Clonmacnoise
Clonmacnoise is situated south of Athlone. This painting shows Clonmacnoise in 1825, however, it is much the same at present. A great irish monastery, founded by St. Ciaran, A.D. 548, where was also one of the most important of the monastic colleges.
Courtesy of 'A social history of ancient Ireland'.Clonmacnoise
Clonmacnoise is situated south of Athlone. This painting shows Clonmacnoise in 1825, however, it is much the same at present. A great irish monastery, founded by St. Ciaran, A.D. 548, where was also one of the most important of the monastic colleges.
Courtesy of 'A social history of ancient Ireland'.The graves at Clonmacnoise.
The exact time this ground was used for burial is unknown. However, it was being used as burial ground before the tower to the right of the picture was built by the Normans in the 12th Century.
Image courtesy of 'Yesterday's Ireland'.
A gathering of scribes
Where young monks could study the scriptures in an area known as the scriptorium, the writers of such were known as scribes as pictured above.
Quill
An illustration of a quill in which most writing was done with to create beautiful illuminations and decorations.
Courtesy of www.whitemagic.com
The Book of Kells
Book of Kells
An illustration of the Book of Kells that contains the four gospels of the Bible in Latin.
Courtesy of John Walsh http://www.catholicbook.comBook of Kells
An illustration of the Book of Kells that contains the four gospels of the Bible in Latin.
Courtesy of John Walsh http://www.catholicbook.comLetter 'L' in Book of Kells.
This shows the complexity and artistic writing that was used those days. The detail is amazing when you look closely.
Courtesy of 'A social history of ancient Ireland'.
Attacks on monastic schools!
From about 795 A.D. many monasteries were attacked by the Vikings. Chalices as well as decorated and valuable manuscript covers were stolen. Many monks were killed or taken prisoner.
If you had been a young scribe then you might have been captured too or worse you might have been killed!
We know about the Viking raids thanks to what the monks wrote. Here is one example that was found on a manuscript. (From M. Jenner, Ireland Through the Ages).