Eymic Calendar

History

Eymic cultures traditionally used lunar calendars of common Verdenic origin. Beginning in the mid first century YA, a number of scholars devised lunisolar calendars that received various degrees of use, primarily driven by a growing interest in historiography among the literate priestly communities of Eymalonn. This effort culminated in ca. 140 when a Fennic priest named Bauk constructed a purely solar calendar, which came to be known as Aldoronn kneffa (‘Aldoro’s years’) in eastern Eymalonn.

Bauk was the husband of the Fennic king Shermöil I, who ruled from 101 to 114, when she was overthrown by her cousin, Harhwon IV. Bauk survived this and fled into exile, initially seeking refuge at the monastery at Hufa, but he later journeyed southwards into Baklalonn, where he came into the retinue of Eymero I, who was at that time the King of Syollonn.

Bauk devised his calendar as part of a historiographical project patronised by Eymero. As part of this, he also prescribed dates for many mythological events, all centred on the life and deeds of the Syollic king Aldoro I, after whom the calendar was named. With Eymero’s backing, this calendar was adopted by the literate class of Baklalonn, and it later spread further with the widening of Baklan power. It had become common in eastern Eymalonn by the end of the third century YA and was widely adopted in the west by the fifth century. In the wake of the Gundic conquest of Eymalonn in the latter half of the fifth century, Bauk’s calendar was gradually replaced in all spheres of life by the Gundic calendar, however it retained considerable currency in monastic and priestly communities for a number of centuries.

Description

Bauk’s calendar emphasised the solar year of 324 days. Each year was made up of 8 months of 40 or 41 days, which did not correspond to the length of lunar months. Instead, the months were paired to closely align with annual seasonal changes, as shown in the following table:

SeasonMonthLength
SpringThleygneppa40 days
Lewnthrodba41 days
SummerBrapponerba40 days
Elfwoba41 days
AutumnLofwerba40 days
Pyakwerba41 days
WinterSapponerba40 days
Ewvowmma41 days
Total324 days

The year was also divided into 40½ weeks of 8 days each. The common names of the days were as follows:

  1. Alowsra
  2. Asthesra
  3. Mowsra
  4. Syegesra
  5. Laydosra
  6. Ewldosra
  7. Syokkosra
  8. Sekkosra

The uneven number of weeks per year resulted in regular cycles of pairs of years. The first year, sometimes known as Yaronnep (‘the Year of the Man’), would always start on Alowsra, and the second, sometimes called Awdhennep (‘the Year of the Beast’), would start on Laydosra. See below for a full diagram of the two-year cycle:

YaronnepAwdhennep
Al.As.M.Sye.L.E.Syo.Sek.Al.As.M.Sye.L.E.Syo.Sek.
123456781234
91011121314151656789101112
17181920212223241314151617181920
25262728293031322122232425262728
33343536373839402930313233343536
12345678373839401234
91011121314151656789101112
17181920212223241314151617181920
25262728293031322122232425262728
33343536373839402930313233343536
4112345673738394041123
891011121314154567891011
16171819202122231213141516171819
24252627282930312021222324252627
32333435363738392829303132333435
4012345673637383940123
891011121314154567891011
16171819202122231213141516171819
24252627282930312021222324252627
32333435363738392829303132333435
404112345636373839404112
7891011121314345678910
15161718192021221112131415161718
23242526272829301920212223242526
31323334353637382728293031323334
394012345635363738394012
7891011121314345678910
15161718192021221112131415161718
23242526272829301920212223242526
31323334353637382728293031323334
39404112345353637383940411
67891011121323456789
14151617181920211011121314151610
22232425262728291819202122232425
30313233343536372627282930313233
38394012345343536373839401
67891011121323456789
14151617181920211011121314151617
22232425262728291819202122232425
30313233343536372627282930313233
383940413435363738394041

Two eras were defined for the numbering of years, which were known in eastern Eymalonn as Gameg Ban (‘the Elder Age,’ gen. Gamegann Banann) and Galomma Ban (‘the Younger Age,’ gen. Galommann Banann). These were typically only specified when necessary, and in such cases were written out in full. In translation, dates of the Elder Age are most commonly distinguished with negative numbers. For example, -150 refers to 150 of the Elder Age, while 150 refers to 150 of the Younger Age. Alternatively, the abbreviations EA and YA may be used.