Hamalfite Calender

The Hamalfite Calender is a lunar calender, comprising a time-span of 354 days split between twelve months.
As a lunar calender the months are dependent on the regular phases of the moon and it was historically the job of priests and magi to keep watch of the stars and sky to discern and estimate the time, clear-skies or not. Across all spectrum of the old pagan cults the lunar calender was highly respected and rigorously studied - along with the night sky - by the Cult of Naveh. It's been largely unchanged over the course of several thousand years, modifications only being added to accommodate for linguistic shifts and the formation of writing to finalize otherwise scattered references to the twelve months between the tribes.
==The Calender==
The twelve months of the year are.
Rafha - Month of Renewal
Noruz - Month of Honor
Aram - Month of Voidness
Shiboor - Month of Second Spring
Aslam - Month of Fire
Miruz - Month of Ash
Deryadid - Month of Respect
Zoroisthan - Month of Wisdom
Evadid - Month of Equality
Homrod - Month of Birth
Peshwir - Month of the Scattered
Belam - Month of Victory
In addition to the twelve months is the period known as Beshar which lasts from the end of the final quarter of Belam in through the first half of the first quarter of Rafah known as Beshar.
A month ends when there the moon is in the crescent phase of its lunar cycle.
===Beshar===
Beshar is considered a holy period of meditation. On the several-day period of Beshar only so much food and water is to be consumed to sustain one's self, with one meal in the morning and the other at night, largely of bread and water, or meat and horse's milk. Observers of the old cults and the Ayba'dhja Asiaha'wabha both cease activity to spiritually cleanse themselves, their homes, and buisiness. Exceptions are always raised, commonly to those in transit or military functions.
This period marks the renewal of the year and the passing of the twelfth and final phase of the moon. The day after Beshar - Anibeshar - is a day of mass celebration for the new year and the resumption of the new cycle.
===Month's Names===
The names of the months carry in them a significance, either drawn into them or which became essential to know in living the year. Aslam and Miruz often note the time of year when the summer's heat is the harshest, heralding what is known as a period of fire and ash. Aram and Peshwir denote the times of year when the tribes seperated from each other to scour the desert for water and food supplies to sustain themselves for the rest of the year, or when these supplies would be in stronger bounty.
Aram in the later instance denotes when the old tribes voided their camps in a mass hunt. Aram, marking the general beginning of spring being when the prey are themselves moving in search of mates or the herds are at the most active. Peshwir being the months when the tribes would again scatter themselves to find new springs in search of water (though this activity often goes hand-in-hand with the Aram hunts).
Noruz and Deryadid are both considered warrior's months and were times of the year when tribal conflict would take place during. More often Noruz was a month considered one for conflict in games, but these themselves often were violent and lead to battle. Belam was a month to celebrate the successes of the year and the victories during Deryadid. Where as on the opposite Rafha was a month of respectful peace, much like Evadid where the notions of tribal equality were observed and fighting - like during Rafha - was forbidden.
===Days of the Week===
Each month is broken into four quarters, generally divided evenly between seven days. These days being:
I-hena
Isha
Qumba
Hafta
Yek-Sabah
Raviv
Rom Roshin
Raviv is the day of prayer and is commonly when the old cults and the Ayba'dhja Asiaha'wabha have declared their day for prayers, although this may happen any other day of the week it is more stressed and manditory observers go to the temples to gather and take part in prayer. Raviv and Rom Roshin are considered the weekend in Hasion.
===Year===
The length of the year is determined by when the moon completes twelve consecutive cycles. This was noted by the Magi who studied the moon and sun in tandem that the cycles of the moon often followed - to some degree of error - the cyclical actions of the sun on a smooth plate of stone. These observations formalized the twelve-cycle system, and were further engrained into Hamalfite system by Mombadin when he recited:
"The Two Heavenly Bodies have since the dawn of the universe dictated to creation a year of twelve cycles. Twelve full phases of the moon, and a infinite dawning to setting of the sun. To suggest there is more is to live in conflict and denial. Further, to suggest less is confusion. You may try to make claims of either, but they always will, no matter the manner. For this has been observed on high as it is below."
A solar cycle is known to the Magi who often run it in accordance to the lunar cycles in confirmation and affirmation of the current seasons. Though even when the seasons and the sky were first observed by the earliest priests the concept of using anything but the night sky was difficult, since the stars and the moon often provided apt navigation for the nomadic tribes and there was great reliance on these as tools. As such the passage of the year was tied to that, and how often a star-map of the southern sky is included in depictions of the lunar cycles.
====Beginning====
There is apt debate on what inspired year zero, often made difficult of there being no written records. Theologically it is suggested to be when the world was created. Physically it's suggested to be when the calender was first devised. Never the matter it is agreed for governance that the year is 4,931.
==Importance of The Moon==
Though the sun is often used to confirm or backup claims of dates, it is hardly the primary source to cite when calculating when a month has passed. Over the millenia various groups of Magi have trained in astronomy to study the sky and where one could find which star or body at about what time of year. Of most importance was what phase of the moon to expect to call the changing of the date, reports of which are passed on to an authority to confirm it.
Each month may have either 29 or 30 days, but largely determined on whether or not the crescent moon could be seen in the sky. If the moon can not be observed - either by unclear conditions or otherwise - then it is assumed that the month has not yet changed and the month becomes thirty-days long, but never longer (or shorter than 29).
Category:New Voldrania Category:Haisonuuna Category:History