The Book of Kells
If you are visiting Dublin, then most Dubliners will tell you to visit Trinity College Dublin and check out the Book of Kells exhibition. Although this is not necessarily the first place to go to in Dublin, it is a place to visit once during your visit to Dublin. Also, Trinity College Dublin is located at the heart of the city, so it is hard to miss it. So what is all the fuss about the Book of Kells, and why do people say it is a must-visit exhibition? Well, let us find out.
The Book of Kells tour
The Old Library, inside Trinity College Dublin, hosts 'The Book of Kells'. This library holds some of the oldest printed books and manuscripts, and it first opened its doors in 1732. Considered the greatest treasure of Ireland, The Book of Kells has been in the Old Library since the middle of the 19th century. There is an entry cost for this exhibition which you will find on their official website. You should pre-book your ticket through the website to be able to visit the exhibition without any hassle.
What is the Book of Kells?
The Book of Kells is considered Ireland's most significant cultural treasure. It is what the Irish call a Gospel. The Book contains four gospels from the New Testament of the Christian bible. The Book of Kells was not designed for everyday use and was, in fact, a ceremonial manuscript.
This tour comprises three sections.
- The exhibition of the Book of Kells called Turning darkness into light.
- Exhibition highlight: The Book of Kells, located in the treasury.
- The Long Room, the main chamber of the old library building filled with 200,000 of the library's oldest books.
Following is a quick review of the first section of the tour:
- Turning darkness into light
This section of the exhibition highlights the making of the Book of Kells, which includes the script, ingredients, method of storage, and significance.
a. The Ogham Stones
Ogham was an ancient alphabet that recorded primitive Irish dating from the 4th century. The surviving Ogham inscriptions found on standing stones are known as Ogham stones. Ogham script is read vertically with horizontal lines and notches representing different letters and is predominantly located in the southwest of Ireland. There are 300 or so surviving ancient Ogham stones in Ireland. The use of Ogham as a script declined from the 7th century.
b. The Book of Dimma and the Book of Mulling
These are pocket-sized Gospel books that monks carried in their satchels. These books pre-date the Book of Kells. Irish monks made many copies of these gospel books. Until the printing press's arrival in the 15th century, the compositions of these books were made by hand.
c. The Symbols of the Four Evangelists
St. Mathew, St. Mark, St. Luke and St. John are the four Gospels in the Book of Kells. The four evangelists are symbolised by the four gospels of the new testament as considered in the Christian tradition.
d. Pigment
The colours of the Book of Kells are still vibrant due to their exquisite pigments. Using locally sourced materials, these colours were created. The primary ink is iron gall ink. These inks were utilised using creative methods and patterns to design the Book of kells with colour.
e. Calf Skin Vellum
The Book of Kells was written on prepared calfskin known as Vellum. The flesh side of the Vellum was used to create the Book of Kells. You can also notice some stitching done to repair tears in the book. Vellum was considered a good resource for writing, as scraping a knife could erase any mistakes made while writing.
Next, during the tour, you can check out the Book of Kells in the treasury. Unfortunately, since photography is not allowed in this part of the tour, no pictures are available to show.
2.The Book of Kells
Here is the world's most famous medieval manuscript.
The Book of Kells is displayed in a controlled environment with constant humidity. The case in which the Book of Kells is stored is continuously monitored. A small circular item on the deck is where they keep the environmental data of the book. The light and humidity level inside the case is managed to protect the book. The book's page-turning is determined based on the light each page receives. Each page of the book is displayed for eight weeks at a time.
Next, during the tour, you can head upstairs to The Long Room, which boasts a collection of some of the oldest books in the world.
3. The Long Room
The Long Room is considered one of the most beautiful libraries in the world. The library hosts 200,000 of Trinity's most ancient books and has been a working library since 1732. One can sense a distinctive smell of books ageing and breaking down as soon as they enter it. The library construction took 20 years, and the books were either donated or bequeathed.
The two display cases worth noting in the library are :
- Few surviving copies of the Irish Proclamation.
2. A musical instrument- Ireland's Oldest Harp.
The library also has 48 marble busts lined in the Long Room of famous Writers, Thinkers and Philosophers of the world. Since the Long Room never had any female figures, after a vote, they have decided to host busts of four women legends which will be displayed in the Long Room by the end of 2022.
To indulge in the extravagance of ancient books, do visit this tour.
