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Loa Luni-Ecdysial Calendar: Difference between revisions
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The Polynesians have since time immemorial revered the moon, viewing it as a source or power or ''mana''. The [[Loa]] would come to see it as the arbiter of divine and natural law. As such, lunar calendars are well attested since at least 600 CE, with archaeological sites unearthing several pictographic representations that resemble lunar calendars of later literate periods. Around 1617, it was estimated an eclipse would occur on roughly November Eighth, 1645. This was in the 12th year of the reign of King Meajungasai IV, who ruled over the Ahoso Basin during this time. He commissioned a team of philosophers and mathematicians to design a calendar that would incorporate both this upcoming eclipse and the traditional lunar calendar currently in use. The team spent nearly 30 years designing the calendar based on theological positions and a desire to create a mathematically precise calendar. They drew on sacred numerology to date the dawn of humanity to roughly 1.23 million years ago, and to determine year length they measured the rotation of the fixed stars. Arriving at 365.25 days as being the length of a year, adding a leap week every sixty years, they broke the year up into the roughly 70 day long intervals with a 15 day week at the end of the year. These divisions were based on the growth cycle of tropical Loa silk moths, which live for roughly 70 days. As both the most lucrative crop for the Polynesians and especially the kingdom due to their rare and exotic golden hued silk, the silk moth had a sacred and economic role in Polynesian society. They were warned though that should the eclipse fail to arrive, they would all be executed. | The Polynesians have since time immemorial revered the moon, viewing it as a source or power or ''mana''. The [[Loa]] would come to see it as the arbiter of divine and natural law. As such, lunar calendars are well attested since at least 600 CE, with archaeological sites unearthing several pictographic representations that resemble lunar calendars of later literate periods. Around 1617, it was estimated an eclipse would occur on roughly November Eighth, 1645. This was in the 12th year of the reign of King Meajungasai IV, who ruled over the Ahoso Basin during this time. He commissioned a team of philosophers and mathematicians to design a calendar that would incorporate both this upcoming eclipse and the traditional lunar calendar currently in use. The team spent nearly 30 years designing the calendar based on theological positions and a desire to create a mathematically precise calendar. They drew on sacred numerology to date the dawn of humanity to roughly 1.23 million years ago, and to determine year length they measured the rotation of the fixed stars. Arriving at 365.25 days as being the length of a year, adding a leap week every sixty years, they broke the year up into the roughly 70 day long intervals with a 15 day week at the end of the year. These divisions were based on the growth cycle of tropical Loa silk moths, which live for roughly 70 days. As both the most lucrative crop for the Polynesians and especially the kingdom due to their rare and exotic golden hued silk, the silk moth had a sacred and economic role in Polynesian society. They were warned though that should the eclipse fail to arrive, they would all be executed. | ||
On November Seventh, the designers of the calendar approached the king with their creation, called the Silk Calendar. The next day, when the eclipse happened as it was supposed to on its 800 year schedule, the king declared the calendar to be official in the kingdom, and set about having steles detailing its function and structure constructed and erected across the kingdom. Three of these steles survive in partial condition and one remains intact but unfinished, with the king's seal missing. These are housed in the Ólájá Aría Museum in the hills outside Ninao, converted from the Monsoon Palace of the [[Loa Empire]]. The calendar saw limited use during these times, being used for the reigns of three kings. In 1712, the Loa and their coalition of mercenaries, dissatisfied tribal subjects and enemy states went to war against the [[Septerine Alliance]] that ruled Southern Vallos as an unsteady alliance of privateering and slaving kings, including the kingdom that commissioned the Silk Calendar. The Loa adopted many aspects of their conquered peoples that they found appealing, but Káámarakatu (Empress) Raiatia'atiauelao was so enraptured by the calendar that she mandated its use across the Empire. It has endured to this day, being the official calendar of Takatta Loa to this day. | On November Seventh, the designers of the calendar approached the king with their creation, called the Silk Calendar. The next day, when the eclipse happened as