Illuminating the Darkness

The Book of Kells is a beautifully illuminated manuscript of the four gospels created in the 800s. According to the Oscar-nominated animated movie The Secret of Kells, it is also "the book that turned darkness into light."  The Secret of Kells follows a young monk named Brendan as he tries to help a famous illuminator, Brother Aiden, finish the Book of Kells while Vikings invade Ireland.  This movie combines history and fantasy to tell a compelling story of bravery, the combination of Catholicism and Celtic Mythology, and the importance of cultural and religious objects.

The Secret of Kells draws on historical facts to serve as the backbone of its story.  The abbey of Kells, where the events take place, was a real monastery in Ireland.  Though in the movie the Vikings, or "Northmen," are portrayed demonic figures, more monster than men, Viking invasions did happen, beginning in the late 700s, and monasteries were a favorite target.  In the movie, the abbey of Kells takes in Brother Aiden and other refugees fleeing from the Northmen, which the real abbey also historically did.  Brother Aiden escapes with from a monastery in Iona, where Vikings were pillaging, to finish it in the Kells, which is the most prevalent theory among scholars on how the Book of Kells was made.  The scenery in The Secret of Kells was based on history; the beehive huts used by the monks and the abbey of Kells mirror the real buildings found in Ireland. Brother Aiden's cat, Pangur Bán, is also a historical reference; in the 800s, a Irish monk in Reichenau Abbey wrote a little poem about his cat, Pangur Bán, in the margins of a manuscript.  Since the creation of the Book of Kells is shrouded in mystery, the creators of the movie had to add their own flair to history; the specific story the movie relates never happened.  However, they did use historical facts to provide a basis for their narrative.

 

While The Secret of Kells incorporates historical elements to set up the story, it also uses fantasy to build on the narrative and demonstrate the mixing of Catholicism and Celtic Mythology.  In the enchanted forest, Brendan befriends a fairy, Aisling, and battles the Dark One, Crom Cruach.  In Irish writing, an aisling is a poem about a dream where Spring personified helps the dreamer.  Crom Cruach was a pagan deity worshipped before Christianity came to Ireland, and blood sacrifice was probably included in rituals dedicated to him.  Paganism and Catholicism live side-by-side in Brendan's world, which reflects the religion and culture of Ireland in the 800s.  Catholic monks would  try to assimilate pagan beliefs with their own, which Pope Gregory I advised.  Pagan festivals would become church holy days and temples created for pagan deities would be used to conduct Mass.  The movie is not animated realistically; instead, it is flat and intricate, which mimics the illuminations in the Book of Kells. The Book in the movie is given almost divine status; whoever sees it has an awestruck expression, the monks protect it at all costs, and the pages shine with light.  This treatment of the book could represent the importance of knowledge, faith, and the unique Irish culture.  While the fantastical elements in the movie may not be realistic, they do illuminate what life may have been like in the 800s.

 

The Secret of Kells utilizes both history and fantasy to relate Brendan's journey to finish the Book of Kells.  While not always historically accurate, it provides a look into what it must have felt like to live in the 800s in Ireland, where Catholicism and Paganism blended together, Vikings attacks were a feared danger, and an exquisitely illuminated book could create a lasting cultural impact.

Sources:

Bennet, Judith M. Medieval Europe: A Short History. 11th ed. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2011. Print.

Orizaga, Rhiannon Y. "The Secret of the Kells." Latest Films. Mnemonic Productions, n.d. Web. 11 Sept. 2016. <http://www.filmstory.org/films/27>. 

"The Book of Kells." Book of Kells. Library of Trinity College Dublin, 10 June 2016. Web. 11 Sept. 2016. <https://www.tcd.ie/Library/manuscripts/book-of-kells.php>. 

