Shanashra Ahnemakaral:
The Agrikan Calendar

Introduction

Like most Lythian churches, the Hierarchy of Eternal Flame has its own system of measuring the passage of time. This calendar, officially called Shanashra Ahnemakaral (“Reckoning of the Days Since the Prophet of Flame”), is often referred to by non-devotees simply as the "Agrikan Calendar". A small but substantial minority of temples in the Hierarchy use variant orderial calendars; these temples generally refer to the official Hierarchical calendar as Lysarshanashra Ahnemarakal (“The Lysaran Reckoning of the Days Since the Prophet of Flame”) to distinguish it from their own 'correct' reckoning.

Shanashra Ahnemakaral (S.A.) is a purely ecclesiastical calendar. Agrikan priests and priestess use it for the purposes of keeping records, dating church correspondance, the scheduling of High Ceremonies (and some Middle Ceremonies), and little else. All Agrikan clergy (and some Terahni) are taught it (or their own orderial calendars); but few lay followers learn it. Most lay ceremonies and festivals are scheduled according to the widely-used, non-sectarian Tuzyn Calendar.

History of Shanashra Ahnemakaral

Tradition recounts that Shanashra Ahnemakaral was devised by Ilpylen's disciple Moralin, the auhtor of the Balefire Chronicle. This belief, while popular, is probably fabulous. Agrikans in eastern Lythia (Diramoa, Shoju, Mafan,etc.) use different calendars, as do a few orders and temples in the Hierarchy of Eternal Flame, suggesting that these sacred calendars were developed independently after Ilpylen's eight apostles went their separate ways.

Shanashra Ahnemakaral, or at least an early form of it, seems to have developed a millenium or so ago, probably in the Targan Empire. From there, it was gradually adopted by Agrikan temples throughout the Venarian Sea. The conquest of the Targan Empire-- and the departure of its Agrikan priests to other lands-- may be directly responsible for the spread of the calendar to Azeryan. Use of S.A. in Azeryan can be traced back at least seven or eight centuries.

Since the development of the centralized Lysara-based church 400 years ago, Shanashra Ahnemakaral has become the 'official' way of reckoning days and years in the Hierarchy of Eternal Flame. A few temples and orders continue to use their individual, variant calendars, even today, but these are increasingly few in number.

The Reckoning of Dates

Year 1, according to Shanashra Ahnemakaral, is said to denote the beginning of Ilpylen's holy mission 2200 years ago. It corresponds with the years 1511-1510 BT of Tuzyn Reckoning. (Since the Tuzyn year begins on the spring equinox and S.A. in the middle of summer, the years do not correspond exactly).

Thus, Year 1, according to Tuzyn Reckoning would correspond with years 1511-1512 S.A., while Year 720 of Tuzyn Reckoning corresponds with Years 2230-31 of Shanashra Ahnemakaral. (The situation is actually a bit more complicated since Agrikans use the octade as a unit for measuring the passage of the years).

Note: Agrikans rarely have cause to refer to dates prior to the mission of Ilpylen. On those rare occasions where this does happen, these early dates are generally followed by the designation Shasentaka Ilpylukras ("Before the Mission of Ilpylen"), which is sometimes abbreviated 'S.I.' Dates since the mission of Ilpylen are followed by the initials 'S.A.'

The Octade

Unlike Tuzyn Reckoning, wherein dates are usually represented purely by reference to how many years have passed since Year 1, Shanashra Ahnemakaral relies upon the eight-year octade as a basic unit for measuring years.

An Agrikan cleric, that is to say, would not refer to the 2230th year since Ilpylen's mission simply as '2230 S.A.' Instead, he'd write, 'Year 6, of the 279th Octade, S.A.'

The Ukhila (aka the Octennial Games) are held so as to correspond with the end of the old octade and the beginning of a new one. This practice has led a number of Agrikan orders, to adopt the custom of referring to octades not by number, but by the name of the Maparas who 'reigns' during that octade. (e.g. The 279th Octade is sometimes called 'Octade of Patéokis' after the Karjeian warrior who became the church's 'Warrior Supreme' at the last Ukhila). This custom is particularly popular in Azeryan and Karejia.

Tuzyn-S.A. Conversions

Note: I have developed a small Excel 5.0 spreadsheet (18K) that will convert Tuzyn dates into Shanashra Ahnemakaral dates (but not vice versa). To download a copy of this spreadsheet, click here.

Dividing the Year

The Days

Shanashra Ahnemakaral uses a 360-day year, just like the Tuzyn calendar.

New Year: The Feast of Balefire

The new year begins in the middle of summer (on the 8th of Agrazhar according to the Tuzyn calendar). This day, called 'The Feast of Balefire', is one of the most sacred holidays of the Agrikan year and is celebrated in some way by all Agrikans, regardless of order. The seven days preceding the Feast of Balefire (i.e. the last seven days of the year) are also holy days.

The Months

This year is divided into 8 Shurpaks ('months') of 45 days each. Many orders use different names for the months, but Lysara has encouraged orders to adopt its own tradition of naming the months after one of the eight V'hir. The eight months, the V'hiran names for them, and the dates they correspond to on the Tuzyn calendar are listed here:

 

The Weeks

Each of these eight months, in turn, is divided into three fifteen-day 'weeks'. (The practice of holding the Pamesani Games every fifteen days comes directly from the length of the Agrikan week).

 

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The Use of Shanashra Ahnemakaral

As noted earlier, Shanashra Ahnemakara is a clerical calendar, learned only by priests and a few Terahni. Since low ceremonies are generally scheduled according to the Tuzyn Calendar, many lay Agrikans are not even aware that a separate 'church calendar' even exists.

Lay Worship and Tuzyn Reckoning

Lay masses are typically held on the eight day of each Tuzyn month. This scheduling is an obvious concession to the ubiquitousness of Tuzyn Reckoning, although even conservative clergy take solace in the fact that this date has an appropriately Agrikan numerological significance (the number '8' being sacred to Agrik), as well as an occasional correspondance with the first day of the shurpaks of Shanashra Ahnemakaral. The 8th day of Agrazhar, for instance, is the first day of the shurpak of Naidelar, the 8th day of Kelen is the first day of the shurpak of Aneshar.

The practice of holding the Pamesani games on the 15th and 30th of each Tuzyn month is another concession to Tuzyn Reckoning. While the fifteen-day spacing between games stems from Shanashra Ahnemakaral's fifteen-day week, the actual dates of the games do not correspond with any important S.A. holidays or divisions of time.

The Clergy and the Terahni

The Terahni and the priests tend to be more knowledgeable about Shanashra Ahnemakaral. All priests know it, and virtually all Terahni know of it. Most High Ceremonies are scheduled according to it, rather than Tuzyn Reckoning, as are a number of Middle Ceremonies-- although this does vary from order to order, and even from temple to temple.

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This page is part of the Hârn Religion Team

Page last updated on July 13, 2004 by Jim Chokey.