Creation Story - Rouen Cathedral

The Portail des Libraires (Booksellers' Portal), located at the north transept of Rouen Cathedral (Notre-Dame de Rouen), dates to the late 13th century (construction begun c. 1278) and exemplifies Rayonnant Gothic style. Flanking the portal's doorways and trumeau are elongated buttresses (piédroits) adorned with approximately 200 quatrefoil medallions arranged in tiers, forming accordion-like screens on either side.

These small, well-preserved limestone carvings feature 22 narrative scenes from the Book of Genesis, including the Creation, Adam and Eve's expulsion from Eden, and the Fall of Man, read left to right from the western embrasure.

Each small relief illustrates a moment from Genesis 1–2, but the sculptors framed every scene with animal figures, above and below, creating a cosmic bestiary that mirrors the moral and theological evolution of the universe from chaos to divine rest.

The sequence begins with the formation of light and ends in the peace of the Sabbath. The animals around each scene, alternating between hybrid, domestic, and fantastical, chart the moral taming of creation and the ascent from instinct to spirit.

Starting with the image above, God creates the heavens and earth. The carving depicts the creation of the heavens and earth (Genesis 1:1). The small relief shows God, portrayed as a majestic figure with a halo and flowing robes, raising his hands in a gesture of divine command. Above him, swirling patterns or radiant lines symbolize the forming heavens, while below, a rudimentary earth, perhaps with hills or waters, emerges

Animal frieze:

Above the two sheep, alluding to Rouen’s civic emblem and symbolizing divine purity and light. Below is a hybrid sheep with an elongated tail beside a prostrate man, an image of chaos subdued beneath divine creation.

Interpretation:
The upper sheep signify divine order and the city’s identity; the hybrid below embodies the confusion of unformed matter, and the prone figure represents earth or humanity awaiting divine illumination. Light over darkness, order over chaos, Rouen under divine creation.

Drawn from Genesis 1:6-8 this small relief depicts God, haloed and robed, with raised hands commanding the separation of the sea from the firmament. Above, the firmament is suggested by curved lines or a vaulted arch, while below, wavy patterns represent the sea, separated by a clear boundary. The compact design, detailed despite weathering, captures the cosmic order of creation with intricate Gothic flair.

Animal frieze:

Above are hybrid, dragon-like beasts, creatures from the medieval bestiary, evoking the mystery of the heavens. Underneath is a horse and a lowing calf in the corner.

Interpretation:
The hybrids symbolize the cosmic turbulence still present in the world; the calm calf anchors the scene as a sign of emerging order and fertility. The chaos of heaven and sea is divided into harmonious realms.

Genesis 1:11-13 (The creation of plants) depicts God with an outstretched hand blessing the earth. Below, stylized plants, trees with budding branches and sprouting grasses, emerge from the ground, rendered with delicate Gothic detailing.

Animal frieze:

Above are a dog and a pig, symbols of faithfulness and abundance. While underneath are a hen and a cockerel, rendered in lively Gothic stylization.

Interpretation:
Domestic animals replace the chaotic hybrids of earlier panels: the faithful dog and fertile pig signify moral and material order; the hen and rooster, nurture and vigilance. Creation becomes fruitful, ordered, and domestic.

Genesis 1:14-19 (Creation of the sun and moon), here God is commanding the heavens. Above, a radiant sun with stylized rays and a crescent moon are shown, set against a backdrop of faint stars or a vaulted sky.

Animal frieze:

Above: dog-like creatures, alert and symmetrical.

Below: cattle, calm and solid.

Interpretation:
The dogs symbolize vigilance and heavenly order—the guardians of the cosmic rhythm, while the cattle embody the stability of the earth illuminated by the celestial lights. Time and rhythm are established; heaven and earth move in harmony.

Genesis 1:24-25 (Creation of animals), God with an outstretched hand blesses the earth. A variety of animals, stylized representations of cattle, birds, and creeping things, emerge, with delicate Gothic detailing on their forms, such as feathered wings or curved tails.

Animal frieze:

Above a wolf-like animals, alert and active. Below: are cattle and a ram (or sheep with horns).

Interpretation:
The upper carnivores embody the vital energy and movement of life; the lower, peaceful grazers recall divine order and sacrifice. Together they express the diversity of living beings—instinct and calm balanced under God’s blessing. Life moves and multiplies within divine harmony.

Genesis 1:26-27 and 2:7 (Creation of Man). God is forming the first man, Adam's body is emerging from the earth to receive the breath of life. The figure’s pose reflect Gothic naturalism, though weathering has softened some features. The compact design captures the divine act of human creation, blending reverence with intricate artistry.

Animal frieze:

Above are a bear and a fox, symbols of brute strength and cunning. Below: a domestic dog and an antlered stag.

Interpretation:
The bear and fox represent instinct and intellect, the twin powers of humanity in their untamed state. The dog (faith) and stag (spiritual longing, resurrection) express these forces redeemed under reason and grace. Humanity unites the animal and the divine, mediating creation.

Genesis 2:2-3 (God rests on the seventh day), God, seated holding the earth in his hand symbolizing the completion of creation.

Animal frieze:

Above are dragon-like creatures with human faces, hybrid beings now humanized, embodying reconciliation between spirit and matter. Below a reposing monk-like figure and a dragon-bodied creature with the head of a rabbit.

Interpretation:
The human-faced dragons signify the cosmic powers now pacified under divine order; the resting man embodies contemplative peace; the dragon-rabbit hybrid is chaos transfigured—ferocity turned gentle. All creation rests in harmony; even chaos becomes peace.

This sequence, of 7 medallions in the upper tier, progresses chronologically, blending biblical narrative with Gothic artistry. The compact reliefs, though weathered, use symbolic motifs  to convey creation’s order, reflecting 13th-century Rouen’s theological and cultural milieu.