Incised Dials, Scratch Dials, Mass Dials
Olivia Lanni (University of Zurich)
“Scratch dials” or “incised dials” were scratched into stone and could be produced by anybody with a sharp implement. Unfortunately, many have not stood the test of time and have either eroded away or unknowingly removed during renovations.
Pre-Norman Conquest – Tides and Breakfast
Before the Norman Conquest in 1066, the “scratch dials” used by the Anglo-Saxons split daylight into eight or twelve sections. “Octaval dials” (four divisions, halved) were of Anglo-Saxon origin, whereas “duodecimal dials” (four divisions, divided into three) were introduced by the Romans.
Regardless of the exact division system employed, all referred to the triangular sections marked by the lines on the plane as “tides.” On an octaval dial, five crosslines marked the beginning and end of each tide, totaling three in one day. Here, the star on the second line of the dial marks the dæg-mæl, corresponding to modern-day 7:30 a.m. and the Anglo-Saxon time for breakfast!
To mark these tides and to ring in a corresponding set of activities and domestic chores, a tidsceawere or “tide-shower,” who usually lived in the church, would ring the bells accordingly.
These types of dials have also been noted across other parts of Europe. This suggests that they were introduced by the Romans as well, or commonly used in rural communities.
Post-Norman Conquest – Mass and Prayer Rituals
The Norman Conquest changed the religious landscape of Anglo-Saxon England.
Whereas the older “scratch dials” had aided in scheduling chores and domestic activities, the newer “mass dials” that appeared on church walls served to remind the public of when to participate in religious observances.
“Mass dials” followed the liturgical calendar of the Christian church, each line marking a different prayer or religious ritual. Because “mass dials” were so easy to make, they were carved on churches all over the country. Nowadays, remnants of these dials are still recognizable by their sun-like shape and hole in the middle where a style used to sit. With the invention and development of the mechanical clock in the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries, however, these dials eventually fell out of use.