Greyhawk calendar
The Greyhawk Calendar is the most common system for tracking the days and months of the Common Year in the Flanaess.
The year consists of 364 days[1][2][3][4], split into twelve months of twenty-eight days each, and four seven-day festivals[1][2][3][4], each placed at three-month intervals. Diverse cultures have their own names for the months and festivals. The months and festivals are commonly referred to as the Dozenmonth of Luna and the Four Festivals[5][6][7]. A week is sometimes called a sennight[8] and periods of two weeks are commonly called a fortnight.[9]
The days are reckoned in weeks of seven days each. In order, the days of the week are: Starday, Sunday, Moonday, Godsday, Waterday, Earthday, and Freeday. Godsday is commonly associated with worship, and Freeday with rest. The remaining days are considered workdays.
| Month | Common | Elven | Nomads | Season |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Needfest (Midwinter) | ||||
| 1 | Fireseek | Diamondice | Tiger | Winter |
| 2 | Readying | Yellowillow | Bear | Spring |
| 3 | Coldeven | Snowflowers | Lion | Spring |
| Growfest | ||||
| 4 | Planting | Blossoms | Frog | Low Summer |
| 5 | Flocktime | Violets | Turtle | Low Summer |
| 6 | Wealsun | Berrytime | Fox | Low Summer |
| Richfest (Midsummer) | ||||
| 7 | Reaping | Goldfields | Snake | High Summer |
| 8 | Goodmonth | Sunflowers | Boar | High Summer |
| 9 | Harvester | Fruitfall | Squirrel | High Summer |
| Brewfest | ||||
| 10 | Patchwall | Brightleaf | Hare | Autumn |
| 11 | Ready'reat | Tinklingice | Hawk | Autumn |
| 12 | Sunsebb | Lacysnows | Wolf | Winter |
An interesting feature of the Greyhawk calendar is that the days of the week always occur on the same calendar date every year, a result of the year having a number of days divisible by seven.
The first of the month is always a Starday, and the rest follow as shown below:
- Starday is always on the 1st, 8th, 15th, and 22nd of the month.
- Sunday is always on the 2nd, 9th, 16th, and 23rd of the month.
- Moonday is always on the 3rd, 10th, 17th, and 24th of the month.
- Godsday is always on the 4th, 11th, 18th, and 25th of the month.
- Waterday is always on the 5th, 12th, 19th, and 26th of the month.
- Earthday is always on the 6th, 13th, 20th, and 27th of the month.
- Freeday is always on the 7th, 14th, 21st, and 28th of the month.
The months and festivals are based on the cycles of Oerth's moons, Luna and Celene. Luna has a twenty-eight day cycle, while Celene's cycle is ninety-one days. Celene is full at the midpoint of each festival, while Luna is full at various times throughout the year. Notably, both moons are full on Richfest 3-5.
Publishing History
In the 1980 World of Greyhawk Fantasy World Setting folio by Gary Gygax the dozenmonth was said to have 360 days, because the festivals only had six days apiece, shortening the calendar. Following that in 1983, in the World of Greyhawk Fantasy Game Setting boxed set, Gygax revised it to be 364 days in the year, with all weeks (including festivals) being of equal length. 364 has been the standard dozenmonth in all publications since.
See also
References
Citations
- ↑ a b WoG boxed set, p5, (1983)
- ↑ a b Player's Guide to GH, p13
- ↑ a b The Adventure Begins, p39
- ↑ a b Living Greyhawk Gazetteer, p2
- ↑ The World of Greyhawk Fantasy World Setting (1980), p.4.
- ↑ World of Greyhawk Fantasy Game Setting (1983), p.5, Guide.
- ↑ Living Greyhawk Gazetteer (2000), p.2.
- ↑ Dragon #56 (Dec 1981), p.20.
- ↑ Living Greyhawk Gazetteer (2000), p.43.
Bibliography
- Bulmahn, Jason, James Jacobs, and Erik Mona. Expedition to the Ruins of Greyhawk. Renton, WA: Wizards of the Coast, 2007.
- Gygax, Gary. World of Greyhawk Fantasy Game Setting. Lake Geneva, WI: TSR, 1983.
- Holian, Gary, Erik Mona, Sean K. Reynolds, and Frederick Weining. Living Greyhawk Gazetteer. Renton, WA: Wizards of the Coast, 2000.
- Moore, Roger E. Greyhawk: The Adventure Begins. Renton, WA: Wizards of the Coast, 1998.
- Sargent, Carl. From the Ashes. Lake Geneva, WI: TSR, 1992.
Encyclopedia Greyhawkania Index
The Encyclopedia Greyhawkania Index (EGI) is based on previous work of Jason Zavoda through '08, continued by numerous other fans. The EGI article has a list of sources, product names, abbreviations, and a link to the full, downloadable index.
| Topic | Type | Description | Product | Page/Card/Image
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grand Calendar | Calendar | The Scarlet Brotherhood | 50 | |
| Olman Lunar Calendar | Calendar | The Scarlet Brotherhood | 64 | |
| Onnwal Calendar | Calendar | Living Greyhawk, Living Onnwal Gazetteer, D&D 3.5e | 1 |