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ST. MARKS GOSPEL Book of Kells, Latin |
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The highly elaborate folio 130r contains the opening words of the Gospel
of St Mark It is difficult to find the words INIT/IUM EUANGE/LII IESU/CHRISTI,
'The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ' (Mark 1.1), which are
embedded in the detail of teeming birds, peacocks, griffins, human figures,
and snakes. |
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ST. MARKS GOSPEL Book of Kells, Latin |
Folio129v contains symbols of the four evangelists: St Matthew is represented by the man, St Mark by the Lion, St Luke by the Calf and St John by the Eagle. In the sixth century St Gregory identified the symbols as the four stages of Christ's life: Christ was a Man when he was born, a Calf in his death, a Lion in resurrection and an Eagle in his ascension to heaven. The symbols are arranged around a vibrant yellow cross, each enclosed by a bright yellow circle. Each of the symbols is accompanied by an associated creature,Man (top left) is accompanied by another man or perhaps an angel, the Lion (top right) by a Calf and an eagle, The Eagle (bottom right) by a calf and a lion and the Calf (bottom left) by another calf. |
This page operates on many visual levels.
The outer frame contains interlacing snakes, birds, vines, and eucharistic
chalices, so intricately painted that it is difficult to discern them.
You can also marvel at the balance of straight and circular forms, of
enclosed symbols and decorated margins. There is a simple elegance to
the design and at another level an almost unbelievable wealth of intricate
detail. It is a page that could be seen both from a distance in a medieval church or in a laboratory with a magnifying glass. It would confound at both levels. |
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ST. MARKS GOSPEL Book of Kells, Latin |
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On line 10 of 179v you can see the face of Jesus in the bowl of the
decorated initial 'h' precisely at the point in the text when Jesus
proclaims his divinity. The word 'ihs' which is the Greek abbreviation
of Christ's name, is skillfully combined with 'xps' just above the head
of Christ which is the Greek abbreviation for the word 'Christus'. An
entire line is allotted to this statement, and there is virtually no
decoration on the lines above, in order to emphasise its significance
when it occurs.
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ST. MARKS GOSPEL Book of Kells, Latin |
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Folio 182v contains St Mark's gospel chapter
15 verses 20 - 24, in which Jesus is led to Golgotha and crucified.
Appropriately in a passage dealing with the crucifixion, three of the
four decorated 'Et's at the beginning of the text sections contain crosses.
On line 3 a beast with long ears gazes up with an expression, perhaps
of horror, at the reference in the text to Christ being taken to be
crucified. A patch on the end of this line partially obscures the last
'e'. Certain pigments must have contained corrosive components, which
over time damaged the vellum.
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ST. MARKS GOSPEL Book of Kells, Latin |
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On folio 180r line 15, a hare with
strong hind legs and long ears, is contorted into the shape of the
letters 'Et'. As a medieval symbol
of timidity, the hare might be regarded as an appropriate occurrence
at the point in the text where Peter denies Jesus. The corrugation
running down the centre of folio 180r is the spine of the calf from
which the page was made. A vertical spine such as this is an unusual
feature, as the spine runs horizontally on most pages of the Book
of Kells.
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ST. MARKS GOSPEL Book of Kells, Latin |
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Folio 183r contains St Mark's gospel chapter 15, verse 25, and the following words ERAT AUTEM HORA TERCIA, which mean 'And it was the third hour'. (The following page, 183v, has the words 'Et crucifigentes eum diuise[runt]' which translates to 'and they crucified him'). You can see an angel with outspread wings holding a book and hovering beside the second line of text. He wears a purple pallium over a blue garment, sandals and his toenails are painted. If you look carefully you can see the blonde head of Jesus appearing above the top right decorated rectangle, whereas, his purple gown appears at the foot of the lower left rectangle. It is possible that this figure was added by another monk. |
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