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The Book of Kells, now digitized and available online

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Re: The Book of Kells, now digitized and available online

#41

Post by pbhjpbhj »

Jordan-117 wrote: post #37

This is a cool resource, but I'm side-eyeing them characterizing it as some new thing when this scan was uploaded more than ten years ago (as their own link to the college's archived blog post on it shows).

Glad you said this as it saved me checking my memory.

I first came across the Book of Kells over 20 years ago and I swear photos/scans were available online of some pages even back then (one of the 'Xp' at least). But certainly thought it had already been made available online before (albeit in one of those annoying interfaces where it's all tiles to try and stop you downloading any of it).

Re: The Book of Kells, now digitized and available online

#42

Post by Jordan-117 »

pbhjpbhj wrote: post #41
Jordan-117 wrote: post #37

This is a cool resource, but I'm side-eyeing them characterizing it as some new thing when this scan was uploaded more than ten years ago (as their own link to the college's archived blog post on it shows).

Glad you said this as it saved me checking my memory. I first came across the Book of Kells over 20 years ago and I swear photos/scans were available online of some pages even back then (one of the 'Xp' at least). But certainly thought it had already been made available online before (albeit in one of those annoying interfaces where it's all tiles to try and stop you downloading any of it).

I think there was a black-and-white photocopy from the early 90s, but the full-color digital one (with an iPad app!) is circa 2013.

Re: The Book of Kells, now digitized and available online

#43

Post by noufalibrahim »

grujicd wrote: post #13
CalRobert wrote: post #3

The book of Kells is gorgeous and well worth a visit. If you are in Dublin and enjoy this sort of thing, _please_ also take the very short walk over to the Chester Beatty Library ( https://chesterbeatty.ie/ ) as well. It's free and has an absolutely fantastic collection of ancient and sacred manuscripts. I was lucky enough to live across the street from it for several years and it remains one of my favourite museums…

Chester Beatty is a gem. I went into it not expecting much from "museum of books". But it's also in a way a museum of world's religions, which are tightly connected to writing and books. As an atheist who has low opinion on value of religion because of all the deaths they were and still are responsible for, it reminded me of their positive role in history. When you see all those ancient religious books you begin to q…

Your post reminded me of the story "A canticle for leibowitz".

It explores many of the ideas you've mentioned. I recommend reading it if you haven't already. I think you'd enjoy it.

Re: The Book of Kells, now digitized and available online

#44

Post by noufalibrahim »

bdz wrote: post #26
s_dev wrote: post #6

The animated film 'The Secret of Kells' is great and well worth a watch. Far more accessible/relatable to modern audiences than this historical Bible that was dug up in a field in Kells. I'm glad it got a mention but the other guy is right -- the link should have been to the digitized book.

Contrary to everyone I think it was pretty mediocre. The significance of the book is barely covered and the contents of it are not mentioned at all. The story itself is dancing around the “message of the book” and how it prevails over everything (see the allegory with the abbey’s wall) but somehow they just never say it’s the four Gospels of the New Testament which are the most important texts of Christianity. If you…

Yes. As someone who practices Western calligraphy, I expected a lot more about the book from the movie. It was mostly style kind of fable with the book as a prop.

Re: The Book of Kells, now digitized and available online

#45

Post by SEJeff »

patrickdavey wrote: post #28

I went to college in Trinity and the Book of Kells is housed in the old library. Once you've finished seeing the book, you head upstairs through the Long Room, and that place is just special (they used it as the hall of the jedi) As a student there you could visit for free. I used to just go up and hang in the library for 10 mins or so a few times a year. Loved it. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Library_of_Trinity_C…

First name checks out :)

I promised a coworker up north a bit in Meath that one day I’d come visit him and got that chance about seven years ago. Along the way we did the tourist in Dublin thing and part of it was the trinity long room and book of kells. Amusingly, a cabbie was asking me what I loved about Dublin and I said the history. He asked what in specific and I told him that there is probably chewing gum on the ground older than the founding of the United States. He got super offended and told me they clean the streets in Ireland, but then I mentioned the Aran Islands, Newgrange, and the Drombeg Stone Circle… What is “old” in Ireland is 3000-5000 years old. What is “old” in the USA is a few hundred years old at best.

