ANAGANTIOS - the fourth month

I

II

III

IIII

V

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VII

VIII

VIIII

X

XI

XII

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Aug9

Aug10

Aug11

Aug12

Aug13

Aug14

Aug15

Aug16

Aug17

Aug18

Aug19

Aug20

Aug21

Aug22

Aug23

First Quarter August 9, 2008 At zenith at sunset

Full Moon August 17, 2008 Eastern horizon

Last Quarter August 24, 2008 At nadir at sunset

New Moon August 31, 2008 Western horizon

I

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III

IIII

V

VI

VII

VIII

VIIII

X

XI

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XIII

XIIII

XV

Aug24

Aug25

Aug26

Aug27

Aug28

Aug29

Aug30

Aug31

Sept1

Sept2

Sept3

Sept4

Sept5

Sept6

noday

SAMHRADH - SAMON - SUMMER						GEIMHREADH - GIAMMON - WINTER
SAM	DUM	RIUR	ANAG	OGR	CUT	GIAM	SEMI	EQU	ELEM	AED	CANT

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The fourth month of the Celtic year is the fourth month of the Celtic summer. Anagantios is the time of the August Games, the great festivity celebrating achievement and forecasting the success of the year at the harvest. They were originally a fair-meeting held by Nuada Argatlám and later were devoted to and by Lugh as the Lughnasadh. They are of unwonted importance in the cultural calendar of the Celts; after Conquest at the newly built Lugdunum 'fortress of Lug', the caput Galliarum capital of Gaul, an altar was raised to Rome and the Emporer Augustus, for whom August was named. Honouring Augustus, an annual council of delegates met and elected the sacredos Galliarum, chief priest of Gaul. Anciently, the August Games were signalled by the heliacal rising of Sirius, the silver star of unwonted brightness. The Irish words ingantach, decribing 'wonderful' (from Ana-, 'not' converted to 'in-' before the letter g + -Gant, wont) and Anagna decribing 'unusual' (Ana-, 'not' + Gnáth, wont) lead us to understand the nature of 'Anagantios': these words are pointing to a meaning of 'Unwonted', or perhaps more clearly, 'Extraordinary': we can see the 'out-of-the-unusual' festivities of the games, the rise of the brightest star and the coming harvest at this month. Nuada Argatlám, of the Silver Hand, ruled Ireland prior to Lugh: his silver prosthetic arm - a wonderful, unusual device - disallowed him kingship, which transferred to Lugh of the Long Arm, the god of unwonted skill. Nuada's prosthesis was crafted by the physician Diancécht, who cured the fallen in the battle against the Fomori as related in the Lebor Gabála. Viewing the constellation of Orion, an extension to the silver star Sirius provides celestial imagery for both Nuada, with his prosthetic silver arm, and Lugh of the Long Arm.

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The Celtic Calendar - Introductory Sections

| Introduction | The Pleiades Cycle | The Coligny Tablet | Samhradh | Geimhreadh |
| Celtic Calendar 2008 | The Southern Seasons Celtic Calendar 2008 | Celtic Calendar Forum |

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