中世ケルトの至宝『ケルズの書』

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書誌事項

タイトル別名
  • The Book of Kells : The Sumptuous Celtic Manuscript
  • チュウセイ ケルト ノ シホウ ケルズ ノ ショ
  • 中世ケルトノ至宝『ケルズノ書』

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西欧最高の写本『ケルズの書』は,アイルランドの国宝であるばかりか,さらに,世界が生んだ最も優れた文化と芸術の傑作である。現存する数少ない彩色本のなかでも,この写本は絵巻物のような美しさがあり,また,あざやかな色彩による絵模様や図案,とくに,アイランド風イニシャルの華麗な字体が顕著な特徴である。これはラテン語で書かれた福音書であり,フォリオ刷340葉(24×33cm)の写本である。そこには,4人の福音史家,すなわち,聖マタイ,聖マルコ,聖ルカ,聖ヨハネによる福音書のかずかずの箇所が抜粋され,とくに,神の子イエス・キリストの生涯が中軸となって,その教えや不思議な出来事の数々が生き生きと表現される。終りの部分では,キリストの受難とその栄光に満ちた勝利が輝かしく称えられ,真理の霊である聖霊の到来が喜ばしい約束となって表わされる。

The most famous manuscript in the Library of Trinity College Dublin, Ireland, is the Book of Kells which has survived miraculously since Europe's early Middle Ages, despite the social, political and religious upheavals of the times. It contains 680 pages (340 folios). We are here concerned mainly with the three pages of this magnificent manuscript, namely, the folios 7V, 8R and 34R. All the illuminated three text pages are equally centered on the theme of the birth of Jesus Christ extracted from the first two chapters of the Gospel According to St. Matthew. The folio 7V reveals an exquisitely illuminated picture with a touch of Byzantine school, in which Mother Mary holds Infant Jesus tenderly in her arms. They are surrounded by the four angels with their colourful wings. The divine child who sits on his mother's lap has his right hand hold his mother's right hand, whereas his left hand is lifted upward as if he were adoring the Father in Heaven. The folio 8R reveals the narrative of "Christ's birth in Bethlehem of Judea, the wise men offered gifts and the chidlren were killed. Their Return from Egypt". These words are written in both Latin and Greek, by means of Celtic graphic symbols, which are beautifully emblematic. They are placed within the highly decorated framework which is artistically embellished with interwoven patterns of laces, plants and animals. The folio 34R dispalys the most intricate of the decorated text pages, where the ornate pattern is built around the Greek letters XP, Chi-Rho to represent the first word Christ. We can also find two moths and three angels around the letter "X" as well as mice eating the showbread, while being watched by two cats with a mouse on each of their backs side by side with a black animal, "presumably, an otter", holding a fish in its mouth. These three text pages abound in symbols of Christological and Eucharistic significance, where at the same time specific descriptions of bestial and marine creatures are interlaced harmoniously with Irish patterns of verdurous plants and mysterious figures. The Library of Seisen University has the privilege of owning one of the limited faxsimile versions of this Medieval masterpiece of the world-famous treasure.

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