Illuminated E Initial Tattoo with Celtic Design sgian dubh Interlocking rings

Interlocking rings

brave as the knight himself

and the sage

This ring of three chasing each others' tails is one of the oldest depictions found in the ancient manuscripts

taken from the opening page folio 29r of the Saint Matthew's Gospel in the 9th century illuminated manuscript

Illuminated E Initial Tattoo with Celtic Design sgian dubh Interlocking ringsThe illuminated text pages in the Book of Kells (c. 800ce) frequently featured one magnificently complex letter beginning a Bible passage. This is the letter E at the start of folio 183r. It features the head of a lion and three snakes, as well as a full body of a lioness, Celtic knot work, and Pictish key patterns. A very ambitious tattoo.