The Reckoning of Durin's Folk (a lunar-based calendar)

[Otaku-sempai]

J.R.R. Tolkien tells us little about the reckoning of time by the Dwarves and most of that is in The Hobbit. We know that Durin's Folk (a.k.a. the Longbeards) use a lunar-based calendar that figures significantly in their determination of their New Year's Day, which falls on the first day of the last waxing crescent moon of Autumn before the onset of Winter (called Durin's Day in honor of Durin the Deathless if the sun and the moon are in the sky at the same time). We know that their months are divided into weeks (Thorin to his Dwarf-companions near the doorstep: "Tomorrow begins the last week of autumn."). They seem to observe the four seasons: Winter, Spring, Summer and Fall. However, we learn precious little else about how the Dwarves reckon time.

The Longbeards are a deeply conservative, orderly and secretive folk. They have private personal names in their own tongue that they do not use in public or if outsiders are present. Other than the odd exclamation, they never speak their own language in the outer world unless they are completely in private. Might the Longbeards have developed a calendar that was unique in the north west of Middle-earth?

I suggest that Durin's Folk might have devised a calendar of thirteen months (partly in honor of the thirteen Fathers and Mothers of the Dwarves), each with four weeks of seven days apiece, with one day falling outside of any month plus a periodic adjustment for the resulting deficit. There are seven days of the week in honor of the Seven Fathers of the Dwarves. Their names might be borrowed from the Mannish folk of Rhovanion. As Durin's Folk dwelt primarily in the North, with its long, harsh winters, I am going to suggest that their Winter was four months long, with the outside day falling in the middle as Mahalsdei (Mahal's Day in honor of the Vala Aulë who created the Dwarves) corresponding with the winter solstice. I also suggest that the other three seasons were each three months long. The thirteen month would fall between September and October and its name might be taken from the Elven season of quellë to represent the latter part of Autumn and translated into Sindarin as Firith (or 'Fealwemath' in the language of the Men of the vales of Anduin). The Dwarves might have added a leap day (Overdei) following Mahalsdei every four years, except at the end of centuries, to make up a two-day feast of Mahalstide. Here is what I see:

THE RECKONING OF DURIN'S FOLK (revised)

Winter (rhîw)
- November (Blotmath)
- December (Yulemath)
- Mahalsdei (one day, except in leap years when it combines with the leap day to become Mahalstide)
- Overdei (leap day occurring every fourth year, except at the end of a century)
- January (Afteryule)
- February (Solmath)

Spring (ethuil)
- March (Rethe)
- April (Astron)
- May (Thrimidge)

Summer (laer)
- June (Lithe)
- July (Afterlithe)
- August (Wedmath)

Autumn (iavas)
- September (Halimath)
- Firith (Fealwemath; 'fading', 'withering'; a borrowing form the Elves)
- October (Winterfilth)

As previously noted, Durin's Folk do not begin the year strictly on the first day of Winter, but instead observe their New Year's Day with the first crescent moon following the last new moon of Autumn so that it never falls consecutively on the same day each year. When on that day the sun and the moon are in the sky at the same time, it is called a Durin's Day.

Durin's Folk might have taken the names for the weekdays from the Men of the vales of Anduin. Tolkien provides archaic forms for those names: (1) Sterrendei, (2) Sunnendei, (3) Monendei, (4) Trewesdei, (5) Hevenesdei, (6) Meresdei, (7) Highdei.

[Stormcrow]

We know that Durin's Folk (a.k.a. the Longbeards) use a lunar-based calendar that figures significantly in their determination of their New Year's Day,

The moon figures into their determination of the start of the year, but that doesn't automatically make their calendar lunar. (And if they use the same calendar as they used when they first awoke, there was no moon then to base it on.)

We know that their months are divided into week (Thorin to his Dwarf-companions near the doorstep: "Tomorrow begins the last week of autumn.").

This doesn't necessarily mean a dwarf-calendar week; he could be referring to the local, or mannish, or hobbitish calendar.

They seem to observe the four seasons: Winter, Spring, Summer and Fall.

Same note, though they do recognize autumn.

The Longbeards are a deeply conservative, orderly and secretive folk. They have private personal names in their own tongue that they do not use in public or if outsiders are present.

So far as I know, this is true for all dwarves, not just the Longbeards.

Your calendar idea is fine, so far as it goes, but it's not really based on anything solid in Tolkien's works.

