Chronology Lab

Ritual hours

Explore the canonical hours that anchored sacred services and civic pauses.

Canonical clock

Hours

Hour chart

Monastic communities broke the day into eight hours marked by prayer, aligning the workday with celestial cues.

Hour	Time	Purpose
Matins	Before dawn	Vigil & early readings.
Lauds	Sunrise	Praise & blessing the day.
Prime	6 AM	Beginning of work, dedication.
Terce	9 AM	Mid-morning reflection.
Sext	Noon	Midday pause.
None	3 PM	Grace and planning.
Vespers	Sunset	Evening thanksgiving.
Compline	Before sleep	Night prayers.

Why it mattered

Pace

These hours kept communities mindful of rituals and work cycles long before mechanical clocks standardized time. Today, you can borrow the rhythm to structure collaborative pauses and creative sprints.