Book of Hours
A
book of hours was a Christian devotional book containing the liturgical
calendar, feast days, parts of the gospels, prayers to be said at the
“hours of the Virgin’ from which it derives its name, as well as psalms
and other devotions, including the death office. Books of Hours became popular during the thirteenth century among lay people. Monks
and Nuns used a more complex devotional book called a Breviary, which
contained many more recitations as well as a system to determine when
the different parts were to be recited according to season, time of day,
and such. Books of Hours created a market for smaller books, more personal books and decorated books, as they were most often illuminated. Books of Hours were created by hand calligraphy and decorated after the script had been written. They
were one of the first books to be used widely by lay people in the West
and because of this they contributed to the growth of print culture. The
popularity of Books of Hours led to them being created in ever larger
numbers until they fell into disuse during the sixteenth century. The
Rosary, an even more simplified way to keep track of devotions was
developed in the fifteenth century, and as it became more popular, Books
of Hours became less so.
** This image is from the Beaufort Book of Hours at the British Museum.
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