it was supposed to on its 800 year schedule, the king declared the calendar to be official in the kingdom, and set about having steles detailing its function and structure constructed and erected across the kingdom. Three of these steles survive in partial condition and one remains intact but unfinished, with the king's seal missing. These are housed in the Ólájá Aría Museum in the hills outside Ninao, converted from the Monsoon Palace of the [[Loa Empire]]. The calendar saw limited use during these times, being used for the reigns of three kings. However, it was a significant inspiration for the [[Kapuhenasa#Anahuenna|Anahuenna]], which bases its number of works on the years in a solar year. In 1712, the Loa and their coalition of mercenaries, dissatisfied tribal subjects and enemy states went to war against the [[Septerine Alliance]] that ruled Southern Vallos as an unsteady alliance of privateering and slaving kings, including the kingdom that commissioned the Silk Calendar. The Loa adopted many aspects of their conquered peoples that they found appealing, but Káámarakatu (Empress) Raiatia'atiauelao was so enraptured by the calendar that she mandated its use across the Empire. It has endured to this day, being the official calendar of Takatta Loa to this day. | ||
==Structure== | ==Structure== | ||
[[FIle:Loa Calendar.png|thumb|Outline of the Silk Calendar]] | [[FIle:Loa Calendar.png|thumb|Outline of the Silk Calendar]] | ||
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These are rendered in full as the amount of solar years followed by solar cycles in the current year, both in small notation. Then the ecdysial years in the cycle, followed by years since the last eclipse, the month and day, then the corresponding lunar date. In practice, the Loa omit most of these, using only the years since the eclipse and all following information. In full the date of September 29th, 2030 (date of Peace Day, celebrating the end of the [[Takatta Loa Civil War]]) is rendered as ⁹⁶^¹²9985/385/5/30/8/18, but is typically rendered as 385/5/30/8/18. | These are rendered in full as the amount of solar years followed by solar cycles in the current year, both in small notation. Then the ecdysial years in the cycle, followed by years since the last eclipse, the month and day, then the corresponding lunar date. In practice, the Loa omit most of these, using only the years since the eclipse and all following information. In full the date of September 29th, 2030 (date of Peace Day, celebrating the end of the [[Takatta Loa Civil War]]) is rendered as ⁹⁶^¹²9985/385/5/30/8/18, but is typically rendered as 385/5/30/8/18. | ||
Given the large dates being used even in daily life, Loa tend to refer to the lunar calendar when giving short term dates. For example, if one wants to refer to a date eight days out and it's the 50th of the second month in the ecdysial date while it's te 12th of the eighth lunar month, instead of saying 2/58 one could instead say 8/16. The lack of weeks also affects Loa time organization significantly, especially in business and education. Loa schoolchildren receive no weekends like in Occidental countries while employees receive free days on schedule of one day off every five days. | |||
===Lunar Months=== | |||
===Ecdysial Months== | |||
==Culture== | ==Culture== | ||
The Silk Calendar has a significant place in Loa culture, combining aspects of lunar worship and ecdysial theology. Although the native Polynesians did not ascribe as significant of a focus to the former two as the Loa do, they still held some respect for the concepts. With the adoption of the calendar and the establishment of the Kapuhenasa and its theology, it has come to be seen of in modern religious circles as an almost prophetic vision of a Loa future, being tailor made for their culture and religion. Certain theories suggest that the Loa adapted their culture in response to the calendar, but this is rejected by both mainstream religious figures and by other historians who note the Loa's entomantic rites long before their conquest of the mainland. | The Silk Calendar has a significant place in Loa culture, combining aspects of lunar worship and ecdysial theology. Although the native Polynesians did not ascribe as significant of a focus to the former two as the Loa do, they still held some respect for the concepts. With the adoption of the calendar and the establishment of the Kapuhenasa and its theology, it has come to be seen of in modern religious circles as an almost prophetic vision of a Loa future, being tailor made for their culture and religion. Certain theories suggest that the Loa adapted their culture in response to the calendar, but this is rejected by both mainstream religious figures and by other historians who note the Loa's entomantic rites long before their conquest of the mainland. | ||
