The Marnic Calendar

The Marnic calendar was originally developed in PMY 35 by the astronomer Ketrimya, and was gradually installed by the Senates to replace the older Tlankuric lunar calendar between PMY 30 and PMY 15. During the Unification of the Tlankuram, which led to the formation of the Federation, the High Senate declared Ketrimya’s calendar to be the Federal count of days. Among the Injili, the Marnic calendar never managed to establish more than perfunctory use in replacement of the native lunar calendar, and in Idroslekh, an alternative solar calendar was already so widespread that the Senates did not bother to supplant it. Today, the Marnic calendar enjoys widespread use in Drecitou, Sraiyag Vacan, Cil Adasiga, Kivlepra, and Utempe. The Injili calendar is used in the Sea of Injil, Ishkula, Varpus, Davnost, and Najivano, and the Idroslekhi calendar in its native lands.

Due to the complexities of maintaining a calendar based on two moons, the Marnic calendar is a solar calendar rather than lunar. There are four hundred days in the Marnic calendrical year, with four “days of not” in the winter. There are sixteen months, each with twenty-five days. The “days of not” consist of the two days before and two days after the night of the winter solstice. The sixteen months are:

 I.  Yuintedromi (“hardened”)

 II. Virkoin Irzanut (“first famine”).

 III. Diontämu Irzanut (“second famine”)

 IV. Utastei-Marralu (“winds of fog”).

 V.  <span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Book Antiqua";mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"">Indoyäst (“cracked”).

<p style="margin-left:.75in;text-indent:-.5in;mso-list:l1 level1 lfo2; tab-stops:list .75in"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 10.0pt;font-family:"Book Antiqua";mso-fareast-font-family:"Book Antiqua"; mso-bidi-font-family:"Book Antiqua""> VI. <span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Book Antiqua";mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"">Virkoin Setaihtei (“first rains”).

<p style="margin-left:.75in;text-indent:-.5in;mso-list:l1 level1 lfo2; tab-stops:list .75in"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 10.0pt;font-family:"Book Antiqua";mso-fareast-font-family:"Book Antiqua"; mso-bidi-font-family:"Book Antiqua""> VII. <span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Book Antiqua";mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"">Diontämu Setaihtei (“second rains”).

<p style="margin-left:.75in;text-indent:-.5in;mso-list:l1 level1 lfo2; tab-stops:list .75in"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 10.0pt;font-family:"Book Antiqua";mso-fareast-font-family:"Book Antiqua"; mso-bidi-font-family:"Book Antiqua""> VIII. <span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Book Antiqua";mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"">Ñuedotei (“blossoms”).

<p style="margin-left:.75in;text-indent:-.5in;mso-list:l1 level1 lfo2; tab-stops:list .75in"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 10.0pt;font-family:"Book Antiqua";mso-fareast-font-family:"Book Antiqua"; mso-bidi-font-family:"Book Antiqua""> IX. <span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Book Antiqua";mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"">Smatämro (“sowed”).

<p style="margin-left:.75in;text-indent:-.5in;mso-list:l1 level1 lfo2; tab-stops:list .75in"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 10.0pt;font-family:"Book Antiqua";mso-fareast-font-family:"Book Antiqua"; mso-bidi-font-family:"Book Antiqua""> X.  <span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Book Antiqua";mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"">Virkoin Ġame (“first heat”).

<p style="margin-left:.75in;text-indent:-.5in;mso-list:l1 level1 lfo2; tab-stops:list .75in"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 10.0pt;font-family:"Book Antiqua";mso-fareast-font-family:"Book Antiqua"; mso-bidi-font-family:"Book Antiqua""> XI. <span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Book Antiqua";mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"">Diontämu Ġame (“second heat”).

<p style="margin-left:.75in;text-indent:-.5in;mso-list:l1 level1 lfo2; tab-stops:list .75in"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 10.0pt;font-family:"Book Antiqua";mso-fareast-font-family:"Book Antiqua"; mso-bidi-font-family:"Book Antiqua""> XII. <span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Book Antiqua";mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"">Guetai (“thirst”).

<p style="margin-left:.75in;text-indent:-.5in;mso-list:l1 level1 lfo2; tab-stops:list .75in"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 10.0pt;font-family:"Book Antiqua";mso-fareast-font-family:"Book Antiqua"; mso-bidi-font-family:"Book Antiqua""> XIII. <span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Book Antiqua";mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"">Farudei (“storms”).

<p style="margin-left:.75in;text-indent:-.5in;mso-list:l1 level1 lfo2; tab-stops:list .75in"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 10.0pt;font-family:"Book Antiqua";mso-fareast-font-family:"Book Antiqua"; mso-bidi-font-family:"Book Antiqua""> XIV. <span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Book Antiqua";mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"">Virkoli Yatimturri (“first harvest”).

