The Book of Kells is a beautifully illuminated Celtic Bible made in the ninth century (“The Old Library and the Book of Kells Exhibition”) that was shamefully omitted from the e-book edition of Art: A Brief History, 5th Edition (Stokstad and Cothren 232) The Chi Rho Page, or the cover page of the Book of Matthew, is arguably the most famous of all the pagess. It is so named because of the central figure of the page. The Chi Rho symbol, derived from the first two letters of “Christ” in the Greek alphabet, is the very symbol used by Constantine in the battle of Milvian Bridge (Stokstad and Cothren 154). The symbol means the same thing in the Book of Kells as it did to Constantine. By putting a Chi Rho symbol that takes up most of the page, the monks who drew this bring focus to Christ, which is appropriate for a Bible. The page is full of allegories, and in fact the entire page is an allegory for the first part of the book of Matthew. The intricacies of the page create a complex pattern that appears to make no sense. This in and of itself is an allegory. The book of Mathew is very hard to understand. However, each of the symbols make sense once studied. It is obvious that …show more content…
they are of Celtic Design, but the meaning has been lost over the years. The angel above appears to be holding two rods with shamrocks on the end. Shamrocks were used by Saint Patrick to describe the Christian Trinity, and shamrocks have been associated with the Trinity ever since (“Symbolism”). Therefore, the figure shown has to be associated with the Trinity. Another theory is that the angel is actually Saint Patrick or even Christ Himself, although this theory is not very popular, and for good reason. It is a little far-fetched. The angel is also connected to several trisceles (the circular patterns near the angel’s right wing), which symbolize life, death and rebirth. Serpents surround the bottom two angels. Serpents are symbols of the resurrection because they renew themselves by shedding their dead skin. However, this meaning is very specific to the timeframe in which the Book of Kells was drawn. Both modern and past symbolism states that snakes symbolize evil, duplicity, guile and (according to the Celts) trouble in general (“Tradition and Transformation”) (Noodén). This additionally adds to the general sense of confusion. Over one of the angel’s shoulders, an additional snake is placed. All of these visual allegories are appropriate for messengers of God. The bottom two might also be the apostles James and John, who asked to be seated at the right and left hand of Christ in heaven in Mathew 20 (Mathew 20). Notice the assertive positions, with right and left hands on their chests. Again, this is a very far-fetched theory. Yet, a more commonly believed theory is that these angels are the angels are the angels found in the early chapters of Mathew. Either way, it would make sense that there would be scenes from the book of Mathew in a visual allegory of the book of Mathew. Serpents are a common motif in the Chi Rho page. For instance, above is a dragon located in the weave pattern near the Chi Rho symbol. It is almost impossible to see with the naked eye. It is almost as if the monk knew that the human race would have advanced zoom-in technology in the future. The mice of this image in the middle are of particular importance. They appear to be doing something. A closer look: The mice seem to be eating some sort of circular object, perhaps a cracker. At first glance, this makes no sense. However, if one zooms in on the “cracker” (or whatever it is)… One can just barely make out a hidden cross. The very fact that one has to squint or use iPhoto to see this allegory continues the motif of confusion. Perhaps this image means that the cats are keeping the mice away from heaven instead of just food. This also gives the sense of the idea that Christianity nourishes the soul. Perhaps the cats stand for angels or “gatekeepers” (according to Celtic tradition) , and the mice represent those who have not done God’s will (“Symbolism”) (Mathew 7:21). Bears are uncommon in Celtic mythology, so it is difficult to understand what the bear stands for.
Most likely, it is there to signify that the fish in its mouth is a salmon, as bears are one of the most well known predators of salmon. Because most of the disciples were fishermen, fish generally symbolize Christianity. However, for the Celtic people, “Fish, salmon in particular, are associated with knowledge.” https://diigo.com/03gvks (Noodén) Therefore, this again gives the impression that Christianity sustains, but it also means that Christianity brings wisdom. Maybe the bear stands for men. It could also be referring to the disciples or Mathew 13, where Jesus tells a parable where He compares the kingdom of heaven to a fisherman who sorts between fish to eat and fish to through out (Mathew
13) The figures featured here have halos on. That represents divinity, usually reserved for saints. The weaving in between the four represents interconnectedness. With these two visual clues, the four figures are probably the four Gospel writers or Evangelists. This is the easiest image to understand out of the Chi Rho Page. However, the fact that one has to use the zoom function to see this image is very enigmatic, like the rest of the page. All above images copyright Trinity College, Dublin By the way, I have actually been to see the Book of Kells in person. This is a picture of a sign outside the exhibit. Feel free to Ver Exif this!
The background behind the figure contains pelicans and grapes with vines. According to Mary Elizabeth Podles, the significance of the pelican is that the pelican will give its own blood to feed their own children, and the grapes represents the blood of Jesus during Eucharistic ceremony (54). Christians believe that they are consuming the blood of Christ when they drink the wine. Jesus fills his followers with his blood just like the pelicans feed his or her children with their blood.
