The Book of Kells, also known as the Book of Columba, is an illuminated manuscript Gospel book, containing the four Gospels of the New Testament together with various prefatory texts and tables. It was created in a Columban monastery in Ireland or may have had contributions from various Columban institutions from both Britain and Ireland. It is believed to have been created c. 800 AD. It is a masterwork of Western calligraphy and represents the pinnacle of Insular illumination. It is also widely regarded as Ireland's finest national treasure. The book is now exhibited in the Trinity College Library in Dublin. (This English slideshow is a shorter version of the Italian one)

1. The Book of Kells
Images from the book of Kells,
edited an cropped,
in an attempt to highlight some
details about the text.
Editing: Lucio Andreetto
Something about:

2. 19v
Summary of narrated events, chapter contents list.
Breves causae of Luke
"An angel appears to Zechariah the priest"

3. 19v
ZACHA
ria sacerdotii appa
ruit angelus et adnuntiavit ei filium iohan
nen ET idem mariae adnuntiavit angelus
filium ihesum C toribus -------:. ET acci
Nativitatem ihesu adnuntiat angelus pas
pit simeon puerum ihesum ET benedixit
deum et de anna profetissa C bat
Annorum duodecim ihesus in templo doce
Seniores C tismum poeniten
Ubi iohannis baptizat populum bap
The simbol C, known in Irish manuscripts
as "head under the wing" or "turn under
the path“, indicates that the words
immediately following it are to be read
after the end of the next full line.

4. 44rSermon on the Mount
Matthew 5,3-48

5. 44r
Ego autem dico vobis dilegite inimicos
vestros
But I say unto you, Love your enemies

6. 44r
Ego autem dico vobis dilegite inimicos
vestros
The rod of "g" in "Ego" pierces
the neck and comes out of the
mouth of man in "E"
Crossed legs and exposed genitals

7. 44r
In this case, the symbol C has the shape of a man who
turns his shoulders to the word avertaris, that means “turn
away” (do not refuse the one who would borrow from you).
The simbol C, known as "turn under the path“,
indicates that the words immediately following it
are to be read after the end of the next line.
Auertaris = turn away

8. 48r
Matthew

9. 48r
A streaked cat chases a rat fleeing with a consecrated host.
A hare tries to escape a greyhound (male).

10. 57v
Matthew

11. Tradat autem frater fratrem
in mortem et pater filium
Now the brother shall betray the brother to death,
and the father the son
In the "T" rod in Tradat, there is an animal
with a lion's head, snake body, and fish tail.
57v

12. Non est discipulus ...
Si patrem familias ...
57v
The word "Non"
is formed by a
lion and a
peacock reversed
and in contact
with the lion
underneath in
the word "Yes".
The animals
emphasize
Matthew 10.24
where Jesus says:
The disciple is not
above his master,
nor the servant
above his lord.

13. 62v
Matthew

14. In the “EX” letters of Exeuntes, two lions, one with the torso
and the other with a posterior paw, form the "X" (chi), the first
letter of the Greek monogram of the name of Christ.
62v

15. 72rMatthew 14,19:23

16. Et dimissa turba ascendit in m/ontem
solus orare
And when he had sent the multitudes away, he went
up into a mountain apart to pray:
The lizard makes a "path deflector" for m/ontem
(with the final "m" in the vertical) and perhaps also
refers to Jesus praying on the mountain.
72r

17. 75rMatthew 15,22:28

18. Tunc respondens Iesus ait ei
O mulier magna est fides tua fiat tibi
sicut vis et sanata est filia illius ex illa hora
«Quotation marks»
hora
Then Jesus said to her, “Woman, you have great faith! Your request
is granted.” And her daughter was healed at that moment.
In the “T” of Tunc, a lion looks down, in the last line another lion looks
toward the first one, and together they enclose the important phrase.
Sentence end point
75r

19. 83vMatthew 18,21

20. 83v
Then came Peter to him, and said
Tunc accedens petrus ad eum dixit ...
A lion, in the "T" rod, with a long red tongue around
his head to his ear, indicates that while Peter speaks,
Jesus, symbolized by the lion, hears him.

