Created at the ancient Island monstery around 698ad by
Bishop Eadfrith in 'memory of God and Cuthbert' the Lindisfarne
Gospels are now held in the security of the British library in
London. Probably by far the most valuable book of its type in
their possession, the gospels hark back to a time in Anglo-Saxon
history, long before the arrival of the Normans, when, under the
influence of the Germanic king, Oswald, paganism had been
overcome in a euphoric wave of Celtic Christianity.
The Gospels Facimile
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Only on rare occasions does the book ever leave their confines at the British Library
and so is only to be seen by those who make the pilgimage to their premises. Even
then, they are kept under security glass in carefully controlled
environmental conditions. In order to make the splendour of the
book available to everybody the British library have created two
artifacts which they have donated back to the gospel's
birthplace:
- The Lindisfarne Gospels - Facsimile Edition
- The Lindisfarne Gospels - Interactive Turning Pages
Entrance to the Sanctum
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Both are held in a specially constructed display area at
the Heritage Centre. Entry to this highly atmospheric
inner-sanctum is via a medieval characterised lobby containing
other interactive displays and further educational resource
media.
One of the Interactive Displays
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Dark high ceilings and spotlit images create a sense of
intimacy and reverence, very appropriate for the subject of the
high tech computers which host two copies of the 'Turning the
Page' electronic Lindisfarne Gospels. The interactive touch
screen programme faithfully reproduces the vibrancy of colour and
intricate design of the original manuscript. You will be able to
turn over 20 pages of the book and also admire its beautifully
tooled cover. An exciting merging of the old with the new.
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