<p style="margin-left:.75in;text-indent:-.5in;mso-list:l1 level1 lfo2; tab-stops:list .75in"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 10.0pt;font-family:"Book Antiqua";mso-fareast-font-family:"Book Antiqua"; mso-bidi-font-family:"Book Antiqua""> XV. <span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Book Antiqua";mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"">Diontäih Yatimturri (“second harvest”).

<p style="margin-left:.75in;text-indent:-.5in;mso-list:l1 level1 lfo2; tab-stops:list .75in"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 10.0pt;font-family:"Book Antiqua";mso-fareast-font-family:"Book Antiqua"; mso-bidi-font-family:"Book Antiqua""> XVI. <span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Book Antiqua";mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"">Idzerm (“grey”).

<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Book Antiqua"; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"">Each month is divided into five weeks, each composed of five days. The days take their names from an ancient Marnic poet’s simile for life, how it dawns and dusks as the sun of Fanrutis does. The five days are:

<p style="margin-left:.75in;text-indent:-.5in;mso-list:l2 level1 lfo3; tab-stops:list .75in"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 10.0pt;font-family:"Book Antiqua";mso-fareast-font-family:"Book Antiqua"; mso-bidi-font-family:"Book Antiqua""> I.  <span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Book Antiqua";mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"">Tyivä (“Dawn”)

<p style="margin-left:.75in;text-indent:-.5in;mso-list:l2 level1 lfo3; tab-stops:list .75in"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 10.0pt;font-family:"Book Antiqua";mso-fareast-font-family:"Book Antiqua"; mso-bidi-font-family:"Book Antiqua""> II. <span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Book Antiqua";mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"">Rigvarneu (“Ascent”)

<p style="margin-left:.75in;text-indent:-.5in;mso-list:l2 level1 lfo3; tab-stops:list .75in"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 10.0pt;font-family:"Book Antiqua";mso-fareast-font-family:"Book Antiqua"; mso-bidi-font-family:"Book Antiqua""> III. <span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Book Antiqua";mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"">Sartai (“Zenith”)

<p style="margin-left:.75in;text-indent:-.5in;mso-list:l2 level1 lfo3; tab-stops:list .75in"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 10.0pt;font-family:"Book Antiqua";mso-fareast-font-family:"Book Antiqua"; mso-bidi-font-family:"Book Antiqua""> IV. <span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Book Antiqua";mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"">Solvarneu (“Descent”)

<p style="margin-left:.75in;text-indent:-.5in;mso-list:l2 level1 lfo3; tab-stops:list .75in"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 10.0pt;font-family:"Book Antiqua";mso-fareast-font-family:"Book Antiqua"; mso-bidi-font-family:"Book Antiqua""> V.  <span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Book Antiqua";mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"">Giran (“Dusk”).

<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Book Antiqua"; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"">To explain which particular week of the month a day may fall under, one would state, for example, “First Giran,” or “Third Giran.” The year is notated at the end. So, for an example of a full date, the day on which the adventuring party of Rhur Azsten first met in the Paakirjäni city of Hakeli was: Second Sartai of Guetai, 198th Free Year.

<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Book Antiqua"; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"">The four “days of not” fall under no month, nor do they fit into the otherwise highly organised system of weeks and days. Instead, they were each given an independent name.

<p style="margin-left:.75in;text-indent:-.5in;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops:list .75in"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 10.0pt;font-family:"Book Antiqua";mso-fareast-font-family:"Book Antiqua"; mso-bidi-font-family:"Book Antiqua""> I.  <span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Book Antiqua";mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"">Someli Arta (“heavy sun”).

<p style="margin-left:.75in;text-indent:-.5in;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops:list .75in"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 10.0pt;font-family:"Book Antiqua";mso-fareast-font-family:"Book Antiqua"; mso-bidi-font-family:"Book Antiqua""> II. <span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Book Antiqua";mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"">Taor Livs (“white grass”).

<p style="margin-left:.75in;text-indent:-.5in;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops:list .75in"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 10.0pt;font-family:"Book Antiqua";mso-fareast-font-family:"Book Antiqua"; mso-bidi-font-family:"Book Antiqua""> III. <span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Book Antiqua";mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"">Idumeu Yen (“empty sky”).

<p style="margin-left:.75in;text-indent:-.5in;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops:list .75in"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 10.0pt;font-family:"Book Antiqua";mso-fareast-font-family:"Book Antiqua"; mso-bidi-font-family:"Book Antiqua""> IV. <span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Book Antiqua";mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"">Onarili Dwama (“silent tree”).

<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Book Antiqua"; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"">Finally, it should be noted that the formal names of the months and the four “days of not” are only spoken by the nobility of Drecitou and Sraiyag Vacan, or written (though, in Drecitou, literacy is a skill mainly confined to the nobility as it is). In common pronunciation, the longer names are simply abbreviated. For example, a lowborn speaker from Drecitou would not bother pronouncing “Diontäih Yatimturri” unless speaking to a nobleman, but would rather slur it down to “Dyonturri.”