Garland of Howth facts for kids

The Garland of Howth, also known as the Codex Usserianus Secundus, is a very old Latin Gospel Book. It was made between the 8th and 10th centuries. Today, you can find it at Trinity College Dublin in Ireland. It's listed there as MS. 56 (A. IV. 6).

A Gospel Book is a special book that contains the four Gospels from the Bible. These are the books of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. The Garland of Howth is an important piece of history.

What is the Garland of Howth?

The Garland of Howth is a collection of pages, called vellum pages. Vellum is a type of parchment made from animal skin. It was used for writing before paper became common.

This old book contains parts of the four Gospels. However, some pages are missing. For example, only a small part of the Gospel of John has survived. In total, only 86 pages of this book are left today.

Where it Came From

This special book was created a long time ago. It was written at a place called the monastery of Ireland's Eye. This monastery is near Dublin, Ireland.

Later, the book was kept in a church in nearby Howth. This is how it got its name, the "Garland of Howth."

The Way it Was Written

The scribes, or writers, of this book used a special style. It's called "diminuendo" script. This means the first letter of a section is very large. Then, the letters gradually get smaller. This style was common in very old Irish manuscripts. These old Irish writings are known as insular script.

Many different scribes worked on this book. They all helped to create this unique piece of history.

The Text Inside

The text in the Garland of Howth is a mix of different Latin versions. It's like having different editions of the same story.

Old Latin and the Vulgate

The Gospel of Matthew in this book uses an "Old Latin" version. This means it's an older translation of the Bible into Latin. It's similar to another old book called Codex Usserianus I.

The Gospels of Mark, Luke, and John are different. Their text is very close to the Vulgate. The Vulgate was a widely used Latin translation of the Bible. It was created by Saint Jerome around the 4th century.

Old Latin versions were used in Ireland for a longer time. They were used even after the Vulgate became popular in other places.

The Name "Garland"

The name "Garland" might sound a bit strange for a book. It actually comes from an old Irish phrase. The phrase is Ceithre Leabhair. This means 'four books' in Irish. It refers to the four Gospels. Over time, this Irish phrase changed into the English word "Garland."

Many experts have studied this manuscript. People like Lawlor, Hoskier, and Jülicher have looked closely at its text. They helped us understand more about this ancient book.

See also

• List of New Testament Latin manuscripts
• Codex Usserianus I
• Book of Dimma
• Book of Mulling
• Würzburg Universitätsbibliothek Cod. M. p. th. f. 67