Forum:Thief Universe Calendar: References to Time

Forums: Index > The Keeper Compound > Thief Universe Calendar: References to Time

Until we can come up with a better name, and so we can address the question, here.

All seven days of the week are named the same as ours, with the rare exception of a Pagan Shaman's use of "Moonsday" and "Cloudsday". In real life Monday is essentially Moon's Day, but we cannot be fully certain that Moonsday is Monday for a Pagan in Thief. Cloudsday remains a mystery, but Tuesday's a good guess.

No months are ever named.

Harvest is spoken of a few times, it's probably a summer event more than a fall event.

The word "Autumn" is never used, but the other names of the four seasons are.

The years are unknown, but the ledgers are as close as we can get to months and years. I like the idea that there's a typo in the Thieves' Guild ledger, Sxerks. And the number "34" is going to bug me as much as the number "842".

We hear about Ages, centuries, decades.... The end of T3 sees the beginning of the "third Dark Age" mentioned in SM3aboutgarrett and AULdiocenletters.

All the clocks and mentions of daily divisions of time are the same as ours, including the astrological charts, except the bizarre Clock Tower clock face. It's divided into eight, and uses symbols instead of numbers or astrology/astronomy symbols. It won't work as an astrolabe, either. The Hammers working in the Clock Tower write about time, thusly:

CLKwinejournal excerpt:

"Journal of Father Debole

Any smith canst divide an ingot into twenty and four pieces of equal weight. Any forger canst split a rod into sixty shavings, set them to a bolt. 'Tis good work, but common. Only these brethren, in mine keeping, canst split a day into twenty and four pieces, canst split an hour into sixty shavings of equal time."

CLKmemo excerpt:

"Proper time for prayer mayst be taken at dawn, at noon, at eventide, and at night."

We see various phases of the moon. The full moon is called "Nene" by the Pagans, and is symbolised as the Woodsie Lord's jackal (an Anubis connection?). The new moon is called "Enen" by the Pagans, and is symbolised as the jackal's shadow.

During Masks we see a lunar eclipse. The moon is full and red. The harbinger moon, blood, rust, Metal Age colours, Woodsie Lord's jackal, etc., while Garrett steals masks and a cultivator. In Casing the Joint, there is no moon, so it has either not risen yet, has set already, or it's a new moon. If it's a new moon, then Garrett is the jackal's shadow. Okay, I'm making crap up, now.

There is the Summer Solstice Soirée and the Summersday Tourney.

I don't believe there is enough material published to extrapolate much more real info than what you have already collected here. My discovery from last night, that the third month appears to have only 28 days ([1]) is the only thing I can think of. Larris 16:35, 26 June 2008 (UTC)

Yep. And this is the first time I've seen the dates on all the ledgers side by side to see the year --34, so thanks, taffers! Ehcmier 00:12, 27 June 2008 (UTC)Ehcmier

I'm not sure why you'd equate Harvest with a Summer festival - most comments about Harvest have it listed between summer and winter

TOB Briefing

Saws we them

man o'moons faces,

rounds o'glows brights

in them summer night sky,

saids them to us that

winter comes earlies,

summer is gone,

and the harvest is fled.

There are also a number of mentions of the Trickster as Harvester - interesting - could be connection to Celtic/Druidic mythologies, and Samhain/Cernunnos.

Just some thoughts, out there.

.j.

Solabusca 23:06, 5 August 2008 (UTC)

I wasn't really equating them, but the last three lines of that poem are how I came to a supposition. Maybe the Fall was so cold the Harvest was ruined? Ehcmier 23:10, 5 August 2008 (UTC)Ehcmier

Pretty much what I get from it is just that - that summer moved to winter too soon, and the Fall/Harvest wasn't a good one. (Or isn't going to be a good one, if it's one of those 'farmer wisdom' type quotes.Solabusca 01:01, 6 August 2008 (UTC)