[Otaku-sempai]

Since the phases of the Moon figure so prominently in the Dwarves' calculation of the beginning of their year, I am confident in stating that they use a (modified) lunar calendar. It is possible that the Dwarves used a different calendar or did not use one at all before they came into contact with the Elves. But we don't have enough information to work with.

When Thorin spoke of the last week of autumn he was speaking with his dwarven companions, not realizing that Bilbo was listening. It is from this that I conclude that they routinely use weeks in their reckoning of time.

...they do recognize autumn.

And winter! Can't we assume the likelihood of observing spring and summer as well?

So far as I know, this is true for all dwarves, not just the Longbeards.

Probably, but we don't have enough data on the other Houses of the Dwarves to say so definitively--particularly where the Dwarves of the East are concerned.

Thank you for adding to the discussion.

[Enevhar Aldarion]

Why do the weeks have to be seven days? Why not twelve months each of three 10-day long weeks for 360 days. Then each season has one holy day not part of a month, plus New Year's Day, to add up to 365. Also, to be technical, considering how far in the past of our Earth that Middle-Earth was supposed to take place, there is a good chance that the leap day did not even exist yet at that time.

[Otaku-sempai]

Why do the weeks have to be seven days? Why not twelve months each of three 10-day long weeks for 360 days. Then each season has one holy day not part of a month, plus New Year's Day, to add up to 365. Also, to be technical, considering how far in the past of our Earth that Middle-Earth was supposed to take place, there is a good chance that the leap day did not even exist yet at that time.

The decision to limit the Dwarves' week to seven days is a bit arbitrary, but it is rooted in the Shire Reckoning and the Calendars of the Dúnedain. But you're right, the Dwarves' week could have been a different length. On the other hand the seven days of the week might represent the Seven Houses of the Dwarves (thank you, Falenthal, for the suggestion!).

We know that the Hobbits and and Dúnedain (and the Elves?) worked leap days into their calendars. In the Shire calendar this was the day of Overlithe which followed Mid-year's Day on leap years, preceding the date of 2 Lithe.

It would make sense for the Dwarves to observe a special day before November 1 to mark the start of the new year, but they do not seem to have done so, instead placing their New Year's Day on the first day of the last moon of autumn before the start of winter, so that it falls on a different date on any consecutive year. Tolkien did this to keep the date of Durin's Day a mystery for Bilbo to solve.

[Otaku-sempai]

One aspect of this 13-month calendar and giving Yule a day outside of the months is that there would not be such a separate day to represent the observation of Midsummer at the time of the summer solstice. If the Dwarves celebrated the occasion of midsummer in this reckoning then they would presumably observe it on the date of July 15, as that would most closely correspond to the solstice.

[Falenthal]

I can't really follow all of your explanations, Otaku, although they seem well informed (considering what little Tolkien wrote about it). I'd just suggest that the number 7 should be very present in the organisation of everything dwarven (seven Fathers of the Dwarves, seven incarnations of Durin).
7 days per week is perfectly right.
Maybe the year should be divided into 14 months (two times seven), if possible at all. Or a month should last 7 weeks. Maybe the maths don't add, but could be worth a try.

[Otaku-sempai]

I can't really follow all of your explanations, Otaku, although they seem well informed (considering what little Tolkien wrote about it). I'd just suggest that the number 7 should be very present in the organisation of everything dwarven (seven Fathers of the Dwarves, seven incarnations of Durin).
7 days per week is perfectly right.
Maybe the year should be divided into 14 months (two times seven), if possible at all. Or a month should last 7 weeks. Maybe the maths don't add, but could be worth a try.

Thanks much for the justification of the seven-day week. Seven days to honor the Seven Fathers of the Dwarves. It works for me!

Your other suggestions go far beyond my goal of devising a practical lunar-based calendar for Durin's Folk. And running some of the calculations through my head, I don't think that either scheme works well for an approximately 365 day year--at least not without including many compromises.

[Majestic]

With some of the Dwarves' culture being based on Norse mythology, it might be interesting to come up with Dwarven days of the week.

In English we have Thors-day, and Freya-day, even Odins-day. Might the Dwarves have Durin's day and the like?

[Otaku-sempai]

With some of the Dwarves' culture being based on Norse mythology, it might be interesting to come up with Dwarven days of the week.

In English we have Thors-day, and Freya-day, even Odins-day. Might the Dwarves have Durin's day and the like?

Possibly, at least in Khuzdul, though the name Durin's Day is already taken. And the thirteen months might be representative of the thirteen Fathers and Mothers of the Dwarves (Durin having been created uniquely without a mate).