BOOK OF KELLS

Dublin’s Trinity Collage and its Treasure

            Trinity College. Ireland’s oldest university, established in 1592 by Elizabeth I, sits on a 40-acres in the very heart of the country’s capital. The old campus has maintained much of its ancient seclusion and cobbled squares. It was rather hard to walk on the old cobblestones, not that such pathways are ever easy. Everything on the campus is cobbled. Catholics were not admitted to the college until 1793 and women not until 1908.

            A unique collection of buildings dating from the 17^th to the 20^th century is nestled among its parks and gardens. A round tower, for protection against Vikings, still remains part of the original monastery where the Book of Kells was created over 1000 years ago.

            The Book of Kells is the centerpiece of an exhibition which attracts over 500,000 visitors to Trinity College, each year. Signs led us to the university library. Before getting to the book we walked through an extremely informative exhibit telling about the book.

            In the 6^th century pocket gospel books were common and they were written on calf skin called vellum.  It took 185 calf skins for the pages of the Book of Kells. Monks used quill pens made of swan or goose tail feathers and sometimes pens made from reeds.  The ink was a brownish iron-gall ink made from oak, apples, sulfate of iron, water, and gum. However, this ink tended to fade with time. Some of the pages were printed with a black carbon ink. It took four scribes working in a production-style process to write the book. Three major artists were involved. Originally the book was laced to a board.

            Each day one page of the ancient four-volume Book is turned.  Written around the year 800 AD, the Book of Kells contains a richly decorated copy of the four gospels in a Latin text based on the Vulgate edition (completed by St Jerome in 384 AD). The gospels are preceded by prefaces, summaries of the gospel narratives and concordances of gospel passages compiled in the fourth century by Eusebius of Caesarea. In all, there are 340 folios (680 pages).

            The script is embellished by the elaboration of key words and phrases and by an endlessly inventive range of decorated initials and interlinear drawings. The book contents were originally bound in a single volume.  It was rebound in four volumes in 1953 for conservation reasons. Two volumes are normally on display, one opened at a major decorated page, the other at a text opening. The large crowd moved around the showcase table slowly in the dim room.

            Afterward, we went upstairs to the 65-foot long room where 200,000 old books are stored. Many books were opened in display cases down the center of the room. Also on display is the oldest and smallest Irish harp made of willow. Its 29 strings were restrung in 1961.

            For many the Book of Kells is the highlight of their visit to Dublin. It was pretty awesome to be able to view such an old book! The old college is lovely and quaint. Students were everywhere as class was in session.

It was a memorable way to start a visit to Dublin, an exciting city with a lot of history and so much to see and experience.