The Book of Kells is often called the most beautiful book in the world. A masterpiece of medieval calligraphy and artistry, the Book of Kells is an illuminated manuscript of the four gospels of the New Testament written in Latin during the late 8th or early 9th century. Named for the Abbey of Kells in Kells, County Meath, where it was housed during most of the Medieval Period, the manuscript was never finished. Transcribed by Celtic monks, it is thought that there were at least three different scribes. In spite of war, plunder, destruction, and thievery, the Book of Kells survived to the present day. Considered a symbol of Irish nationalism, the Book of Kells has been housed at the Trinity College Library in Dublin since 1661. It attracts over 500,000 visitors a year.

Origin

The Insular style of manuscript, which includes the Book of Kells, is a group of manuscripts transcribed from the 6th through the 9th centuries. While the Book of Kells shares many similarities with the other manuscripts of the style, it is by far the most ornate and intricate. There is some debate about where the Book originated. Originally thought to have been the work of Columba in 6th century, experts now believe the handwriting and style are closer to late 8th to early 9th century styles. There are several possibilities about its origin. One theory is that the Book was either started or completed at the Iona Abbey in Scotland and then moved to Kell. Another is that it was entirely transcribed in Kell. Whatever the case, experts agree that Columban monks with a close association to Iona transcribed the book.

Secret of 3-D Kell Designs: Theory of the method used by the monks to create the intricate artwork in the Book of Kells.
Book of Kells: History and photo of a replica held in the Rare Book Room at the University of British Columbia Library.
The Bible: The Book of Kells, history and background.
The Art of Illumination: History and origins of illuminated manuscripts with a lengthy discussion of the Book of Kells.

Medieval Period

How the Book of Kells survived the medieval period is a mystery. The Vikings plundered the Abbey several times during the time period and it is believed the Book was stolen at least once. It was recovered from a ditch, without its golden, jeweled cover. The earliest mention of the Book at Kells is an entry describing the theft and subsequent recovery in the Annals of Ulster in 1007.

In the 12th century, Abbey of Kells land charters were copied in some of the blank pages of the Book, as was the custom of the time. The 12th century also brought changes to the Abbey of Kells when the monastery was dissolved and the abbey church converted to a parish church. The Book remained there for a time, however.

Book of Kells: It's history, description, and photographs from the original.
Insular: A description and history of the Insular medieval script.

Description

Using the Irish, or Insular, majuscule script, the text is written in black, red, yellow, and purple ink. The Insular style did not make use of gold or silver. In addition to the text, the manuscript is adorned with an array of illustrations, ornamentation, Celtic knots, and interlocking shapes. Depictions of humans, animals, and birds are cleverly intertwined within the text and occasionally the extraordinary artwork is given an entire page. Formal portraits of the Virgin Mary, Christ, and the evangelists are included. In 1953, Roger Powell repaired and rebound the manuscript into four separate volumes, one for each gospel. The Book presently consists of 339 leaves on glazed, thick vellum, although there were approximately 30 more pages originally.

The Chi-Rho Page: Graphic of the Chi-Rho page from the Book of Kells.
Book of Kells: Photograph of two pages from the Book of Kells.
Celtic Knotwork: A history of the origins of Celtic Knotwork.
Insular Scripting: Photograph of script from the book of Kells.
Colors: Photo from the Book of Kells showing the range of colors available to the scribes.

Content

In addition to the gospels, the manuscript includes ten Canons of concordance tables and legal documents. The Book of John is incomplete. Whether the Book of John was never finished or if sections were lost is not known. Human error does occasionally make an appearance in the form of misspellings or mistranslations. The manuscript is primarily derived from the Latin Vulgate Bible, but some phrases are from earlier Latin translations. Historiated initials adorn the pages. The intricacy of the artwork on some pages may only be clearly seen through a magnifying glass.

The Book of Kells: The Book fascinates and delights.
The Four Evangelists: Photo from the Book of Kells.
Facsimile Process: Description of the original and the facsimile process.
Historiated Letters: Photo of page depicting historiated lettering method used in the Book of Kells.

Sophisticated new copy techniques by Swiss publisher Faksimile-Verlag have allowed for accurate reproductions of the Book of Kells. The replicas are so accurate they include wormholes that exist in the original. Only 1480 of these beautiful, full-color facsimiles were published. Select libraries across the world possess a copy where patrons can view the beauty of the text and artwork. The Anglican Church on the site of the original monastery in Kells has a facsimile.

Experts believe that artistry took precedence over accuracy when creating the Book of Kells. The mystery surrounding the Book, the beauty of the text, and the extraordinary artwork all attest to the fact that the Book of Kells is an awe-inspiring treasure.

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