1. The Secret
of Kells
Presentation
by:
Charles Hedges
David Sargent
Xicheng Huang
My-Duyen Pham
2. Released in February of 2005, The Secret Of Kells was an
Irish/Belgian co-production that went on to garner various
nominations and awards in film festivals, including an Academy
Award nomination for Best Animated Feature.
The film is loosely based on the story of the actual Book Of
Kells, an Irish illuminated manuscript from the late 9th century. The
film follows Brendan, a young monk at the Abbey of Kells in
Ireland, as he seeks to discover what lies outside the massive walls of
the Abbey, and also to help the old monk from Iona named Aiden
complete the book he has been working on.
The film was directed by Tom Moore, and written by Tom Moore
and Fabrice Ziolkowski.
3. About the Book Of Kells
• The actual Book of Kells is an
illuminated manuscript of the Gospels
of the New Testament. Illuminated
manuscripts were elaborately copied
and decorated religious books created
by monks in the early middle ages.
• The Book of Kells was created by Celtic
monks sometime around the 9th
Century CE. In addition to the text, the
book contains images of mythical
creatures, humans, celtic knots, and
various elaborate patterns in different
colors. The book was kept at the
Abbey of Kells for many centuries. It
now is on permanent display at the
Trinity College Library in
Dublin, Ireland.
Cover of the Book Of Kells
4. About the Book Of Kells
( continued)
• Though there is no doubt that the
Book Of Kells was created by Irish
Monks, there are 5 different theories
of exactly where and when it was
produced. Some say it was written
entirely at the older Abbey of
Iona, and then the illustrations were
added at Kells. Others offer that it was
produced entirely at Iona, and moved
to Kells during the Viking invasions.
There is evidence that the book has
changed hands several times, and was
possibly stolen at least once, due to
some damage and missing pages.
• The filmmakers use this mystery
surrounding the books history to
create an ending not often seen in
animated films.
5. The films ending, while ultimately hopeful, is not a typical “happy
ending”. The filmmakers use the unknown origins of the actual book to
create their own idea of what might have happened: Brendan and the
aging Aiden narrowly escape the Viking invasion. They gather the existing
pages of the book and travel the countryside for years, working on its
completion. After Aiden dies, Brendan (now a young man) returns to the
Abbey. He discovers that only the villagers who made it inside have
survived the attack, and his Uncle, Abbot Cellach, has become a fearful
guilt-ridden old man. Brendan presents him with the book, which comes
to live in colorful moving images as the film ends.
7. Brendan
• When Brendan was very young, his parents
died in a Viking attack. Fortunately, he was
able to survive. He then became a poor
orphan until one day, Abbot Cellach
decided to adopt him. From the on he was
raised by Monks and Brothers.
• Twelve-year-old Brendan is
bright, imaginative and inquisitive, but
leads a sheltered life due to his uncle
forbidding him from venturing outside the
walls of Kells.
• However, Brendan is
brave, courageous, friendly and intrigued
by what lies beyond the walls of Kells
which gave him the initiative to venture
outside and take a journey.
• Brendan is very interested in the art of
illumination, and spends much of his time
in the scriptorium with some of the
Brothers in the abbey.
• He is recruited as Aidan's assistant to help
finish his great book.
8. Aisling
• She is a guardian of the forest
outside of Kells.
• The word “aisling” means
“dream vision” and is also a
poetic genre in the 17th and
18th centuries in which the
spirit of Ireland itself
manifested in visions and was
personified by a woman.
• Aisling, is one of the Tuatha De
Dannan ( People of the Goddess
Danu), a race of people who
have become minimized and
marginalized through history to
resemble small creatures now
called "fairies“.
• This group of people in Irish
mythology are derived from
pre-Christian era pagan deities.
9. Pangur Ban
• A fictional white cat that belongs to Brother Aiden
• Pangur Ban is a reference to a poem of the same name that was
written by an Irish monk about his white cat.
• Pangur ban’s eyes are mismatched, a tell tale sign in Irish mythology
that the character is connected to the supernatural.
• This cat is disdainful and is cautious about who to trust
• Intelligent and loyal
10. Aiden
• Brother Aiden is based off of Aidan of
Lindisfarne, a missionary and monk who lived
on the island of Iona in Scotland.
• As the Vikings attacked the Scottish island
of Iona, master illuminator Brother Aidan fled
with his cat, Pangur Bán.
• In Kells, he acquires Brendan as an assistant.
