The year length is similar to Earth, i.e. 365.245 (decimal)
days. The octal numbering system leads to an eight day week.
The year is divided into seasons of equal length, each of five
eight day weeks of 40 (decimal) days (50 octal). This leaves 5
(decimal) days over, which form the waiting days,
traditionally a fast. Leap days are added to this period.
The Calendar starts at the summer solstice. The Seasons are
allocated to the Great Houses, and run in the following order
(Note 1: dates are only approximate, because I've got them two
days out somewhere. Note 2: the Seasons of the Cock and the
Cunt are transposed from the normal ordering of the Houses,
because of the needs of agriculture):
The Season of the Foot
22nd June-29th July. Primary celebration of the Foot is the
first Foot of the Foot, 22 June, traditional day for the start
of pilgrimages.
The Season of the Nose
30th July-7th September
The Season of the Hand
8th September-17th October. The autumn equinox is the second
Stomach of the Hand.
The Season of the Ear
18th October-27th November
The Season of the Mouth
28th November-6th January. The winter solstice is the the
fourth Foot of the Mouth. On this occasion the Mouth joins with
the Eye in a great ceremony at dawn in the Square of Justice,
to chant the Sun up.
The Season of the Stomach
7th January-15th February
The Season of the Cock
16th February-27th March. The spring equinox is the last Hand
of the Cock. This day is celebrated in a manner similar to
April Fools day - it is a festival dedicated to masturbation
and other wholly pointless amusements. The traditional day for
starting ploughing is the first Cock of the Cock. The Rite of
the Plough is celebrated on that day in the villages nearest
the Rim. The officiating priests then work in, concentricly,
across the plain, arriving in the villages nearest the city on
the last Cock of the Cock. The final celebration of the Rite of
the Plough takes place in the City in the season of the Cunt.
The Season of the Cunt
28th March-6th May. Various rites are celebrated by the House
of the Cunt during this season, mostly among herding
communities. However, these rites are governed by phases of the
moon rather than by specific dates. In particular, the Rite of
the Mare takes place on the first New Moon during this season.
The rites of the Cunt always take place in darkness and are
more or less secret.
The Season of the Eye
7th May-16th June
The Waiting Days
16-21st June. By convention part of no week, and no month. Days
are known as the first, second, &c, waiting day. A leap day
becomes the sixth waiting day.
The Days of the Week
As implied in the foregoing, the days of the week are each
dedicated to one of the Great Houses in order; however, no day
is dedicated to the Eye, which claims to supervise all days. In
fact the calendar took it's present form in the years following
the Closing of the Eye, when the power of the Eye was at its
least.
The Calendar used Beyond the Rim
Naturally, the calendar above describes the system as used
by the peoples of the Great Place. Beyond the Rim a different
calendar is widely used, originating from the Matrideic
practices of the Iachaorachaorusduadh. This calendar
is ancient and simple, being based on the Fifteen Ages of the
Moon as counted from the first new moon after the Spring
Equinox.
Copyright (c)
Simon
Brooke 1992-1995
Comments, criticism and feedback welcomed.
@
give me
feedback on this page // show previous
feedback on this page