The Calendar of Ocus
A brief worldbuilding story on the creation of my world's calendar.
The Calendar of Ocus
In the centuries that followed the rise to power of the Elljian Pantheon the world was broken. Many did not trust the new gods. Wars raged between the fragmented nations of the world. Dark priests and monsters loyal to the old Auran Pantheon plagued the lands.
It was The Five Popes who changed the course of the world. They pushed back against the dark powers, provided a connection for the common person to the new pantheon, and established the religious capital of Wellspring. They were collectively given the title of Pope, the only time when more than one pope reigned. They were Solus, Celeste, Bastion, Oceus, and Arbia.
Pope Celeste, as a master of astronomical matters, took it upon herself to craft the calendar of the world. The days divided into twenty-six hours, and the year was divided into thirteen months of thirty-two days each. She worked the schedule of leap days to hold the years in line with the solar cycle for millenia to come.
She set about the task of naming the months. Perihelion was selected to mark the start of the new year. She painstakingly assigned the months to the gods by the lay of the seasons and solar holidays. The month of the winter solstice was gifted to Xynia, the goddess of the night, and the summer soltice to Elljie the Lava God. The month of Ostar to the gardener Hortia, and that of Samhein to the wild Sylvis. And so forth.
When she had completed the task after great mental labor she smiled at her completed work.
Then Pope Bastion said, "What about the other hemisphere?"
Celeste replied, "Wait, what?"
"Well, the solstices will be opposite in the other hemisphere and not line up with the calendar."
And Celeste cursed loudly that she had overlooked such a basic astronomical fact. And then she laid more curses upon Bastion as he had noticed that problem weeks before and had said nothing because he's an ass. The remaining three popes stepped in to protect Bastion from Celeste despite Solus claiming Bastion totally deserved it.
Celeste then named the months in the year by the standard wheel of the gods, starting at the northern hemisphere winter solstice. Xynia, Ambric, and Cyndra came first. Parahelion would land here and mark the start of the new calendar year. The year followed with the remaining gods: Hortia, Nillis, Lyser, Elljie, Chalybeous, Thane, Sylvis, Mariah, Chira, and Gwyndyl.
The festivals that marked the soltices, equinoxes, and midpoints between would be celebrated in their hemispheres according to the solar event. When Yule is celebrated in the north Midsummer is celebrated in the south, and so forth.
Bastion then asked, "What about those around the equator."
And Celeste replied, "Well they can just do whatever."
And so ends the tale of the modern calendar of Ocus.