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Gospel of Mark folio 178v

The Gospel of Mark is currently open at folios 178v-179r

Minor decoration in the Book of Kells text pages is mostly focussed on the initial letters of words and on scribal motifs directing the eye of the reader to specific passages or words.

On folio 178v line 8 the elaborate yellow T of TUNC (‘then’) on the 8^th line has a hybrid animal wrapped around a blue U which appears in the belly of the T. The animal has the body of a bird and the limbs of a quadruped, its paws forming a knot and resting on top of the T.

The blue and white striped creature dangling below the final line is a multifunctional scribal device. His rear paw grasps the tail suspended from the e of scribe, indicating that the word should be read as scribae (‘scribes’); his front paws point towards res supplying the word-ending to senior(res) (’elders’).

Red dots highlight the decorated initial letters. Dots placed around letters for emphasis are also found in the late seventh-century Book of Durrow and are a major decorative feature of the Book of Kells.

Gospel of Mark folio 179r

There are subtle symbols of Christ and his resurrection on folio 179r. Dual symbolism was attached to the snake or serpent. Responsible for the Fall of Man due to its role in Man’s loss of innocence in the Garden of Eden (Genesis 3.1-5) and so synonymous with the Devil – it was also a common symbol of Christ’s Resurrection. The snake is a major decorative element throughout the Book of Kells: the decorated initial P on the first line has a snake, a quadruped and a peacock intertwined to form the P of Petrus (‘Peter’). The sinuous form of the snake is perfectly adapted for the initial letter S, such as the second decorated initial, Summi (‘the highest’) on the fifth line.

The stitching on this folio indicates a careful repair to the parchment, which was an expensive commodity and a valuable resource. Weaknesses in the skin often led to ruptures during the preparation of the calfskin to create vellum, resulting in holes of varying sizes. Medieval scribes and artists creatively adapted to these imperfections. They either wrote around holes or turned them into opportunities for playful decoration. Parchment-makers sometimes stitched perforations shut with heavy thread before final tensioning to prevent further expansion. These repairs became part of the manuscript’s visual narrative and a visible testament to the skill of its creators.

By Caoimhe Ní Ghormáin M.Phil, Manuscripts Curator, Research Collections