Shire-reckoning: Difference between revisions

From Tolkien Gateway
No edit summary
No edit summary
(16 intermediate revisions by 9 users not shown)
Line 1: Line 1:
The '''Shire-reckoning''' was the calendar system used by the [[Hobbits]] in [[the Shire]] and (eventually) in [[Bree]].  It was based on the [[King’s reckoning]] but with several minor alterations to fit their customs.
The '''Shire-reckoning''' ([[Númenórean Sindarin]]: '''''Genediad Drannail'''''<ref>{{SD|Epilogue}}</ref>) was the calendar system used by the [[Hobbits]] in [[the Shire]] and (eventually) in [[Bree]].   


The calendar featured 12 months, all 30 days long, plus 5 or 6 named days added to round out 365 days (or 366 for leap years).  Two of the named days were [[Yuledays]]; one was the first day of the year and the other was the last day of the year.  Between June and July were the Lithedays.  In regular years (not leap years) there were three: 1 Lithe, [[Mid-year's Day]], and 2 Lithe.  In leap years (every fourth year except in the last year of a century) an extra [[Overlithe]] Day was added after Mid-year's Day. All of the named days were major holidays (and a reason for feasting) with Overlithe being a day of special merrymaking.  The two Yuledays were actually a portion of Yuletide, which included the last three and first three days of each year.
In Bree, Year 1 corresponded to {{TA|1300}}, however the Shire-reckoning Year 1 corresponded to {{TA|1601}}: the year that colonization of the Shire began by the [[Bree-hobbits]] [[Marcho]] and [[Blanco]]. Therefore, years of the Third Age can be converted to Shire-years by subtracting 1600.


One innovation introduced by the [[Shire-hobbits]] was the '''Shire-reform'''.  In the time of Thain [[Isengrim Took II|Isengrim II]] they arranged that Mid-year’s Day (and the Overlithe) would not have a weekday name, which stopped the shifting of weekday names in relation to dates.  This change made the first day of the year always correspond to the first day of the week, and the last day of the year always correspond to the last day of the weekOver time, since the same date in any year had the same weekday name as in any other year, the Shire-folk ceased to record the weekday in letters and diaries.  Since no month began on a Friday this arrangement also birthed a jesting idiom in the Shire: "On Friday the first" referred to a non-existent day or one on which impossible things would occur (the full expression was "on Friday the first of [[Summerfilth]]").
The last year of the Third Age was year {{SR|1421}}. In the [[New Reckoning]] of King [[Aragorn|Elessar]], the year {{FoA|1}} began on [[March 25]], old styleThe Hobbits mostly ignored the change and so for them the first year of the [[Fourth Age]] was just {{SR|1422}}.<ref>{{App|Later}}</ref>


The Shire-reckoning counted as Year 1 the year that colonization of the Shire began, corresponding to {{TA|1601}}.  In Bree, Year 1 corresponded to {{TA|1300}}.
==See also==
 
*[[Shire Calendar]]
The twelve months of the [[Shire Calendar]] were [[Afteryule]], [[Solmath]], [[Rethe]], [[Astron]], [[Thrimidge]], [[Forelithe]], [[Afterlithe]], [[Wedmath]], [[Halimath]], [[Winterfilth]], [[Blotmath]], and [[Foreyule]].  Solmath was usually pronounced and sometimes written as Somath.  Thrimidge was often written Thrimich and Blotmath was pronounced as Blodmath or Blommath.
 
The seven weekdays of the Shire Calendar (at the time of the [[War of the Ring]]) were [[Sterday]], [[Sunday]], [[Monday]], [[Trewsday]], [[Hevensday]] (or Hensday), [[Mersday]], and [[Highday]].  The last day of the week, Highday, was the chief day, a post-noon holiday and time for evening feasts.
 
In the New Reckoning of King Elessar, the year 1 of the Fourth Age the year began on March 25, old style.  The Hobbits mostly ignored the change and so for them {{FoA|1}} was just 1422.
==References==
*{{App|Shire}}
*{{App|Calendars}}


{{references}}


[[Category: Middle-earth Calendars]]
[[Category: Middle-earth Calendars]]
[[de:Auenland-Kalender]]
[[fr:encyclo/chronologie/comput_de_la_comte]]
[[fi:Konnunlasku]]

Revision as of 16:19, 30 September 2020

The Shire-reckoning (Númenórean Sindarin: Genediad Drannail[1]) was the calendar system used by the Hobbits in the Shire and (eventually) in Bree.

In Bree, Year 1 corresponded to T.A. 1300, however the Shire-reckoning Year 1 corresponded to T.A. 1601: the year that colonization of the Shire began by the Bree-hobbits Marcho and Blanco. Therefore, years of the Third Age can be converted to Shire-years by subtracting 1600.

The last year of the Third Age was year S.R. 1421. In the New Reckoning of King Elessar, the year Fo.A. 1 began on March 25, old style. The Hobbits mostly ignored the change and so for them the first year of the Fourth Age was just S.R. 1422.[2]

See also

References

  1. J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), Sauron Defeated, "Part One: The End of the Third Age: XI. The Epilogue"
  2. J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings, Appendix B, "Later Events Concerning the Members of the Fellowship of the Ring"