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Image from the Book of Kells at Trinity College, Dublin |
The Origins of Celtic Art: Newgrange & the Book of Kells
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Image from the Book of Kells at Trinity College, Dublin |
The book of Kells is truly one of the most magnificent examples of medieval Celtic knot work. Around 800 A.D., monks painstakingly copied, in Latin, the four gospels of the life of Christ onto
vellum (stretched calfskin). It is estimated that 185 calfskins were used to write the Book of Kells! Calligraphy or fancy lettering was used but what makes the book remarkable is the brilliant illustration and artwork that is interwoven into the text. The colors of the illustrations are bright and vibrant. The pigments (or colors) were made from crushed oak apples, flowers, and even beetle wings! Check out this page from the Book of Kells, honestly, you can’t tell where the monks started or where they ended! Can you find the birds’ beak and claw in the first illustration? Here's a large version of the picture!|
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| Courtesy Aon Celtic Art |
The monks used different animals such as snakes, peacocks, and lions to decorate the pages of the book. Crosses decorated with spirals and
triskeles show up often. What is a triskele?-Well, in artistic terms it could be described as three arcs radiating from a central point but that description really isn’t clear, is it? Why three arcs exactly? Well, the number three is symbolic in many ways; it depends on your beliefs. Some say it is representative of God the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. |
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Photo courtesy http://www.knowth.com |
Believe it or not, it has been proven that there are earlier examples of art in Ireland. Newgrange is a tomb that was built in 3200 B.C., before Stonehenge in England and before the Pyramids in Giza, Egypt! It is likely that Newgrange was a temple of sorts and was considered a place of spiritual and ceremonial importance. It was also where important figures were laid to rest. The stones in and surrounding Newgrange are carved with spirals, zigzags, and other images. The most famous
megalithic (art of the stone age) design is the tri-spiral image shown above. This spiral design is not of Celtic origin. The Celts didn’t arrive in Ireland until 500 B.C., which is 2500 years after this design was carved in Newgrange!|
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| Courtesy Aon Celtic Art |
Check it out though; don’t you think that there is some similarity between the tri-spiral design from Newgrange and the Celtic triskele design? They certainly aren’t the same but similar. Perhaps they are connected in some way and the monks illustrating the Book of Kells used the tri-spiral design as a basis for Celtic art? What do you think?
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Well, whether the two designs are related or not, you can find both the spiral design and Celtic triskeles on all types of Irish dance dresses. The Book of Kells is a reference used by Irish designers. Often times an illustration from the book is copied and used as a design for an Irish dance dress. Check out these dresses-the one in the middle is the Culkin School dress.
The Culkin dress has triskeles at the neckline, on the sleeves, and in the claddagh design on the skirt. You have probably heard of the claddagh ring (pronounced clada), which has been the traditional Irish wedding band since the 17th century. The hands symbolize friendship, the heart symbolizes love, and the crown symbolizes loyalty.
If you could, what kind of Irish dance dress would you design? Check out these websites to get your creative juices flowing!
If you would like more information on Newgrange, check out this website:
http://www.knowth.com/newgrange.htm
