRIPSIT TU PRISIST; USSURA S.R.E.
The master of a thousand [tricks] wrote: you perished through usury.
Description: Capital of the second column in choir, northeast side.
Two armed virtues one with a shield, the other with a lance pointed at two Vices. A nude and disheveled woman with a sword stuck in her throat
Reference: Full translation: An angel. In honor of St. Mary, Stephen ordered me to be made. Generosity. Charity. Anger kills itself. The demon fights against the Virtues. Charity. Avarice. It hides in his treasury.
Face:
IRA SE OCCIDIT
Anger kills itself
Face:
ABSCON TESAURO
Abscon[dit in] tesauro or Abscon[dito] tesauro
Charity. Avarice. It hides in his treasury.
Face:
AVARICIA
Avarice
Face:
DEM / ON CO N/ TRA/ VIRTUTE/ S PUG/ NAT
Demon contra virtutes pugnat.
Demon fights against the virtues.
Face:
CARITUS;
Charity
Face:
:LARGI CARI:/; SAT TAS;
Largitas, Caritas
Face:
ANGELUS
Angel.
Face:
IN ON ME FI/ ORE SANCTA / ERI / MARIA JUS / : STEF SIT / ANUS
In honore sancta Maria Stefanus me fieri jussit
In honor of St. Mary, Stefanus ordered me to be made.
Description: Capital on the 4th column of choir, northeast side
Angel announces to Zacharia the birth of John the Baptist while pulling Zacharias's beard
Reference: This capital comprises three annunciations and visitations. The first annunciation concerns Zachariah, who learns from an angel that he will have a son named John.
Luke (I, 11-13): Apparuit autem illi angelus Domini, stans a dextris altaris incensi... Ait autem ad illum angelus : Ne timeas, Zacharia, quoniam exaudita est deprecatio tua, et uxor tua Elisabeth pariet tibi filium, et vocabis nomen ejus Joannem.
The iconographic is faithful to the biblical text, the angel is represented to the right of the altar's incense, where Zachariah officiates.
When John the Baptist is born, Zachariah, who was told what to name the newborn, carried a tablet on which he wrote: Joannes est nomen ejus (Luc 1,63), the verse found on the next scene.
The Visitation, is simply evoked by the word reported by Luke (I, 39-46).
The second annunciation described on the capital is the ultimate Annunciation, that of the angel Gabriel to the Virign, inspired by the text at the beginning of Luke (I, 28). Ave gratia plena.
The third Annuncation is the apparition of the angel to Joseph (Dream of Joseph). The words on the capital condense the text of St. Matthew (I, 19): Joseph vir ejus cum esset justus et nollet eam traducere, voluit occulte dimittere eam.
The Rotbertus who signed the capitals could also be the author/artist of the neighboring capitals--the style is very close.
Face:
JO : / AN/ NE :/ S ES/ T NO/ MEN / EJUS
Joannes est nomen ejus
John is his name.
Ne crains pas, Zacharie. Ta prière a été exaucée. Jean est son nom. Salutation. Salut, Marie. Joseph voulut la renvoyer en secret. Robert m'a fait.
Face:
SALUTACIO
Greetings
Face:
AVE MAR . IA
Hail Mary
Face:
EX SAUDI TA EST ORATIO TUA
exsaudita est oratio tua
your prayer is granted
Face:
NE
TI
ME
AS
ZA
CA
RI
A
H
C
Ne timeas Zacaria c.
Fear not Zacaria
Face:
OCCUL/ TE/ DI/ MI/ TER/ E E / AM/ R[O]T/BERT/US/ME/FE/CT/I
occulte dimitere eam
Rotbertus me fecit.
To dismiss the secret
Rotbertus made me.
Description: Capital of the fifth column in choir (from the north)
On the northeast face Eve is at the center, presenting grapes to Adam. On the northwest face is God.
Reference: The text carved on this capital is from Genesis III, 22: Ecce Adam quasi unus ex nobis factus, sciens bonum et malum. Unfortunately, the carver made a mistake that contradicts the biblical text. The replacement of nobis for vobis stresses the human nature of Adam, whereas the biblical text emphasizes his desire to be equal to God.
It is interesting that the fruit depicted on the northeast face is a bunch of raisins, and not the traditional apple or fig.
Face:
Left page:
ECCE
ADAM
CAS
I UN
Right page:
US E
X VO
BIS ;
FAC
Ecce Adam casi unus ex vobis fac[tus].
Behold, Adam came from one to amongst you
Description: Choir
Capital of 6th column in choir, counting from north
The southwest face represents the resurrection and assumption of the Virgin. Christ, in heaven, carries her to heaven in his arms. The Virgin is resuscitated, shown by her open eyes. Underneath is an empty sarcophagus.
Reference: The book of Life, in which the names of the predestined are written, is mentioned in Apocalypse (3, 5; 13,8; 20,12, 15; 21, 27).
Face:
Face:
Face:
ECCE LI BRO;
VITE ; ECCE
; MARIA G[RATIA] (?) A NOBIS ASUMTA
Ecce libro vite. Ecce Maria gratia a nobis asunta.
Behold, the book of Life. Behold, Mary, through grace, is held far from us.
Face:
On the book held by an angel:
MA RI
A; H
O; N
On the right, an angel holds a censor and a book:
IN CE :
LU M
Maria hon[orata]
in celum
Honorable Mary in heaven
Description: North side, third pillar from the transept. Western capital
Reference: The theme of the evangelists represented by angels, and not the symbols of the tetramorph is an iconographic variation widespread in the Auvergne (Mozac, Volvic). It is also found at Conques at the beginning of the twelfth century, with archangels and evangelists represented in the same way.
The proposed dating for the inscriptions on this capital and the other capitals in the choir remain hypothetical, but it seems both the sculpture and the inscriptions suggest that the capitals date slightly earlier than the inscriptions and scenes that adorn the south portal.