Abstract: Late medieval Books of Hours were vital aids for devotees to navigate and overcome threats that risked their earthly well-being and the fate of their immortal souls. Worship in the period 1400 to 1550 was dynamic and performative, with devotees attempting to safeguard themselves in life and prepare for a good death. This article examines illustrative examples of late medieval prayer and apotropaism in English and French Books of Hours from the Clifford Collection at the National Library of Australia in Canberra, the State Library of New South Wales in Sydney, the Reed Collection held by the Dunedin Public Libraries in Dunedin, and the Rare Books Collection at State Library Victoria, Melbourne. These texts are far from their European origins and the traditional geographic centres of medieval archival research. Yet, the transcriptions and translations provided here present an opportunity for scholars to engage with hitherto under-studied, and otherwise inaccessible, devotional texts and investigate how Books of Hours influenced, facilitated, and transformed late medieval prayer.
Elizabeth Burrell (Wed,) studied this question.
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