KELLS ONLINE COURSE: QUIZ UNIT 2

How did the scribes of the Book of Kells indicate that they had made a mistake by copying out the same page twice?

They scratched out the copied text and tried to hide it behind lines of different text.

They drew a line through the duplicated words.

They surrounded one of the pages with red crosses.

They stitched a large vellum patch over it.

Yes. This can be seen on fol 218v – a bad day at the scriptorium!

You may find 2.13 Flaws and imperfections useful.

What colour was produced by the processing of lichen?

Yes. This is known as orcein and would have been much cheaper to produce than the Tyrian purple used around the Mediterranean that was derived from sea snails.

What was the source of the yellow colour in the Book of Kells?

Yes. Also known as arsenic sulphide this poisonous pigment was most likely imported from the Iberian peninsula.

What tools were used in planning the layout of pages in the Book of Kells?

Yes. The marks made by the point of the compass and scoring the vellum along the line of a ruler are still clearly visible in places, for example on fol. 33v.

You may find 2.8 Working practice useful.

The skins of which animals were used to make the Book of Kells?

Yes. The word ‘vellum’ derives from vitulus the Latin for calf.

Which scribe was responsible for transcribing part of the Book of Armagh?

Ferdomnach signed his name on the manuscript five times, although his name was later erased so that authorship of the manuscript could ascribed to the hand of St Patrick.