The Breviarum Defunctorum is a book that contains the Litany for a Happy Death, a prayer that school nuns suggest students memorize - according to the Handbook for Grade School Nuns (Saint Fidgeta and Other Parodies, 108).
Inspiration[]
The Breviary (Latin: breviarium) is a book in many Western Christian denominations that contains all the liturgical texts for the Office, whether said in choir or in private. Historically, different breviaries were used in the various parts of Christendom, such as Aberdeen Breviary, Belleville Breviary, Stowe Breviary and Isabella Breviary, although eventually the Roman Breviary became the standard within the Roman Catholic Church[1].
Bowen isn’t readily sure if there really is an official book of prayers for the dead but we're betting Bellairs's Breviary of the Dead is another one of the author's creations. "Every priest had to read these every day, though outside of monasteries they didn't have to be read at the specified hours. Monks would chant the prayers, but priests only had to read them silently (it was called ‘reading (or saying) one’s office’) and could do it whenever they found time. The books were small enough to be carried in a pocket.[2]"
References[]
- ↑ Wikipedia: Breviary
- ↑ Correspondence with Charles Bowen.