21. 87r
Matthew 19,28

22. IHS autem dixit illis
87r
IHS, an abbreviation for the name of Jesus, is made
up of a lion, a peacock and a fish (earth, sky and sea).
And Jesus said to them ...

23. 89r
Matthew

24. Jesus on a donkey, pointing his foot to the previous
page, to the lines that say:
Et ascendens Iesus Hyerusoliman
(And Jesus going up to Jerusalem).

25. 95r
Matthew

26. And Jesus answered and
spake unto them again
by parables, and said
Et respondens Iesus dixit iterum
in parabolis eis dicens
In the "ET"
a peacock,
grapes,
and a blond Jesus.
95r

27. 104rMark 13:17-22

28. VAE autem praegnantibus Et
nutriantibus in illis diebus.
ORAte autem ut non fiat fuga
vestra hime vel sabbato.
ERit enim tunc tribulatio magna
qualis non fuit ab initio mundi
usque modo neque fiet.
ET Nisi braeviati fuissent dies
illi non fieret salve: omnis
caro sed propter elector
braeviabuntur dies illi.
TUNc si quis vobis dixerit ecce
hic Christus aut illic noliti credere
SURgent enim saeudo Christi Et
saeudo profetae et dabunt
signa magna et prodigia ita in errorem
movantur si fieri potest etiam104r

29. 104r
VAe
ORate
ERit

30. ET Nisi
TUNc
SURgent
104r
In the «T» of «Tunc»
a lion looks down to
Matthew's text that
predicts the arrival
of false Christs and
prophets.

31. 105vMatthew - Speech on the Mount of Olives

32. Caelum et terra
Sicut enim
Tunc duo erunt
105v

33. 106rMatthew - Speech on the Mount of Olives

34. 106r
Duae
Vigilate
Ilud autem
Quis nam

35. 110rMatthew 25,35:36

36. Sitivi I was thirsty
Hospes I was a stranger
Nudo Naked
Infirmus Sick
In carcere In prison
Aligning the keywords in the discourse of Jesus to the Blessed
On the Day of Judgment (Matthew 25: 35-36)
110r

37. 116vMatthew 26,47

38. 116v
Adhuc eo
loquente
ecce judas
While he was still speaking,
here comes Judas
In the "A" of Adhuc
there are two lions:
Jesus, and Judas who
bites his neck (allusion
to the kiss of Judas).

39. 146r
Examples of "Et" on the same folio
Mark

40. 146r
Et... Et... Et... Et... Jesus sends the apostles to preach.
From the tongues at the bottom of the "T" are fruits,
those of the missions of the apostles.
Proverbs 15,4: A gentle tongue is
a tree of life, but perverseness in
it breaks the spirit.
From this "Et" comes a cup
with fruits: the Eucharist.

41. 158vMark 9:30-36
Jesus foretells his own death and resurrection

42. Then they came to Capernaum.
In the “ET” there are: a fish,
symbol of Christ, and a snake (with a
head like a duck) symbol of resurrection.
158v
ET venerunt
(cafarnaum)

43. 158v
At illi tacebant
And they were silent
ET quicunque (me susciperit)
And whoever welcomes Me
A sinuous snake in the rod of the letter “T”
flows in the shape of the cross.
Peacocks in the first letter.

44. 159vMark 9,47

45. in regnum
The letters "um" of "regnum",
first forgotten, and then added
vertically under a back leg of
the added lion.
The lion indicates the
front page (160r)
where, inexplicably,
"in regnum" is
repeated.
160r

46. 171vMark

47. 171v
In the very square "ET", there are two snakes with
similar heads of ducks, which seem to have wings.

48. 179vMark 14,63

49. 179v
summus sacerdos interrogabat eum
et dicit ei tu es Christus
the high priest asked him, and said unto
him, Art thou the Christ (Greek XPS)
Iesus autem
dixit ei ego sum
And Jesus said, I am (Latin IHS)
A blond Jesus in the center of the "H",
on the sides a lion and a fish, his symbols.

