History of "The Book of Kells"

             The Book of Kells is a beautiful translation of the four gospels based upon the Vulgate, the original Latin translation from the original Hebrew. The book also contains the Eusipian canons and fragments of early Hebrew genealogy. It was presented to the Trinity College in Dublin, Ireland in the year 1661 by archbishop Henry Jones. It is generally regarded as one of the most beautifully illuminated texts in the world. Illuminated texts are ancient books usually done on animal skin called "vellum." They were created by hand and contain marvelous illustrations often done in gold leaf and various other pigments. These pictures are designs that have pretty much spawned and defined what would come to be known as classical Celtic art. These illustrations are pictorials of man and beasts, fanciful beings, gargoyles, dragons, birds, dogs, and horses are all woven together in elaborate patterns. What really strikes the viewer is not only the ornate detail of all this ornamentation but the precision of the illustrator's hand.
             The Book of Kells is also called The Book of Columba, after the Irish monk St Collum Cille. He died at the monastery of Iona, an island of the coast of Scotland, in 597 AD. In 806 Vikings, probably of Danish origin, mounted a raid on Iona, killing sixty-eight of the Ionic monks. Many of the remaining monks fled Iona to the monastery in Kells. Kells is on the Irish mainland about seventy kilometers north of Dublin. Many scholars believe that this translation was commissioned to commemorate the anniversary of St Collum's death in 797. It is believed that the half-completed book made this flight with the monks. Very little is known about the actual authors, although scholars have been able to divine four very different hands in the calligraphy. Two of these particularly stand out for their beauty. One used primarily blues and greens, he came out of the Irish tradition, is noted for his particular detail and precision. The o...

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History of "The Book of Kells". (1969, December 31). In MegaEssays.com. Retrieved 00:39, March 29, 2024, from https://www.megaessays.com/viewpaper/71401.html