Caer Australis - Celtic Calendar: Geimhreadh

"Who can tell the Phases of the Moon?" - Song of Amergin

Geimhreadh - the second half of the year

samon duman rivros anagantios ogronnos cvtios || giammon semivisonna equos elemivios aedrini cantlos

This section looks at the latter six months of the Celtic year. The winter months start with the month Giammon on the Coligny Tablet, also called the 'Coligny Calendar' or the 'Gaulish Calendar', from first century BC Gaul, whose name has continued to be used in the Irish and Welsh languages for the season of winter. The root word for winter in the Indo-European ghim, gheim, ghiem came into Celtic as *gaiamo-, *gaimo-, expressed in Gaulish on the Coligny Tablet as Giammon, Early Irish Gemred, Old Irish Gaimred, Irish Geimhreadh, Old Welsh Gaem and Welsh Gauaf, Gaeaf. From very ancient times, then, the season of winter has been named by the same word in the various Celtic languages.

Over the course of Geimhreadh the Celtic winter, all of the Gaulish names for the months can be found reflected in Irish and Welsh words, which brings their meaning to light. The most obvious continuation of the ancient Celtic month names of this series of months into modern times is the first month of the winter, Giammon, carried forward in Irish as Geimhreadh. Other months of the winter can also be seen to have a clearly seasonal name, such as Aedrini, which falls at the start of spring, and whose name means 'flame', and which is retained in the Irish Aedh 'a flame of fire', alluding to the returning warmth of the season. Still others reflect a symbolism for the time of the year, such as Semiuisonna 'the centre' at the winter solstice.

Each month is examined and the meaning of its name explored, with particular use of the etymological dictionary provided by MacBain (1982). Linking the Celtic year to mythological themes and tales from Ireland and Wales shows that from ancient times until the adoption of the Roman calendar, summer began the Celtic year througout the Celtic world, whereas winter was the second half of the year. The fire feast of Samhain marks the start of the Celtic winter today, at the beginning of the month of November; its name has been variously explained as meaning 'summer's end', for its position on the calendar, or 'assembly' from the Irish word samani.

Certainly, on the Coligny Tablet a clear division into the dark, short days of the cold winter is marked, for at the middle of every five year cycle an additional Ciallos 'sense' month was added, used to maintain the lunar and solar cycles in harmony. At this time of the year in ancient times, the bright red star of Scorpio, Antares, rose at dawn, a counterplay to the rise of Aldebaran and the Pleiades at the Trinox Samoni six months earlier at the start of the year in Samon, the May month.

Like the dualism of the dark, second 'Atenoux' half of each month, so too was the second half of the year the dark, cold half with its short days and inactivity. The dualism of the Celtic calendar extended at all levels: night precedes the daytime (Caesar, Bellum Gallium, 6.18) so that the first-quarter moon appears overhead at the start of the first day of the month (Pliny the Elder, Natural History, 17.95). The first half of each month is brightly lit by the moon, called by the druids the "in their language omnia sanantem the all-healing" (Pliny the Elder, Natural History, 17.95), and the year is split into the first light and warm 'Samon' summer half, followed by the dark, cold shorter days of the 'Giammon' winter half. The dualism of the calendar extends to the names for the months. The first months of the two halves of the year form a complementary pair, 'Samon' summer, and 'Giammon' winter.

They lived in the mansions and the houses of public hospitality

The 16th Century Irish tale Tóraigheacht an Ghiolla Dheacair: The Pursuit of the Giolla Dacker and his Horse tells us that in the Irish year, Samhain began the second, winter half of the year. In the Fennian tale we hear that "they divided the year into two parts [and] during the second half, namely from Samhain to Bealtaine, they lived in the mansions and the houses of public hospitality of Erin; so that there was not a chief or a great lord or a keeper of a house of hospitality in the whole country that had not nine of the Fena quartered on him during the winter half of the year " ((Joyce, 1907, p.173; published on-line).

The Fennian tale confirms the arrangement of the Celtic year in Ireland to have been the same as in Gaul, since Samhain headed the second, winter half of the year. Being after the active half of the year, the time of Samhain came to be associated with prophecy, the druids forseeing the successes of the following summer. A well-known example of this is the prophecy requested by King Dathi, who one Samhain was at the great druidic complex at Eas Ruaidh. This forms the basis of his expedition against Alba the following summer, the tale being told in full in The Expedition of Dathi.