Its Raining Roses, Hallelujah

St. Elizabeth, princess of Hungary

In the paining above St. Elizabeth is bathing a leper or beggar. It is located in her cathedral in Košice, Slovakia and was painted c. 1500. She is often shown with the color red and roses in her apron, like in the painting below, by Piero Della Francesca c. 1460. In this painting she is also pictured with a Fransician friar, most likely her spirital advisor Caesarius of Speier. With the friars' help she founded a monestary in Eisenach and made clothes and provided shelter for the poor. After her husbands death, she became a nun and built a hospital to help the poor even further. 

shhh I know its not red but it has the roses

The miracle St. Elizabeth is most well known for was her Miracle of Roses, which is why shes pictured with them in many paintings of her. When she first got married she began to smuggle bread in her dress for the poor. There were accusations of her stealing treasure from her husband, so he confronted her about it. When he did, a vision of white and red roses fell around her, as the bread had turned into them. Her husband decided she was doing God's work and supported her in her charity to the poor.

After she died at the age of 24, there were miracles of healing being reported at the hospital she built. She was given quick canonization and is now the patron saint of services, tertiaries, widows, and young brides.

Works Cited

Bihl, Michael. "St. Elizabeth of Hungary." The Catholic Encyclopedia. Vol. 5. New York: Robert
Appleton Company, 1909. 9 Sept. 2016<http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/05389a.htm>.

Online, Catholic. "St. Elizabeth of Hungary - Saints & Angels - Catholic Online." Catholic Online. N.p., n.d. Web. 09 Sept. 2016. <http://www.catholic.org/saints/saint.php?saint_id=45>.

Zaidan, Henry. "Saint Elizabeth of Hungary, 33 Works - RELIGIOUS ART - Paintings from the Bible by the Old Masters, with Footnotes, 18." Mythology:. N.p., 09 Sept. 2016. Web. 09 Sept. 2016. <http://painting-mythology.blogspot.com/2016/05/saint-elizabeth-of-hungary-33-works.html>.

The Ornamental Manuscript

St. John from the Book of Kells

The Book of Kells, produced around the year 800 BCE, was a manuscript that contained the four Gospels as well as other customary additions such as the cannon tables. The Gospels were in Latin and were based off of the Vulgate text that St. Jerome wrote. Much of its popularity derives from the extravagant artistry and decoration contained in the book. The incredible work resides in Trinity College Library, in Dublin.

'Chi Rho' - the most famous page in the Book

There is controversy as to where the Book was produced because it combines Irish and Anglo-Saxon styles. This means that it could be from a number of places including, Ireland, Scotland, or Northumbria (now northern England). Around the time the Book was written, a viking raid moved the book to Kells, Ireland. In the 11th century, the book lost its cover (which most likely included gold and gems) because it was stolen. Since then, no harm has come to the book and it has been well preserved.

Sources:

Bennett, Judith M. Medieval Europe. 11th ed. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2011. Print.

 
Snell, Melissa. "The Book of Kells." About.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 9 Sept. 2016.

Spangenberg, Lisa. "XPI Autem Generatio: The Book of Kells and the Chi-Rho Page." Celtic Studies Resources. N.p., 25 Dec. 2010. Web. 9 Sept. 2016. 

"The Book of Kells." Trinity College Dublin. N.p., n.d. Web. 9 Sept. 2016. 

 

Wergeld

Near the end of the Roman Empire there was a tribe referred to as Burgundians.  The Burgundians followed a set of laws and codes referred to as The Burgundian Code, these laws covered many topics from getting a divorce, kidnapping, murder, and maiming of other Freemen and Romans.

Most of these laws would require that the offender pay a certain price or fine to the victim or the victims family, and the higher up in the social class the victim was,the higher the fine would be as well.

These fines were referred to as wergeld. You would witness many freeman storing away stashes of solidi (revenue used at the time) to be able to pay off wergeld. Another main use of wergeld was to prevent family feuds from ensuing, why fight to the death over a dead horse when you can just pay for it? I consider the concept of wergeld interesting due to the fact of everything seemed to have a price and its place in society all the way from the maiming of an arm to the stubbing of a toe. This concept is also carried out today in a certain fashion by requiring certain offenders to pay bail to be released from holding.

Marc. "The Burgundian Code - Outline." Burgundians in the Mist:. N.p., 23 July 2010. Web. 07 Sept. 2016.

