Extra: The Northern Count

The Northern Count, the calendar most commonly used upon the continent, arose as a union of the crude, but agriculturally useful solar calender that has been used by farmers since time immemorial with the liturgical lunar calendar favoured by the various churches of the gods. Contrary to popular belief, there is no clear evidence that any of the gods, whether of the current pantheon or one of many more ancient ones, have expressed any feelings whatsoever on any form of calendar; on the whole, it has been the clergy and the governments and administrators of various regions which have imposed the various calendars on their subjects.

The amalgamation of the two types of calendar has resulted in a degree of imprecision and confusion, as evidenced in the naming of the months, especially Seed, and in the general variance in the place of days of liturgical import in relation to the seasons; 1st Hallows, for example, may be anywhere from the day after the winter solstice to four weeks thereafter. The Northern Count is so deeply embedded in the consciousness of the common man and in the administrative structure of the various churches and states, however, that it is unlikely to ever be displaced.

The Count begins on the winter solstice; that is, the first day of the year is also the shortest. The first "true month" of the year, Hallows, begins on the first day of the year on which a new moon rises. In some years (about two in every fifty-nine), 1st Hallows is the first day of the year; in other years, the days before 1st Hallows are shunted into the so-called "false month" of Fores. In any particular year, the month of Fores may not occur it all, or it may last as long as twenty-nine days.

From the 1st of Hallows onwards, each month begins with the day on which the new moon rises. In the past, this caused at times substantial variation due to the problem of observing the moon in inclement weather; in more recent years, astronomy has allowed accurate prediction of the lunar cycle, with each month lasting either twenty-nine or thirty days.

The months are as follows:

Fores is a "false" month beginning on the first day of the year and ending on the day before the first new moon of the year.

Hallows is the first true month of the year and is the beginning of the liturgical calendar. Along with Feasts, it is one of the most important months of the liturgical year; various fasts, contemplations and ceremonies are prescribed by the churches of the various gods.

Hearths, named for the image of the family gathering around the hearth to wait out the last of the winter, is an otherwise uneventful month.

Waters marks the first lightening of the winter darkness; it is named for the period in the solar year marked by the first melting of the snow and frost in the northernmost territories, with which it roughly corresponds.

Songs marks the true end of winter and the beginning of spring. The name comes from the period of celebration it marks in the far north, as the deadly winter finally recedes, but in practice it is the start of the sowing season for most farmers, when the real work of the year begins.

Seeds is named for the start of the sowing season in the north, where the frost takes longer to fully clear away. In reality, if a farmer in the more southern reaches has not started his work by the start of Seeds, he is unlikely to have a successful harvest.

Rains marks a period of heavy rains for the north, and indeed for many other areas, though in some places it is a misnomer, as the summer heat can render it a hot and dry month.

Feasts starts shortly after the summer solstice; it is the second major month in the liturgical calendar. In contrast with the quiet, contemplative tone of Hallows, it is marked by joyful celebration and a number of holy feasts - hence the name of the month.

Sons is a relatively quiet month for many, with the hard work of sowing done and the harvest yet to be ready. For women, however, Sons marks the arrival of the progeny fathered in the cold and quiet winter months.

Harvest is rather self-explanatory; it marks the month in which the harvest is typically begun, though it is begun earlier in the north and later in the warmer south.

Cures - the name derived from the act of curing meat - is the month in which preparations are made for the coming winter. Food is pickled, cured and otherwise stored away, firewood is gathered, and homes are repaired for the coming snow.

Frost marks the start of the winter proper, and the year gradually winds down as the cold descends.

Deeps is the last true month of the year, marked by the darkest depths of winter. Occasionally it is cut a few days short by the winter solstice.

Echoes is the false month that takes up the time between the new moon at the end of Deeps and the winter solstice that marks the start of the next year; like Fores, it varies in length year by year.

Subdivision of the months varies from region to region and from church to church. The most common subdivision is that of the Church of the Silver Crown, since it is by far the dominant sect across the continent. In the Church's calendar, the 1st of every true month and every fifth day thereafter (the 6th, the 11th, and so on to the 26th) is a holy day of rest; this produces a regular six holy days regardless of the length of the month. As Echoes and Fores take place in the depths of winter, few people actively work on any day regardless, and the journey to a place of worship may be incredibly dangerous; thus, no holy days are generally prescribed, though this practice varies from region to region.

-   Anat Celion

    "Calendars of the Continent"

    (13 years before the Shattering)