English translation of a variety of texts from women's books of hours,
with introduction, notes, and an interpretive essay.
The book of hours is said to have been the most popular book owned by
the laity in the later Middle Ages. This volume brings together a
selection of texts taken from books of hours known to have been owned by
women. While some will be familiar from bibles or prayer-books, others
have to be sought in specialist publications, often embedded in other
material, and a few have not until now been available at all in modern
editions or translations. The texts arecomplemented by an introduction
setting the book of hours in its context, an interpretive essay,
glossary and annotated bibliography.