Two recommended articles:
A.J. Turner, "Anglo-Saxon Sun-Dials and the 'Tidal' or 'Octaval'
System of Time Measurement," Antiquarian Horology 15 (1984): 76-77.
Allan A. Mills, "Seasonal Hour Sundials on Vertical and Horizontal
Planes, with an Explanation of the Scratch Dial," Annals of Science
50 (1993): 83-93.
According to Turner, the word "tid" meant hour (1/24 of a day) in
Anglo-Saxon times as well as time in general--i.e., hora and tempus,
to put this in Latin. Later the word tid was extended to refer to
any period of time, and in this context was applied to the periods
marking the canonical hours, when the clergy were supposed to pray.
These canonical hours were three-hours apart:
sunrise matins
1st hour prime
3rd hour terce (mid-morning)
6th hour sext (noon)
9th hour nones (mid-afternoon)
sunset vespers
3rd hour of compline
night
etc.
The supposed octaval system of time-measurement was never used by the
Anglo-Saxons, and arises from confusion in interpreting surviving
scratch dials on churches which were used to mark the times of prayer.
Sara
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