Illuminated around 1500 by the artist
Jean Poyer, The Hours of Henry VIII
receives its name from the possible but
unproven eighteenth-century tradition
that holds King Henry of England once
owned this splendid manuscript. By
following the simple instructions, you
can explore every painting of this
Renaissance masterpiece and learn
how Books of Hours helped their readers
to pray.
Books of Hours contain more or less
standard texts—Calendar, Gospel
Lessons, Hours of the Virgin, Hours
of the Cross, Hours of the Holy Spirit,
Penitential Psalms with Litany, Office
of the Dead, and Suffrages—as well as
a number of common accessory
prayers. Based on the frequency and
variety of added devotions, it appears
that scribes included these for owners
who wished to personalize their prayer
books.
St. Margaret: Margaret and Olybrius
Border: Margaret and the Dragon (fol. 189v)
Margaret was the daughter of
Theodosius of Antioch, a third-century
pagan prince. Shortly after Magaret's
birth, her mother died, so her father
placed her in the care of a
countrywoman, a secret Christian
who raised the young girl in that faith.
Later, after Margaret's conversion
was discovered, she was disowned
and banished with her nurse from the
palace. They lived in the country as
shepherdesses.
One day Governor Olybrius of
Antioch, as in the miniature, saw
Margaret spinning wool while
tending sheep and fell in love
with her. Margaret's refusal to
yield her faith angered the
governor.
Olybrius ordered Margaret
tortured and thrown into prison,
where a fierce dragon appeared
and swallowed her. The saint
made the sign of the Cross,
causing the dragon to explode,
freeing her from its belly. She
then prayed that women in labor
invoking her name would be as
safely delivered as she was
from the dragon.
During the late fourteenth and
early fifteenth centuries,
Margaret was most frequently
shown guarding sheep; later
the prison scene with the
dragon (her primary attribute)
became popular. (Feast day:
formerly July 20)
