The Book of Kells and Iona

Abstract

No agreement exists on the place of origin of the Book of Kells: Northumbria, Eastern Scotland, and the monastery of Hy (our lona) have all been suggested. This article explores three new lines of argument, all leading to the island monastery of Hy. The manuscript itself contains a clue indicating that those who produced it held Saint Columba in the highest veneration; the later history of the manuscript, when it was treated as a relic of Columba, links it with Columba's foundation at Hy; some elements of the decoration may be connected with the visit to Hy of Arculf, a well-traveled Frankish bishop. © 1989, College Art Association of America, Inc. All rights reserved.