Create Your Own Fantasy Calendar with Artifexian

Create Your Own Fantasy Calendar with Artifexian

Table of Contents:

1. Introduction
2. The Three Types of Calendars 2.1 Solar Calendars 2.2 Lunar Calendars 2.3 Luna-Solar Calendars
3. Building a Solar Calendar 3.1 Determining Orbital Periods 3.2 Dividing Orbital Periods into Months 3.3 Dividing Months into Weeks 3.4 Leap Years
4. Considerations for Multiple Moons
5. Cultural Significance of Calendars
6. Naming Months and Days
7. Varying New Year's Day
8. Important Feasts, Holidays, and Events
9. Examples of Unique Calendars 9.1 D&D's Calendar for the Forgotten Realms 9.2 Kim Stanley Robinson's Mars Trilogy Calendar 9.3 Discworld's Calendar
10. Conclusion

Building Your Custom Calendar: A Guide to Organization and World Building

Introduction: So you've decided it's time to build a custom calendar for your writing or world-building project. Calendars can be a fantastic tool for both organization and for exploring your world's cultures. In this guide, we will discuss the three types of calendars, how to build a solar calendar for an Earth-like planet, considerations for multiple moons, the cultural significance of calendars, and examples of unique calendars used in literature and fantasy worlds.

1. The Three Types of Calendars

1.1 Solar Calendars: Solar calendars, like the Gregorian calendar, are based on the planet's position around its star. They are great for fixed events and seasons but ignore the moon.

1.2 Lunar Calendars: Lunar calendars, such as the Islamic calendar, track the moon's changing phases in the night sky. They are easier to track but have trouble predicting seasons as they ignore the sun.

1.3 Luna-Solar Calendars: Luna-solar calendars, like the Chinese or Hebrew calendars, track both the sun and the moon. They offer the advantage of tracking everything but can be more complicated.

2. Building a Solar Calendar

2.1 Determining Orbital Periods: To build a solar calendar, you need to know the planet's and the moon's orbital periods. This will determine the length of a year and a month in your calendar.

2.2 Dividing Orbital Periods into Months: Once you have the orbital periods, divide the planet's period by the moon's period to get the rough number of months per year. Consider basing the months on the lunar cycle.

2.3 Dividing Months into Weeks: Divide the moon's period into weeks, using either 4 or 8 weeks per month. Take inspiration from primary or secondary phases of the moon.

2.4 Leap Years: Decide how often you'd like to have leap years, where an additional day is added to recalibrate the calendar. Account for the difference between the number of days in the calendar and a year.

3. Considerations for Multiple Moons

If your setting has multiple moons, keep it simple by opting for no more than two. Each culture may choose to track a different moon or both. Consider the cultural and religious significance of moon conjunctions and eclipses.

4. Cultural Significance of Calendars

Explore how culture impacts calendars and the kinds of events they have. Consider naming months after gods, leaders, or other cultural elements. Think about important feasts, holidays, and remembrance periods.

5. Naming Months and Days

Delve into the naming of months and days in various calendars. Discover the historical origins and cultural significance behind the names.

6. Varying New Year's Day

Challenge the assumption that New Year's Day has to be on January 1st. Explore the Ethiopian solar calendar, which places the new year in September. Consider alternative dates for the start of the year.

7. Important Feasts, Holidays, and Events

Think about the feasts, holidays, and events that your culture celebrates and their significance. Consider how these events shape the calendar and the cultural practices associated with them.

8. Examples of Unique Calendars

Explore examples of unique calendars used in literature and fantasy worlds. Study D&D's calendar for the Forgotten Realms, Kim Stanley Robinson's Mars Trilogy calendar, and Discworld's calendar for inspiration and ideas.

9. Conclusion

Building a custom calendar is a three-step process: choosing a calendar type, determining divisions of time, and considering the cultural aspects. Calendars are both a mathematical game and a tool for speculative world-building. The World Smith calculator can assist in the complex calculations. Calendar building adds depth and authenticity to your world.

Highlights:

• Calendars are essential tools for organization and world-building.
• Solar, lunar, and luna-solar calendars are the three main types.
• Building a solar calendar involves determining orbital periods, dividing into months and weeks, and accounting for leap years.
• Multiple moons can complicate calendar construction, but they also offer opportunities for cultural variation.
• Cultural significance, naming conventions, and important events add depth to calendars.
• Examples of unique calendars in literature and fantasy worlds provide inspiration for custom calendars.

FAQ

Q: Can I create a calendar with more than two moons? A: While possible, it can quickly become complicated. It is recommended to stick to a maximum of two moons for simplicity.

Q: How are leap years accounted for in calendars? A: Leap years add an extra day to the calendar to align it with the length of a year. They are necessary because the number of days in a year doesn't perfectly match the number of days in the calendar.

Q: Is it necessary to name months and days in a custom calendar? A: It is not essential but can add depth and cultural significance to your world. Naming conventions can be inspired by gods, leaders, or important aspects of your setting.

Q: Can I vary the date of New Year's Day in my custom calendar? A: Absolutely! New Year's Day doesn't have to be on January 1st; it can be placed on any date that holds significance in your world.

Q: How can I incorporate unique cultural events into my calendar? A: Consider the cultural practices, feasts, holidays, and remembrance periods of your world and assign them specific dates in the calendar. This adds authenticity and richness to your world-building.