Season of the Inundation
Encyclopedia
The Season of the Inundation (the MdC transliteration
of the Egyptian
term is Axt, and it is occasionally written as Akhet) is the first season in the ancient Egyptian calendar
and corresponds roughly with early September to early January.
The Ancient Egyptians marked the beginning of their year by the rising of the Nile
. This event was vital to the people because the waters left behind fertile silt and moisture, which was the cause of the fertility of the Egyptian nation
.
The Season of Inundation falls between early September and early January, and begins after the 5- or 6-day intercalary 13th month, known as Pi Kogi Enavot
(the little month).
of Sirius
, which during the time of the ancient Egyptians occurred around September 20 (according to the Julian calendar
— in Egypt the Sothic year
happens to be of the same length as the Julian); the four month
s of their lunar calendar are roughly equivalent to the period from the rising of Sirius to the middle of November.
The Season of Inundation is preceded by the Season of the Harvest
and is followed by the Season of the Emergence
.
Manuel de Codage
The Manuel de Codage is a standard system for the computer-encoding of transliterations of Egyptian hieroglyphic texts.-History:...
of the Egyptian
Egyptian language
Egyptian is the oldest known indigenous language of Egypt and a branch of the Afroasiatic language family. Written records of the Egyptian language have been dated from about 3400 BC, making it one of the oldest recorded languages known. Egyptian was spoken until the late 17th century AD in the...
term is Axt, and it is occasionally written as Akhet) is the first season in the ancient Egyptian calendar
Egyptian calendar
The ancient civil Egyptian calendar had a year that was 360 days long and was divided into 12 months of 30 days each, plus five extra days at the end of the year. The months were divided into three weeks of ten days each...
and corresponds roughly with early September to early January.
The Ancient Egyptians marked the beginning of their year by the rising of the Nile
Nile
The Nile is a major north-flowing river in North Africa, generally regarded as the longest river in the world. It is long. It runs through the ten countries of Sudan, South Sudan, Burundi, Rwanda, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Tanzania, Kenya, Ethiopia, Uganda and Egypt.The Nile has two major...
. This event was vital to the people because the waters left behind fertile silt and moisture, which was the cause of the fertility of the Egyptian nation
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
.
The Season of Inundation falls between early September and early January, and begins after the 5- or 6-day intercalary 13th month, known as Pi Kogi Enavot
Pi Kogi Enavot
Pi Kogi Enavot , also known as El Nasii, is the thirteenth and last month of the Coptic calendar. It lies between September 6 and September 10 of the Gregorian calendar. That month is also incorporated in the Season of 'Shemu' in Ancient Egypt, where the Egyptians harvest their crops throughout...
(the little month).
Lunar calendar
The Ancient Egyptians used this name in both their lunar and their civil calendars. The lunar calendar began with the heliacal risingHeliacal rising
The heliacal rising of a star occurs when it first becomes visible above the eastern horizon for a brief moment just before sunrise, after a period of time when it had not been visible....
of Sirius
Sirius
Sirius is the brightest star in the night sky. With a visual apparent magnitude of −1.46, it is almost twice as bright as Canopus, the next brightest star. The name "Sirius" is derived from the Ancient Greek: Seirios . The star has the Bayer designation Alpha Canis Majoris...
, which during the time of the ancient Egyptians occurred around September 20 (according to the Julian calendar
Julian calendar
The Julian calendar began in 45 BC as a reform of the Roman calendar by Julius Caesar. It was chosen after consultation with the astronomer Sosigenes of Alexandria and was probably designed to approximate the tropical year .The Julian calendar has a regular year of 365 days divided into 12 months...
— in Egypt the Sothic year
Sothic cycle
The Sothic cycle or Canicular period is a period of 1,461 ancient Egyptian years or 1,460 Julian years...
happens to be of the same length as the Julian); the four month
Month
A month is a unit of time, used with calendars, which was first used and invented in Mesopotamia, as a natural period related to the motion of the Moon; month and Moon are cognates. The traditional concept arose with the cycle of moon phases; such months are synodic months and last approximately...
s of their lunar calendar are roughly equivalent to the period from the rising of Sirius to the middle of November.
Civil calendar
The New Year's Day of the civil calendar, on the other hand, moved through the seasons over time, by about one day every four years. Therefore, the Season of Inundation does not continuously match any part of the modern calendar.Months
The Season of Inundation consists of four 30-day months. These months can be either referred to by number (months 1 through 4) or by names as follows:- Month 1 = ThoutThoutThout , also known as Tout, is the first month of the Coptic calendar. It lies between 11 September and 10 October of the Gregorian calendar...
- Month 2 = PaopiPaopiPaopi , also known as Baba, is the second month of the Coptic calendar. It lies between October 11 and November 9 of the Gregorian calendar...
- Month 3 = HathorMonth of HathorHathor , also known as Hatour, is the third month of the Coptic calendar. It lies between November 10 and December 9 of the Gregorian calendar...
- Month 4 = KoiakKoiakKoiak , also known as Kiahk, is the fourth month of the Coptic calendar. It lies between December 10 and January 8 of the Gregorian calendar...
The Season of Inundation is preceded by the Season of the Harvest
Season of the Harvest
Season of the Harvest is the third and final season of the Egyptian calendar. The word Shemu literally translates as "low-water", and falls roughly between early May and early September. During this season, the crops of the grain harvest are collected...
and is followed by the Season of the Emergence
Season of the Emergence
The Season of the Emergence , or Proyet, or Peret, is the second season or Winter season of the Egyptian calendar. It falls roughly between early January and early May.)...
.