Book of Durrow

Book of Durrow

The Book of Durrow is believed to have emerged in the late-7th century, making it one of the earliest extant Insular manuscripts and a prized relic of early Christian book art. It is highly prized for both its text, which consists of an Irish adaptation of Vulgate Latin, and its art, which is both indicative of Hiberno-Saxon art as well as numerous other traditions. Analysis of the manuscript indicates that it may have served as an exemplar for the scribes who created the Book of Kells. The manuscript continued to be used regularly 500 years after its creation when a passage (Acts 2:1-4) typically read at Pentecost during that period was added to a blank page. It was badly misused in the 17th century when an ignorant farmer immersed a section of the manuscript in water in an attempt to create holy water that he could use to cure his cows. Despite 1,300+ years of wear and tear, the manuscript has managed to survive intact and is an Irish national treasure.

From Durrow Abbey to Trinity College

The Gospel Book is named after the monastery of the same name that was founded by St. Columba, also known as Colum Cille, in County Offaly, Ireland during the late 6th century. Durrow Abbey was an important center of culture and trade where local kings were buried. Although it cannot be stated with certainty whether the manuscript first originated at Durrow Abbey, historical records indicate that it was there by the year 916 and certainly by the late-11th century, when an agreement transferring land from Killeshin Monastery to Durrow was recorded on an empty page in the back of the manuscript. There it remained until the abbey’s dissolution during the 16th century, when it passed into private hands.
It is also known that during the early-10th century the High King of Ireland, Flann Sinna (847–926), commissioned a lost silver-plated cumdach, an elaborate Irish reliquary box for housing a precious book, which in this case also included a relic of St. Columba. In 1661, the Book of Durrow was later donated along with the Book of Kells to Trinity College in Dublin by Henry Jones (ca. 1605–81), the Anglican Bishop of Meath and a vice-chancellor of the College. It remains one of the most prized and prestigious specimens housed in the Trinity College Library today.

A Complex Mix of Artistic Influences

Aside from the origins of the manuscript, scholars intensely debate what artistic styles can be found in the manuscript and there is evidence of influence from various periods and regions. The interlocking spirals and swirls of many initials in the manuscript can be traced to the La Tène style of pre-Christian Celtic art from the Iron Age as well as Pictish stones while the abstract animal décor appears to be inspired by early-7th century Anglo-Saxon metalwork. Meanwhile, Norwegian influences are exhibited in the only human figure found in the manuscript, the Evangelist Symbol for Matthew. There are similarities to Coptic and Syriac manuscripts in the intertwined ribbons and mesh-like designs on some pages as well, indicating that at least one of the artists had travelled to the Eastern Mediterranean.
Unlike most early Irish manuscripts, of the Book of Durrow follows the interpretation of the Evangelist Symbols proposed by St. Ireneus: Matthew – man; Mark – eagle; Luke – ox/calf; John – lion. Their rigid geometric form reveals that rather than being drawn freehand, they were created using drafting tools such as a pair of compasses. Non-invasive testing using micro-Raman spectroscopy and x-ray fluorescence has revealed that the red pigment was created from red lead, the yellow from orpiment, green from copper acetate, and the black and brown inks from iron gall.