The Guide of Hours is a medieval prayer guide that was in style in Europe from the thirteenth to the sixteenth centuries. It sometimes contained a wide range of prayers, psalms, and different devotional texts, in addition to illustrations and decorations. Probably the most in style options of the Guide of Hours was the inclusion of soul playing cards, which had been small playing cards that contained prayers for the useless.
Soul playing cards had been typically commissioned by rich people who wished to make sure that their souls can be prayed for after their dying. The playing cards had been sometimes made from parchment or vellum, and so they had been typically embellished with elaborate illustrations. The prayers on the playing cards assorted, however they sometimes included petitions for the soul’s forgiveness, safety, and everlasting relaxation.
