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LITURGICAL BOOKS/ Horologions (Chasoslovs)
The 'Horologion' or Book of Hours, provides the fixed portions of the Daily Cycle of services as used by the Eastern Orthodox and Eastern Catholic churches. Into this fixed framework, numerous moveable parts of the services are inserted.The Horologion is primarily a book for the use of the Reader and Chanters (as distinguished from the Euchologion, which contains the texts used by the Priest and Deacon). Several varieties of Horologia exist, the most complete of which is the Great Horologion. It contains the fixed portions of the Daily Office (Vespers, Compline (Great and Small), Midnight Office, Matins, the Little Hours, the Inter-Hours, Typica, Prayers before Meals). The parts for the Reader and Chanters are given in full, the Priest's and Deacon's parts are abbreviated. The Great Horologion will also contain a list of Saints commemorated throughout the year (with their Troparia and Kontakia), selected propers for Sundays, and moveable Feasts (from the Menaion, Triodion and Pentecostarion), and various Canons and other devotional services. The Great Horologion is most commonly used in Greek-speaking churches. Various editions of the Horologion are usually shorter; still giving the fixed portions of the Daily Office in full,but with the other texts much more abbreviated (all of which are found in full in the other liturgical books). In addition, such texts often also contain Morning and Evening Prayers, the Order of Preparation for Holy
Communion, and Prayers to be said after receiving Holy Communion. The Coptic cycle of canonical hours is largely monastic, primarily composed of psalm readings. The Coptic equivalent of the Byzantine Horologion is the Agpeya. Seven canonical hours exist, corresponding largely to the Byzantine order, with an additional "Prayer of the Veil" which is said by Bishops, Priests, and Monks (something like the Byzantine Midnight Office). The Coptic terms for 'Matins' and 'Vespers' are 'The Morning Raising of Incense' and 'The Evening Raising of Incense' respectively. The hours are chronologically laid out, each containing a theme corresponding to events in the life of Jesus Christ. IMAGE (From The Schoyen Collection): HOROLOGION: PRAYERS FOR THE OFFICE OF THE HOLY COMMUNION MS in Greek on vellum, Greece, ca. 1330, 1 roll of 7 membranes, 426x16 cm, single column on both sides, 535+495 lines in Greek minuscule of highest quality, 14 headings in gold, 5 small capitals in gold, 14 large illuminated capitals.
Provenance: 1. Monastery of Docheiarou, Mount Athos, Greece (14th-17th c.); 2. Frederick North, 5th Earl of Guilford, (-1827); 3. R.H. Evans, London 8.12.1830:292; 4. Thomas Payne, London (1830); 5. Sir Thomas Phillipps, Cheltenham, Ph 3889 (ca. 1830-1872); 6. Katharine, John, Thomas & Alan Fenwick, Cheltenham, (1872-1946); 7. Robinson Bros., London (1946-1978); 8. Kraus cat.153(1979):37. Commentary: Illuminated Greek prayer rolls from Mount Athos rarely occur outside Greek public collections.
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