The ancient Turkic-speaking peoples and Kazakh nomads developed (for agricultural and meteorological purposes) a remarkable lunar-stellar calendar, called “Togys esebi”. This article explains that calendar in non-technical language, and describes some properties of the calendar.
The principles underlying the Kazakh Nomad calendar are quite simple. The beginning of the month coincides with the moment when the Moon covers the Pleiades. As the difference between the synodic and sidereal cycles of the Moon is about 2.209 days, each subsequent meeting of the Pleiades and the Moon occurs at a lunar phase that is about 2.209 days earlier than the previous lunar phase.
Because the sidereal period of the Moon – the time it takes to return to the same position in the sky, such as the position of the Pleiades – is approximately 27.322 days, such a sidereal month, when measured in whole days, always has either 27 or 28 days.
A year in the Kazakh Nomad Calendar always has either 13 or 14 (sidereal) months. A 13-month year (almost) always has either 355 or 356 days, and a 14-month year (almost) always has either 382 or 383 days. Like the Chinese, the Kazakh nomads named years by using a cycle of 12 animal names, and so the sequence of years was thus divided into 12-year periods.
Excerpt from http://www.hermetic.ch/cal_stud/knc/Kazakh_Nomad_Calendar.htm and related articles by Peter J. Meyer
Months of the Year[]
Forty sidereal months correspond to 37 synodic months.
The lunisolar and lunar-stellar years are synchronised:
- a regular year with 12 synodic months or 13 sidereal months
- an embolismic year with 13 synodic months or 14 sidereal months
In the lunar-stellar calendar Togys esebi, only the first month of the year begins with neomenia, and then from the second month through the 13th or 14th month, the months begin with the waning phase of the moon. The year currently starts around April-May.
Neomenia (ancient Greek νέα μήνη – new moon) – the first appearance of the moon in the sky after the astronomical new moon in the form of a narrow sickle. Depending on the latitude of the place of observation and the location of the moon in its orbit, the time interval between the new moon and neomenia changes. In any case, neomenia occurs no later than 3 days after the new moon. During neomenia the Moon is observed at dusk a few minutes before its setting. In antiquity neomenia played an important role in the chronology.
The months are named after the approximate age of the moon when the month begins:
- 1 togys aiy
- 25 togys aiy
- 23 togys aiy
- 21 togys aiy
- 19 togis aiy
- 17 togis aiy
- 15 togis aiy
- 13 togis aiy
- 11 togis aiy
- 9 togys aiy
- 7 togys aiy
- 5 togys aiy
- 3 togis aiy
On years with an intercalated embolismic month, 27 togys aiy comes between 1 togys aiy and 25 togys aiy.
Source: https://www.academia.edu/40526358/The_Lunar_stellar_Calendar_Togys_esebi_of_the_Peoples_of_Eurasia
Intercalation[]
How did the nomads determine that the current year would be a regular (13 month) or an intercalary (14 month) year?
- If the last month (3 togys aiy) of a regular year (13th month) began more than 5-6 days after the vernal equinox (from March 26 to April 2), then the next year will again be a regular year of 355 or 356 days.
- If the last month (3 togys aiy) of a regular year (13th month) began 5-6 days before or after the vernal equinox (from March 16 to March 26), then the next year will be an embolismic year with 382 or 383 days. Since this second method was an important feature of Togys Eseby, the Esepshi called such months “Zhana togys” (literally “New covering”).
- If the last month (3 togys aiy) of the embolismic year (the 14th month) begins from 10-11 days to 20-21 days after the vernal equinox (from April 2 to April 12), then it is considered that the rules of intercalation in Togys Esebi works correctly.
Years Cycle[]
The twelve years of the cycle are named after animals: Mouse, Cow, Leopard, Hare, Wolf, Snake, Horse, Sheep, Monkey, Hen, Dog and Boar.
Sample cycle 2008-2020: https://www.academia.edu/37894026/KAZAKH_NATIONAL_CALENDAR_READY_MADE_SAMPLE_FOR_USE