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The Lunar New Year's is a similar holiday, but is far more associated with silk moths then with the moon. It is the full moon that is closest to June, when the traditional start of the silkworm season. This consists of harvests of mulberry leaves by families who then deliver them to sericulture farms. The farms then traditionally reward the family with two bolts of silk, which are then delivered to a temple, with one being exchanged for a blessing. However, in modern times this has become impractical, and so sericulture farms instead mark a family's name down and ask the temple to perform a blessing for the family when they deliver silk to the temples. Additionally, businesses offer sales on various silk and mulberry related products. The sericulture farms tend to offer a discount on bolts of silk, which are used to make small handicrafts or are woven into existing garments to add a golden silk sheen, and bakeries offer mulberry pastries. Families also gather to eat a dish of rice and fish, steamed in mulberry leaves. | The Lunar New Year's is a similar holiday, but is far more associated with silk moths then with the moon. It is the full moon that is closest to June, when the traditional start of the silkworm season. This consists of harvests of mulberry leaves by families who then deliver them to sericulture farms. The farms then traditionally reward the family with two bolts of silk, which are then delivered to a temple, with one being exchanged for a blessing. However, in modern times this has become impractical, and so sericulture farms instead mark a family's name down and ask the temple to perform a blessing for the family when they deliver silk to the temples. Additionally, businesses offer sales on various silk and mulberry related products. The sericulture farms tend to offer a discount on bolts of silk, which are used to make small handicrafts or are woven into existing garments to add a golden silk sheen, and bakeries offer mulberry pastries. Families also gather to eat a dish of rice and fish, steamed in mulberry leaves. | ||
===Ecdysial New Year's=== | ===Ecdysial New Year's=== | ||
The ecdysial new year's is a far larger holiday, taking place over a 15 day long week. It consists of a series of rites, festivals and household gatherings specifically timed out over the week. The holiday is officially announced at midnight on what is the eighth of November in the Gregorian Calendar by the temples sounding out on metal conch horns 15 times. This continues for each night, with the soundings decreasing as the days wear on. CONTINUE LATER, DON'T HAVE MENTAL ENERGY TO ADEQUATELY FINISH THIS | The ecdysial new year's is a far larger holiday, taking place over a 15 day long week. It consists of a series of rites, festivals and household gatherings specifically timed out over the week. The holiday is officially announced at midnight on what is the eighth of November in the Gregorian Calendar, the end of the fifth month, by the temples sounding out on metal conch horns 15 times. This continues for each night, with the soundings decreasing as the days wear on. CONTINUE LATER, DON'T HAVE MENTAL ENERGY TO ADEQUATELY FINISH THIS | ||
===Aiasin-sekkin=== | ===Aiasin-sekkin=== | ||
Taking place on January 12th of the Gregorian Calendar, Aiasin-sekkin is known as the grave tending holiday and is the day that the Loa clean the bones of their ancestors. Aiasin-sekkin has roots in ancient Polynesian customs, with many references found of how they performed jungle burials by allowing the jungle fauna to clean the bones of the deceased before collecting them and keeping them in jars. Today, most Loa do not perform jungle burials except in the case of rural groups where it is both possible and less of a public health hazard. Instead, the Loa have medical professionals deflesh the body and then have it cleaned by dermestid beetles. In the end, the result is the same. Every year on the holiday, Loa return to ancestral tombs in order to take the bones out of their jars and perform a ritual cleaning. This cleaning is unnecessary as far as actuall cleaning is needed and largely consists of anointing the bones with fragrant oil applied to a golden silk cloth. This rite is only performed by adults, while the elderly watch over children. At dusk, the family has a meal in the tomb with the jars and reminisce on the lives that have since passed. | Taking place on January 12th, or 1/50 ecdysial, of the Gregorian Calendar, Aiasin-sekkin is known as the grave tending holiday and is the day that the Loa clean the bones of their ancestors. Aiasin-sekkin has roots in ancient Polynesian customs, with many references found of how they performed jungle burials by allowing the jungle fauna to clean the bones of the deceased before collecting them and keeping them in jars. Today, most Loa do not perform jungle burials except in the case of rural groups where it is both possible and less of a public health hazard. Instead, the Loa have medical professionals deflesh the body and then have it cleaned by dermestid beetles. In the end, the result is the same. Every year on the holiday, Loa return to ancestral tombs in order to take the bones out of their jars and perform a ritual cleaning. This cleaning is unnecessary as far as actuall cleaning is needed and largely consists of anointing the bones with fragrant oil applied to a golden silk cloth. This rite is only performed by adults, while the elderly watch over children. At dusk, the family has a meal in the tomb with the jars and reminisce on the lives that have since passed. | ||
