School of Kells

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Kells (in GaelicCenannus) was the chief of theIrish Columbanmonasteries. It was founded most probably in 554, that is nine years before Columba foundedIona, and during thesaint's life was eclipsed by the greater fame of the insularmonastery. 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 thesaint. There are also two fine crosses dating probably from the ninth century, when Kells held theprincipatus of all the Columbanmonasteries 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 inscriptionPatricii 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 themonastery. There is also a fine round tower, still ninety feet high, built doubtless during theDanishwars to protect the church andmonastery. 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 wasstolen 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 executedmanuscript of so early a date now in existence." It is preserved at present in Trinity College, Dublin.

Kells andIona were always closely connected. Shortly after the burning ofIona by the Danes in 802, itsabbot 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 ofIona transferred his residence and insular primacy to Kells, which henceforward became the acknowledged head of the Columban houses. Theabbot 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 greatschool of learning and art, and continued to flourish in spite of the frequent ravages of the Danes. The celebratedCathach, the battle-standard of the O'Donnells, was preserved in themonastery 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. Hisfamily belonged to Tirhugh in County Donegal, and gave manyabbots and sages and scholars at this period to theschool of Kells. The most famous of them all was the renownedMarianus Scotus — anIrish 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 toRatisbon, 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 andtheologian, 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 monasticlibrary 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 ofMarianus Scotus consisting of "Extracts from the Writings of Various Doctors on the Gospel". His most famous work, however, was a commentary onSt. Paul'sEpistles, with marginal and interlinear notes. It is still unpublished amongst the treasures of the Imperial Library ofVienna, 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 excellentIrish scholar. This learned work shows that Marianus was acquainted with the writings of nearly all theLatinFathers 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 BlessedMarianus Scotus, lived for ten years more, and after his death was universally regarded as a saint. He was, afterAdamnan,Abbot ofHy, justly esteemed as the greatest glory of the Columbanschools. His namesake, the chronicler, died some six years before him.

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