Barbara O'Cleirigh wrote:
>Thomas Cahill's _How the Irish Saved Civilization_ (which should be
>required reading for all non-Irish scholars :) ) includes a colour
>reproduction of a page from the Book of Kells, Matthew's genealogy of
>Jesus, with a small drawing of the scribe in the corner. Cahill writes,
>"The scribe has left us a jaunty picture of himself -- with palette and
>brush, and, as if to illustrate the theme of generation, his own modest
>erection."
Once again it is impressed on me that my ancestors did not hold the
same inhibitions as I. This illustration from the Kells Gospel
actually occurs at the end of Luke's geneology of Christ. (folio 200r).
However, I think Cahill is looking to hard for a self portrait from the
illuminator, The naked figure pictured is a warrior carrying a spear and
buckler.
Wassail
-Caedmon
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