A Book of Hours was an evolving document, recording and providing valuable information about a family. While Books of Hours could act as a family journal, updated over time, the main function was to guide the owner’s daily spiritual practice. Although Books of Hours were customized to the specifications of the owner, they all contain a core set of texts. The most important of these is the Hours of the Virgin, a series of daily prayers directed to the Virgin Mary, praising her relationship with God and her role as the mother of Jesus Christ. Additionally, Books of Hours generally contained a calendar noting the dates of important Christian feasts, aLitany of the Saints (a series of short, formulaic prayers to a large number of saints, some of which might be selected because they had particular relevance to the owner), the Office of the Dead (a series of prayers said on behalf of loved ones who had already died), and readings or ‘lessons’ from the Gospels.Although the Keble-Petre Book of Hours, like many extant manuscripts from the period, has suffered some losses, this lavishly illuminated book provides insight into how individuals during the medieval era incorporated Christian practice into their daily lives.

Many Books of Hours include prayers to individual saints, known as ‘suffrages’. According to Christian tradition, saints are individuals who demonstrated a remarkably high degree of piety or faith in their lives and are capable after their own death of helping the living. Because they were seen to have a particularly close relationship with God, they were revered and praised, and could be called on for support and inspiration in daily life. The owner could select which saints were depicted in their manuscript, although certain saints, like Peter and Paul, were so widely popular that they can be found in almost every Book of Hours. Decisions on which saints to include were based on a variety of factors, such as which saints the commissioner felt personally connectedwith or which saints were especially popular in the area. For example the saint after whom the owner was named, or the patron saints of the owners’ profession or local church might be selected. The suffrages to individual saints found within a Book of Hours demonstrate the personal connection medieval people felt to these spiritual heroes.