Codex Amiatinus at the British Library

Churchlanelad said:
Went on a jolly to London to see the Anglo Saxon exhibition at the British Library yesterday. It was superb and the star of the show was the Codex, created at Wearmouth Jarrow monastery. It’s the first time it’s been back in England for over 1300 years. Our area at that time was at the centre of a golden age in the Anglo Saxon era. If you get the chance, go and see it, you won’t be disappointed.
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How long would you recommend allowing for it? I’m arriving in London just before noon and thought about maybe catching a show at 2.30/3 I’d there’s anything in the tckts hut that day. An hour and a half plenty of time?
 


tiptoad said:
Throw us a bone here mate, who were the thieves that you claim stole the Codex from us, and where can I research this daring theft?
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I think there is a mystery as to how it ended up on Mount Amiata. The monks were taking it to Rome. As an aside we have been up to the monastery at Mt Amiata where they have a life sized facsimilie which it is quite moving to see given where the original came from.
 
matt228 said:
How long would you recommend allowing for it? I’m arriving in London just before noon and thought about maybe catching a show at 2.30/3 I’d there’s anything in the tckts hut that day. An hour and a half plenty of time?
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It depends on how many other people are in there at the same time as you, I had to wait a couple of minutes at each exhibit to get close and have a good look. You will definitely get to see the Codex, but don’t forget the other treasures there.
 
JohnAin said:
Well first of all I am not looking to gain followers. Secondly if I can be bothered to undertake research then so can others.
I respect what you say, but on a web site where people regard Facebook and Twitter as reliable sources, referencing sources from six months of my research on this and related topics seems a complete waste of time to me.
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Your posts and comments are completely pointless in that case. You’re wasting your own time by posting them.
 
matt228 said:
How long would you recommend allowing for it? I’m arriving in London just before noon and thought about maybe catching a show at 2.30/3 I’d there’s anything in the tckts hut that day. An hour and a half plenty of time?
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Depends on how busy it is and how long you spend looking at things. An hour and a half would be enough to do the main things but not everything.

We spent about three hours in there.
 
Churchlanelad said:
It depends on how many other people are in there at the same time as you, I had to wait a couple of minutes at each exhibit to get close and have a good look. You will definitely get to see the Codex, but don’t forget the other treasures there.
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Going to see it on Friday afternoon. Looking forward to it!
 
Couldn’t get over the size of the thing me. And the Domesday book too.

Only issue I had was it got more and more depressing the further you got away from the Northumbrian golden age, and how different things might have been if we could have quenched the Mercians and kept the ravaging Scandis at bay.

I thought Beowulf was supposed to be there too? Couldn’t see it.
 
Jasper said:
Couldn’t get over the size of the thing me. And the Domesday book too.

Only issue I had was it got more and more depressing the further you got away from the Northumbrian golden age, and how different things might have been if we could have quenched the Mercians and kept the ravaging Scandis at bay.

I thought Beowulf was supposed to be there too? Couldn’t see it.
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I left the exhibit and asked someone where Beowulf was because I also missed it. It was in the room with the big stone cross but there wasn't much attention drawn to it! It is usually in the free area of the Library so you can go back, I guess.
 
Ginger John said:
There wasn't really much attention drawn to it. I was just mooching along the other books and there it was!
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matt228 said:
I left the exhibit and asked someone where Beowulf was because I also missed it. It was in the room with the big stone cross but there wasn't much attention drawn to it! It is usually in the free area of the Library so you can go back, I guess.
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Really? Man I went back to check before I left and couldn’t see it anywhere. Suppose the same could be said about the real Ruthwell Cross which I’ve driven past before and not noticed.
 
Jasper said:
Really? Man I went back to check before I left and couldn’t see it anywhere. Suppose the same could be said about the real Ruthwell Cross which I’ve driven past before and not noticed.
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Unlucky! You'll have to pop back another time.

I nearly missed the Lindisfarne Gospels on a previous visit when it was in the usual room. It was just kind of stuck in a case with other books as if it's nothing special!
 
They never seem to highlight the main attractions in exhibitions so you really have to search them out. Luckily the Codex is so huge, it was very hard to miss! I once went to the British Museum after Radio 4 did a programme, History of the World in 100 Items, I think it was with Ian McGregor, took me two days to find them all, even though I had a booklet which told you where to go!
 

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