Sefdaanian Ethnography Chapter 2 - Time

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Pronunciation table

p b f v ɱ m t d þ ð ɫ l c s z r n k g x h ȝ sÿ i e a ɵ o u ı ɛ y
/p/ /b/ /ɸ/ /β/ /m̊/ /m/ /t/ /d/ /θ/ /ð/ /l̥/ /l/ /ʦ/ /ʣ/ /s/ /z/ /ɾ̥/ /n/ /k/ /g/ /ç/ /ʝ/ /j̊/ /j/ /sʷ/ /sʲ/ /i/ /e/ /ä/ /ɒ/ /o/ /u/ /ɪ/ /ɛ/ /ʊ/


Written history - ȝa̋raþa festɛsą̋ra

  • The Loquent Peoples have no written accounts of historical facts. There is, however, a detailed mythology of their creation which is related in Chapter 8.

Calendar - áhluxta̋ga

The Sefdaanian calendar system was devised by Ȝumɱa̋ku Ma̋nu, the mage of astronomy. Both the solar cycle and the lunar cycle are used in the ancient original calendar, without an attempt to reconcile the two. The solar cycle is used to number the months and mark the solar festivals and to establish dates, whereas the lunar cycle is used exclusively for marking the semimonthly lunar celebrations.

The Eons and the Eras (ȝı̋kasküe þÿűdasküe)

  • Sefdaanian history/mythology is divided into seven eons (ȝı̋ka) of 225,000,000 years each.
    • The First Eon was that of Yumu (ȝumȝı̋ka), the Self-existent (mi-ese̋ntu), the Ancient-One-Who-Is (sénese̋ntu) and, in reality, stretches back eternally. At the end of that eon, he created light.
    • The Second Eon was that of light (fÿoþȝı̋ka). At the end of the Second Eon, he created the cosmos.
    • The Third Eon was that of the cosmos (alméȝįȝı̋ka). At the end of the Third Eon, he created the elements.
    • The Fourth Eon was that of the elements (þę́xesȝı̋ka). At the end of the Fourth Eon, he created the sentient beings.
    • The Fifth Eon was that of the sentient beings (útantɛȝı̋ka). The Fifth Eon is divided into six eras of 26,000 years each. At the beginning of each era, he created one of the loquent beings.
    • The Sixth Eon was that of the loquent beings (sáƿantɛȝı̋ka). The Sixth Eon is divided into six eras of 26,000 years each. At the beginning of each era, he created one of the loquent beings.
      • The First Era was that of the Ethrans (gálÿǫnþÿűda), the Children of Air, 200,000 BP.
      • The Second Era was that of the Pyrans (ą́þÿonþÿűda), the Children of Fire, 174,000 BP.
      • The Third Era was that of the Hydorans (hurÿonþÿűda), the Children of Water, 148,000 BP.
      • The Fourth Era was that of the Humans (tálÿonþÿűda), the Children of Earth, 122,000 BP.
      • The Fifth Era was that of the Xylans (mą́tÿonþÿűda), the Children of Wood, 96,000 BP.
      • The Sixth Era was that of the Lithans (táinÿonþÿűda), the Children of Stone, 70,000 BP. It was during this Era that the Great Sundering (mezpűla) occurred, during which many fell out of harmony.
    • After the Great Sundering the Seventh Eon began, the Final Eon (muᵹȝı̋ka), the one in which we live today. This Seventh Eon extends as far into the future as the First Eon extends back into the past.

The Solar Cycle – sųlmőda

  • The solar year begins at the winter solstice (hemsűka) and must begin on ilma̋ha. *Each of the twelve solar months (za̋lta, 'twelfth') consists of five six-day weeks. As this gives a total of only 360 days, an intercalary week (ƿǫ́ᵹpena̋ha) of five days is added after the twelfth month. In a leap year (iþdı̋la) this intercalary week has six days (ɱǫ́ᵹsąda̋ha).
  • The solar year is divided into six seasons (ȝę̋ra), each consisting of two periods of approximately 45 days. These ȝę̋ras begin every 30° on the ecliptic (sųlfÿǫ̋lo).

