The Divine Office

1. The Divine Office • The first office, “Matins,” began at 2 AM and the next seven followed at regular intervals, culminating in “Vespers” in the evening and “Compline” before the monks and nuns retired at night.

2. Education • Between prayers, the monks read or copied religious texts and music. Monks were often well educated and devoted their lives to writing and learning.

3. Pilgrimages • Pilgrimages were an important part of religious life in the Middle Ages. Many people took journeys to visit holy shrines such the Canterbury Cathedral in England and sites in Jerusalem and Rome.

4. The Canterbury Tales • Chaucer's Canterbury Tales is a series of stories told by 30 pilgrims as they traveled to Canterbury.

5. Homes • Most medieval homes were cold, damp, and dark. Sometimes it was warmer and lighter outside the home than within its walls.

6. Windows • For security purposes, windows, when they were present, were very small openings with wooden shutters that were closed at night or in bad weather. The small size of the windows allowed those inside to see out, but kept outsiders from looking in.

7. Peasants Homes • Many peasant families ate, slept, and spent time together in very small quarters, rarely more than one or two rooms. The houses had thatched roofs and were easily destroyed.

8. House Construction

9. Medieval Village