THE BOOK OF KELLS :

The Book of Kells is the most famous book in

Ireland. It was created by monks in the 8th
Century. We believe that the Columban monks
began writing the book in their monastery on the
island of Iona. Iona is a small island near Scotland.
In the 9th and 10th centuries Christian monasteries
were very often attacked by Vikings who came
from Scandinavia looking for gold. The book was
taken to Ireland to keep it safe. In one attack the book was stolen. It was found
later but the golden cover and some pages were gone.

What makes the book so famous is the artwork. The book is a copy of the four
Gospels and it is written in Latin but the writing and the decoration are a
classic example of Celtic art. The whole book was written by hand (no
machines) by monks called scribes and illuminators. The artwork is amazing
and there are no mistakes or corrections anywhere in the book. When people
saw the book at first they believed that it had been created by angels because
it was so perfect.

Today the book is kept in Trinity College in Dublin where visitors can see it and
learn more about the story and about what life was like in Ireland in the
Middle Ages.

680 pages-Written around 800 A.D.

Every single page but 2 are decorated.

It was stolen from monks in 1006 AD because Viking

thieves wanted the
real gold cover!

It was found a few months later in a bog. But...guess

what.......No cover !