The Seasons - ȝę̋ra

  • There are six seasons in the Sefdaanian year.
  • The underlined names are those used when only four seasons are recognized.
    • he̋ma (winter) 11/23-1/20 – cold to freezing; heavy snow, sometimes sleet or rain; heavy cloud cover most of the time.
    • kı̋ða (spring) 1/21-3/20 – rising temperature with melting of ice and snow; frequent and heavy rain with heavy cloud cover; plants begin to flower, trees to leaf.
    • ke̋sa (early-summer) 3/21-5/21 – temperature continues to rise; ground begins to dry out; plants are in full bloom and leaf; increased sun and wind; warm days and cool nights.
    • lę̋ta (summer) 5/22-7/22 – hot and dry; rains infrequently with little cloud cover; grass turns brown.
    • kų̋ra (autumn) 7/23-9/23 – cooler; clouds in morning and evening often with light rain; leaves begin to change color; crops ready to harvest.
    • ı̨̋fa (early-winter) 9/24-11/22 – temperature continues to fall; leaves begin to fall; increasing rainfall; crisp nights with frost in the morning.
  • Eight celebrations are held in conjunction with the solar year:

↓ = number of days until the next celebration.

winter solstice hemsűka 12/22 42 days↓
spring festival kiðsa̋rno 2/2 45° 46 days↓
vernal equinox kiðpa̋ra 3/21 90° 44 days↓
early-summer festival kesa̋rno 5/5 135° 46 days↓
summer solstice lęþsűka 6/21 180° 47 days↓
autumn festival kųrsa̋rno 8/6 225° 48 days↓
early-winter equinox ifpa̋ra 9/23 270° 44 days↓
early-winter festival ifsa̋rno 11/5 315° 45 days↓
  • The dates of these cross-quarter days do not coincide with those of the contemporary festivals.

The Solar Months - za̋lta

  • The agrarian Peoples (zɵ̋ðɱus), the four Peoples who grow crops and herd livestock, i.e., the Pyrans, Hydorans, Humans and Lithans, have a twelve-month calendar, the names of which months are taken from the natural world.
The twelve months of the year
# of month Name of month Translation Dates Season
1 toɱę̋a snowdrift month 12/22-1/20
2 ce̋ra antler-growing month 1/21-2/19 kiða
3 pı̨̋ta sap-tapping month 2/20-3/21
4 tı̋ba grass-sprouting month 3/22-4/20 ke̋sa
5 na̋na flower-blooming month 4/21-5/20
6 tı̨̋þa heating month 5/21-6/19 lę̋ta
7 ga̋þa berry-picking month 6/20-7/19
8 kőȝa harvesting month 7/20-8/18 kų̋ra
9 ą̋ka colored-leaf month 8/19-9/17
10 ca̋da rutting month 9/18-10/17 ı̨̋fa
11 gűsa leaf-falling month 10/18-11/16
12 lų̋fa snow-falling month 11/17-12/16 he̋ma
ɱǫ́ᵹpena̋ha intercalary week 12/17-12/21
  • The Xylans also have a twelve-month calendar, the months of which are named after trees.
# of month Name of month Translation Dates Season
1 ȝőina juniper 12/22-1/20
2 ða̋na silver fir 1/21-2/19 kiða
3 aca̋na Norway maple 2/20-3/21
4 cüa̋ma linden 3/22-4/20 ke̋sa
5 sa̋lka willow 4/21-5/20
6 abe̋la apple 5/21-6/19 lę̋ta
7 xı̋ba ash 6/20-7/19
8 pe̋rküa oak 7/20-8/18 kų̋ra
9 vą̋ᵶa beech 8/19-9/17
10 kűnüa walnut 9/18-10/17 ı̨̋fa
11 ı̨̋ɱa yew 10/18-11/16
12 tǫ̋pa elm 11/17-12/16 he̋ma
ɱǫ́ᵹpena̋ha 12/17-12/21

System of Dating – ahluka̋m pą̋so

  • The days of the months are numbered using the cardinal number with the name of the month in the genitive case. Thus, lų̋fa 25th would be lųfa̋s xÿűr pen.
  • The years are numbered according to their order in the era or eon. The current era is called the present era and dates from the winter solstice of 42,000 B.C. Thus the present year dated from 22 December 2015 is N.T. (N.Þ.) 44,015. N.T. (N.Þ.) stands for nı̋ka þÿuda̋s, ‘of the present era’.

