Learnings: The Hours of the Day

were markers of time that gave rhythm to the whole day. The schedule was regularly punctuated by divine services, moments of community prayer, and sacred of celebrations.
The Hours were divided between daytime and nighttime. The nightly Hours were the (midnight), the , and (dawn). They were followed by , , and , or, the first, third, sixth and ninth hours of the day. Finally, the day ended with the (the evening) and (sunset).
Initially, each monastery would have followed their own version of the Hours, abiding by the rules set by their founders. In the mid-10th century, several monasteries and cathedrals adopted the of Saint , standardizing the Hours across southern England.
Much later in the Middle Ages, the Hours became more accessible to people outside the clergy. A such as this would contain devotional psalms and prayers. In this copy of the book of hours, each Hour was associated with an important Biblical event, often from the life of the Virgin Mary. One can see her here receiving that she would be the mother of Jesus Christ.
Category:Discovery Tour: Viking Age