Brother Mellitus – Artist and Scribe

Brother Mellitus is an expert in preparing the ink and pigments used in the Lindisfarne Gospels and other medieval manuscripts. He was born in Kent and, as the youngest son of a large family, was sent to a monastery in Canterbury. When he turned sixteen he took the vows of the Benedictine Order and took his name after the first Bishop of London and third Archbishop of Canterbury, who started the conversion of the pagan Anglo-Saxons in the early 7th century. He was educated in the monastery and became a scribe, copying medieval manuscripts, but being especially skilled in the making of ink and artists pigments.

Brother Mellitus now travels the land, with the permission of his Abbot, explaining and demonstrating the making of ink and pigments to the general public, and letting people try their hand at writing with a feather quill and reed pen.

He also knows how to make soap and runs a workshop all about The Lindisfarne Gospels.