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old_english_calendar [2019/12/14 10:50]
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old_english_calendar [2022/07/01 11:28] (current)
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| | ====== The Old English Calendar ====== |
| |
| | <html> |
| | <table border="1" width="99%" bordercolor="#FF0000" cellspacing="1"> |
| | <tr> |
| | <td width="24%" align="center"> |
| | <p align="center"><b><i><font size="2">Old English Name</font></i></b></td> |
| | <td width="58%"> |
| | <p align="center"><font size="2"> <i><b>Suggested Meaning of Old |
| | English Name</b></i></font></td> |
| | <td width="22%"> |
| | <p align="center"><b><i><font size="2"> Modern Equivalent</font></i></b></td> |
| | </tr> |
| | <tr> |
| | <td width="24%" align="center"><b>[Æftera]-Geol-monaþ</b></td> |
| | <td width="58%"> 'After-Yule-month' (second passing / changing month) </td> |
| | <td width="22%" align="center"> January</td> |
| | </tr> |
| | <tr> |
| | <td width="24%" align="center"><b>Sol-monaþ</b></td> |
| | <td width="58%"> '[Returning] Sun-month'; also called ' Flat Cakes' Month'</td> |
| | <td width="22%" align="center"> February</td> |
| | </tr> |
| | <tr> |
| | <td width="24%" align="center"><b>Hreð-monaþ </b></td> |
| | <td width="58%"> 'month of <i>Hreða</i>' ('glory-goddess')</td> |
| | <td width="22%" align="center"> March</td> |
| | </tr> |
| | <tr> |
| | <td width="24%" align="center"><b>Eostur-monaþ</b></td> |
| | <td width="58%"> 'month of the <i>Eostre</i> [Easter]' (goddess of |
| | 'the radiant dawn')</td> |
| | <td width="22%" align="center"> April</td> |
| | </tr> |
| | <tr> |
| | <td width="24%" align="center"><b>Ðrimilce-monaþ</b></td> |
| | <td width="58%"> 'month of Three milkings' (cows milked three times a day)</td> |
| | <td width="22%" align="center"> May</td> |
| | </tr> |
| | <tr> |
| | <td width="24%" align="center"><b>[Ærra]-Liða-monaþ</b></td> |
| | <td width="58%"> 'First Travelling month' ('líðian', to travel, sail, |
| | glide) </td> |
| | <td width="22%" align="center"> June</td> |
| | </tr> |
| | <tr> |
| | <td width="24%" align="center"><b>[Æftera]-Liða-monaþ</b></td> |
| | <td width="58%"> 'Second Travelling month' (some years had three) </td> |
| | <td width="22%" align="center"> July</td> |
| | </tr> |
| | <tr> |
| | <td width="24%" align="center"><b>Weod-monaþ</b></td> |
| | <td width="58%"> 'Weed-month' (still a problem)</td> |
| | <td width="22%" align="center"> August</td> |
| | </tr> |
| | <tr> |
| | <td width="24%" align="center"><b>Halig-monaþ </b></td> |
| | <td width="58%"> 'Holy month' (Harvest Month) </td> |
| | <td width="22%" align="center"> September</td> |
| | </tr> |
| | <tr> |
| | <td width="24%" align="center"><b>Winter-fylleð </b></td> |
| | <td width="58%"> 'Winter full moon month' (hunters' moon: first full moon of |
| | Autumn)</td> |
| | <td width="22%" align="center"> October</td> |
| | </tr> |
| | <tr> |
| | <td width="24%" align="center"><b>Blot-monaþ</b></td> |
| | <td width="58%"> 'Blood (sacrifice) month' (surplus livestock killed off |
| | before winter)</td> |
| | <td width="22%" align="center"> November</td> |
| | </tr> |
| | <tr> |
| | <td width="24%" align="center"><b>[Ærra]-Geol-monaþ</b></td> |
| | <td width="58%"> 'Before-Yule-month' (first passing / changing / month)</td> |
| | <td width="22%" align="center"> December</td> |
| | </tr> |
| | <tr> |
| | <td width="24%" align="center"><b>Modra-niht</b></td> |
| | <td width="58%"> 'Mothers' Night' (longest night: birth of the new solar year)</td> |
| | <td width="22%" align="center"> Christmas</td> |
| | </tr> |
| | </table> |
| | <blockquote> |
| | <p align="left"> |
| | <font color="#663300"> |
| | This calendar is largely based on information supplied yet again by dear old |
| | Bede. In his scientific treatise <i>On Chronology</i>, written in the |
| | early eighth century, he provides us with the names of the pre-Christian Old |
| | English months of the year [ch.15]. </font> |
| | </p> |
| | |
| | </blockquote> |
| | |
| | <p align="center"><font size="2" color="#663300">© Copyright Dr Sam Newton, Blotmonaþ AD 2000</font></p> |
| | |
| | <p align="center"><b>Further Reading</b> |
| | </p> |
| | |
| | <blockquote> |
| | |
| | <p align="left"><font color="#663300">Kenneth Harrison, <i>The Framework of Anglo-Saxon History to |
| | AD900</i> (Cambridge 1976), especially pp.1-14.<br> |
| | C.W.Jones (ed.), <i>Bedae Opera de Temporibus</i> (Cambridge, Mass. 1943). <br> |
| | A.L.Meaney, "Bede and Anglo-Saxon Paganism", <i>Parergon</i> ns 3 |
| | (1985), pp.1-29, especially pp.2-8.</font> |
| | </p> |
| | |
| | </blockquote> |
| | </html> |