The Zodiac – þasmőda

  • The zodiac is the annual cycle of the sun around the ecliptic. The Ethrans saw in the star arrangements fanciful pictures of the animals that were native to Sefdaania, arranged in a more or less equal distribution around the ecliptic. They divided the ecliptic into twelve domains (ą̋ra) of 30° each.
  • By the Sefdaanian reckoning, the starting point of the ecliptic is at the winter solstice which is marked 0°, although the vernal equinox is at 0° by contemporary reckoning.
degree domain date
tur/kı̋te 12/22
30° bear/ve̋re 1/20
60° eagle/őre 2/19
90° horse/mőre 3/21
120° hare/cą̋se 4/20
150° turtle/kűe 5/21
180° aurochs/ta̋ure 6/21
210° lion/bɪ̨̋re 7/23
240° dragon/pą̋me 8/24
270° boar/epe̋re 9/23
300° squirrel/oɱe̋re 10/23
330° salmon/la̋ce 11/22

The Sexagenary Cycle – tı̨̋r xÿurᵹe̋va mőda

  • By combining the twelve zodiac signs (þásmoðne̋uo) with the names of the five precious jewels (a̋ro nÿe̋mo): ruby (xÿų̋ro), orange topaz (pų̋co), emerald (mı̋lo), sapphire (düı̋no),and amethyst (ɫı̋fo), a sexagenary cycle was created which is also used extensively in dating events, so that events are recorded as taking place in the year of the amethyst lion, the sapphire dragon, etc.

The Week - sąða̋ha

  • After the creation of all six of the Loquent Peoples, the days of the week (which were formerly simply numbered) were given the names of the six avatars of God worshipped by each people, in the order of the creation of each people.
  • When a seventh day is needed for the contemporary calendar, it is named ilmɛȝı̋ta, Ilmus’ eve. The week is then sefa̋ha.
ilma̋ha Ilmus’ day Ethrans Sunday
pų́sana̋ha Puusenus’ day Pyrans Monday
nęra̋ha Neerus’ day Hydorans Tuesday
tárona̋ha Taronus’ day Humans Wednesday
pérkuna̋ha Perkunus’ day Xylans Thursday
kábeira̋ha Kabeirus’ day Lithans Friday
ílmɛȝı̋ta Ilmus’ eve Saturday

The Day - a̋ha

  • All time and calendar references are based on a duodecimal system. The day is divided into 24 sections known as te̋nas. The day begins at sunrise (nę̋da). In modern times this is considered to be 6:00 a.m. Each of the hours is named for an animal, as follows:
1st hour (6:00 a.m.) hoopoe ópofte̋na
2nd hour quail rę́kinte̋na
3rd hour grebe kuite̋na
4th hour stork hoste̋na
5th hour swan kųᵹte̋na
6th hour honey bee vįte̋na
7th hour (noon) eagle orte̋na
8th hour swift ᵹelte̋na
9th hour loon axte̋na
10th hour heron rǫðte̋na
11th hour goose gąrte̋na
12th hour butterfly pą́pilte̋na
13th hour
(6:00 p.m.)
woodpecker pįxte̋na
14th hour snipe tilte̋na
15th hour gull meɱte̋na
16th hour osprey gaste̋na
17th hour grasshopper fefte̋na
18th hour nightingale áɱęðte̋na
19th hour
(midnight)
owl simte̋na
20th hour gyrfalcon árgifte̋na
21st hour jay ceihte̋na
22nd hour dove álunte̋na
23rd hour mallard naþte̋na
24th hour kingfisher cę́rolte̋na
  • The daylight hours are comprised of eight unequal sections:
1 daybreak ahtőda
2 dawn va̋iᵹa daybreak to sunrise
3 sunrise nę̋da
4 morning ą̋ȝa sunrise to noon
5 noon lőuna
6 afternoon sı̋xa noon to sunset
7 sunset dų̋a
8 evening ȝı̋ta sunset to nightfall
nightfall ląþtőda
midnight meðlą̋ta
  • Telling time is always done by addition, never by subtraction; thus, 2:45, not 15 minutes (a quarter) to 3. The hour (te̋na) is told by the ordinal number. Thus 2:00 is düőta te̋na, the second hour. The minutes (te̋nka) are told by the cardinal numbers. Thus 2:45 is düőta te̋na düo xÿűr pen, the second hour forty-five. If there are seconds (sa̋mpa), they are added to the minutes using the co-ordinating conjunction. Thus, 2:45:16 is düőta te̋na düo xÿűr penküe kűsküe.
  • Keeping time is the task of one of the adepts in each citadel. He is known as the tenpǫ̋þlu, the time guardian. He is also known as the ȝą̋xlu, the chandler. It is solely his task to make candles from the bees’ wax, both for lighting and for keeping time.

