truth

Punky and I watched Secret of the Kells this morning. The animation was brilliant and magical. The story was wonderful. What else would you expect from a nation of storytellers. I was drawn to the movie because of its artistic style and the story it tells of the wondrous Book of Kells. I remember studying illumination in high school art class.

I've had a love for all things Irish since I was a girl. As I've grown older, I've learned about the Celtic and Gaelic culture, and that it is more than just Ireland. It's been a dream of mine since I was a girl to visit Ireland, but now I would like to visit all lands where Celtic and Gaelic lived. I hope Punky and I will be able to visit someday.

In the movie, Aidan of Iona tells Brendan that he can learn much from the woods outside the abbey walls. Coincidentally, Susan Fletcher included this in her book Corrag, which I'm currently reading. It's attributed to Saint Bernard of Clairvaux (1090-1153).

More things are learnt in the woods than in books. Animals, trees and rocks teach you things not to be heard elsewhere.

I've also found this version:

What I know of the divine sciences and Holy Scripture, I learned in wood and field. I have no other masters than the beeches and oaks.

Other people have made similar observations, including Aristotle, Einstein, Thoreau, Wordsworth, and Muir, for example. It is obvious to me that this true. Unfortunately, it takes some people longer to discover this truth. Some never do.