• He is unable to continue his work on the book
because of his failing hands and eyesight and
begins to teach Brendan the art of Illumination.
• Cheerful and incredibly energetic, Aidan has
clearly not let go of his childish side, despite
the fact that he carries the immense burden of
loss and responsibility. In addition to his well-
known illuminating skills, he's also well-versed
in the art of making ink, and teaches Brendan
how to do so.
11. Abbot Cellach
• A former illuminator
• Abbot Cellach now uses his
talents for the purposes of
designing a wall to protect
the Abbey of Kells from
invasion. He is very
concerned for everyone's
safety, especially that of his
nephew Brendan, to the
point where he thinks of
little else but the
completion of his wall.
Eventually, this leads to his
downfall.
13. Christianity
• Though the contents of the • The Book and, to a large
Book of Kells isn’t degree, Christianity
specifically mentioned in represent the light in the
the film, certainly the darkness, the enemy
artwork is heavily against the pagan intruders
influenced by illuminated and the old gods that stalk
manuscript. the land.
14. Christianity Continued
More than a light in the darkness, the walls
that Abbot Cellach construct around Kells can
be seen to represent the walls that Christianity
builds around the dangers of the Vikings and
also the old beliefs, of demons and
bloodthirsty spirits of the old Celts.
15. The Old
Gods
• The indigenous beliefs of Ireland
are also present in the film.
Aisling, a main character in the
film who helps Bredan
throughout, is a fairy and likely a
member of the Tuatha Dé
Danann, a race of immortals
that predated the arrival of
Christianity in Ireland. She
possesses supernatural
powers, namely the ability to
shapeshift.
16. Crom Cruach
• Brendan is instructed by Aidan to retrieve the Eye of
Crom Cruach. Crom is a diety in pre-Christian
Ireland, represented by sacrifice and bloodshed.
“Crom” means bent or crooked, “Cruach” means
bloody or gory. In the film the diety is represented by a
vicious snake. Brendan destroys the snake with chalk, a
writing instrument representing his devotion to
illuminating the text of the Gospels.
17. Major
Themes
• Old vs. New
• Light vs. Darkness
• Learning vs.
Ignorance
• Preservation
• Coming of age /
fulfilling expectation
18. The Secret of Kells
Movie Clips
http://cli.ps/8vWk http://www.youtube.com/watch?v
=MTPAvY4y0pY
19. The movie's visual debt to Celtic medieval art, rendered through
traditional animation techniques, cut a unique profile in an age
obsessed with computer-generated, 3-D spectaculars. The Secret of
Kells have drawn upon traditional Celtic art as inspiration for as much
of this film as possible. Celtic symbols are hidden everywhere. The
approach the animators took to drawing nature was the same as
earlier Celtic artists — seemingly-chaotic visuals of nature are broken
down into structured, repeating patterns. The result is different, of
course, because the tools are different. But in a sense, this film is Celtic
art, applied to a modern medium.
20. • Celtic art is ornamental, avoiding
straight lines and only occasionally
using symmetry, without the imitation
of nature central to the classical
tradition, often involving complex
symbolism.
• Celtic art has used a variety of styles
and has shown influences from other
cultures in their knotwork, spirals, key
patterns, lettering, zoomorphics, plant
forms and human figures.
• Celtic art is the art associated with the
peoples known as Celts; those who
spoke the Celtic languages in
Europe in from pre-history through to
the modern period, as well as the art of
ancient peoples whose language is
uncertain, but have cultural and stylistic
similarities with speakers of Celtic
languages.
21. The Early Medieval art of Britain and
Ireland, which produced the Book of
Kells and other masterpieces, and is what
"Celtic art" evokes for much of the general
public in the English-speaking world, is
called insular art in art history. Insular
art, also known as Hiberno-Saxon art, is the
style of art produced in the post- Roman
History of the British Isles.
Both styles absorbed considerable
influences from non-Celtic sources, but
retained a preference for geometrical
decoration over figurative subjects, which
are often extremely stylised when they do
appear; narrative scenes only appear under
outside influence
22. Contributions
Charles Hedges: Major
Charles Hedges: Major
Themes, cultural Background
Themes, cultural Background
David Sargent:
David Sargent:
Overview, Source Material
Overview, Source Material
My-Duyen Pham:
My-Duyen Pham:
Powerpoint, Characters
Powerpoint, Characters
Xicheng Huang:
Xicheng Huang:
Animation, Video Clips
Animation, Video Clips