The Appendix on calendars (TC)
may well be the least often read part of LR. More than others it may
appear to the casual reader as a desparate attempt to fill some pages that
could have been used for different purposes (say, more hobbit family trees).
The extremely compressed and easily confusing account of the described calendar
systems may add to passing by this section.
Yet, it ought not to be so.
Rather than being a mathematical pastime, the calendar systems form an integral
part of the history and chronology of Arda, not only in TC but also in
several other documents. It may therefore be helpful to the readers of LR
to lay out Arda's different ways to reckon time in a more systematic fashion,
including an annual calendar table, where possible.
A day-by-day calendar of 2941 TA in Steward's, Shire, and
Imladris reckoning, based upon the following discussion and the essay The
Moon and Durin's Day, 2941 TA, is available as a separate document.
Other than the calendars of
Middle-earth, the Valian Year never achieved a definite composition. Notes
about an early system are spread throughout AV and TE.: here, the
Valian Year, valid throughout the Ages of the Trees, equalled exactly 10 solar
years. However, it had as well 365 days, and these were divided into 12 months
of 30 days each (entry LEP-). Each five days were added to a lemna
or week and named in sequence:
|
Quenya |
Noldorin (Sindarin) |
|
(Ar)Manwen |
Ar Vanwe* |
|
(Ar)Ulmon |
Ar Uiar |
|
(Ar)Veruen |
Ar Vedhwen or Ar Velegol |
|
(Ar)Fanturion |
Ar Fennuir |
|
Nessaron or Neldion |
Ar Nethwelein or Ar Neleduir |
* under
the entry AR- called Arvanwe
How the months were named
is not recorded. Minyen, the first day of the year, and quantien,
the last day, seem to have played a special rôle (entry YEN-). The
remaining five days to sum up 365 were collected in the centre of the Valian
Year by an endien, enedhim or middle week following the 6th month, often
called Aldalemnar and Galadlevnar or Week of the Trees. This
calendaric conception later reappeared in a draft of the Dunédainic reckoning (PM)
which however used the traditional seven-days week. 100 Valian Years were
finally added to an age or randa (entry RAN-). There are no
informations about leap years or the relation of the year to the seasons.
According to this
conception, in the Ages of the Sun seven solar hours corresponded to one former
hour of the Trees. A Year of the Sun was initially meant to consist of 350
days, so that it would again have been shorter than the Valian Year by a factor
10. However, the plan of the Valar was double-crossed by the actual movement of
the celestial bodies, and a Valian Year finally became equal to 9.582 years
consisting of the familiar 365.2422 days that required the introduction of
complicated leap-year reckoning.
This appears quite
surprising, for some records of AA take rather long if converted into
years. One of their consequences is that the Noldor spent about 40 years on
flight - as long as the Exodus and certainly not unintenionally so!
But alas: a late statement
found in MT (but belonging to AF) says that ultimately, one
Valian Year corresponded even to "twelve times
twelve mortal years" (MT). This finally toppled the
chronology of AA: it is entirely inconceivable that the Noldor would
have spent about 700 years to leave Valinor. So the remark that "we may, as did the Eldar themselves, use the Valian unit"
(MT) is certainly not referring to the entries of AA as a
footnote suggests, but rather to the mathematical definition of the Valian
Year. Hence, if the same structure still applied, with 1 Valian Year = 144
solar years we obtain:
·
1 Valian Day = 52.596 d
= 1,263.304 h
· 1 Valian Hour = 4.383 d = 105.192 h
If the original plan of the
Valar had still been a year of 350 days, one Valian Year would have been equal
to 150,271 solar years. It is likely that a more even value of 150 years was
intended.
There is still no statement
about months or leap-years in the Valian Year of whatever definition; probably
neither did exist. However, L347 discusses the „Quenya
names of the 6-day week, brought from Valinor", and we thus have
specific evidence that at least a reckoning of weeks had been introduced. This
concept prevailed in the Calendar of Imladris, see below.
According to AA, the
solar reckoning was retained in Valinor even after its removal from Arda.
Note: There is no need
to discuss the evolution of the Middle-earth calendars in the changing
conceptions of Arda, for this has been done in PM. Nothing could be
added to that.
We do not know what kind of
calendars were used in Beleriand during the Ages of the Trees. When sun and
moon first rose in the sky, the need to design a new calendar must have become evident
to everyone who had eyes to see; however, as no one in Beleriand maintained
contact to the Valar the diurnal and annual motions of the new celestial bodies
had to be traced by observation. This empiric process certainly took a
considerable length of time, not at least because the gained ephemerides were
soon spoilt by the celestial bodies' deviations and variations from the
intended orbit. Thus, many events esp. in the first two centuries of the First
Age are probably dated in retrospective conjecture and thus not fully reliable.
There was probably a
generally valid calendar established. Even if King Thingol should have
initiated a standard reckoning by decree, by the time he could have issued it
several regions were already decoupled from events in the outside world. Thus,
when Gondolin much later celebrated a festival known as "the Gates of Summer" (S) at the day
before the summer solstice, this cannot readily be assumed for all of Beleriand.
However, a few features of
the most common Beleriandic calendar are distinguishable: The Noldor had
introduced the Valinorean week or enquië, and very early in the Second
Age it was adopted - and subsequently altered - by the Edain of Númenor. One enquië,
as mentioned before, consisted of six ré or days which were arranged in
the following sequence:
|
Quenya |
Sindarin |
Translation |
|
Elenya |
Orgilion |
Starday |
|
Anarya |
Oranor |
Sunday |
|
Isilya |
Orithil |
Mo(o)nday |
|
Aldúya |
Orgaladhad |
Treesday |
|
Menelya |
Ormenel |
Heavensday |
|
Valanya |
Orbelain (Rodyn) |
Valarday |
It seems as well that the
first day of the Beleriandic reckoning was called yestarë and the last
day mettarë, for both reappeared in the Númenórean calendar and then in the
Imladris reckoning. The New Year was probably celebrated in spring by the
Eldar, referring to the spring 1 FA when the rising of the sun provoked the
Awakening of the Elves (QE). The feast of Mereth Aderthad, held in
spring of 20 FA, may in fact have been a New Year's celebration, while the
Edain "adhered to the custom of beginning the
year in mid-winter." (TC) Like the later Calendar of
Imladris did, the Beleriandic reckoning probably did not count months of any
kind. About annual cycles, leap-years etc. we have no information.
It may appear surprising
that Angband as well heeded this or another astronomically-based calendar: But
Morgoth's argument of course was tactical: He initiated p.e. the Dagor
Bragollach at the winter solstice (GA) and the attack on Gondolin at
Midsummer's Eve because he correctly expected general attention to be low on
such occasions (and, as he did so repeatedly, it seems that the Noldorin
strategists were quite reluctant to learn from experience...).
This is the only Elvish
calendar preserved in some detail, but as seen before, it featured many details
that were already present in the most common Eldarin calendar of the First Age.
The Imladris Reckoning, however, was of course established in the second half
of the Second Age - not before it became obvious to the Noldor that there would
be no return to Eregion.
Its cardinal unit was the yén,
corresponding to 144 coranári "or
'sun-round' when considered more or less astronomically, but usually called loa
'growth'" (TC) for agricultural purposes. The yén, we
may add, was also equivalent to one Valian Year in the conception of MT,
but some hobbit remarked that it equalled 144 coranári simply because
"the Eldar preferred to reckon in sixes and twelves
as far as possible" (TC). Also, "for ritual rather than practical purposes" (TC)
the Eldar divided a yén into 8766 enquier in consecutive
numbering. One yén thus consisted of 52596 ré and one loa
of 60.8 enquier or 365 ré; the years then began with the same day
of the week again after a 24-year cycle.
The loa was further
divided into six units of different length "that
might be regarded either as long months or short seasons". (TC)
These were called in consecutive order "spring,
summer, autumn, fading" or "leaf-fall",
"winter, stirring" (TC). The
whole year was arranged like that:
·
New Year's Day or yestarë
·
spring (54 days;
this is remarkably close to the length of a Valian Day as given in AA)
·
summer (72 days)
·
autumn (54 days)
·
three holidays called enderi
or middle-days
·
fading or leaf-fall (54
days)
·
winter (72 days)
·
stirring (54 days)
· mettarë, the last day.
The New Year was commonly celebrated
a few days after the vernal equinox. On the first glance, this seems thus to
bear no astronomical significance. The vernal equinox and the solstices had no
special position in the Calendar of Imladris, though it is recorded that both
"midsummer's eve" and "midsummer's day" (that to the Elves were one
single day for they reckoned the ré "from
sunset to sunset" (TC)) were celebrated in Rivendell (H,
III). A celebration of Yule on the other hand "was not an Elvish custom, and so would not have been celebrated in
Rivendell." (GN). But closer scrutiny reveals that the loa
centered quite precisely on the autumnal equinox.
Note: One may thus
wonder in what condition the Grey Annals (GA) and the Tale of Years of
the First Age (YF) were preserved in Imladris. In their published form,
they are very clearly based on an Edainic or Hobbitish calendar for they are
given in solar years that begin not in springtime but at Yule: This hobbitish
term specifically appears in YF. Was then the coranar rather then the yén
the standard unit of Eldarin annals?
Imladris introduced
required leap years in an unusual manner: 3 additional enderi were
inserted into each 12th loa except the last loa of each 3rd yén
(in other words, each 432nd loa). This means that most of the
time the Calendar of Imladris was dragging behind the astronomical reality by
more than a day! The autumnal equinox for example shifted within 12 years from
the last day of autumn to the middle enderë. "Of the adjustment of any remaining inaccuracy there is no
record." (TC) But there was a further adjustment in the
Imladris reckoning, no doubt, for if the calendar had stayed uncorrected since
the foundation of Imladris, its deficit would till the end of the Third Age
have accumulated four full days.
Unfortunately, one vital
information is lacking in the description of the Imladris calendar: There is no
hint at which historical event the reckoning was supposed to start, and so, it
cannot be satisfyingly calibrated against the other calendars nor its own
weekdays properly applied. One possibility is that the foundation of Imladris
in 1697 SA was taken as the first coranar of 1 yén. However, in
that case 11 cycles of 432 years would just have been accomplished thirty years
before the War of the Ring and would have required the dropping of the three
leap-enderi. But according to the Red Book of Westmarch "that has not happened in our time." (TC)
It may again be likely that the Elves observed the traditional reckoning of
Ages: after all, it was them who had introduced it. So, if 1 TA corresponded to
1 coranar 1 yén the Third Age would have lasted almost exactly 21 yén
- but again, the dropping of the leap-enderi would have been just due
when the Red Book of Westmarch was written! So we have to assume some other
event as the initial date of the Imladris Calendar - p.e. 3319 SA when Arda was
made round and all earth and heaven changed?
The following table
displays the relationship of the Calendar of Imladris to the cardinal points of
the year immediately following a leap-year. Holidays are marked in blue,
leap-days in italics.
|
Days after solstice |
Day of the season |
Season in Quenya |
Season in Sindarin |
Notes |
|
1 |
32 |
V Hrívë |
Rhîw |
1: Winter Solstice |
|
42 |
1 |
VI Coirë |
Echuir |
|
|
90 |
49 |
|
|
90: Vernal equinox |
|
96 |
|
Mettarë |
? |
|
|
97 |
|
Yestarë |
? |
“Elvish New Year” |
|
98 |
1 |
I Tuilë |
Ethuil |
|
|
152 |
1 |
II Lairë |
Laer |
|
|
184 |
33 |
|
|
184: Summer
solstice |
|
224 |
1 |
III Yávië |
Iavas |
|
|
277 |
54 |
|
|
277: Autumnal equinox (actual Elvish midyear) |
|
278 |
|
1 Enderë |
? |
|
|
279 |
|
2 Enderë |
? |
|
|
280 |
|
3 Enderë |
? |
|
|
366 |
|
4 Enderë |
? |
|
|
367 |
|
5 Enderë |
? |
|
|
368 |
|
6 Enderë |
? |
|
|
281 |
1 |
IV Quellë or |
Firith or Narbeleth |
|
|
335 |
1 |
V Hrívë |
Rhîw |
|
The calendar used by Durin's
folk was an independent development much different from the Elvish solution.
The Dwarvish reckoning was still in use when the secret door was built into
Erebor but was finally replaced by the Steward's Reckoning (TC) and
widely forgotten. Yet even then, the Dwarves continued to celebrate Durin's
Day, the new year, as a holiday.
From what we can deduce
they reckoned a lunar calendar, probably because the moon had been the first
major celestial light rising above Middle-earth. It was not based upon mathematical
calculation but on actual observation: It is thus probable that for example the
outpost on top of Khazad-dûm's Endless Stair was not meant so much for
observing approaching enemies but the skies.
Durin's Day was celebrated
in late autumn, at the evening of the first actual observation of "the last moon of Autumn on the threshold of Winter" (H
III) when it was visible together with the sun in the sky (which it always
is on such occasions). This may include evidence that like the Elves, the Dwarves
reckoned days from sunset to sunset. But defining the year by actual
observation means of course that the calendar was heavily dependent upon the
observer's location and the local weather conditions, so that in a given year
Erebor's calendar could appear much different from Moria's. Also, lunar years
are by nature very much of uneven length to keep more or less in accordance
with the seasons, and thus leap-days and even leap-months must have been
abundant. It is obvious why this inconvenient system was eventually dropped.
It seems furtheron likely
that the Dwarvish calendar distinguished (lunar) months but no weeks. The
Northmen, and from them the hobbits, probably adopted their earliest calendar
reckoning from durin's folk long before they met the Eldar, and the hobbits
recalled "that they had no 'week' when they
were still a wandering people" (TC) but "they had 'months', governed more or less by the Moon"
(TC). The week of the Númenórean calendar indeed was mentioned as "the feature of their reckoning earliest adopted by alien
peoples" (TC), namely the "Men
in the North", to be precise.
The Númenorean reckoning is
probably a combination of First Age Eldarin and Dwarvish calendars. Thus, the loa
and the enquie, as well as yestarë and mettarë, were
adopted from the Elves but from the Dwarves probably the 12 astar or
months by which the Númenorean year was divided. There also were seasons, but
only four, and they "had no exact definitions"
(TC) and were probably individually applied according to local climate.
Instead of three enderi, only one day called loëndë or Mid-Year's
Day was placed in the middle of the year, at the summer solstice so as to
achieve again the Eldarin coranar of 365 ré. The yén
however replaced by a decadic haranyë of 100 loa whose only
practical purpose was to define when correcting the accumulating deficits
became necessary to keep the calendar in agreement with the seasons.
The arrangement of the
Númenorean calendar, eventually called the Kings' Reckoning, was therefore like
this:
·
yestarë at or close to the winter solstice,
·
months I to V (30 days
each)
·
month VI (31 days)
·
loëndë
·
month VII (31 days)
·
months VI to XII (30
days each)
· mettarë.
Other sources mention a
series of holidays known together as the Three Prayers: "for the coming year at the Erukyermë in the first
days of spring ... at the Erulaitalë in midsummer, and ... at the Eruhantalë
at the end of autumn" (DN), in other words, somewhere near
the mettarë of the secular reckoning. The big surprise is that Erukyermë
hails "the coming year"! This refers us to a calendar that like those
of the Eldar begins the new year around the vernal equinox, not at the winter
solstice of Edainic tradition. So were there two calendars existing side by
side in Númenór, maybe a religious and a secular one?
At an unknown date in the
Second Age someone introduced a major reform to the Númenorean reckoning. It
had the following effects:
1.
adding a seventh day
(Sea-day) to the enquie,
2.
changing the name of
the Treesday to singular,
3. reckoning days from sunrise to
sunrise.
One loa hence
consisted of 52.14 Númenorean enquier of the new kind. While the reason
for changing the name of Treesday was rather patriotical (it was now supposed
to refer to the White Tree of Númenór rather than to the Two Trees of Valinor)
there is no obvious benefit in the other reforms, either astronomical or
mathematical. The statement that the Númenoreans were "desiring a seventh day" (TC) explains
nothing. There is no mathematical or astronomical argument in favour of a
seven-day against a six-day week. The only potential reason is maybe a desire
to set the Númenorean reckoning deliberately apart from its Eldarin origins,
which may then indicate that it was actually a product of the late Kings who
were already under the Shadow. That it was then still retained in the Realms in
Exile may look surprising.
The weekdays now adhered to
the following sequence (note that Friday in this reckoning is actually the
highest day, resembling the modern Sunday):
|
Weekday |
Númenórean |
|
|
Quenya |
Sindarin |
|
|
Saturday |
Elenya |
Orgilion |
|
Sunday |
Anarya |
Oranor |
|
Monday |
Isilya |
Orithil |
|
Tuesday |
Aldëa |
Orgaladh |
|
Wednesday |
Menelya |
Ormenel |
|
Thursday |
Eärenya |
Oraearon |
|
Friday |
Valanya or Tárion |
Orbelain or Rodyn |
This mode was eventually
known as the King's Reckoning, and it spawned the variations of all Mannish and
Hobbitish calendars of the Third Age.
The application of a leap
year – in the first edition of LR, but only there, called atendëa
„double-middle“- was very similar to that of the Gregorian calendar, only at a
different position of the year: the Mid-Year's day was in each 4th year
replaced by two enderi except the last year of each century. A
Númenorean millenium hence consisted of (365 days * 100 years + 24 leap-days) *
10 = 365240 days. This was more than two days short of the astronomical value
of 365242.2 days. The millenial corrections made in 1000, 2000, 3000 SA that
are not specified in TC must therefore have consisted of adding two
leap-days to these years rather than omitting one, leaving thus the stated
"millenial deficit of 4 hours, 46 minutes, 40
seconds" (TC) or about 0.2 days. These deficits were left
stand and so added up over the millenia.
It is nevertheless
surprising that the Kings' Reckoning stayed unchallenged for 5000 years.
Certainly, an event as drastic as the change from a flat to a round Earth in
3319 SA should have caused a trememdous havoc to all existing calendar
systems!?! And yet it seems not even the accumulated millenial deficits were
touched.
Note: That it was not
better matched against the historical events we probably have to refer to the
immense time pressure under which TC was written. Or should we discard
the whole concept of a flat Arda - never mentioned in LR - and settle
with the refined ideas of MR stating that Arda had been a globe from the
beginning?
Other changes certainly
should have affected the King's Reckoning as well. Certainly, when the kings of
Númenor banned the use of Quenya, they did not leave the names of the months
unchallenged? However, no Adûnaic version of the Númenorean calendar is
preserved and cannot be reconstructed from the known vocabulary, either.
Another short-lived reform probably happened in Ar-Pharazôn's time, for it is
not credible that Sauron would have tolerated the celebration of a Valar-day (Valanya)
without replacing it against a Melkor-day.
After the Downfall, Elendil
and his successors (as well as, we may assume, the Black Númenoreans of Umbar)
maintained the King's Reckoning for a long time. The Northmen of Rhóvanion
adopted the Numenórean week during the first millenium TA and lateron, perhaps
by decree of Vidugavia who sought approach to the more advanced Gondorian
culture, borrowed the entire calendar. But they translated the names of the
days and months, relics of which "were found in
Dale and Rohan" (TC). These translations were picked up by
the Hobbits and led p.e. to their own particular variations of the set of
weekdays:
|
Weekday |
Early Hobbitish, ca. 2100 TA |
Late Hobbitish, ca. 3000
TA
|
|
Saturday |
Sterrendei |
Sterday |
|
Sunday |
Sunnendei |
Sunday |
|
Monday |
Monendei |
Monday |
|
Tuesday |
Trewesdei |
Trewsday |
|
Wednesday |
Hevenesdei |
Hevensday (Hensday) |
|
Thursday |
Meresdei |
Mersday |
|
Friday |
Highdei |
Highday |
In the end, several
differing systems grew out of the Kings' Reckoning. We do not know what
calendar was used in Umbar after its successful secession from Gondor under the
Castamirioni; the collapse of both exilic kingdoms around 2000 TA was however
marked by a calendar reform in Gondor, called the Revised Calendar of Mardil or
Stewards' Reckoning. For the Exiles had offset the King's Reckoning by
resetting the annual recording to 1 TA and calculating leap years anew from
then. That, and the continued accumulation of the millenial deficits, had
brought the calendar till 2059 TA about 1.6 days out of synchronicity with the
astronomical observations. Therefore Steward Mardil introduced a major reform.
First he inserted two leap-days in 2059 TA. "But
this still left about 8 hours deficit" (TC). It should be
noted, however, that this is a minus deficit, that is, the calendar was now 8
hours in advance. Further calculations indicate that, though this is not
stated, the leap-day of 2060 TA was dropped in consequence. Steward Hador then
"to 2360 added 1 day though this deficiency had
not quite reached that amount" (TC), being now a delay of
only 0.3 day. Till 3020 TA, without any further correction, the deficit had
once again accumulated to 0.77 days and was thus "not
yet amounted to 1 day" (TC).
Aside of this turmoil,
Steward Mardil somewhat refined the reckoning of months in the Númenorean
calendar. He made all months of equal length, 30 days, and arranged the two
days gained such symmetrically to the other holidays, so that 1.IV to 30.VI.
were simply shifted one day forward and 1.VII. to 30.IX. one day backward. The
somewhat confusing description in TC resolves into the following pattern:
·
yestarë
·
months I to III
·
tuilerë or Spring-day
·
months IV to VI
·
loëndë (in leap-years replaced by two enderi)
·
months VII to IX
·
yavierëor Autumn-day
·
months X to XII
· mettarë
The Stewards' Reckoning was
"adoped eventually by most of the users of the
Westron language" (TC), including the Dwarves and even the
Eldar who maintained their former traditions only for ritual purposes. The
names of the months and days were now popularly used in Quenya (though Dale and
Rohan, as mentioned, retained their old names at least among the lower
population), only the Dúnedain adhered to Sindarin versions.
But on the territory of the
North Kingdom, two other systems designed by hobbit-minds had meanwhile grown
out of the King's Reckoning. The first of these was the Bree Reckoning,
originally identical to the Númenorean mode except that the year 1 B.R.
corresponded to 1300 TA and the names of months and days were applications of
the Northern Mannish translations, not the common Quenya forms. The second one
was the Shire Reckoning that appeared identical to the Bree Reckoning except
for the year 1 S.R. being equivalent to 1601 TA. After the fall of Arthedain,
both regions maintained their local variations of the Kings' Reckoning,
certainly not only because "the hobbits were
conservative" (TC) but also because they had no contact to
the Stewardship of Gondor and its decrees (it can be assumed that the Mannish
population of Bree-country followed the hobbits on that behalf. After all,
there was no point in endless Prancing Pony-discussions about which day it was
now). Both systems kept their leap-years synchronous to the standard King's
Reckoning, thus in the Shire, years -4, -8, etc. were leap-years except the
last year of a century, but in Bree whose reckoning deviated by 301 years it
concerned years -5, -9 etc. except "the first
year of the century" (TC).
Later there were, however,
two reforms of the Shire Reckoning installed that both were "eventually also adopted in Bree" (TC):
The first one cut off the 31st days of months VI and VII, arranging them as
Lithedays around the loëndë. This was sort of a return to the three
Elvish enderi, so the former day 2. VII. now became 1.VII. and so on.
The second or Shire-reform, made when Isengrim II was Thain of the Shire,
placed the Mid-Year's Day (or the enderi replacing it in leap-years)
outside the reckoning of weekdays, so that each year started and ended at the
same day of the week.
Note: All the
Númenorean-based calendars evidently are meant to precede the features of the
Julianic and Gregorian reckoning. The weekdays follow the pattern ascribed to
the Chaldaean astrologers, though without the planetary connotations except for
sun and moon. Calendar reforms introducing months of equal length and a day
outside of the weeks were the matter of much dispute in the Twenties of the
20th century, see Dr. J. Plassmann, "Das Himmelsbuch", Berlin 1925:
"Allen weiteren Reformvorschlägen ist Mißtrauen geboten. Es ist ja wahr, daß die jetzigen Monatslängen ... hier und da kleine Ungelegenheiten zur Folge haben, die aber doch nicht ganz wegzuschaffen wären ... Gänzlich zu verwerfen sind alle Anträge, die auf eine Durchbrechung des ehrwürdigen Zyklus der Woche hinauslaufen, etwa durch Einführung des Doppelsonntags. Was man damit anstrebt, nämlich die feste Verknüpfung jedes bestimmten Monatstages mit einem bestimmten Wochentage, würde zudem die Sicherheit des Datierens erschweren".
No doubt that this
inspired the Shire calendar.
It may be convenient at
this point to re-sort the known historical data of TC in chronological
order:
|
1 SA |
Official
initial point of the Kings' Reckoning in Númenor |
|
"later" |
Calendar
reform, installing King's Reckoning with a 7-day week |
|
1679 |
Foundation
of Imladris |
|
3319 |
Downfall
of Númenor, Earth made round |
|
3442 SA
= 1 TA |
Third
Age begins |
|
before
1000 |
Númenórean
week adopted by Northmen (Dale, Éothéod) |
|
1300 |
Bree
Reckoning begins |
|
1601 |
Shire
Reckoning begins |
|
later
than 2000 |
Lithedays
introduced into the Shire Reckoning |
|
2059 |
Mardil's
revision: 2 leap-days added |
|
2060 |
Stewards'
Reckoning introduced (leap-day probably dropped) |
|
ca. 2100 |
Year-book
of Tuckborough begun, earliest record of hobbitish weekdays |
|
2360 |
Hador's
reform: 1 day added. Stewards' Reckoning later adopted all over except Shire
and Bree |
|
ca. 2700 |
Latest
Shire reform: Midyear's Day no longer a day of the week (adopted by Bree) |
|
3022 TA |
Fourth
Age, New Era begin |
However, what about the
millenial deficits? If Bree and the Shire adopted the King's Reckoning without
a change, they inherited a deficit of almost two days which would have
accumulated to 2.8 days till the end of the Third Age. Yet we do not learn of
any offset of either against the Steward's Reckoning. But how the hobbits dealt
with correcting millenial deficits, and where they were running the
observatories required to do so, we are not told.
And why, despite all the reforms,
was the fall of Barad-dûr yet said to have happened at 25.III. "in both Kings' and Stewards' Reckoning" (TC)?
This should by all likelihood read "Shire and Stewards' Reckoning"
for since Hador's reform of 2360 TA the King's Reckoning was of course one day
off.
The following table
demonstrates the relationship of Kings', Shire, Stewards' and Imladris
Reckoning in 3019 TA with regard to the cardinal seasons. It was a year in
which the autumnal equinox fell on 54.III. according to the Imladris calendar.
That was when "on the day of the New Year of
the Elves, Celeborn and Thranduil met in the midst of the forest"
of Mirkwood; this meeting is dated 6.IV. (TY) This allows us to adjust
the Imladris Reckoning against the other calendars at least for this year. The
presumable deviation of King's and Steward's Reckoning caused by Hador's reform
is ignored for convenience.
|
Day of the Year |
Kings' Reckoning |
Shire/Bree Reckoning |
Stewards' Reckoning |
Notes |
|||||
|
Day of the Month |
Quenya |
Sindarin |
Day of the Month |
Shire |
Bree |
Day of the Month |
|
|
|
1 |
|
Yestarë |
? |
|
Yule |
Yule |
|
Yestarë |
Winter solstice |
|
2 |
1 |
I Narvinyë |
Narwain |
1 |
I Afteryule |
Frery |
1 |
I |
|
|
32 |
1 |
II Nénimë |
Nínui |
1 |
II Solmath |
Solmath |
1 |
II |
|
|
62 |
1 |
III Súlimë |
Gwaeron |
1 |
III Rethe |
Rethe |
1 |
III |
28.III.: Vernal
equinox |
|
92 |
1 |
IV Viressë |
Gwirith |
1 |
IV Astron |
Chithing |
|
Tuilerë |
|
|
93 |
2 |
|
|
2 |
|
|
1 |
IV |
|
|
122 |
1 |
V Lótessë |
Lothron |
1 |
V Thrimidge |
Thrimidge |
30 |
|
Erukyermë |
|
123 |
2 |
|
|
2 |
|
|
1 |
V |
|
|
152 |
1 |
VI Nárië |
Nórui |
1 |
VI Forelithe |
Lithe |
30 |
|
|
|
153 |
2 |
|
|
2 |
|
|
1 |
VI |
|
|
182 |
31 |
|
|
|
1 Lithe |
Summerday 1 |
30 |
|
|
|
183 |
|
Loëndë |
? |
|
Midyear's Day |
Summerday 2 |
|
Loëndë |
Summer solstice; Erulaitalë |
|
366 |
|
2 Enderë |
? |
|
Overlithe |
? |
|
2 Enderë |
|
|
184 |
1 |
VII Cermië |
Cerveth |
|
2 Lithe |
Summerday 3 |
1 |
VII |
|
|
185 |
2 |
|
|
1 |
VII Afterlithe |
Mede |
2 |
|
|
|
214 |
31 |
|
|
30 |
|
|
1 |
VIII |
|
|
215 |
1 |
VIII Ùrimë |
Úrui |
1 |
VIII Wedmath |
Wedmath |
2-30 |
|
|
|
244 |
30 |
|
|
30 |
|
|
1 |
IX |
|
|
245 |
1 |
IX Yavannië |
Ivanneth |
1 |
IX Halimath |
Harvestmath |
2 |
|
|
|
274 |
30 |
|
|
30 |
|
|
|
Yáviérë |
|
|
275 |
1 |
X Narquelië |
Narbeleth |
1 |
X Winterfilth |
Wintring |
1 |
X |
3.X.: Autumnal
equinox |
|
305 |
1 |
XI Hísimë |
Hithui |
1 |
XI Blodmath |
Blooting |
1 |
XI |
|
|
335 |
1 |
XII Ringarë |
Girithron |
1 |
XII Foreyule |
Yulemath |
1 |
XII |
Eruhantalë? |
|
365 |
|
Mettarë |
? |
|
Yule |
Yule |
|
Mettarë |
|
The New Reckoning was a
political demonstration set up in 3021 TA that ignored any astronomical
significance. It was said in Gondor to signify "a
return to Kings' Reckoning" (TC) which, having a new king,
deemed somehow appropriate. But in fact it mimicked the Shire calendar. Its
initial date was officially chosen as being the year when "the departure of Master Elrond" (TC)
happened. The imminent reason, though, was probably more rational: Elessar
wanted to avoid further havoc with the leap-years and thus chose one that would
not repeat Anárion's blunder in setting up 1 TA.
The new yestarë
intentionally commemorated the day of 3019 TA when Sméagol-Gollum saved the
world by tripping over the edge of Sammath Naur (25. III. S.R.), thus it
shifted against the old one by 86 days if we want to express it more accurately
than that the months were now "beginning
generally five days earlier than previously" (TC). For that
is in fact only true for the spring and autumn months.
Note: The beginning of
the year at 25. III. Is certainly not accidental. Matter of fact, the calendar
used in GB itself began at March 25 until the final adoption of the Gregorian
reform in 1752. Because of that discrepancy, the British fiscal year still
begins at April 1! No doubt, Tolkien intended a “historical” explanation for
this New Year date that relates to the vernal equinox as Christmas does to the winter
solstice.
There followed the usual
sequence of months and intermediate days, now however beginning with the month
of viressë instead of narvinyë. Another novelty was the insertion
of the leap-day, now called cormarë, before the enderi and no
longer after loëndë. This was intended to double the new 30.VI. which
for some reason commemorated the birthday of a guy called Frodo Baggins who
failed on an important mission.
The following table displays
the relationship between the New Reckoning, the continued Shire Reckoning, and
the cardinal seasons.
|
Day
of the Year |
New Reckoning |
Shire Reckoning |
Notes |
||||
|
Day of the Month |
Quenya |
Sindarin |
Day of the Month |
Shire |
Bree |
|
|
1 |
7 |
X Narvinyë |
Narwain |
|
Yule |
Yule |
Winter solstice |
|
2 |
8 |
|
|
1 |
I Afteryule |
Frery |
|
|
25 |
1 |
XI Nénimë |
Nínui |
24 |
|
|
|
|
32 |
9 |
|
|
1 |
II Solmath |
Solmath |
|
|
55 |
1 |
XII Súlimë |
Gwaeron |
24 |
|
|
|
|
62 |
9 |
|
|
1 |
III Rethe |
Rethe |
|
|
85 |
|
Mettarë |
? |
24 |
|
|
|
|
86 |
|
Yestarë |
? |
25 |
|
|
|
|
87 |
1 |
I Viressë |
Gwirith |
26 |
|
|
28.III.:
Vernal equinox |
|
92 |
6 |
|
|
1 |
IV Astron |
Chithing |
|
|
117 |
1 |
II Lótessë |
Lothron |
26 |
|
|
|
|
122 |
6 |
|
|
1 |
V Thrimidge |
Thrimidge |
|
|
147 |
1 |
III Nárië |
Nórui |
26 |
|
|
|
|
152 |
6 |
|
|
1 |
VI Forelithe |
Lithe |
|
|
177 |
1 |
IV Cermië |
Cerveth |
26 |
|
|
|
|
182 |
6 |
|
|
|
1 Lithe |
Summerday 1 |
|
|
183 |
7 |
|
|
|
Midyear's Day |
Summerday 2 |
Summer solstice |
|
366 |
--- |
|
|
|
Overlithe |
? |
|
|
184 |
8 |
|
|
|
2 Lithe |
Summerday 3 |
|
|
185 |
9 |
|
|
1 |
VII Afterlithe |
Mede |
|
|
207 |
1 |
V Ùrimë |
Úrui |
23 |
|
|
|
|
215 |
9 |
|
|
1 |
VIII Wedmath |
Wedmath |
|
|
237 |
1 |
VI Yavannië |
Ivanneth |
23 |
|
|
|
|
245 |
9 |
|
|
1 |
IX Halimath |
Harvestmath |
|
|
267 |
|
1 Enderë |
? |
23 |
|
|
|
|
268 |
|
Loëndë |
? |
24 |
|
|
|
|
269 |
|
2 Enderë |
? |
25 |
|
|
|
|
270 |
1 |
VII Narquelië |
Narbeleth |
26 |
|
|
|
|
275 |
6 |
|
|
1 |
X Winterfilth |
Wintring |
3.X.: Autumnal equinox |
|
300 |
1 |
VIII Hísimë |
Hithui |
26 |
|
|
|
|
305 |
6 |
|
|
1 |
XI Blodmath |
Blooting |
|
|
330 |
1 |
IX Ringarë |
Girithron |
26 |
|
|
|
|
335 |
6 |
|
|
1 |
XII Foreyule |
Yulemath |
|
|
360 |
1 |
X Narvinyë |
Narwain |
26 |
|
|
|
|
365 |
6 |
|
|
|
Yule |
Yule |
|
A different form of
reckoning was used by Aragorn in the Epilog (SD). This alternate system
is not described in TC but can be found in PM. According to this
version, "dates were usually given in official
documents by the Seasons, but the old month-names ... remained in private and
popular use."
The official mode is
represented in the King's Letter: The "thirty-first
day of Stirring" (echuir) 16 N.R. is here set against 23.II.
1436 S.R. and the "eighth day of Spring"
(ethuil) 17 N.R. against 2.IV. 1436 S.R.. (thus 1 N.R. = 1420 S.R. =
3020 TA, not 3021 TA as CT suggests in a footnote). This corresponds to the
abandoned calendaric system displayed in PM but not to TC which
required 31 echuir, if at all, to be set against 24.II. S.R.