Moissac - South Side - S10MS10

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  Moissac
South Side
S10MS10

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S10MS10S S

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S10MS10SW SW

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S10MS10W W

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S10MS10NW NW

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S10MS10N N

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S10MS10NE NE

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S10MS10E E

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S10MS10SE SE

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The Devil in Chains

A monstrous beast with a long curling tail is represented on the east and south-east side of the capital: this is “that ancient serpent, which is the devil”, as he is identified by the inscription SERP[EN]S ANTICVS QVI EST DIABOLVS, cited from Chapter 20 of the Book of Revelation. The chain round the serpent’s neck is held by S[ANCTVS] M[ICHAEL], who descends from the south-east volute. The archangel stretches out his arm to open with his key (of which only the bit is preserved) a small house in the south-west corner, which is identified in the accompanying inscription as PVTEVS ABISSI (fountain of the abyss), from which – a thousand years later – the monster with bared fangs would once again be loosed from the bottomless pit. The devil is now called GOLIAS and threatens the figures on the north side: GOG and MAGOG, who are surrounded by the tongues of fire that rain down from heaven. According to the Book of Revelation, the fire would consume them, once the devil thrown into the bottomless pit is again loosed after a thousand years.
The individual components are arranged in the corners of this capital in such a way that the narration consists of a continuous sequence of events, in contrast to almost all the other capitals in the cloister, in which the iconography is concentrated on the individual sides. It is therefore conceivable that the destruction of Gog und Magog is followed once again on the east side by the final victory over Satan.
The chaining of the serpent by Saint Michael recurs, with numerous details in common, in the miniatures of several “Beatus” manuscripts of the Commentary on the Book of Revelation, dating between the 10th and 13th century.

devil GOG GOLIAS ABISSI PUTEUS M(ICHAEL) S(ANCTUS) DIABOLUS EST QUI ANTICUS SERP(EN)S MAGOG inscription fountain Beatus Magog Gog Serpent Michael chain abyss