Duhaime, Lloyd. "Burgundian Code (500)." Duhaime.org. N.p., 13 Sept. 2008. Web. 07 Sept. 2016

Drew, K., The Burgundian Code (Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press, 1972)


.McKitterick, R. (editor), The New Cambridge Medieval History (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1995).

The Gateway to the Middle Ages

Throughout the Roman Empire there were more than 50,000 miles of roads. These roads led to the many different townships and outposts that comprised the 3,000 mile (in breadth) empire that the Romans had established. Something that I find very interesting about these many cities within the Roman Empire is the massive arches. I am not discussing the arches that one can see in the architectural style that the Romans used, but instead the massive arches that mark the cities as one enters. After visiting Volubilis in Morocco, where I saw a massive arch over the road, I wondered what its significance may be. As an observer I initially thought that arches such as this could be used to show a city's prominence but my curiosity pushed me to dive deeper into their purpose during the Roman era.

These arches are more accurately called triumphal arches. They had no real function other than the beautiful aesthetics and awe they provide to observers. Despite their lack in function, the arches were built deliberately. The intentions of these arches were to commemorate victories or ascensions to power by rulers (hence the name triumphal arches). They were commonly decorated with sculptures and even inscribed with brass letters. The arch I saw in Volubilis, called the arch of Caracalla, was built to honor the emperor Caracalla who is also know as Marcus Aurelius Severus Antoninus Augustus. He was born to a North African father and Syrian mother, and the arch was to honor not only his lineage to a North African but also his granting citizenship to all free inhabitants of the empire. Overall, the triumphal arches were mere aesthetics used to glorify the Roman empire. What is interesting is that despite this glory and honor the arches symbolized, Rome ultimately fell. And as a result, these arches served the same purpose as what the St. Louis arch does today. To the individuals living after the fall of the Roman empire these arches were mere remnants of that era and, for us, they can be looked at as gateways marking the passage from the Roman era into the Middle Ages.    


Cartwright, Mark. "Triumphal Arches." www.ancient.eu, last modified December 31, 2012.
http://www.ancient.eu/Triumphal_Arch/.
Kolb, Frank P. "Caracalla." Encyclapedia Britanica, last modified February 8, 2008.
https://www.britannica.com/biography/Caracalla.
Photo provided by Ben James, taken December 30, 2014.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Volubilis

Water Jousting .vs. Jousting

During the Middle Ages, jousting was a very common sport. When participating in jousting, two opponents would ride on horseback and fight using lances. A medieval lance was usually a wooden spear with a metal tip on the end (Lance-Medieval Middle Ages). When discussing medieval sport, most people are unaware of water jousting. When I asked people to describe water jousting to me, they just assumed that it was like normal jousting, but in the water. However, this is a false assumption. While jousting was performed in a court yard at a castle, water jousting took place in rivers. Instead of horses, people who participated in water jousting would stand up near the bow of a boat and use a long pole to try and knock down an opponent in an oncoming boat (Newman).

The illuminated manuscript below shows an example of water jousting. The illuminated manuscript comes from Oxford. By viewing this image, you can clearly visualize how water jousting might have looked. Viewers can distinguish the pole, and the opponent and the other people in the boat.

Newman mentions in his book, "Daily Life in the Middle Ages", that water jousting took place

during the summer as part of a civic festival. One interesting fact that I learned from Newman is that water jousting involved young men from sponsoring towns rather than nobles practicing for war.

I really like water jousting because no one ever got seriously injured during the game. During regular jousting, the opponents have to worry about injury's or death from the lances. In contrast, the worst outcome from water jousting is getting knocked into the water.   

Sources:

Newman, Paul B. "Relaxing and Playing." Daily Life in the Middle Ages. Jefferson, NC: McFarland, 2001. 163-64. Print.                         

Unknown. "Lance - Medieval Middle Ages." Medieval Middle Ages. N.p., 03 Feb. 2013. Web. 29 Aug. 2016. <http://www.medievalmiddleages.com/weapons/lance.html>. 

Illuminated Manuscript:

Oxford, Bodleian Library MS Bodley 264