MANUSCRIPTS - The Book of Kells

 

GOSPEL BOOKS: The Book of Kells

Latin: Codex Cenannensis

Irish: Leabhar Cheanannais;

MS ID: Dublin, Trinity College Library, MS A. I

The Book of Kells is probably one of the most recognisable early medieval manuscripts from the British Isles (For why I use the term British Isles generally see here).  It was created at the Columban monastery somewhere in either Ireland, Scotland, or England.  The manuscript consists of 340 folios bound into four volumes with a combined page count of 680.  The text is written using iron gall ink, with the vibrant colours were made up of a variety of mixtures, with some of the ingredients for the pigment having been imported.  Created at the very beginning of the ninth century, it came to the monastery at Kells, and is now held by Trinity College Dublin, where any two of the four volumes are on display at any one time.

The text contains the four Canonical Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, along with additions containing Easter tables used for calculating the date of Easter.  While the text follows the Vulgate in includes some passages from the Vetus Latina – sometimes call the Old Latin gospels – a collection of translations from in circulation before the Vulgate.  However the Book of Kells contains a number of interesting anomalies which suggest it contains elements of free translation from both the Latin and the Greek traditions but one of the four scribes who composed it – who are identified by the variation in handwriting.  The hand used is a form in Insular Majuscule – a hand unique to the British Isles and formed almost completely from capital letters (hence Majuscule versus Minuscule which contains more recognisable capitalisation).  These variations can be seen in, for example, Matthew 10:34 where the scribe substitutes the Latin ‘gaudium’ for ‘gladium’ rendering the statement – “I come not to send peace, but also joy’ in place of ‘I come not to send peace, but a sword.’.  The genealogy of Jesus recorded in Luke’s gospel contains an addition ancestor, and George Bain notes the opening of John’s gospel refers to the True Word rather than solely the Word.

The manuscript is however more famous for its illuminations – which contain Celtic knotwork designs, mythical beasts, and human and supernatural figures.  It is particular known for its representation of the four Evangelists – the authors of the canonical gospels – with their associated animal figures: Matthew the Man, Mark the Lion, Luke the Ox (sometimes shown as a Calf or Lamb), and John the Eagle.  This appears in one the manuscript’s full page illuminations which has often been reproduces in various forms.  The openings of the gospels – incipits- are also highly decorated and often emulated in modern art. 

The Book of Kells is considered to be one of the greatest examples of medieval Insular art from the time period.  Personally, it is one of my favourite medieval manuscripts and part of why I chose to study the period in question.