News: May 2012
Labours of the Month in Books of Hours
In medieval art, the cycle of the year was represented by the "labors of the months" and the signs of the zodiac, or both paired together. Books of Hours all began with a calendar which showed Saint’s Days, the cycle of the moon, the Dominical letters to establish the day of the week and were often illustrated with a "Labour of the Month".
These are some of the most interesting and charming images surviving from the Middle Ages, giving us an insight into the rhythm of the seasons and the tasks to be performed. The zodiac signs were in widespread use in the Middle Ages as symbols of the months of the year. The pagan origins and astrological uses of zodiac signs were well-known to - and rejected by - medieval theologians, but as they were based in the constellations, they were a useful and easily recognizable symbol for illustrating a particular month.
The Labours of the Month were, for January - Feasting, February - Keeping Warm, March - Pruning, April - Weaving a Flower Garland, May - Hunting and Hawking, June - Mowing Hay, July - Reaping Wheat, Augus - Threshing Wheat, September - Sowing Seeds, October - Wine-making, November - Feeding the Pigs and December - Killing the Fatted Pig.
