Books of Hours

by Daedalus Arnold, Special Collections Undergraduate Summer 2024 Intern

In Western Europe in the Middle Ages, Christianity was an extraordinarily powerful institution. Churches were often the most powerful places in town, commanding large amounts of wealth and cultural importance. Monasteries, though not as utilized by the lay population, were hubs of art and education which were immensely respected for piety and upheld as examples of good Christian practice. An individual who was neither clergy nor monk might have devotional images in their home if they were wealthy, and personal prayer became a way to show one’s good character and devotion to God. The Book of Hours came into popularity as a way to direct that personal prayer, allowing the user to connect themselves to monastic practice and their contemporary theology.

The Virgin Mary shown praying with a book, much like how owners of a Book of Hours would have used them.

The Book of Hours was a ritual object. Its core set of prayers was to be recited at certain times each day, mirroring how monks prayed near-constantly from sunrise to sunset. A pious owner would get up at dawn for the first prayers and stay up late for the last, focusing on their faith every few hours in between. These prayers were mainly psalms and hymns praising God, directing prayer to be focused on gratefulness instead of requests. Auxiliary readings helped the owner learn saints, study the Bible, and fulfill life cycle rituals.

The Book of Hours was a practical object. Owning one became so common that it was often the only book a person had, so its daily religious elements were supplemented with tools to help navigate medieval life. A calendar, designed to be reusable year after year, helped an owner tell the date and find important holidays like Easter. Often, images helped them remember what time of year to do certain tasks, connecting the book to rural life. Books of Hours also had the liturgy of death, which blurred the line between prayer and practicality by finding the religious ritual necessary to suit the community’s need for mourning.

The Book of Hours was a personal object. Artists put their own touches on the illumination of the manuscripts, developing regional styles. The books were made beautiful with gold leaf, gold ink, bright colors, and detailed miniatures, which helped turn assorted psalms into stories. The patron of a book was also able to individualize it by choosing supplementary prayers, making it so no two Books of Hours are exactly alike; some users preferred different prayers, some wanted a depiction of themselves present in the art, and some needed the gender or language of prayers changed to suit them. Books of Hours were designed to be used, and the questions of how and by whom informed their construction.