Tuesday, February 19, 2013

The Book of Kells: An Ornate Copy of the Gospels



            Our group took a trip to Trinity College in Dublin to view the Book of Kells. This book is an illuminated manuscript copy of the four gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John) in Latin dating from ca. 800. A community in Iona endured the Vikings’ attack and created a monastery in Kells, County Meath, which is where this book was made, although the specific monks’ names are unknown.

The Book of Kells is made up of four volumes written on vellum, which is calf skin. Minerals from across the globe were used to make up the array of vibrant pigmentations used for the text and illustrations. The book contains illustrations of many animals, humans, Celtic knots, and patterns. Unique large designs were even used to indicate mistakes, rather than simply blotting them out or removing the page.

The historical significance of the Book of Kells is great. The Book of Kells is a physical demonstration of the continuance of Christianity throughout the medieval age. It also serves as an example of a work from a scriptorium. The authenticity of the gospels is also reinforced as the Book of Kells is yet another early copy of the exact same scriptures we consider to be authentic and inerrant today.

Members of our group expressed that they found the Book of Kells to be awe-inspiring and stunning. They were especially taken aback by the remarkable detail, especially in contrast with the little detail given to prints of books today. It was amazing to us to consider the awe with which the monks must have held the scriptures, considering the vast amount of time they spent elaborating on and detailing the Book of Kells.

Since we were unable to take pictures of the Book of Kells, these were obtained from the Wikipedia page about the Book of Kells:

This is the page that opens the Gospel of John.

This picture from the Book of Kells is of Christ enthroned.

This shows the intricacy of design put even into the text.

This picture shows the complexity of the designs in the Book of Kells.

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