Giammon - The Winter

The seventh regular month of the Celtic year, and the first of the winter, Giammon, is named for the season it heads, namely the Celtic winter. The attributes of Giammon on the Coligny Tablet correspond to the Early Irish name for winter, Gemred, and the Old Irish Gaimred. On both the Coligny Tablet and in Ireland, the start of winter has its calendar occurrence the middle of the year, shown in the Fennian tale (Joyce, 1907, p.173), where Beltaine begins the Irish year in May and Samhain begins the second half of the year. This arrangement is also found in A Social History of Ancient Ireland (Joyce, 1903, p.390).

The heliacal rise of the bright red star Antares anciently marked the start of the winter in Europe; its rise stands as a counter-point to the Beltaine rise of the Pleiades and the bright red star Aldebaran six months earlier at the start of the year.

The correspondence of the November festival of Samhain with the November rise of Antares indicates this may have been the celestial signal for the samani assembly from which the name of the feast is derived, according to Whitley Stokes in his 1868 edition of Cormac's Glossary.

Songs commemorating the dark and cold winter is found in Celtic poetry, such as the thirteenth century Welsh 'Winter', a poem from the Black Book of Carmarthen, echoed in 'Song of Winter' and the lament 'Summer Has Gone' and the words of the Emer as speaks to the sleeping Cú Chulaind in 'The only jealousy of Emer'. These poems are recorded in Winter in The Grove.

The month of Giammon in 2008 is detailed in Celtic Calendar 2008 - Giammon.

Semiuisonna - The Source

The eighth month of the Celtic year and the second month of winter is Semiuisonna. This name is derived from the proto-Indo-European *sem-, 'to flow' and -uis- as in the Irish uisge and Old Irish uisce and Old Welsh uisc - 'water, stream'. The name is revealed to means 'flowing water', as in the source of a stream. The second component of the word -uis- may share an origin with the 'navel of Ireland', Uisnech.

The second lunation of the winter generally equates to the Gregorian month of December, in which falls the shortest day of the year, and so the name may be an allusion to the winter solstice, the origin from where the sun's strength flows.

In the dualistic naming system of the Celtic calendar, the corresponding month of the summer half of the year 'Duman' has the complementary meaning, the all-encompassing 'world'.

The month of Semiuisonna in 2008 is detailed in Celtic Calendar 2008 - Semiuisonna.

Equos - Horse

The ninth month of the Celtic year and the third month of winter is Equos. The month name is derived from the proto-Indo-European term *ekvo-s-, 'horse', seen in words such as Irish ech, Echu, Welsh Ebol, Gauulish Epona, and we recognise Latin equus.

The third lunation of winter generally equates to the Gregorian month January, at the conclusion of which falls the fire feast of Imbolg, also known by the folk name Oímelc. The herding month thus coincides with the last month animals needed penning up over the winter and the lambing season.

In the dualistic naming system of the Celtic calendar, the corresponding month of the summer half of the year 'Riuros' has the complementary meaning of 'king', the leader of men.

The month of Equos in 2008 is detailed in Celtic Calendar 2008 - Equos.

Elembiuos - The Circuit

The tenth month of the Celtic year and the fourth month of winter is Elembiuos. The month name contains a number of elements , el- referring to hunting, as in Welsh hela and Old Irish selg; -em- from the root 'to hold'. The Early Irish imbel, term for 'circuit' may be a closer match, being a reversal of el-emb, the spring cycle initiating the cycle of life.

The fourth lunation of winter generally equates to the Gregorian month of February, the month at the end of the stag hunting season, when hinds are usually pregnant with calf.

In the dualistic naming system of the Celtic calendar, the corresponding month of the summer half of the year 'Anagantios' means 'unwonted' (as in celebratory at the August Games), complementary to the concept of setting out toward the peak of summer.

The month of Elembiuos in 2008 is detailed in Celtic Calendar 2008 - Elembiuos.

Aedrini - Warmer

The eleventh month of the Celtic year and the fifth of the winter is Aedrini. The month name literally means 'flame', as found in Irish Aedh, 'a flame of fire', providing the meaning of 'warmth'.

The fifth lunation of the winter generally equates to the Gregorian month of March, in which falls the vernal equinox, and warmer temperatures. The daytime hours again becomes longer than the night.

In the dualistic naming system of the Celtic calendar, the corresponding month of the summer half of the year 'Ogronnos' means 'colder', complementary to the concept of warmth.

The month of Aedrini in 2008 is detailed in Celtic Calendar 2008 - Aedrini.

Cantlos - Exhalting

The twelfth and final month of the Celtic years and the last month of winter is Cantlos. The month name literally means 'to sing', from the Common Celtic *cantla- 'to sing' and found in Early Welsh cant, Welsh cana, Old Irish Canim and Irish canu, all meaning 'to sing' or 'celebrate'.

The twelfth lunation of the year generally equates to the Gregorian month of April, the end of the Celtic winter. The days continue to lengthen with the spring. The name of the month alludes to the birdsong at this time, and the joy at the return of the warmer days, anticipating the festival of Beltaine at the conclusion of the month.

In the dualistic naming system of the Celtic calendar, the corresponding final month of the summer half of the year 'Cutios' has the complementary meaning of 'hidden'.

The month of Cantlos in 2008 is detailed in Celtic Calendar 2008 - Cantlos.

The preceding section examines the six regular months of Samhradh the Celtic summer, headed by the month Samon. In summary, presented below are the months of the two Celtic seasons of the year.

SAMHRADH - SAMON - SUMMER		GEIMHREADH - GIAMMON - WINTER
SAMON	"Summer"	GIAMMON	"Winter"
DUMAN	"The World"	SEMIUISONNA	"The Source"
RIUROS	"The King"	EQUOS	"Horse"
ANAGANTIOS	"Unwonted"	ELEMBIUOS	"The Circuit"
OGRONNOS	"Coldness"	AEDRINI	"Warmth"
CUTIOS	"Hidden"	CANTLOS	"Exhalting"

References for this section.

ancient sources

C. Julius Caesar. Caesar's Gallic War. Translator. W. A. McDevitte. Translator. W. S. Bohn. 1st Edition. New York. Harper & Brothers. 1869. Harper's New Classical Library. [available on-line:
http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/cgi-bin/ptext?lookup=Caes.+Gal.+6.18 ]

Diodorus, Library of History Book II, Loeb translation, In: Hawkins, G. (1965) Stonehenge Decoded. Fontana, London, pp.165-166.

Hesiod. The Homeric Hymns and Homerica with an English Translation by Hugh G. Evelyn-White. Works and Days. Cambridge, MA., Harvard University Press; London, William Heinemann Ltd. 1914. [available on-line:
http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/cgi-bin/ptext?lookup=Hes.+WD+1 ]

Pliny the Elder. The Natural History. John Bostock, M.D., F.R.S. H.T. Riley, Esq., B.A. London. Taylor and Francis, Red Lion Court, Fleet Street. 1855. [available on-line:
'Historical Facts Connected With The Mistletoe': http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/cgi-bin/ptext?lookup=Plin.+Nat.+17.95]

Plutarch, Life of Caesar. In: Plutarch. Fall of the Roman Republic. Transl. R. Warner (1972). London: Penguin, pp. 243-310.

Plutarch. Moralia. De Facie 'The Face in the Moon' with an introduction. Vol. XII of the Loeb Classical Library edition, 1957. [available on-line:
http://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Roman/Texts/Plutarch/
Moralia/The_Face_in_the_Moon*/Introduction.html ]

websites, monographs and image credits

Cormac's Glossary, translated and annotated by John O'Donovan, edited with notes and indices, edited by Dr. Whitely Stokes, published in 1862 and 1868 Calcutta. Llanerch Press; Facsimile edition (Mar 2000)
A useful on-line resource for Whitley Stokes: http://www.ucc.ie/celt/stokebib.html

Ellis, P.B. (1994) The Druids. Constable and Company, Ltd. London.

Lady Gregory (1904) Gods and Fighting Men. The story of the Tuatha de Danaan and of the Fianna of Ireland, arranged and put into English. The Coole Edition. 1970 reprint, Colin Smythe Ltd, Gerrards Cross, Buckinghamshire.

Joyce, P.W. (1907) The Pursuit of the Giolla Dacker and His Horse, an Irish story known from the 16th century. In: Old Celtic Romances, collected by PW Joyce (1907: republished 2000) Wordsworth Editions Ltd in association with FLS Books, The Folklore Society.

MacBain, A. (1982) An Etymological Dictionary of the Gaelic Language
http://www.ceantar.org/Dicts/MB2/index.html

'Samon month title' image: http://www.answers.com/topic/coligny-calendar

'Trinox detail' image: http://www.tartanplace.com