The Book of Durrow is a beautifully decorated book created around 700 AD. It contains the Latin version of the four Gospels, with some changes influenced by Irish traditions, and other writings. The text is written in a special style of writing called Insular script, and the book is richly illustrated in the style of Insular art. These illustrations include four full-page symbols representing the Evangelists, six pages with intricate designs, and many decorated letters.
The origin and dating of the book have been widely discussed by experts. It was likely made in Ireland, near Durrow Abbey in County Offaly, which was founded by Colum Cille (or Columba) in the 6th century. Some people have suggested it may have been made in Northumbria, a region in England that had close ties with Ireland and Scotland, both of which honored Colum Cille. However, there is no record of the book ever being outside of Ireland.
Historical records show that the book was probably at Durrow Abbey by 916, making it one of the earliest surviving examples of Insular manuscripts. The abbey was destroyed during the Norman invasion of Ireland. The book is severely damaged and has been fixed and re-bound many times over the centuries. Today, it is housed in the Library of Trinity College Dublin (TCD MS 57).
Description
This is the oldest surviving complete decorated Insular gospel book, created more than 100 years before the Book of Kells. The text includes the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, along with introduction sections such as the Letter of Jerome, prefaces, summaries, a list of names, and charts showing gospel references. Each page measures 245 by 145 mm, and the book contains 248 pages made from animal skin. It features many decorated elements, including six surviving carpet pages, a full-page illustration showing the four evangelists' symbols, four additional full-page illustrations each with one symbol, and six pages with decorated letters and text. The writing uses uppercase letters in a specific style, though some parts are missing.
Over time, the book was rebound, which reduced the size of the pages. Most pages are now single sheets when unbound, though they were originally folded in pairs. Some pages appear to be placed incorrectly. This raises questions about whether there was originally a seventh carpet page. Currently, the Gospel of Matthew does not have a carpet page, but one is found at the end of the book. It is unusual for a carpet page to appear there. If there were only six carpet pages, they might have been placed at the beginning of the book with a cross, opposite the page showing the four symbols, and opposite each symbol at the start of each Gospel. Otherwise, the original decoration plan seems complete, which is rare for books of this age.
In the standard timeline of Insular gospel books, the Book of Durrow comes after the Northumbrian Gospel Book Fragment (Durham Cathedral Library, A. II. 10.) and before the Book of Lindisfarne, which was started around 700.
Illumination
The book's artwork shows how the Insular style came from many different traditions. Scholars have studied it closely to understand its origins. The artist was not familiar with drawing human figures, as seen in the simple, awkward depiction of the man symbol for Matthew, which has been called a "walking buckle." This figure has been compared to a bronze statue with geometric patterns found in Norway, as well as to Anglo-Saxon metalwork and illustrations from Coptic and Syriac manuscripts. Christopher de Hamel notes that, like the Book of Kells, the Book of Durrow is said to have been copied by Saint Columba. It includes Canon tables, six decorated pages called carpet pages, five full-page images of the Evangelists' symbols (with all four shown together on folio 2r), five large initials, and many smaller initials. While less detailed than the Book of Kells, it displays early examples of swirling Celtic patterns and intricate designs.
The animal shapes in the book come from Germanic art styles. The geometric borders and carpet pages are debated among scholars. The interlace patterns, similar to those in the Durham fragment, are larger than those in the Book of Lindisfarne. However, the detailed Celtic spirals and curvilinear designs in the initials and carpet pages mark the beginning of more complex decoration seen in later Insular books. On the page shown, the animal interlace on the sides follows the Germanic Migration Period Animal Style II, seen in items like the Sutton Hoo jewelry and the Benty Grange bowl. The central circular panel, though less precise, seems inspired by Celtic art, with three white circles resembling Germanic metalwork decorations.
The Book of Durrow differs from other works by not using the traditional method of assigning symbols to the Evangelists, as established by Saint Jerome. Instead, it follows the pre-Vulgate arrangement: Matthew is represented by a man, Mark by an eagle, Luke by a calf, and John by a lion. Each Gospel begins with the Evangelist's symbol, followed by a carpet page and an initial page. A missing carpet page is believed to have existed, possibly on folio 3, which contains swirling abstract designs. On folio 2r, the four symbols appear in the usual order when read clockwise and in the pre-Vulgate order when read counterclockwise, which may be intentional.
The first letter of the text is large and decorated, with smaller letters surrounded by dots. The rectangular shape of Saint Matthew's body resembles millefiori patterns found in metalwork. The carpet pages and borders also include spirals, triskeles, ribbon plaits, and circular knots. All pages of the Book of Durrow show a balance between open spaces and detailed decoration. High-quality animal interlace appears on folio 192v, and other designs include spirals and knots.
History
The book is named after a monastery in Durrow, County Offaly, which was founded by Colum Cille near the end of his life while he was abbot of Iona. Although Colum Cille established monasteries in Ireland, Scotland, and Northumbria, an area in northern England during the early medieval period, most scholars today believe the book was created in Durrow or another location in Ireland around the year 700. However, the exact date is uncertain, as different estimates vary widely and depend on the ages of other related manuscripts.
A note on page 247r of the book was written and later erased and rewritten. Some believe this note was written by "Colum," who may have copied the text, claiming he completed it in twelve days. This might explain why some people thought Colum Cille created the book, but the date and whether he actually did so are unclear. Copying one gospel could take about twelve days, but copying all four gospels, along with the decorations, would require much more time.
What is certain is that Flann Sinna, who was the High King of Ireland from 877 to 916, ordered the creation of a silver cumdach, a special metal reliquary for the book. This cumdach is the oldest known example of its kind. It was recorded by Roderick O'Flaherty in 1677 after the manuscript arrived at Trinity College, but it was lost during the disturbances of 1689 when the college was taken over by the military. By 1699, the book had only a plain brown leather cover. O'Flaherty’s description of the cumdach, which is now attached to the manuscript as Folio IIv, mentioned a silver cross with an inscription in Irish that named the craftsman and a phrase asking for blessings from Saint Colum Cille for King Flann. Cumdachs were typically not designed to be opened easily, and the book was likely rarely removed from its shrine for use.
The manuscript was still at Durrow Abbey around the year 1100, as noted by Flannchad Ua hEolais, a scribe from Durrow, who recorded the transfer of land to the abbey by another monastery. The monastery was likely destroyed after the Norman Invasion of Ireland, and its stones were used to build a castle by Hugh de Lacy, Lord of Meath. However, the monastery may have continued to exist in some form until the Protestant Reformation, when all monasteries were dissolved in 1547.
Like other books believed to have been owned or copied by saints, this manuscript was considered a relic of Colum Cille. By 1627, a person described only as "the Ignorant man that had same in his Custody" used the book to help treat sick cows by immersing it in water and giving the water to the animals. Pages 208 to 221 of the manuscript show signs of this use, including a hole in the top right corner. These pages may have been removed, tied together with string through the hole, and used for this purpose.
By 1547, when Durrow Abbey was dissolved, the book entered private hands, though the owner is unknown. James Ussher, who was Bishop of Meath from 1621 to 1623, likely borrowed and studied the book. Between 1661 and 1682, the book was donated to Trinity College’s library along with the Book of Kells by Henry Jones, who was Bishop of Meath at the time.