This bible verse represents peace and togetherness. It instructs that the wolf and lamb, leopard and goad, cow and bear, lion and ox, infant and cobra, and child and viper will all interact together. This is powerful
The depictions include: the properties of God, manners of longing of God, manners of knowing, the gifts of God, degrees of bliss, properties of the hazelnut, three wounds in her life, the virtues of Mary, the means to come to heaven, the aspects of the “fiend.” All of this language is celebratory. George Tavard’s article “The Christology of the Mystics” notes the pattern found within Julian’s visions or “shewings”: “ They follow in the main, the sequence of the Passion: (1) crowning with thorns, (2) the discoloring of Christ’s face, (3) the creation, (4) the flagellation, (5) Christ’s victory over the “Fiend,” (6) the heavenly reward, (7) God’s goodness, (8) the death of Christ, (9) the relation of
...ic meanings that still are puzzling art historians today. Some of the key symbols that Stokstad points out in the text is the dove, representing the Holy Spirit; the white lilies as a symbol of the Virgin Mary. She also points out, two rather unknown symbols to the sacrilegious, the date of the Annunciation in signs of the zodiac on the floor, as well as the lone stained glass window that is symbolizing God rising above the three windows that are placed in the background behind Mary. These three windows represent the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
The content of this painting represents a Christian worldview because of all the symbolism inside the piece. The most predominant image in this painting is the light house, which is also the focal point of the piece. The viewers eyes are first drawn t the clouds in the top right corner of the painter before following the ocean waves to the shore that lead to the light house. A light house has always been a symbol of guidance as it is a beacon that guides sailors safely back to shore. Kinkade uses the light house in this painting to symbolize the love of God. The light house is shining brightly in his picture even though it’s not dark yet. In the same way God will always be a light to those to wish to follow Him. God will always lead us back to him and be a guide for our live. He will make sure that we always survive temptations. As the light house guides the ships out of the storm, God will always guide his people to the promise land.
The book, Interpreting the New Testament, written by Daniel Harrington, is an introduction to the various types of literary and textual criticism that form the basis of good hermeneutics. Harrington begins with introducing the New Testament materials and some examples of how literary criticism might be used in figuring out what the New Testament authors meant. He moves on to a discussion on textual criticism. To provide examples of how confusing textual criticism can be, Harrington discusses Matthew 6:33 and 1 John 5:8. Both passages, Harrington explains, have variant manuscripts which might give a different theological meaning or emphasis depending on which one you used and proceeds to show which one, by the method of textual criticism, that
One can also say that the story shows the kingship of Christ. The theme of Matthew is the kingship of Christ. It would make total sense f...
Hester. On the night of Arthur Dimmesdale vigil, he sees a red A in the
This paper covers all the different viewpoints on the life of Jesus with thorough research exploring the Gospels. Moreover it gives us useful insights related to the preexistence, birth, childhood, miracles all the way up to the death and resurrection of Jesus and helped us to better understand how writings are manipulated in order to achieve its success which in this case are the gospels.
Symbols unlock the secrets of a story. Hawthorne, in The Scarlet Letter, uses many symbols to represent different things. Some symbols represent the same thing. The letter “A” has many meanings, each character has their own meanings, and even the different parts of nature are symbols. Also, apart from providing structure for the novel, each scaffold scene conveys something different. One could say, arguably, that nearly everything in The Scarlet Letter is a symbol for something else.
adultery but by the end of the novel the "A" has hidden much more meaning than
The book of Matthew is said to have taken place around AD 80 to 100. Matthew constructed the book to recount his account of Jesus' life on earth. Matthew used detail to describe Jesus' life from birth to resurrection. The book emphasizes the fact that Jesus' life events were all orchestrated by God and for God. Matthew introduces Jesus as the world's one true Savior. The book of Matthew displays the fact that God's love is for all of His people.
In this paper, I argue that the Lord’s Prayer in Matthew is intentionally an redacted text to encourages Christians to expect the Kingdom of God with eschatological hope as well as to bring forth the Kingdom of God in their here and now daily lives through the practice of Jesus’ radical forgiveness as the liturgical prayer of baptism in the ancient Christian church.
He also details the role of the cross in the crucifixion of Christ and the paradox the rood faces in the execution of its creator. Thomas also notes the fate of the rood which is adorned after Christ rises. He also creates an excellent visual image of what early Anglo-Saxon soldiers might see during battle and compares this to the descriptions the rood gives during and after the execution of Christ. This source is useful because it presents an outstanding comparison between Anglo-Saxon society and the passion of Christ. This article fits well with my selected topic because it enables me to outline an analysis of medieval battle and the experience of Christ during the days leading to his
In this paper, we will look at Mark’s account of this powerful story to see his purpose, style, and context. We will then begin to look at the theological applications of this text to reveal the true heart of Christ toward the people of biblical times and today.