50. Summus autem sacerdus
scindens vestimenta sua ait
Quid adhuc desideramus testes
audistis blasphemiam eius quid...
The high priest tore his clothes. "Why do we need any
more witnesses?" he asked.
You have heard the blasphemy. What is your” verdict?
And they all condemned Him as deserving of death.
Eight blue crosses: the hill of Golgotha,
eight days of passion before the resurrection.
179v

51. 180rMark 14,68

52. 180r
Et exiit foras ante atrium
et gallus cantavit
Then he [Peter] went out to the gateway,
and the rooster crowed.
In the "Et" there is a hare, shy animal,
cast as a negative comment to Peter
who had renounced Christ.

53. 180r
ET exiit
Et exiit foras ante atrium
et gallus cantavit
Then he [Peter] went out to the gateway,
and the rooster crowed.
In the "Et" there is a hare, shy animal, cast as a
negative comment to Peter who had renounced Christ.

54. 181v
Mark 15,12

55. 181v
Pilatus autem iterum respon-
dens ait illis quid ergo vutis
ut faciam regi iudeorum
And Pilate answered and said again unto them,
What will ye then that I shall do unto him
whom ye call the King of the Jews?

56. 182r
Mark 15,15

57. 182r
A Pilate with his legs spread apart, divided into two,
desperately seizes his hair and body.
And wishing to satisfy the crowd, Pilate released
Barabbas to them. But he had Jesus flogged, and
handed Him over to be crucified.
Pilatus autem volens pro populo satisfacere dimissit illis
barban et tradidit ihm flagellis cessum ut crucifigeretu

58. 188vStart of Luke’s Gospel (1,5)

59. UIT IN DIEBUS HERO
dis regis iudae
In the time of Herod
king of Judea,
188v
F
Fish has been a symbol of Christ
since the second century

60. 200r-202rLuke
Genealogy of Jesus

61. 200r
QUI . . .
QUI . . .
QUI . . .
QUI . . .
Interlaced lions
that bite snakes

62. The half-man and half-fish figure holds the 't' rod in 'Qui fuit
iona', son of Iona, but where Iona in Hebrew means dove, and
therefore perhaps a reference to Colum Cille (the Dove of the
Church) pilgrim who settled in the Isle of Iona in 563.
201r

63. 201v
(Winged calf: Luke)
The man with a
chalice is on the last
letters of Abracham
(Abraham) the
ancestor of Jesus
who was ready to
sacrifice his son
Isaac. The chalice
represents the
sacrifice that Christ
makes with his
blood, drunk during
the Eucharist.

64. 201v
In the «Q» of
«QUI»,
intertwined
figures, with legs
tucked under their
arms, and tongues
protruding, in
various grotesque
positions, they pull
each other's hair
from behind.
201v

65. 205vLuke 4,31:33
31 Then He went down to Capernaum, a town in Galilee, and on the Sabbath He began to teach the people.
32 They were astonished at His teaching, because His message had authority.
33 In the synagogue there was a man possessed by the spirit of an unclean demon. He cried out in a loud voice,
Et discendit
Et stupebant
Et in sinagoga

66. Et discen/dit
Et stupe/bant
Et in sina/goga
In Luke 4, 31-32-33, three verses related
to each other begin with "Et."
205v
In each "Et" an eight-petal cross indicates
the binding of the verses.

67. 210r
Luke

68. =
Dicebat
210r
Tongue and mouth of the lion form the letter X
(Greek chi), a call to the name of Christ (XPI)

69. 217vLuke 7,28

70. Dico enim vobis maior inter natos
mulierum propheta Iohanne Baptista
For I say unto you, Among those that are
born of women there is not a greater
prophet than John the Baptist
Blonde head of
John the Baptist.
In the “D” of
“Dico” hi is
looking back at
the story of what
he did.
217v

71. 250v
Luke

72. 250v
ITA dico vobis
AIT autem
[adulescen]
tior
Great
interlacement
of lions,
peacocks and a
fish (land, air
and sea), plus
a snake (letter
I in AIT).

