ABSTRACT
Tomm Moore’s The Secret of Kells was created to tell an Irish story that weaves children, community, nature and contestation into and through interlaced Celtic swirls, whorls, runes, spirals, eddies and churns. The story focuses on twelve-year-old Brendan, a novice monk; Set sometime in the 8th Century, the story of The Secret of Kells is ostensibly one of a small Irish community faced with imminent invasion by Vikings. When Brother Aidan arrives from the Scottish Island of Iona he is in possession of a mysterious book that needs “illumination”. Brendan can help Aidan by gathering plants and berries for the book’s colorful graphics. To do so, Brendan sneaks out of the relative safety of the monastery to find the necessary materials in the nearby forest. Here he meets Aisling, a sprite who helps him find the berries. Then Brendan has to battle his fears in the form of the worm/snake demon Crom Cruach. Moore and his team base this enchantment in Celtic myths and lore through the art of animation, language and music. In the meantime, the Vikings sack the community. With this chapter, I take a deep dive into how The Secret of Kells creates a landscape encapsulating the wonder, enchantment and brutality of 8th Century Ireland. I end with a consideration of enchantment and wonder as a conceptual basis for creating a world anew through and with children.
