School of Kells
Kells (in Gaelic Cenannus) was the chief of the Irish Columban
monasteries. It was founded most probably in 554, that is nine
years before Columba founded Iona, and during the saint's life was
eclipsed by the greater fame of the insular monastery. Kells still
contains several ancient monuments which tradition closely
connects with Columba's residence there. Of these the most
interesting is "Columba's House", a tall high-pitched building, of
which the ground floor formed an oratory, while the croft between
the convex arching of the oratory and the roof of the building was
the chamber or sleeping compartment of the saint. There are also
two fine crosses dating probably from the ninth century, when
Kells held the principatus of all the Columban monasteries both in
Erin and Alba -- one stands in the market-place and the other in
the churchyard. The latter is a finely sculptured cross, having on
the plinth the inscription Patricii et Columbae [crux], which
would seem to imply that it was intended to commemorate the memory
of Patrick, who founded the original church of Kells, and Columba,
who founded the monastery. There is also a fine round tower, still
ninety feet high, built doubtless during the Danish wars to
protect the church and monastery. The "Book of Kells", called also
the Great Gospel of Columcille, which legend attributed to the pen
of Columcille himself, was preserved in Kells down to Usher's
time. It was stolen in 1006, when the gold was stripped off its
cover, but the book and case were afterwards found in a bog. It
was regarded as the "chief relic of the western world", and
Professor Westwood of Oxford declared that "it is unquestionably
the most elaborately executed manuscript of so early a date now in
existence." It is preserved at present in Trinity College, Dublin.
Kells and Iona were always closely connected. Shortly after the
burning of Iona by the Danes in 802, its abbot fortunately got "a
free grant of Kells without a battle" -- for it had originally
belonged to Columcille. Thereupon a "new religious city" -- the
old one being probably in ruins -- was rebuilt in Kells; and the
Abbot Cellach of Iona transferred his residence and insular
primacy to Kells, which henceforward became the acknowledged head
of the Columban houses. The abbot also carried with him the shrine
of Columba, which, however, more than once crossed and re-crossed
the sea throughout the ninth century. During this and the two
following centuries Kells became a great school of learning and
art, and continued to flourish in spite of the frequent ravages of
the Danes. The celebrated Cathach, the battle-standard of the
O'Donnells, was preserved in the monastery and enshrined there in
a beautifully wrought casket. It contained a psaltery said to have
been written by the hand of Columba himself. Mac Robartaigh,
Comharb of Kells, had its marvellous cover made in his own house.
His family belonged to Tirhugh in County Donegal, and gave many
abbots and sages and scholars at this period to the school of
Kells. The most famous of them all was the renowned Marianus
Scotus -- an Irish Muredach Mac Robartaigh -- a celebrated scribe
and commentator on Scripture, to be carefully distinguished from
his namesake, Marianus Scotus, the chronicler. Leaving his beloved
Kells he journeyed all the way to Ratisbon, a pilgrim for Christ,
and there founded for his countrymen in the land of the stranger
the celebrated Monastery of St. James. He himself unwearyingly
copied the Scriptures, and is described by Aventinus in his
"Annals of Bavaria" as "a distinguished poet and theologian,
second to no man of his time". The poems are lost, but the
commentaries survive though still unpublished.
They include a commentary on the Psalms, which was considered so
valuable that it was not allowed outside the walls of the monastic
library without a valuable deposit being left to secure its safe
return. There is also extant in the Cotton collection an
unpublished codex containing the treatise of Marianus Scotus
consisting of "Extracts from the Writings of Various Doctors on
the Gospel". His most famous work, however, was a commentary on
St. Paul's Epistles, with marginal and interlinear notes. It is
still unpublished amongst the treasures of the Imperial Library of
Vienna, and is especially valuable because it contains many
entries in the pure Middle Gaelic of the eleventh century, written
by a man who was at once an accomplished scribe and most excellent
Irish scholar. This learned work shows that Marianus was
acquainted with the writings of nearly all the Latin Fathers of
the fourth and fifth centuries. It was completed, he tells us
himself, on Friday, the sixteenth day before the Kalends of June,
1079. The devoted scribe and commentator, who is commonly and
justly styled the Blessed Marianus Scotus, lived for ten years
more, and after his death was universally regarded as a saint. He
was, after Adamnan, Abbot of Hy, justly esteemed as the greatest
glory of the Columban schools. His namesake, the chronicler, died
some six years before him.
JOHN HEALY
Transcribed by Paul Knutsen
From the Catholic Encyclopedia, copyright � 1913 by the
Encyclopedia Press, Inc. Electronic version copyright � 1996 by
New Advent, Inc.
Taken from the New Advent Web Page (www.knight.org/advent).
This article is part of the Catholic Encyclopedia Project, an
effort aimed at placing the entire Catholic Encyclopedia 1913
edition on the World Wide Web. The coordinator is Kevin Knight,
editor of the New Advent Catholic Website. If you would like to
contribute to this worthwhile project, you can contact him by e-
mail at (knight.org/advent). For more information please download
the file cathen.txt/.zip.
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