Migration Period INTRO The Migration or Early Medieval Period(410 AD – appx. 870 AD) was around 1600 years ago. By 500, Roman culture no longer existed. There was no coinage, no commercial pottery, no villas, towns had become smaller and there was no Roman army. Power was in the hands of local kings and the church. Churches would be the most impressive stone buildings. The church became a major centre of wealth and power. It developed a common art style used in carved stone crosses and illuminated manuscripts.
The Book of Kells, a copy of the Four Gospels of the New Testament together with various prefatory texts and tables in the southeastern Ireland between 769 and 820, is one best example.
There is even a great animated movie called The Secret of Kells in 2009. Some critics compared the film to Hayao Miyazaki’s works such as Princess Mononoke and Spirited Away. http://www.movies.ie called it “a unique animated movie … beautifully made … has a magical other-worldly feel, with a script and visuals that reminded me of Hayao Miyazaki’s movies (Spirited away etc..)… puts other 3D movies with bigger budgets to shame.” Joe Morgenstern of the Wall Street Journal said that “it pay homage to Celtic culture and design, together with techniques and motifs that evoke Matisse, Miyazaki and the minimalist cartoons of UPA.”[1]
Here is a trailer that inspired me to write this post.
Here is some shots from the movie:
