Mage of Clouds (The Cloudmages #2) (86 page)

The Daoine calendar, like that of the Bunús Muintir, is primarily lunar-based. Their “day” is considered to start at sunset. Each month consists of twenty-eight days; there is no further separation into weeks. Rather, the days are counted as being the “thirteenth day of Wideleaf” or the “twenty-first day of Capnut.”

The months are named after various trees of the region, and are (in translation) Longroot, Silverbark, Wideleaf, Straightwood, Fallinglimb, Deereye, Brightflower, Redfruit, Conefir, Capnut, Stranglevine, Softwood, and Sweetsap.

The solar year being slightly more than 365 days, to keep the months from recessing slowly through the seasons over the years, an annual twofold adjustment is made. The first decision is whether there will be additional days added to Sweetsap; the second proclaims which phase of the moon will correspond to the first day of the month that year (the first day of the months during any given year may be considered to start at the new moon, quarter moon waxing, half-moon waxing, three-quarter moon waxing, full moon, three-quarter moon waning, half-moon waning, or quarter moon waning). The proclamation is announced at the Festival of Ghéimri (see below) each year—any extra days are added immediately after Ghéimri and before the first day of Longroot. All this keeps the solar-based festivals and the lunar calendar roughly in line.

This adjustment is traditionally made by the Draíodóiri of the Mother-Creator at the Sunstones Ring at Dún Laoghaire, but the Inish Thuaidh Draíodóiri generally use the Sunstones Ring near Dún Kiil to make their own adjustments, which do not always agree with that of Dun Laoghaire. Thus, the reckoning of days in Talamh an Ghlas and Inish Thuaidh is often slightly different.

The year is considered to start on the first day of Longroot, immediately after the Festival of Ghéimri and any additional days that have been added to Sweetsap.

There are four Great Festivals at the solstices and equinoxes.

The following is a sample year with corresponding Gregorian dates. However, bear in mind that this is only an approximation and will differ slightly each year.

 

1
^st
day of Longroot (New Year’s Day) = September 23

1
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day of Silverbark = October 21

1
^st
day of Wideleaf = November 18

1
^st
day of Straightwood = December 16 Festival of Láfuacht: 7
^th
day of Straightwood (December 22)

1
^st
day of Fallinglimb = January 13

1
^st
day of Deereye = February 10

1
^st
day of Brightflower = March 10 Festival of Fómhar: 11
^th
day of Brightflower (March 20)

1
^st
day of Redfruit = April 7

1
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day of Conefir = May 5

1
^st
day of Capnut = June 2 Festival of Méitha: 19
^th
day of Capnut (June 20)

1
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day of Stranglevine = June 30

1
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day of Softwood = July 28

1
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day of Sweetsap = August 25 Festival of Gheimhri: 28
^th
day of Sweetsap (September 21)