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Main Deities A-Y Cult Temples History of Religion PhilosophyCreation Myths Festivals Priesthood Daily LifeAset/Isis Deities Specific Abydos Dendera Karnak PhilaeSaqqara Women Other

Akhet - The HorizonThe Ancient Egyptian Calendar

The purpose of this calendar is to give an overview of how the ancient Egyptiancalendar worked and how it would correspond to modern ones. Its purpose is not tostate a correct calendar.

The Egyptian year was divided into three seasons (Inundation/Autmn, Growing/Winter and Harvest/Summer) Each season was divided into four months of each thirty days making a total of 120 days in each season. Each month was further divided into three decans to become three weeks of ten days each. At the end of the year,five extra days were thrown in to compensate for the year being 365 days. This ocurred in antiquity late June, due to the progression of the stars nowadays lateJuly, when the inundation of the Nile began. As the inundation never ocurred ona fixed date, the rising of the Dog Star (Sirius), which had a fixed date was used as a sign that the inundation was near.

I have used several sources when composing this calendar. The Julian times givenare an estimation, but they are not correct and sources give different info. Da

tes has to be calculated anew each year by the rising of the star Sirius, and the result varies according to where on the planet you are.

According to James P. Allen - 'Middle Egyptian; An Introduction to the Languageand Culture of Hieroglyphs', the names of the months go back to at least the Middle Kingdom and probably used primarily in the area around MenNefer (Memphis). They were names for festivals occurring in them or in the month after. Around theNew Kingdom, the names of the months changed to reflect the festivals held in the Waset (Thebes) area. This page gives both names and many of the later ones survived into Coptic. Not everyone agrees to his theory however. More research issurely needed.

The names of the deities for each month are given in ancient Egyptian with a link to info about them and in Greek within parenthesis when applicable.

MK: Middle Kingdom. NK: New Kingdom

Julian time Season Kemetic Coptic Greek Major FestivalsDeityEarly August -

early Sept. 1 AkhetInundation

MK:

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TekhiNK:DHhwty Tout Thoth 1st Akhet:Opening of the Year,Wag Festival of Osiris,Festival of the Departure of Osirisat Abydos,

Festival of Djehuty,Festival of Intoxication(for Hathor) Djehuty(Thoth)Early September -early October 2nd AkhetInundation

MK:Menkhet('Clothing')NK:pa-en-ipet

('The one of Karnak') Paopi Phaphi 2nd Akhet:Festival of Ptah South of His Wall(MenNefer)Opet Festival(Waset) PtahEarly October -early November 3rd AkhetInundation

MK:Khenet Het-Hert ('Voyage of Het-Hert')NK:Hwt-Hr(w)('Het-Hert') Athor Athyr 3rd Akhet:

Festival of Hathor(Dendera & Edfu)

HetHert(Hathor)Early November -early December 4th AkhetInundation

MK:Nekheb-Kau('Apportioner of 'kas')NK:kA-Hr-kA('Ka upon Ka') Khoiak Khoiak 4th Akhet:Festival of Wesir at AbedjouFestival of Sokar at MenNeferFestival of Sekhmet SekhmetEarly December -early January 1st PeretGrowing

MK:Shef-bedet ('Swelling of Emmer-wheat')NK:Ta-ahbet('The Offerings of Mut') Tobe Tybi 1st Peret:Festival of NehebkauFestival of the Coronation of the

Sacred Falcon(Edfu)Festival of Min

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Festival of the Departure of MutMut, Min

Early January - early February 2nd PeretGrowing

MK:Rekeh-Aa('Big Burning')

NK:Pa-en-pa-mekhru('The one of the censor') Mechir Mekheir 2nd Peret:Festival of Victory (Edfu)Great Brand Festival Aset(Isis)Early February - early March 3rd PeretGrowing

MK:Rekeh-nedjes('Little Burning')NK:

Pa-en-Amen-hotep('The one of Amenhotep') Parmhotp Phamenth 3rd Peret:Small Brand FestivalFestival of Amenhotep Amun,Amenhotep IEarly March - early April 4th PeretGrowing

MK:Renen-wetet(Harvest deity)PaenRenenutet('The one of Renenutet') Parmoute Pharmouthi 4th Peret:Festival of Renenutet Renenutet

Early April -early May 1st ShomuHarvest

MK:Khonsu(Moon deity)NK:Pa-en-Khonsu('The one of Khonsu') Pakhons Pachn 1st Shomu:Festival of KhonsuFestival of the Departure of Min KhonsuEarly May - early June 2nd ShomuHarvest

MK:Khenet-KhetyPerti('Khentekhtai-perti') A deity.NK:Pa-en-inet('The one on the wadi') Paone Payni 2nd Shomu:Beautiful Feast of the Valley (Waset) Heru(Horus)Early June -early July 3rd ShomuHarvest

MK:

Ipet Hemet('She whose incarnation is select')NK:

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Ipi-ipi(derived from Ipet hemet?) Epep Epiphi 3rd Shomu:Festival of the Beautiful Reunion;(Hathor & Horus at Dendera & Edfu) WadjetMiddle July 4th ShomuHarvest

MK:

Wepet Ronpet('Opening of the year')NK:Mesut-Ra('Birth of Ra') Mesori Mesore 4th Shomu:Festival of Re-Horakhty;Festival of the Opening of the Year (Wep Renpet) Ra-Horakti5 Epagomenal Days(Days Upon the Year) Day 1:Birthday of Osiris Day 2:Birthday of Horus Day 3:Birthday of Set Day 4:

Birthday of Isis Day 5:Birthday of Nephtys Due to the quarter-day discrepancy in a year, some yearsan extra 6th day was added.

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