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The text is considered to be the pinnacle of western calligraphy in its time, while the illustrations are a beautiful blend of Insular Art (the post-Roman era style of art popular in Irish monasteries) and traditional Christian iconography.
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Created circa 800 AD in a Columban monastery in the British Isles, the book contains the four Gospels along with a few prefatory works. The Codex Argenteus, Image courtesy of The University of Edinburgh, Coimbra Group Book of KellsĪmong the most iconic medieval manuscripts is the Book of Kells, housed at Trinity College Library in Dublin. The work is particularly striking due to its purple-stained vellum pages and silver and gold ink. It now rests at Uppsala University, Sweden after it was taken as loot in the Thirty Years War. Parts of the book were preserved by monks at the Benedictine Abbey of Werden, where it finally appeared again in the 16th century. After Theodoric’s death in the early 500’s, the book was lost for a millennium. Attributed to the Arian bishop Wulfila, the document was likely written for the Ostrogothic king Theodoric the Great. The book is considered one of the world’s foremost sources for the now-extinct Gothic language. The Codex Argenteus (Latin for “Silver Book”) is a 6th century manuscript containing parts of the Gothic Bible, including the four canonical gospels. Page from The Morgan Crusader Bible, Image Courtesy of The Morgan Library and Museum Codex Argenteus Textual analysis of the codex indicates that the book was indeed completed by one writer in a short period of time however, due to the sheer volume of writing, the task is estimated to have taken 20 years to be completed. The monk finished by morning, and as a special thanks to his helper, he added the famous image of Satan to one of the pages. Instead of praying to God, the monk turned to Satan to help him complete his tome. As midnight of the execution day approached, the monk turned to prayer for aid in this endeavor. To avoid this punishment, Herman promised to create a book containing all human knowledge that would glorify the monastery. According to legend, the monk Herman the Recluse was sentenced to be walled-up alive for breaking his monastic vows. The manuscript was completed in the 13th century by a Benedictine monk in Bohemia and contains the complete Latin Vulgate Bible and Josephus’s famous Antiquities of the Jews, as well as other popular works.Ĭommonly referred to as the “Devil’s Bible,” many assume that its nickname comes from its large, page-sized illustration of Satan however, the folk-tale behind the nickname is more sinister. The complete book weighs a whopping 165 pounds. The codex measures 36 inches long and 20 inches wide, making it the world’s largest preserved medieval manuscript. One of the most famous illuminated manuscripts is the codex gigas, literally translating to “giant book”. Finally, with the development of the printing press in the 15th century, their popularity declined in favor of cheaper production methods but remained a novelty for the ultra-wealthy into the 16th century.īelow is a list of the most awe-inspiring of these medieval manuscripts. The first illuminated manuscripts appeared near the end of the Roman era around 400 to 600 AD and developed in complexity and artistic style throughout the middle ages. Illuminated manuscripts were a form of art as well as a way to pass on knowledge. Most illuminated manuscripts were written on parchment or vellum (calf-skin) and were often ornamented with precious metals or gilding. An illuminated manuscript is a hand-written, painted document that contains decorative borders and illustrations in addition to text. The majority of the books discussed are illuminated manuscripts. The detail contained by these books reveals a care and craftsmanship that has been lost for hundreds of years. Several books of the medieval world have survived that captivate onlookers by their exquisite binding, skilled calligraphy, and vivid illustrations. “Don’t judge a book by its cover,” we often hear, but today we are going to do just that by highlighting ancient books that have become famous mostly due to their outward beauty. These “ classics” arose from the tremendous impact of their ideas, masterful command of the language, and storytelling power – not from their physical appearance. At ThinkingWest we often discuss books that have stood the test of time.