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Letter 'A'
Fabric: 14 HPI Aida
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  Kit: £ 9.85 Chart: £ 4.95
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Letter 'b'
Fabric: 14 HPI Aida
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| Kit: £ 12.00 Chart: £ 4.95
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Letter 'C'
In general, only five different colours, besides brown and black, were used in Celtic manuscripts. These were red, yellow, blue, green and purple. Most were obtained from minerals such as red lead and copper, others from plants. But, perhaps surprisingly, the precious metal, gold, was not used at all in the Book of Kells. The shiny golden colouring we do see was, infact, a pigment obtained from the mineral 'orpiment'. This design of the illuminated letter 'C' shows clearly the typical colours which were used throughout the Book Of Kells. Fabric: 14 HPI Aida
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| Kit: £ 11.95 Chart: £ 4.95
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Letter 'd'
The Book Of Kells is most noted for its highly decorative illuminated text which, on most pages, features elaborate and brightly coloured letters at the beginning of each line or paragraph. This design is an illuminated letter 'd', featuring, to the left, a typical bird- like form. Animals and plants were purposely illustrated by the Celts in an unrealistic form in order to avoid imitating God's creation. Fabric: 14 HPI Aida
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| Kit: £ 9.85 Chart: £ 4.95
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Letter 'e'
Description to follow. Fabric: 14 HPI Aida
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| Kit: £ 12.00 Chart: £ 4.95
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Letter 'F'
A 'compound' letter, this illuminated letter 'F' has a fish suspended from the adjoining letter 'A'. The fish was a recognised symbol used to represent Christ since the second century and was associated with eucharist and new converts, swimming in the waters of baptism. The initial letters of the words 'Jesus Christ, Son Of God, Saviour' form the Greek word for fish, icthus, but it is not known for certain which came first. Fabric: 14 HPI Aida
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| Kit: £ 12.85 Chart: £ 4.95
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Letter 'G'
This illuminated letter 'G' is written in the old Celtic style rather than the 'g' we know today and features the usual animal head and tail seen in many illuminated Celtic letters. The centre also features an area of interlacement or knotwork. Knotwork is traditionally composed of interwoven ribbons, twisted, plaited or knotted together in a repetitive and sometimes complex pattern. It is believed to represent the twists and turns of life and enhance spiritual meditation. Fabric: 14 HPI Aida
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Kit: £ 12.85 Chart: £ 4.95
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Letter 'h'
Fabric: 14 HPI Aida
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| Kit: £ 12.00 Chart: £ 4.95
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Letter 'j'
Fabric: 14 HPI Aida
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| Kit: £ 9.85 Chart: £ 4.95
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Letter 'K'
The letter 'K' does not appear in the Book Of Kells as it was not used in either Celtic or Latin texts. The letter 'K' was, instead, represented by the letter 'C'. However, in order to provide stitchers with a full illuminated alphabet we have designed a letter 'K' in the same style as other letters in the Book Of Kells. Fabric: 14 HPI Aida
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| Kit: £ 12.85 Chart: £ 4.95
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Letter 'M'
This beautiful illuminated letter 'M' is taken from the beginning of the Magnificat in the Book Of Kells. It is a compound letter, also featuring the letter 'A' and features, in the left arch, a mother bird feeding her two babies. Fabric: 14 HPI Aida
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Kit: £ 14.85 Chart: £ 4.95
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Letter 'O'
Human figures and angels were also often used to decorate letters. However, the sight of an angel was usually reserved for those who were considered worthy. Angels, it was thought, helped to make faith clearer but only for those who were prepared to see. In line with this idea, many of the angels in the Book Of Kells are placed in obscure places, where they are not, at first, easily seen. This design of an illuminated letter 'O' illustrates one such angel, poised with arms outstretched in prayer. Fabric: 14 HPI Aida
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| Kit: £ 9.85 Chart: £ 4.95
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Letter 'P'
This illuminated letter 'P' is a compound letter, the small yellow diamond representing the letter 'O'. Below is a large bird, wings outstretched. As the Celts stylised the creatures they drew it is often hard to identify exactly which animal or bird is being represented. However, peacocks are featured frequently and are believed to represent immortality. According to ancient belief, their flesh is so hard it doesn't putrefy. Doves and eagles also appear regularly. Doves are thought to signify the 'Holy Spirit' whereas the Eagle was the chosen symbol for St. John, one of the evangelists. Fabric: 14 HPI Aida
