Murthly Hours
About the Murthly Hours
The Murthly Hours is one of Scotland's great medieval treasures. Written and illuminated in Paris in the 1280s, it also contains full-page miniatures by English artists of the same period, and was one of the most richly decorated manuscripts in medieval Scotland. Medieval additions include probably the second oldest example of Gaelic written in Scotland.
Introduction to the Murthly Hours
Curators from the National Library of Scotland introduce the Murthly Hours medieval manuscript.
Annunciation to the shepherds
An illustration taken from the 'Hours of the Virgin' at Sext. Sext was the name given to prayers that were said at 12 noon. The 'Hours of the Virgin' are a shortened version of prayers said by clergy that everyday people could use.
The owner of Murthly Hours reading the Hours of the Virgin
A detail from a decorated capital letter at the beginning of the gradual psalms. It shows the owner of the Murthly Hours (who may have been Joan de Valence) kneeling in prayer and reading her prayer book.
The Last Supper and betrayal of Christ
All four Gospels have accounts of the Last Supper but this miniature comes closest to that of John, according to whom Christ identified Judas as the traitor by offering him the morsel of dipped bread. The other miniature shows the arrest of Christ. He is betrayed by Judas who identifies him to the Roman soliders with a kiss.
Boy aiming sling at bird
This illustration drawn on the foot of a page of prayers for the dead, shows a youth who is about to loose a stone from a sling aimed at a bird in a tree.
Funeral procession
This illustration, showing a funeral procession and a burial service by a graveside. It accompanies the Office of the Dead, prayers said in the morning (Matins).
Gaelic charm
An early example of written Scottish Gaelic, in the form of several charms to ward off misfortune and illness, inscribed at the back of the Murthly Hours manuscript.
View pages from the Murthly Hours
These resources require the Macromedia Flash player for your web browser. If you do not already have it, you can download it from the Macromedia website. This should only take a few minutes.