Celtic Illumination

by Courtney Davis

Celtic illuminated manuscripts continue to fascinate us with their intricacy and craftsmanship. Christian monks believed the gospels to be the Word of God, and to glorify His name they brought the sacred text alive with dazzling colors and splendid designs. Here Courtney Davis re-creates portraits of the saints, border designs, Celtic symbols and elaborate initials from all the Irish School manuscripts, spanning the period from the beginning of the seventh century until the twelfth century. The accompanying text vividly describes the historical background - the Christianization of Ireland, the Viking raids and the monks who fled with their precious books to libraries abroad. From the Book of Durrow to the Corpus Missal, the origin of each manuscript is given, with an account of how, where and by whom it was made, its purpose and the symbolism of its designs.