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| Kit: £ 14.85 Chart: £ 4.95
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Letter 'Q'
This illuminated letter 'Q' could, by its shape, easily be confused with the letter 'g' in our modern alphabet but was, infact, the traditional way of writing a Celtic 'Q'. Protected in the centre of this colourful 'banded' letter is a small curled up bird, while from both the top and bottom of the 'Q' a number of legs protrude, in typical Celtic style. Fabric: 14 HPI Aida
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| Kit: £ 14.85 Chart: £ 4.95
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Letter 'R'
Many illuminated letters in the Book Of Kells, like this letter 'R', are outlined with a fine band of contrasting colour and/or highlighted by a line of small red dots. Both these techniques are characteristic of Celtic design and are seen in almost all Celtic illumination. Fabric: 14 HPI Aida
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| Kit: £ 12.85 Chart: £ 4.95
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Letter 'S'
Many of the illuminated capitals in the Book Of Kells are formed from the bodies of animals and birds, their heads and legs often entwined to form and decorate the letter. Plant life, too, such as trefoils, vines and grapes, although not common in other manuscripts, are also used throughout the book. For example, this design of an illuminated letter 'S' is constructed from both animal and plant forms. Fabric: 14 HPI Aida
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| Kit: £ 9.85 Chart: £ 4.95
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Letter 'TR'
Many of the illuminated capitals in the Book Of Kells overlap other letters nearby or incorporate the letters which follow on in the word, forming what is known as a 'compound' letter. In this design the illuminated letter 'T' is combined with a letter 'R' to form a compound letter. Other examples can be seen in the letters 'M'(MA), 'F'(FA) and 'P'(Po). Fabric: 14 HPI Aida
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Kit: £ 11.95 Chart: £ 4.95
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Letter 'V'
We are pleased to announce the addition of the letter 'V' to our Book Of Kells Collection. Featured in the letter 'V' are two lions drinking from a chalice. Lions were often used in the Book of Kells to symbolise Christ's resurrection as well as being the symbolic representation for St. Mark. It was believed that lion cubs were born dead but on the third day were revived by their father's breathing or roaring on their faces, just as Christ rose from the dead three days after his crucifixion. Fabric: 14 HPI Aida
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| Kit: £ 12.00 Chart: £ 4.95
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Bird with Border
This design features a bird motif taken from the Book Of Kells, surrounded by a Celtic border. Small stylised birds like this one were frequently used in the book to decorate the text or cover up mistakes made by the scribes. Fabric: 14 HPI Aida
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| Kit: £ 9.85 Chart: £ 4.95
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The Evangelists: St. Matthew
Each of the four Evangelists, the authors of the Gospels, are frequently portrayed in the Book Of Kells by a symbol which represents the stages of Christ's life as well as their own individual character. St. Matthew, author of the first Gospel, is illustrated as a 'man', representing the birth of Christ in human form. Fabric: 14 HPI Aida
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| Kit: £ 19.95 Chart: £ 4.95
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The Evangelists: St. Mark
All the symbols of the Evangelists have wings and halos round their heads, a sign of their saintliness and that they belong to God. St. Mark, author of the second Gospel, is frequently illustrated throughout the book as a 'lion' heralding the coming of the kingdom, the theme of this gospel, and representing the resurrection of Christ. Fabric: 14 HPI Aida
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| Kit: £ 19.95 Chart: £ 4.95
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The Evangelists: St. Luke
(description to follow) Fabric: 14 HPI Aida
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| Kit: £ 19.95 Chart: £ 4.95
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The Evangelists: St. John
Like the other Evangelists, St. John, too, is also illustrated in the Book Of Kells by a symbol - the eagle, representing the ascension of Christ. It was thought that only the eagle, out of all the living creatures, could look into the sun and not be dazzled. Fabric: 14 HPI Aida
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| Kit: £ 19.95 Chart: £ 4.95
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 Celtic Cross Stitch Cloonan, Islandeady, Castlebar, Co. Mayo, Ireland Tel/Fax: +353 94 90 25384 E-Mail: info@celticxstitch.ie |