Aisle of Saints and Scholars
Only in Ireland , never reached by the Roman
legions, would the Celtic culture remain intact through the centuries-long
after the Roman Empire had decayed and fallen
to the Germans.
The first phase of Celtic art began
from about 700 B.C. with the Hallstatt
period dating from a place of the same name in Austria . Its finest expression
dates from about 500 B.C. with the beginning of the fantastic art of LaTene period, named after an
archaeologically rich site discovered in Switzerland . It continued in
continental Europe and in Celtic Britain, but
declined with the advent of Roman conquest in the first century B.C. Today
hundreds of objects in museums all over Europe
attest to a brilliant and unique art that lasted for centuries, a legacy
proudly shared by every country in which the ancient Celts lived.
Again only in Ireland would
the centuries old traditions of Celtic art remain intact and survive the fall
of the Roman Empire itself. Indeed the
creative urge of the Celtic spirit would expand beyond the boundaries of three
dimensional art to nourish the writing of seventh and eight century A.D.
illuminated(elaborately decorated) manuscripts from Irish monasteries. What
such Celtic scholars produced in illuminated manuscripts has never since been
surpassed in world art.
Some precious and famous art objects
of the ancient Irish Celts survive, such as the exquisite eighth century Tara
Brooch, the priceless ninth century illuminated Book of Kells, and the noble,
tenth century Irish high crosses sculptured in stone.
While early Christian missionaries
from Rome
encountered only rudimentary elements of law and learning among the Germanic
peoples in the fifth century A.D, they found that Irish society included
organized schools which had for centuries produced learned and respected
specialists in religion, calendrical skills, law, genealogy, poetry and oral
literature. When Ireland
replaced paganism with Christianity, the Celtic high regard for knowledge and
learning not only remained, but flourished more than ever with the added
dimension of writing.
With the adoption of Christianity,
ancient Celtic Ireland emerged from its Age of Heroes and entered its Age of
Saints, becoming known to the rest of Europe as the Island of Saints.(At that
time a holy man could be given the title of “Saint” without in fact being a
saint canonized by Rome.)
From the sixth century the Irish
became internationally known for their devotion to learning and scholarly
activities and for actively spreading their knowledge and civilization abroad.
The Celts, despite an alleged fondness for war, had been fascinated with
organized learning and knowledge for centuries. That was what their druids and
bards were all about. The early Christian monasteries in Ireland were
the natural successors to the druid and bardic schools.
From the sixth to the ninth centuries
A.D., Irish native excellence, representing the “purest” Celtic culture
remaining in Europe , burst forth unrestrained
in the literary and creative civilization. This included Ireland ’s Golden Age of Saints and Scholars, an extraordinary period which
spread learning and Christianity throughout much of Europe
like a guiding light in the Dark Ages after the fall of Rome . During these centuries, Ireland ’s
monasteries are considered to have been the most brilliant centers of learning
in all Europe .
It was said of these ancient Celts:
Their Wealth was not judged by what they had
but what they gave
May the good saints protect
you
and bless you today
and bless you today
Your Correspondence Secretary President
Frank Darcy Ken
Egan