"The Annunciation," from The Hours of Jeanne d'Evreux, Queen of France, by Jean Pucelle / c. 1324-28
The Hours 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 Vigils (midnight), the Matins, and Lauds (dawn). They were followed by Prime, Terce, Sext and None, or, the first, third, sixth and ninth hours of the day. Finally, the day ended with the Vespers (the evening) and Compline (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 Rule of Saint Benedict, standardizing the Hours across southern England.
Much later in the Middle Ages, the Hours became more accessible to people outside the clergy. A book of hours 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 the news that she would be the mother of Jesus Christ.