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 (Irish) Christianity.
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
- The Lindisfarne Gospels – Interactive
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.
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.