The Lunar Cycle – zęrmőda

  • The lunar cycle contains twelve or thirteen months (e̋ida). The first month begins at midnight of the day on which the first crescent of the first new moon after hemsűka is sighted. The other months begin at midnight on the day of the successive new moons. These months are merely numbered.
  • The lunar months are divided into halves. The waxing moon (ɱǫge̋ida) extends from the date of the new moon to the date of the full moon. The waning moon (lųde̋ida) extends from the date of the full moon to the date of the new moon.

Calendar summary - ahlúxtaga̋s ı̋sra

  • s° = Sefdaanian degree; c° = contemporary degree.
ahlűka
date
f̨a̋ga
month
þasmődo
zodiac
þeexe̋so
element
na̋no
flower
me̋a
degree s°/c°
ȝe̋ra
season
sa̋rno
festival
sűka
turning
12/22 sigf̨a̋ga kı̋te tur
Capricorn 
ga̋a̋lo
air
ȝűri
honeysuckle
0°/270° hemsűka
winter solstice
1/21 piiþf̨a̋ga ve̋re bear
Aquarius 
a̋a̋þe
fire
ma̋a̋ki
poppy
30°/300° kı̋ða
late winter
2/2 45°/315° kiðsa̋rno
late winter festival
2/20 pı̨̋ta őre eagle
Pisces 
water lavender 60°/330° kiðsűka
3/20 ke̋sa
spring
kespa̋ra
vernal equinox
3/22 tı̋ba mőre/horse
Aries 
earth rose 90°/0° spring
4/21 na̋na ṡe̋ṡe hare
Taurus 
wood labűżi
clematis
120°/30° kes̈űka
5/5 135°/45° kes̈a̋rno
spring festival
5/21 tı̋ı̋þa
5/22 he̋le turtle
Gemini
stone eba̋ki
hollyhock
150°/60° summer
6/21 ga̋þa ta̋ure aurochs>br>Cancer  air sÿűmi
violet
180°/90° leeþsűka
summer solstice
leeþsűka
7/20 kőȝa fire pűi
primrose
kuűra
late summer
7/23 bı̋ı̋re lion
Leo 
210°/120° late summer
8/6 225°/135° kuursa̋rno
late summer festival
8/19 a̋a̋ka water water lily kuursűka
8/23 pa̋a̋me dragon
Virgo 
240°/150°
9/18 cada earth ace̋nti
lady slipper
9/23 epe̋re boar
Libra 
270°/180° ı̋fa
autumn
ifpa̋ra
autumn equinox
10/18 gűsa wood ðerge̋ni
dogwood
10/23 epe̋re squirrel
Scorpius 
300°/210°
11/5 315°/225° ifsa̋rno
autumn festival
11/17 luűfa sı̋zi
crocus
11/22 la̋ce salmon
Sagittarius 
330°/240° he̋ma
winter
12/17 m̃óóƣpena̋ha
intercalary