Written 14.01.2007 - Uploaded 15.09.2008
This document explains the calendar system used by the people of the world of Project Copernicus. It is somewhat more complex than our calendar and tied to the world's mythology very deeply.
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In the calendar, dates are represented as follows:
day.reign.phase.cycle
There are three days in each reign, eleven reigns in each phase and twelve phases in each cycle. There is only one exception: the day of DEUS, which is the last day of a cycle and at the same time the first day of the next. It's expressed as:
year.DEUS.nextyear
in order to indicate that it is indeed between two years.
The calendar is a reference to the religious texts, particularly the Ascension and the Descent.
The references are as follows:
A cycle is the equivalent of Earth's year. There are two different cycles: odd-numbered cycles are Descension cycles, with phases referring to the order of creation. Even cycles are Ascension cycles, with phases referring to the order in which parts of DEUS are supposed to join the core in order to form DEUS anew. The phase order between these two cycles differs slightly: the two phases, Tiamat and Metatron switch places. Reign order on the other hand is not affected.
The mythological explanation for the phase order of the Descension cycle is as allows:
1. Phase of Tiamat: There's no world in nothingness which is Tiamat. For the world to be, the nothingness was cast out.
2. Phase of Marduk: ...and DEUS brought forth the aspect of Creation, embodied in the Seraph Marduk and thus a world was born along with two children...
3. Phase of Raphael: ...but seeing the world barren, DEUS brought forth the third aspect Life in form of Raphael the Seraph...
4. Phase of Azaziel: ...and with the Love flowing from Azaziel life was now able to create life and from the children grew a race of Man...
5. Phase of Uriel: ...and for Man not to live blinded in darkness brought DEUS forth Light on the wings of Uriel...
6. Phase of Raziel: ...for only in light can Man learn the Wisdom of DEUS as carried by the Seraph Raziel for Man to grow wise...
7. Phase of Gabriel: ...and to accept the Order and balance taught by the seventh Seraph Gabriel to hold the world together...
8. Phase of Azazel: ...and to enjoy the fruits of wisdom the tools of both creation and destruction, those of Azazel...
9. Phase of Ahriman: ...and to keep Man from stasis DEUS sent Ahriman without whom change would not be...
10. Phase of Abaddon: ...and then DEUS brought forth the Darkness which is Abaddon so that the blinded Man could dream...
11. Phase of Azrael: ...and finally Death, the shape of Azrael to end the heavy burden of life...
12. Phase of Metatron: ...and as DEUS was content, the Core became Metatron, to slumber until the End.
And similar explanations for the Ascension cycle:
1. Phase of Metatron: And lo' and behold as the Core awakens, calling its brothers - for Man has fallen - ...
2. Phase of Marduk: ...then Creation shall be no more and nothing is born as Marduk joins Metatron...
3. Phase of Raphael: ...and with birth leaves Life as Raphael is absorbed...
4. Phase of Azaziel: ...and Azaziel, defeated, returns from the loveless world...
5. Phase of Uriel: ...and Uriel's Light returns its shine to the eyes of DEUS...
6. Phase of Raziel: ...and Raziel takes the Wisdom from Man no longer deserving...
7. Phase of Gabriel: ...and as Order is void, leaves Gabriel crying...
8. Phase of Azazel: ...and Azazel takes back his gift as it is tainted with destruction...
9. Phase of Ahriman: ...and Ahriman lets the world fall into stasis...
10. Phase of Abaddon: ...where even Abaddon's Darkness no longer exists...
11. Phase of Azrael: ...and Death is meaningless for the dead...
12. Phase of Tiamat: ...and then DEUS is reborn into the Void
These phases correspond to seasons as follows:
Spring is the first, second and third phase (since nature awakens starting at spring)
Summer is the fourth, fifth and sixth (summer if the season of life)
Autumn is the seventh, eighth and ninth (autumn is the time of maturing before winter)
Winter is the tenth, eleventh and twelfth (winter means darkness, death and end of cycle)
The reigns refer to the conflict between the Sephiroth. They are named after the original ten Sephiroth (who share the name of their corresponding nations) and Adam. The order of reigns has no significant meaning except for the reign of Adam, which is the first reign. This symbolizes Adam's role in the Descension as the first Man. The ten reigns of Sephiroth follow Adam in the order they were born which is also the clockwise order of nations on the map: Jesod, Netsah, Binah, Kether, Hod, Malchuth, Chochmah, Tiphereth, Geburah and Chesed. This order also sustains the balance principle – opposite aspects are on equal distances from each other if Adam's reign is left out.
It is typical for nations to hold two of these eleven reigns as national holidays: the reign of Adam and the reign of their own Sephirah, which makes a total of six days vacation each phase.
Days have no particular names (except for the day of DEUS). They're simply referred to as first day, second day and third day of corresponding reign. The day of DEUS does not belong to any phase and therefore doesn't belong to any reign either. Each day consists of 24 hours.
Designer's note: since the phase names for 1st and 12th phase differ between cycles it is more practical to announce dates as numbers. If referring to phases with their names, it is important to keep the cycle number in mind.
Finally, the quick math:
3 days * 11 reigns * 12 phases + Day of DEUS = 33 days per phase * 12 phases + 1 day = 397