Story of Jacob and the battle with the angel

Jacob’s battle with the angel, constituting one of the principle scenes of the Jacob narrative, is represented on the west side of the capital and is accompanied by the inscriptions IACOB / ANGS.

The struggling pair grasp each other by the shoulders and the hips and the staff, which Jacob carries with himself on the north side of the capital, could be understood as indicative of the dislocated hip of Jacob, an injury which the angel had inflicted upon him during the battle.

The word ISRAHEL is inscribed above this side of the capital. “Israel” refers to the fighting angel and is the name that Jacob receives, along with the blessing, after the nocturnal battle of the angel.
To the side of Jacob stands Leah, his first wife, while his second, Rachel, appears on the south side. Both women are named by inscriptions: LIA and RACHEL.

As in the majority of the historiated or figural capitals of the cloister, the edges of the corners of the calathos are emphasized by narrow tongue-like leaves or stylized trees. In this capital this caesura is formed in a particularly imaginative manner, in which and small head appears between Leah and Rachel instead of the expected volute of a corinthian capital, and is supported by a twisted supporting form with a console formed by small masks.

women wife tree struggling staff shoulder Rachel pair mask LIA Leah Jacob ISRAHEL Israel inscription IACOB hip blessing battle ANGS angel-warrior angel