Katherine George: Book of Kells

Unexpected detours are almost always the proverbial cherry on top of the cake.

The things you don’t expect to see or experience in a day usually make the day worth living through. The particular surprise waiting for our group at the end of our pilgrimage last Wednesday was the Book of Kells at the Trinity College Library in Dublin, Ireland.

I must admit, I didn’t know what this was until I learned we were going to see it. On the surface, the Book is simply the four gospels recorded by monks in Latin, around 800 AD, with pretty pictures. But to find its true value, one must look further.

The exhibit at the college was extremely conducive to its purpose. First, visitors are invited to read about the making of the Book of Kells- and what that process entailed in the 9th would have to be agonizing. The entire book was written by scribes and the images and symbols were slowly and intentionally done by illustrators. The amazing care and precision was plainly evident, and the quality is unmatched.

Then, after reading all of this information, people trickle into the room where the book is kept under careful inspection and watchful eyes. I slowly inch my way around the table until I am staring directly down at the open pages. It is breathtaking. I am struck by the vibrancy of the illustrations, even after all these years. The monks that created this had to have had some kind of an idea as to the importance of what they were partaking in. Why else would someone put so much effort into a thing? Us and millions of others see this and think, who would ever have the patience to finish something like this?

In our culture, we seem to have forgotten the value of the handmade, the painstaking process of creation. So much of our lives is governed by and because of efficiency that we can’t imagine anyone wanting to go through with such an involved task. We can look at this book and other artifacts like it, and hopefully take to heart what it teaches us about what we see as being worth something in this day and time. After seeing this amazing slice of history, I would like for everyone to see this treasure, or pieces equivalent to it, so they may learn to appreciate this high level of craftsmanship and quality, and lay their eyes upon the exquisite possibilities.