The Medieval Masterpiece, the Book of Kells, Now Digitized and Available Online
The Book of Kells, a medieval manuscript created around 806 AD, is now digitized and accessible online, featuring high-resolution images and offering insights into its historical and cultural significance.
Read original article
The Book of Kells, a renowned medieval illuminated manuscript, has been digitized and is now accessible online through Trinity College Library. This masterpiece, created around 806 AD, is celebrated for its intricate artwork and numerous illustrations across its 680 pages. Originally composed on the Scottish island of Iona and later moved to Kells, Ireland, the manuscript primarily contains the four gospels and canon tables. It is considered a ceremonial object rather than a reading text, as evidenced by its elaborate images and careless text copying. The recent digitization offers high-resolution images, enhancing the viewing experience for those unable to visit Dublin. The Book of Kells symbolizes Irish cultural pride and has influenced various forms of art and design. Despite its historical significance, the manuscript has undergone several rebinding processes, resulting in the loss of some original folios. The digitized version allows a broader audience to appreciate its beauty and learn about its history through online courses offered by art historians.
- The Book of Kells is now available online in high-resolution format.
- It was created around 806 AD and is a significant cultural artifact of Ireland.
- The manuscript features elaborate illustrations and is primarily a ceremonial object.
- It has undergone multiple rebinding processes, leading to the loss of some original content.
- The digitization project aims to make this historical work accessible to a global audience.
Related
Early Bookcases, Cupboards and Carousels
The article examines the evolution of book storage, highlighting early bookcases, cupboards, and carousels, and their significance for scholars. It discusses historical designs and the global context of book production.
Another Look at the Voynich Manuscript
The Voynich Manuscript, a 500-year-old text with indecipherable writing and strange illustrations, remains unsolved despite scholarly efforts. Lisa Fagin Davis is exploring its connections to other manuscripts for insights.
Show HN: I built an animated 3D bookshelf for ebooks
The 3D Bookshelf project on GitHub enables interactive browsing of ebooks in 3D, integrating with Calibre for metadata and cover art, and adapting book dimensions based on cover and page count.
'We all read like hell ' How Ireland became the literary powerhouse
Ireland is a literary powerhouse with Nobel laureates and Booker Prize winners, supported by the Arts Council, literary magazines, and a vibrant community fostering diverse and expressive new talent.
Multispectral Imaging and the Voynich Manuscript
Recent multispectral imaging of the Voynich Manuscript has revealed obscured text, including a 16th-century alchemist's inscription and early decoding attempts, suggesting connections to historical figures and enhancing manuscript studies.
- Many users express admiration for the Book of Kells and recommend visiting related sites, such as the Chester Beatty Library.
- There is discussion about the animated film "The Secret of Kells," with some finding it more relatable than the historical manuscript.
- Users note the long-standing availability of digitized versions of the book, questioning the characterization of it as a new resource.
- Technical issues accessing the digitized book are mentioned, along with suggestions for troubleshooting.
- Some users share links to other resources and collections related to the Book of Kells.
17 commentsIf 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 in the world.
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_College_D...
Edit: fix link
https://commons.m.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Apoca...
I was able to get it to load using Chrome with all cookies cleared, but it does appear to be getting the "hug of death" as well as mywacaday says in another comment.
Global Grey was popular on HN a few years back, and I bought the whole collection.
Is it some form of a table of contents?
Related
Early Bookcases, Cupboards and Carousels
The article examines the evolution of book storage, highlighting early bookcases, cupboards, and carousels, and their significance for scholars. It discusses historical designs and the global context of book production.
Another Look at the Voynich Manuscript
The Voynich Manuscript, a 500-year-old text with indecipherable writing and strange illustrations, remains unsolved despite scholarly efforts. Lisa Fagin Davis is exploring its connections to other manuscripts for insights.
Show HN: I built an animated 3D bookshelf for ebooks
The 3D Bookshelf project on GitHub enables interactive browsing of ebooks in 3D, integrating with Calibre for metadata and cover art, and adapting book dimensions based on cover and page count.
'We all read like hell ' How Ireland became the literary powerhouse
Ireland is a literary powerhouse with Nobel laureates and Booker Prize winners, supported by the Arts Council, literary magazines, and a vibrant community fostering diverse and expressive new talent.
Multispectral Imaging and the Voynich Manuscript
Recent multispectral imaging of the Voynich Manuscript has revealed obscured text, including a 16th-century alchemist's inscription and early decoding attempts, suggesting connections to historical figures and enhancing manuscript studies.