Lindisfarne Gospels
Overview
The Lindisfarne Gospels is a manuscript that has captured the attention of scholars and art enthusiasts for centuries. Produced on the Holy Island of Lindisfarne off the coast of Northumbria, England, around 700 CE, this manuscript is one of the most significant examples of early medieval art in Anglo-Saxon England. The manuscript contains the four Gospels of the New Testament, written in Latin by the monk Eadfrith in the insular script, a style of writing that was developed in the England.
The Gospels were produced during a period of great religious and cultural change in England. The manuscript reflects this period of transition and change, as it combines elements of both Christian and Anglo-Saxon pagan art. For example, the manuscript’s intricate designs and decorative borders draw on both Christian and Anglo-Saxon pagan art. The manuscript’s illuminations include images of animals, such as lions and eagles, which were commonly associated with pagan religious beliefs. However, these images are often combined with Christian symbols and motifs, such as crosses and chi-rho monograms, reflecting the growing influence of Christianity on Anglo-Saxon art.
In addition to its mixture of Christian and pagan art, the Lindisfarne Gospels also reflect the cultural diversity of the time in which they were created. The manuscript was produced on the Holy Island of Lindisfarne, which was a center of religious and cultural activity in the Anglo-Saxon world. The island was home to a monastery that was renowned for its scholarship and artistic achievements, and it was also a center of trade and commerce. As a result, the manuscript reflects a range of cultural influences, including those from Ireland and the Mediterranean.
Folio 27r from the Lindisfarne Gospels, incipit to the Gospel of Matthew.
Matthew Cross-Carpet Page
The Matthew cross-carpet page is a remarkable example of Anglo-Saxon art and craftsmanship. The intricate design, use of animal figures, and precious materials make it one of the most impressive pages in the Lindisfarne Gospels. The page serves as a testament to the skill and dedication of the monks who created it and continues to inspire and captivate viewers to this day.
The Matthew cross-carpet page is located at the beginning of the Gospel of Matthew and is one of the most impressive and intricate pages in the Lindisfarne Gospels. The center image is a Latin cross, surrounded by intricate interlacing patterns and animal figures. The design is created using a combination of colored pigments and precious metals, including gold, silver, and copper.
One of the most striking features of the Matthew cross-carpet page is the use of animal figures, which are a common motif in Anglo-Saxon art. The interlacing animals on the page include birds and various four-legged creatures, each rendered with incredible detail and intricacy. These animal figures are not just decorative elements but are also imbued with symbolic significance. For example, Michelle Brown notes that the interlacing creatures transform the cross into a “living organism.” These intricate designs are a hallmark of Anglo-Saxon art and were often used to decorate jewelry, weapons, and other objects. The patterns on the Matthew cross-carpet page are created using a technique known as interlacing, in which ribbons and cords are woven together to create a complex web of lines and shapes. The result is a mesmerizing and highly detailed design that draws the viewer’s eye inwards towards the center of the page.
The use of precious materials, such as gold and silver, is also significant on the Matthew cross-carpet page. These materials were highly prized in Anglo-Saxon culture and were often used to denote the importance and value of a particular object or manuscript. The use of these materials on the Matthew cross-carpet page is a testament to the skill and craftsmanship of the monks who created the Lindisfarne Gospels.
Image: Matthew Carpet page from the Lindisfarne Gospels, Cotton MS Nero D IV, British Library.
Matthew Carpet page from the Lindisfarne Gospels, Cotton MS Nero D IV, British Library.
Creator
Eadfrith, who was Bishop of Lindisfarne from 698 to 721, is indeed credited with the creation of the Lindisfarne Gospels. According to tradition, Eadfrith both wrote and illuminated the manuscript, with assistance from other monks in the Lindisfarne monastery. Eadfrith’s authorship of the Lindisfarne Gospels is recorded in a colophon added to the manuscript in the tenth century. The colophon refers to Eadfrith as “the bishop” and praises him for his skill and devotion in creating the manuscript.
The colophon that credits Eadfrith with the creation of the Lindisfarne Gospels was added to the manuscript approximately 200 years after its creation, in the 10th century. The author of the colophon is not known with certainty, but it is believed to have been written by Aldred, a priest who added an Old English translation of the Gospels to the manuscript around the same time. Aldred wrote his own colophon, in which he refers to himself as “Aldred, unworthy and most miserable priest,” but he also appears to have written the earlier colophon that credits Eadfrith. The colophon is written in Latin and is one of the few clues that scholars have about the origins of the Lindisfarne Gospels.
Related Topics
Further Research & References
https://blogs.bl.uk/digitisedmanuscripts/2018/02/the-lindisfarne-gospels-carpet-pages.html
Brown, Michelle P., ed. The Lindisfarne Gospels: Society, Spirituality and the Scribe. Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 2003.
Gameson, Richard. The Lindisfarne Gospels: New Perspectives. Woodbridge: Boydell Press, 2018.
Henderson, George. From Durrow to Kells: The Insular Gospel-books 650-800. London: Thames & Hudson, 1987.
Nordenfalk, Carl. Celtic and Anglo-Saxon Painting: Book Illumination in the British Isles 600-800. New York: George Braziller, 1977.
Treharne, Elaine, and Susan Rosser, eds. The Cambridge Companion to Anglo-Saxon Manuscripts. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2011.
Backhouse, Janet. “The Lindisfarne Gospels and Anglo-Saxon Book Culture.” Anglo-Saxon England 36 (2007): 133-170.
Brown, Michelle P. “The Lindisfarne Gospels and the Early Art of Northumbria.” Gesta 25, no. 2 (1986): 145-154.
Gameson, Richard. “The Lindisfarne Gospels: Liturgy, Art, and Politics.” The Journal of Medieval Latin 26 (2016): 25-44.
Henderson, George. “The Lindisfarne Gospels and the Late Insular Class A Style.” Gesta 28, no. 1 (1989): 3-11.
Robinson, David M. “The Lindisfarne Gospels: Some Problems of Interpretation.” The British Library Journal 12, no. 1 (1986): 1-18.
Photos:
Sutton Hoo Shoulder Clasp:
British Museum, CC BY-SA 2.5 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.5>, via Wikimedia Commons.
Lindisfarne Monastery:
August Schwerdfeger, CC BY 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons. [cropped].
Map of Northumbria:
Ben McGarr, CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons