Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
bracelets, and lock rings (to hold hair in place) are just a few of the personal adornments
fashioned by the ancient Irish.
Mostoftheseobjectsweredeliberatelyburied,ofteninbogs,asvotiveofferingstotheir
gods or to prevent warring tribes from stealing them. Like the earlier megaliths, they're
decorated with geometric and organic motifs.
Iron Age:
The Celts, a warrior society from Central Europe, arrived in Ireland perhaps
as early as the seventh century
B.C.
With their metalworking skills and superior iron
weaponry, they soon overwhelmed the native population. And, though the Celts may have
been fierce warriors, they wreaked havoc with a flair for the aesthetic.
Shields, swords,
and
scabbards
were embellished with delicate patterns, often enhanced with vivid colors.
The dynamic energy of these decorations must have reflected the ferocious power of the
Celts.
The Age of Saints and Scholars:
Christianity grew in Ireland from St. Patrick's first
efforts in the fifth century
A.D.
In the sixth and seventh centuries, its many great saints
(such as St. Columba) established monastic settlements throughout Ireland, Britain, and
theContinent,wherelearning,literature, andtheartsflourished.Duringthis“GoldenAge”
of Irish civilization, monks, along with metalworkers and stonemasons, created imaginat-
ive designs and distinctive stylistic motifs for
manuscripts, metal objects,
and
crosses.
Monks wrote out and richly decorated manuscripts of the Gospels. These
manuscripts—which preserved the written word in Latin, Greek, and Irish—eventually
had more power than the oral tales of the ancient pagan heroes.
The most beautiful and imaginative of these illuminated manuscripts is the
Book of
Kells
(c.
A.D.
800), on display in the Old Library at Trinity College in Dublin. Crafted
by Irish monks at a monastery on the Scottish island of Iona, the topic was brought to
Ireland for safekeeping from rampaging Vikings. The skins of 150 calves were used to
make the vellum, which is painted with rich pigments from plants and minerals. The entire
manuscript is colorfully decorated with flat, stylized human or angelic forms and intricate,
interlacing animal and knot patterns. Full-page illustrations depict the life of Christ, and
many pages are given over to highly complex yet symmetrical designs that resemble an
Eastern carpet. Many consider this topic the finest piece of art from Europe's Dark Ages.
The most renowned metalwork of this period is the
Ardagh Chalice,
made sometime
in the eighth century. Now on display at the National Museum in Dublin, the silver and
bronze gilt chalice is as impressive as the Book of Kells. Ribbons of gold wrap around the
chalice stem, while intricate knot patterns ring the cup. A magnificent gold ring and a large
glass stone on the chalice bottom reflect the desire to please God. (He would see this side
of the chalice when the priest drank during the Mass.)