73. 253v
Luke

74. 253v
Nemo servus potest duobus
dominis servire
No servant can serve two masters
In the “N” of “Nemo” two men
pull each other beards.
In the "A" below, the servant of
the two masters, and a conflict.

75. 255vLuke 17,2:7
Jesus teaches disciples the nature of forgiveness and faith.

76. The word "AT" formed by three
interlaced lions: the dilemma of
the apostles for which they ask
Jesus to increase their faith.
The calm figure
of Jesus on the
saddle of a
donkey directed
to Jerusalem.
255v

77. Adtendite
Take heed to yourselves: If thy brother
trespass against thee, rebuke him
A man (white) grabs the lion's
throat (green) that bites his chest.
255v

78. 257vLuke 17,32

79. Memores estote
uxoris loth
257v
Remember Lot’s wife!
Lot's wife portrayed in the “M” of Memores.

80. 260rLuke 18,23

81. His ille auditis
When he heard this...
Also the third letter of the word
"his" drawn as a weave

82. 271v
Luke

83. uestras
eius
The cross-shaped "s" on two elongated words
centered on the page to get a visual effect.

84. 273vLuke 22,2:8
Judas's plan to betray Jesus

85. 273v
Three snakes (the third one is Judas?)
INtravit
A cross between snakes
Intravit autem satanas in iudam
Then entered Satan into Judas

86. 273v
An eagle under the word Pascha, Easter in Jewish.

87. 283rPassion in the Gospel of Luke
23,34:39

88. 283r
Inludebant
In the "IN" there are three lions, a first lion
(Judas) bites a second lion (Jesus) as in 116v.
Inludebant autem ei et milites
And the soldiers also mocked him

89. 283r
Rex iudeorum isolated at the center of the line,
and then a recall of the robbers at the sides.
Unus autem de his qui
pendebant latronibus
Two lions, the two thieves
And one of the malefactors which
were hanged railed on him, saying, If
thou be Christ, save thyself and us.
Eucharistic Grapes in the «x»

90. 309rJohn

91. 309r
The peacock was associated with heaven and
paradise, here it is perched on the phrase of Jesus:
"because I descended from heaven“ [not to do my
will, but the will of the one who sent me].
Quia descendi de caelo

92. 309v-310rJohn 6,42:57

93. Non quia patrem vidit quisquam  nisi is qui est [a Deo]
Not that any man hath seen the Father  save he which is [of God]
Lion with vivifying breath, indicated by
the emission of Eucharistic grapes.
Here the lion is also
a "path deviator".
309v

94. 310r
The two animals in the letters "Li",
with eucharistic grape in the
mouth, are the Jews who argue
wondering "how can this [Jesus]
give us his flesh to eat?"
Litagabant
Some grapes come out from the two ends
of a container that is a «path deviator».
cibus et sanguis meus
He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood

95. 311rJohn 7,2:10

96. Et dicebat
The one who Dicebat (said) in this verse was
Jesus, and therefore in the "T" of the "Et"
there is a lion with an interlaced tongue.

97. 314rJohn 7,37:44

98. Many of the people therefore, when they heard
this saying, said, Of a truth this is the Prophet.
A dove with an olive branch in the tail of "Ex"
perched on the word "prophet".314r
Ex illa ergo turba cum audissent hos sermones
eius dicebant hic est vere propheta

99. The initial "Q" with Greek crosses around a
cross of St. Andrew, to visual defense against
those who want to capture Jesus.
314r
Quidam autem ex ipsis volebant
[adprehendere eum sed nemo
misit super illum manu]
And some of them would have taken him;
but no man laid hands on him.
xps, abbreviation of Christus.

100. Image crops and manipulation:
Lucio Andreetto for the web site www.inognidove.it
Sources:
• Images: web site of Trinity College of Dublin
• Bernard Meehan – Il libro di Kells – 2012
• Carl Nordenfalk – Celtic and Anglo-Saxon Painting - 1977
• Sir Edward Sullivan - The Book of Kells – 1920
• Margaret Stokes - Early Christian Art in Ireland – 1887
• The web and the Wikipedia