What exactly is the Book of Kells and what was its purpose?
The Book of Kells was one of the missals that has survived from medieval times. There are several other missals (books) that also made it: The Book of Deer, the Book of Dimma, the Book of Molling and the Book of Durrow to name a few. Basically, these were books carried by the bishops when they went from church to church or to the various monasteries. They contained parts of the bible, usually the Gospels and a collection of various prayers – liturgical services, healing prayers, house blessings and other prayers. These books were the first written prayer book, but what they really came to be noted for was the artwork contained in each of them and the calligraphy. Most of them were in Latin, although some were in Gaelic.
