ANAGANTIOS

unwonted

III

IIII

VII

VIII

VIIII

XII

XIII

XIIII

Aug21

Aug22

Aug23

Aug24

Aug25

Aug26

Aug27

Aug28

Aug29

Aug30

Aug31

Sept1

Sept2

Sept3

Sept4

First Quarter
August 21, 2007
At zenith at sunset

Full Moon
August 28, 2007
Eastern horizon

Last Quarter
September 4, 2007
At nadir at sunset

New Moon
September 11, 2007
Western horizon

III

IIII

VII

VIII

VIIII

XII

XIII

XIIII

Sept5

Sept6

Sept7

Sept8

Sept9

Sept10

Sept11

Sept12

Sept13

Sept14

Sept15

Sept16

Sept17

Sept18

noday

CIAL

SAMHRADH - SAMON - SUMMER

GEIMHREADH - GIAMMON - WINTER

SAM

DUM

RIUR

ANAG

OGR

CUT

GIAM

SEMI

EQU

ELEM

AED

CANT

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.

Etymology

I. ingantach - wonderful:
in-gnáth - 'not wont':
ion- (neg. prefix) + gnáth
I. gnáth, W. gnawd -
custom, usual: root gnô, gnâ, gen, 'know'
I. mearganta - brisk, lively
(mear: merry)
I. anagna, ana-gnáth unusual
W. asanghlywedig: unusual
I. meud great, mag *maganti-

MacBain's

"At this time a great fair-meeting was held by the king of Ireland, Nuada of the Silver Hand"
- The Fate of the Children of Turenn, Book of Lecan, 15th century

This month in the Southern Hemisphere

In Australia and the Southern Lands the seasons are offset by half a year and so the month of Anagantios occurs in late winter. As in the Gregorian Calendar, in the Southern Hemisphere all month names retain their Northern attributes. The lunation of Southern Anagantios may be named 'the Elembiuos moon' to express the seasonality of the Celtic calendar. The Southern Celtic Year 2007 explores the southern hemisphere perspective.

503BC: CELTIC DAWN

In 503BC, the planet Saturn appeared in Taurus marking the start of a Celtic 30 year cycle as described by Plutarch.
Caer Australis presents the hypothesis that this was the first 'Celtic Calendar Year', at the dawn of the La Tène Period.
Shown above (using Cybersky) is the European dawn of August 503BC, Anagantios, with the risen Sirius.

The Celtic Calendar - Introductory Sections

Celtic Year 2007
Ciallos | Samon | Duman | Riuros | Anagantios | Ogronnos | Cutios || Giammon | Semiuisonna | Equos | Elembiuos | Aedrini | Cantlos