The life of a monk was very strict with rules and timetables for prays, which had to be kept. This meant getting up in the early hours of the morning to say prays.

Monks were not allowed to talk during meals, instead they would make hand signals. During the summer they received two meals a day, but during the winter there was only one meal.

Most holy orders wore long woolen habits and you could tell which order they belonged to by the colour of the habit. Benedictines wore black, Cistercians undyed wool or white, while other orders wore brown. The habit consisted of a hood and girdle and the monk carried a bible and staff.

When monks joined the monastery they had to give everything away, only keeping a begging bowl. Within the monastery there were lay brothers and servants to do heavy work to allow the monks to spend most of their time in pray.

Prays

Matins 0200 hours
Lauds 0500 hours
Prime 0630 hours
Terse 0900 hours
Sext 1200 hours
None 1500 hours
Vespers 1600 hours
Compline 1700 hours

 

 

The life of a medieval monk