Such a lovely place and people.

Re: The Book of Kells, now digitized and available online

#46

Post by grujicd »

noufalibrahim wrote: post #43
grujicd wrote: post #13

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Chester Beatty is a gem. I went into it not expecting much from "museum of books". But it's also in a way a museum of world's religions, which are tightly connected to writing and books. As an atheist who has low opinion on value of religion because of all the deaths they were and still are responsible for, it reminded me of their positive role in history. When you see all those ancient religious books you begin to q…

Your post reminded me of the story "A canticle for leibowitz". It explores many of the ideas you've mentioned. I recommend reading it if you haven't already. I think you'd enjoy it.

Thanks for the recommendation, looks like the kind of book I'd enjoy.

Re: The Book of Kells, now digitized and available online

#47

Post by raffraffraff »

CalRobert wrote: post #3

The book of Kells is gorgeous and well worth a visit. If you are in Dublin and enjoy this sort of thing, _please_ also take the very short walk over to the Chester Beatty Library ( https://chesterbeatty.ie/ ) as well. It's free and has an absolutely fantastic collection of ancient and sacred manuscripts. I was lucky enough to live across the street from it for several years and it remains one of my favourite museums…

There's also a pretty decent eatery!

Another amazing library, though one that you can't really access, is the Edward Worth library at Dr Steevens’ Hospital, beside Heuston train station.

https://edwardworthlibrary.ie/

He had collected the books over his lifetime and bequeathed the collection to the hospital, under conditions that were to result in the absolute protection of the books. The story of the collection's history is itself worth the visit, and the current librarians are always welcoming if you call in advance. I was at a lecture there last week, and they took great pains to tell everybody to come back.

Re: The Book of Kells, now digitized and available online

#48

Post by Ovah »

patrickdavey wrote: post #28

I went to college in Trinity and the Book of Kells is housed in the old library. Once you've finished seeing the book, you head upstairs through the Long Room, and that place is just special (they used it as the hall of the jedi) As a student there you could visit for free. I used to just go up and hang in the library for 10 mins or so a few times a year. Loved it. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Library_of_Trinity_C…

Unfortunately, they recently removed most of the books from that hall due to conservation efforts. I didn't really give the feel or atmosphere of an old library.

Re: The Book of Kells, now digitized and available online

#49

Post by maccard »

patrickdavey wrote: post #28

I went to college in Trinity and the Book of Kells is housed in the old library. Once you've finished seeing the book, you head upstairs through the Long Room, and that place is just special (they used it as the hall of the jedi) As a student there you could visit for free. I used to just go up and hang in the library for 10 mins or so a few times a year. Loved it. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Library_of_Trinity_C…

I also did the same thing. I probably visited 30 times in the 5 years I was there. The postgraduate study room next door to it (disc shaped building between the old library and the front gate) is probably one of the neatest student spaces in the university, closely followed by the geography building behind it.

Re: The Book of Kells, now digitized and available online

#50

Post by AStonesThrow »

bdz wrote: post #26
s_dev wrote: post #6

The animated film 'The Secret of Kells' is great and well worth a watch. Far more accessible/relatable to modern audiences than this historical Bible that was dug up in a field in Kells. I'm glad it got a mention but the other guy is right -- the link should have been to the digitized book.

Contrary to everyone I think it was pretty mediocre. The significance of the book is barely covered and the contents of it are not mentioned at all. The story itself is dancing around the “message of the book” and how it prevails over everything (see the allegory with the abbey’s wall) but somehow they just never say it’s the four Gospels of the New Testament which are the most important texts of Christianity. If you…

I took it to describe a more expansive history of Irish spirituality, how neopaganism is recovering the legends and traditions that Irish diaspora took with them to the rest of the world, or perhaps were forgotten across generations. How Ireland emerges as a post-Christian society, but remains embattled with culture wars and difficult relations with the UK.

The Gaeltacht today is not unlike that little monastic fortress at Kells.

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