Germanic calendar
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The Germanic calendars were the regional agricultural alamancs in use amongst the Germanic peoples, prior to the adoption of the Julian and later the Gregorian calendar.
The Germanic peoples had their own names for the months which varied by region and dialect, which were later replaced with local adaptations of the Roman month names. However, Germanic languages have largely kept the old Germanic names for the days of the week, most of which are named after Germanic gods.
The months may have been lunar; the Old English "mōnaþ", Old Norse "mānaðr, and Old High German "mānōd", as well as the modern English "month", modern Icelandic "mánuður", modern Swedish "månad", and the German "Monat", are all cognate with the word "moon".[1]
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[edit] Sources
Our main source of reference for Old English month names comes from Bede (ca.672 - 735), a Benedictine monk. Bede recorded the pre-Christian Anglo-Saxon month names in his Latin work known as De temporum ratione (De mensibus Anglorum).[2]
Charlemagne (ca.742 or 747 - 814) modified the established Julian Calendar to use the agricultural Old High German names of the months in areas under his influence. (See Julian Calendar:Month names for other examples.) These names were used until the 15th century, continuing with some modifications until the late 18th century in Germany and in the Netherlands. Some of these more recent German month names are given in the table below.
[edit] Month names
| Modern English | Old English (Anglo-Saxon) | Old Norse | Old High German (and the New High German equivalent) | Poetic German / Carolingian |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Æftera Gēola (After Yule) or Giuli | Morsugr or Jól (Yule) (the first half of the month) and Þorri (Thor) (the latter half) | Harti-mānōd (New High German: Härtemonat, English: Hard Month, Month of Severe Frost) | Hartung (Severeness, Harding), Eismond (Ice Month), or Schneemond (Snow Month) |
| February | Sol-mōnaþ (Sol Month) or Fillibrook (Brook-Filling) | Þorri and Gói (Thor, Possibly Winter); Kyndilsmessa (candle/kindle-mass) | Hornung (Hornung, Horn Shedding [Month]) | Hornung (Horn Shedding [Month], because during this month deer shed their antlers)[3]) |
| March | Hrēð-mōnaþ (Month of the Goddess Hrēð or Month of Wildness [4]) | Gói and Ein-mánuðr (???, and Single month) | Lenzin-mānōd (Lenzmonat, Lent Month, Spring Month) | Lenzing(Springing) or Lenzmond (Springtime Month[Lent month]) |
| April | Eostur-mōnaþ("Easter Month", "Spring month", "month the son/sun rises from the East many times") (see also: Goddess Eostre) | Ein-mánuðr (Single month) and ??? (???) | Ōstar-mānōd (Ostermonat) ("Ostern(Easter) Month", see also Oster) | Ostermond (see also: Goddess Eostre) |
| May | Þrimilci-mōnaþ (Month of Three Milkings) | ??? | Drīmilki (Three Milkings)[5] (no common NHG equivalent), Winni-mānōd (Wonnemonat) | Wonnemond (Graze Month [later interpretation: Blissfulness Month]) |
| June | Ærra Līða (Before Midsummer) | ??? (and) and Sól-mánuðr (Sol month, Summer month) | Brāh-mānōd (Brachmonat) | Brachet (Fallows) or Brachmond (Fallow Month) |
| (None; leap month) | Þrilīða (Third Midsummer) | (none) | (none) | (none) |
| July | Æftera Līða (After Midsummer) | Sól-mánuðr and Heyannir (Sol's month, Haying) | Hewi-mānōd or Hou-mānōd (both Heumonat, hay month) | Heuert or Heumond (Hay Month) |
| August | Weod-mōnaþ (Plant month) | Heyannir (Hay month)and Tví-mánuðr (Double month) | Aran-mānōd (Erntemonat, Month of Harvest) | Ernting or Erntemond (Harvesting, Crop Month / Harvest Month) |
| September | Hālig-mōnaþ (Holy Month) or Hærfest-mónaþ (Harvest Month) | Tví-mánuðr and Haust-mánuðr (Double month and Harvest/autumn month) | Witu-mānōd (Holzmonat, Holy month, Month of Wood); or Herbist-mānōd (Leaves month, Herbstmonat, Month of Harvest) | Scheiding (Separating) or Herbstmond (Leaves month, Autumn Month) |
| October | Winterfylleþ (Winterfilled) or Rugern (Rye harvest) | Haust-mánuðr and Gor-mánuðr (Harvest/autumn month and Dread month, Dirty month, Gore month) | Windume-mānōd (Weinlesemonat, Window month, Month of Vintage) | Gilbhart / Gilbhard (Forest Yellowing, ) or Weinmond (Wine Month) |
| November | Blōt-mōnaþ (Blót Month, Dread month, Blood month, Gore month) | Gor-mánuðr and Frer-mánuðr (Dread month, Dirty month, Gore month and Frost month) | Wintar-mānōd (Wintermonat) | Nebelung (Nebuling as in "Cloudy month" ,Fogging) or Nebelmond (Fog Month) or Wintermond (Winter Month) |
| December | Ærra Gēola (Before Yule) or Giuli (Yule) | Frer-mánuðr (Frost month) and Morsugr or Jól (Yule month) | (Julmonat) | Julmond (Yule Month) or Heilmond (Holy Month) or Christ-mond (Christ Month) |
[edit] See also
[edit] References
[edit] External links
- Hwæt! Months & Seasons in Old English.
- Facts and Figures: The Norse Way General information on old Germanic culture, including time.
- Old High German dictionary, including month names (in German)
- Old Norse dictionary, including month names (in German)
- Old English dictionary, including month names (in German)
- Anglo-Saxon month names
- The Germanic Lunar Calendar
- The Anglo-Saxon Calendar
