Books of Hours Explained

Books of Hours Explained

By Ruby Graham

Books of Hours have been described as medieval bestsellers, precious family heirlooms and devotional objects, but what exactly are they? In our exhibition ‘Fragments of Devotion’, many of the images featured are taken from this type of manuscript. Books of Hours were a form of Christian prayer book from the late Middle Ages, designed to assist families or individuals in their devotional practice. They were by far the most widely produced and used type of illuminated medieval manuscript of their time.

Many Books of Hours included beautifully detailed hand-drawn and painted images, making them very expensive and only accessible to the wealthy. Despite being so popular, there was not a ‘one size fits all’ approach – with each Book of Hours being unique and often tailored to the specific person or family for whom it was commissioned.

Each book begins with a calendar, which lists feast days celebrating different saints – which could include local or name saints of the family or owner and important moments from the life of the Virgin Mary. These days often appear colour coded to indicate importance, with expensive gold leaf being used for the most significant feasts. The marginal decoration in these sections typically features zodiac animals or seasonal labour activities.  

A standard element of any Book of Hours was the Hours of the Virgin. Consisting of series of prayers and psalms meant to be recited at eight intervals during the day, it celebrated significant moments in the life of the Virgin Mary, who was especially venerated during the medieval period. Beyond this section, Books of Hours could vary in content, sometimes with such additions as gospel lessons from the four evangelists or memorials to particular saints. The back of the book often included the Office of the Dead, which was read for the deceased to free their souls from purgatory. The imagery in this section frequently features scenes of burials and skeletons, to remind the reader of their own mortality.

Often being the only book in a household, a Book of Hours was treasured, passed down and personalised. The traces of interventions can be seen in additional stitched-in pages, handwritten names and annotations. In the Barber’s 15h-century Book of Hours, owned by Cardinal Domenico Della Rovere, we can see examples of personalisation through the addition of a coat of arms and a family tree.

To demonstrate a commitment to their faith, some patrons chose to commission portraits to be included in their manuscripts. This example from our 14th-century Metz Book of Hours, shows a male and female patron, kneeling before the Virgin Mary and baby Jesus. The scrolls next to their heads act as speech bubbles, showing them reciting their chosen prayers. The opposite page depicts four female saints, likely chosen to evoke certain protections. Saint Margaret for example would often be evoked for safe childbirth. Alongside her we can see Saint Catherine of Alexandria, Saint Barbara and Saint Agnes. Women actively participated in the development of Books of Hours in many ways, including commissioning them to be made and passing them down as family heirlooms. Our Metz example was likely created to celebrate a union, possibly between these two figures.

Today, thousands of these objects are housed in libraries and museums, in their entireties and as fragments. They are among the most widespread class of object to survive medieval Europe, demonstrating the complexities and multisensory aspects of devotion in this period. With no two being alike, they provide insights into the daily lives of medieval people and a fascinating window into the past.