THE BOOK OF KELLS

The Book of Kells is probably the finest and most celebrated of the illuminated manuscripts, that were produced for the early Celtic Church. Although , of course these lavish objects were primarily designed to glorify the works of God, they were also beautiful works of art in their own right. In part, this was because they made use of ancient traditions of decoration, which Celtic craftsmen had honed to perfection over the course of many centuries

The precise origins of  The Book of Kells are shrouded in mystery. It takes it's name
from the monastery of Kells in County Meath, where it was lodged from an early date.
Indeed, the very first documentary refrence to the book describes it's theft from Kells.
In an entry for the year 1006-7, the chronicler of the Annals of Ulster relates how 'the chief relic of the western world was wickedly stolen durring the night from the western sacristy of the great stone church of Cennanus ( Kells)  on account of it's wrought shrine. That gospel was found after twenty nights and two months with it's gold stolen from it, buried in the ground.' In other words, the theif made off with the
costly shrine , where the book was displayed, and discarded the actual manuscript.

It is possible that the book itself was produced at Kells, although most athourities regard the Scottish island of Iona as a more likely candidate. This was the head of a
confederation of monasteries, which folowed the teachings of Saint Columba. As such, it would have had both the manpower and the wealth that were vital for a project of this kind- the parchment alone would have necessitated  the slaughter of a sixeable herd of cattle. In addition, the monks of Iona sought refuge at Kells, following a series of viking raids which devistated their monastery. This move took
place in the early years of the ninth century, the very period when the manuscript was being produced. These disruptions to the monks' way of life may also explain why the book was never completed.

The outstanding feature of the Book of Kells is its sumptuous decoration.This consists of two basic forms of design.There are figurative images-notably the portraits of the evangelists and a few biblical scenes- together with full-length pages of decorative abstract patterns. The portraits were a standard feature of early Gospel Books, with some Irish examples dating back as far as the the seventh century. The Biblical illustrations, however, were a radical new departure; the image of the Virgin and Child, for exampleis the oldest , surviving version in a British or Irish manuscript.The trend towards figuration developed after the Synod of Whitby (664) , when the Celtic Church lost some of its independent character, by agreeing to follow the dictates of the papacy. Increasingly, books were sent across from Rome and coppied out in British or Irish monasteries. Over a period of time, this meant that the style of Christian manuscripts became far more eclectic.

The abstract decoration in the Book of Kells was the product of  an older and more vibrant tradition. The knotwork,swirling spirals, and stylized creatures derived from the designs of the Celts, a tribal people whose  artistic influence extende over much of pre-Christian Europe. They used  these motifs on a wide variety of object, ranging from weapons and jewlery to general household good and horse trappings. Christian artists swiftly adapted these patterns , even though images of fierce beasts and humorous beard tugging men, sometimes formed a slightly uneasy accompaniment to the Gospel.

Text reproduced from Irish Legends by Iain Zaczek ( published by Collins and Brown
Ltd, UK and Chapters Inc, Canada, 1998).
Copyright (c) Collins and Brown Ltd 1998
Text (c) Iain Zaczek 1998.