The Magnificent Book of Kells
Look closely at it and you will penetrate the innermost secrets of art; you will find embellishments of such intricacy, such a wealth of knots and interlacing links that you might believe it was the work of an angel rather than a human being.-- Giraldus Cambrensis 13th century scholar
The
Book of Kells, a product of Irish monasticism, contains a Latin version
of the Gospels in the New Testament. Scholars date the book to
approximately 800 A.D. Although Iona and Northumbria are still discussed
as possible "birth" places for the manuscript, its final residence was
Kells, located thirty miles north west of Dublin. It is with this
monastery that the book is associated.
Richly decorated, the work has no contemporary rival for its artistic design and lavish calligraphy. Only two pages of the 680 page text remain exempt from illustrations which are so generously displayed on the others. A masterpiece of Celtic Art, the work exemplifies the ecclesiastical, mystical and artistic imagination of this early culture. Ian Finaly in his work Celtic Art: An Introduction writes: "it [the Book of Kells] is a revelation of the marriage of pagan superstition and Christian belief, quite as spiritually significant as Michelangelo's great manifestation on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel." (p.146) Byzantine, Arabic, Oriental and other foreign influences combine with Irish tradition to produce a work of magnificent intricacy and detail.
Human figures, abstract designs and animals comprise the symbols used by the artists. Great imagination and talent were used to weave these images into the text. In many cases, animal figures are manipulated and stylized to form letters. Often the contortions and disfiguring of the images convey a sense of humour. -- The third Milham Lecture delivered in April 1990 by Dr. Thomas Power on the Book of Kells is available from the Harriet Irving Library.
Text taken from: http://www.lib.unb.ca/archives/kells/kellsweb.html
Book of Kells websites:
Book of Kells images from: http://www.snake.net/people/paul/kells/
Art work from the Book of Kells: http://celtdigital.org/CeltArtKells.htm
The Book of Kells official site: http://www.bookofkells.ie/
The Celtic alphabet characters used on this web site are based, in part, on the Book of Kells and are taken from A Celtic Alphabet: From the Book of Kells and Other Sources by Andrew Whitson (Belfast, Ireland: The Appletree Press 1997 ISBN 0-86281-664-5) and are used with permission. All rights are reserved by the copyright owner and may not be used without permission. Celtic letters from this site may not be reproduced without permission of Appletree Press. This is an excellent book and we recommend its purchase, which can be made through Barnes and Noble at this site. See also: http://www.irelandseye.com.
Department of Communication, Seton Hall University