Archive for December, 2009
Before the invention of clocks, how did people meet at a appointed time?
A appointment with the vicar, a appointed meeting of the lords or the king….
You can’t keep looking at the garden sundial clock
Even though clocks had been invented by medieval times, people generally went by the church bells which rang out the seven hours of the day.
"I’ll meet you in the garden at Vespers," could be one assignation to be kept in the early evening.
I’m copying and pasting here:
"Church hours. People told time within the day by several means:
work-related time (in the time it takes me to mow half a field)
the passage of the sun
(rarely) the use of such instruments as water clocks or sun dials or hour candles
Church hours …
A local church or monastery rang out the seven hours of the day
The day began with Matins, usually an hour or two before dawn.
The second of the hours was Prime – daybreak.
The third hour was Terce, set at about 9 a.m.
The fourth hour was Sext (originally midday).
The fifth hour was Nones, set at about 3 in the afternoon, but, between the during the 1200s moved to 12 midday (noon) for unknown reasons (because the monks resented waiting so long for their meal and a break from work?).
The sixth hour was Vespers, normally early evening.
The seventh hour was Compline. Bedtime."
http://www.gardenhistoryinfo.com/medieval/medtime.html