The Book of Kells

The Book of Kells is an artistic masterpiece. An illuminated manuscript written around 800CE, this exquisite work of art has stood for 1,200 years as the greatest example of medieval illumination and is one of the most studied books in the world.

The Book of Kells - an exquisite work of art:

• Written in Latin, hand-lettered on vellum with almost 2,000 illuminated letters, 33 exquisitely decorated pages, as well as knotwork and interlacings so small they cannot be seen with the naked eye
• One of the earliest surviving books in the form of a codex, the shape of book we know today
• Part of the cross-cultural history of art, merging visual traditions that are Celtic, Christian, Islamic, North African and Near Eastern
• Created as a magnificent religious work of art, as it is a version of the four gospels of the Christian Bible
• Has transcended its origins and become one of the most well-known and studied books in the world

The facsimile edition, created in the 1990s, is the combination of artistry and technical achievement and established an entirely new standard in publishing history.

More about the facsimile edition, which is a gift to our Library:

• Presented in memory of Dr. Orviel Fallang by Mrs. Ruth Fallang and her children to Washington-Centerville Public Library and held in trust for our community
• The first and only facsimile of the entire Book of Kells, a rare and beautiful limited edition which is virtually indistinguishable from the original
• One of only 1,480 copies of a limited edition which made publishing history because of the combination of art and technology which created it
• An extraordinary volume in its own right, an object worthy of study - a window into the past and a source of artistic inspiration for the future

Mrs. Ruth Fallang donated the Book of Kells to Washington-Centerville Public Library in memory of her husband, Dr. Orviel Fallang. Dr. Fallang was a long-time Library patron and a local veterinarian. The book was purchased after his untimely death as a way to honor his memory. She and her four children -- Dennis Fallang J.D., David Fallang M.D., Michelle Fallang Patterson Ph.D, and Jennifer Fallang Bell M.D. -- all of whom graduated from Centerville High School, donated this book to the Library so many people could share in its history and beauty.

The Book of Kells donation is just one example of giving to the Library. Many other library projects are the result of other endowments or donations.




The Library is honored to display this rare, donated facsimile edition of the Book of Kells, the world-famous 9th century illuminated manuscript acclaimed as the most beautiful book ever written. The Library, which advances no religion or belief system, presents this destination book which has transcended its religious origins to become an object worthy of study - as a window into the past and a source of artistic inspiration for the future.

Join the Quest
2008 marks the second year of the two-year quest to explore the rich history and art manifested in the Book of Kells.

Throughout 2007, citizens learned about the times that created this extraordinary Book. In 2008, you're invited to continue your quest in these exciting series of programs...

• Make it Medieval - Inspire the artist within; create & take home medieval art.
• Scholar Views - Exhilarate in the quest; find where history meets art.
• Ways of the Warrior - Travel back in time; suit up with medieval warriors.
• Music, Mysteries, and More - Explore the past; delight the senses.
• Skills of the Scribe - Learn from the experts; create and illuminate.

Above all, rejoice in over 2000 years of cultural and artistic inspiration in the Book of Kells. Visit the library often to explore what has been acclaimed the most beautiful book in the world. A new page will be displayed each week, in the same way the pages of the original are displayed at Trinity College in Dublin to a half million people each year.

Reveal for yourself a great treasure. Book of Kells - illuminating the past, inspiration for the future.

Project Support
Countless organizations and individuals have donated their time and talents to make the Book of Kells project possible, including:





The original Book of Kells, of which our copy is a replica, was created more than 1,200 years ago around the year 800 CE. The Book takes its name from the village of Kells, northwest of Dublin, Ireland, where the book was written in the scriptorium of the monastery of the Colm Cille order founded by Saint Columba.

The manuscript was never finished. Although there is still a mystery about where it was created, most people believe that the Book of Kells was begun at Iona and finished at Kells, when the monks fled there to escape Viking raids.

The original Book of Kells was presented to Trinity College, Dublin in 1661, and has remained there ever since, except for brief loans to other libraries and museums. In 2000, the Book was loaned to Australia, but officials have said the Book of Kells will never again leave the Old Library at Trinity. More than half a million people view the book each year.

Quick Facts

• 680 pages have survived, 33 of which are richly illuminated
• Illuminated letters, often with animals intertwined, which are from the rich tradition of Celtic animal art
• Inks were made from precious gems like lapis lazuli from as far away as Mesopotamia, and other substances
• Design of the book uses the device called "diminuendo" in which the letters of words introducing a new section are formed in decreasing sizes
• Fine interlacing and knotwork appear in the book, so fine that it cannot even be seen without a 10- power maginifying glass - which wasn't invented until hundreds of years after the book was written
• Originally, the book was probably housed in a shrine, a case encrusted with precious jewels, gold and relics. That case was never recovered after the book was stolen around 1000 CE and found buried under the sod

Facts about the Facsimile Edition

• Published by Faksimile Verlag Luzern, the facsimile edition is composed of two volumes - the facsimile of the Book of Kells and a companion volume of scholarly studies of the Book
• The word facsimile comes from the Latin meaning, "Make it the same!"
• Normal color printing is limited to four colors, yet on some pages of the Book of Kells facsimile, 10 colors were used in printing
• The holes in the original volume appear in the facsimile; these come from bacteria and places where the leather (vellum) was thin and holes were made
• The facsimile edition has a companion volume, detailing extensive scholarly studies made of the original. A summary transcription of the topics in that volume is available at Washington-Centerville Public Library

For a Quick Orientation:

A quick and lovely introduction to the Book of Kells:
http://www.liunet.edu/cwis/cwp/library/sc/kells/kells.htm

To see reproductions of some of the major pages:
http://www.snake.net/people/paul/kells/

For a More Authoritative View:

The detailed entry from the Catholic Encyclopedia on the subject:
http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/08614b.htm

To Gain Relativity about the Book of Kells and Related Subjects:

To learn a lot about the Book of Kells, with lots of links to related subjects:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Book_of_Kells

A comprehensive list of Web sites on the Book of Kells:
http://www.factbites.com/topics/Book-of-Kells

The Book of Kells' place in the history of books

For Information about the Facsimile Version:

Information about the printing and publication of the Facsimile:
http://www.nd.edu/~medvllib/facsintro/kells90.html

*As a service to its users, Washington-Centerville Public Library provides links from its Web site to other sites. The Library is not responsible for the content of these external sites, and the inclusion of a link to any site does not constitute the endorsement of that site by the Library.