breviaries
- Scope note
- Religious books typically containing collections of prayers, psalms, readings, and rites.The form first appeared in the 11th century Christian monastic communities and among clerics, although the texts of the longer Divine Office had been established in the Roman rite by the 7th century and in Carolingian Europe by the 10th century. Although it was a complex book, it was briefer than the full Divine Office, thus known as a "breviary." The "book of hours" was developed by the 13th century as an even less complex book of prayers for the lay community. Works similar to the Christian breviary were adapted from primary texts of other faiths, including the Koran and Hindu works; these works are also referred to as breviaries. Breviaries may contain elaborate illumination.
- Date of creation: 18-Nov-2024
Accepted term: 18-Nov-2024