Although most Isi Loa can perform this with ease, many mainland Loa only perform this ritual for the generations of their family dating to the 1920s or 30s due to the incredible cultural destruction caused by the [[Loafication]] period and the resulting civil war. As such, there are tens of thousands of 'abandoned' tombs. The Ministry of Rites has enacted two programs since the late 1980s and 2010s aimed to address this. One consists of having civil servants and volunteers go to tombs to perform rites for the dead there, though this is limited by the number of government workers and volunteers and as such not every tomb can be attended to. Tombs receive attendance on a rotating basis. The second program aims to perform genealogical testing to determine the descendants of the dead in abandoned tombs. Since 2014 when this was implemented, 231 tombs have been 'adopted' by families who have moved their recent ancestors into the tombs and now attend the once forgotten dead. | Although most Isi Loa can perform this with ease, many mainland Loa only perform this ritual for the generations of their family dating to the 1920s or 30s due to the incredible cultural destruction caused by the [[Loafication]] period and the resulting civil war. As such, there are tens of thousands of 'abandoned' tombs. The Ministry of Rites has enacted two programs since the late 1980s and 2010s aimed to address this. One consists of having civil servants and volunteers go to tombs to perform rites for the dead there, though this is limited by the number of government workers and volunteers and as such not every tomb can be attended to. Tombs receive attendance on a rotating basis. The second program aims to perform genealogical testing to determine the descendants of the dead in abandoned tombs. Since 2014 when this was implemented, 231 tombs have been 'adopted' by families who have moved their recent ancestors into the tombs and now attend the once forgotten dead. | ||
===Huehuekaso-sekkin=== | ===Huehuekaso-sekkin=== | ||
Taking place on | Taking place on March 7th, or 2/34 ecdysial of the Gregorian Calendar, Huehuekaso-sekkin celebrates the life and death of the Kiravian mystic Saȳd Kamáv Istiklav. His teachings were assimilated into the [[Kapunehasa]] and so he holds a special place for both Kapuhenasa and Muslim Loa. A less widely followed holiday, it nonetheless is still celebrated by most Loa as it is tradition to go out and eat halal food to honour him, with Loa restaurants serving special halal menus for the holiday specifically. In particular, hashed potatoes served in gravy with cheese, served with coffee which is a traditional [[Kiravia|Kiravian]] dish. Temples also put on traditional shadow plays detailing his life, usually followed by offerings of prayer to his spirit. These are generally popular and viewed as occasions to wear traditional dress. | ||
===Akaru'a-sekkin=== | ===Akaru'a-sekkin=== | ||
On August 24th, or 3/64 ecdysial, of the Gregorian Calendar, Huehuekaso-sekkin is celebrated. This holiday celebrates the [[Kapuhenasa#Anahuenna|Anahuenna]], the central scripture of the Kapuhenasa. This is one of the most overtly religious holidays with celebrations including full readings of the Anahuenna from start to finish. Due to the size, with it consisting of 12,800 works divided into 800 books, a team of 80 scripture readers are tasked with reciting 10 books across the day, being trained to finish at exactly midnight after starting at midnight, a full 24 hours. Believers visit temples to listen to the scripture and to offer money to the reciters for this monumental task. Some particularly popular reciters base their livelihood on this, using the money from donations to sustain themselves throughout the year. Others donate the money to the temples. Often, people prepare meals for the scripture readers for when they finish so they can eat after a full day of no meals. Spiced palm wine is traditionally offered and has become a popular August beverage due to its association with the holiday. | |||
===Toua-sekkin=== | ===Toua-sekkin=== | ||
Holiday celebrating the birth of the Second Incarnate. Held on 12 April, very popular. | Holiday celebrating the birth of the Second Incarnate. Held on 12 April, or 3/1 ecdysial, very popular. | ||
[[Category:Takatta Loa]] | [[Category:Takatta Loa]] | ||