Duilleog
Page 35
General
Brigadier
Colonel
Lieutenant Colonel
Major
Captain
Lieutenant
Second Lieutenant
Enlisted:
Warrant Officer
Staff Sergeant
Sergeant
Corporal
Lance Corporal (appointment, not a rank)
Private
Recruit
Lord Protector’s Guard Ranks:
The highest-ranking officer is General. Because the Lord Protector’s Guard is a speciality occupation, the members come from the Army of the Realm, and occasionally from the Navy of the Realm. They share the same rank structure except that the lowest officer rank is Captain and the lowest enlisted rank is Corporal; those being the earliest rank you can be selected or request service in the Lord Protector’s Guard.
Navy of the Realm Ranks:
Officers:
Fleet Admiral
Admiral
Commodore
Captain (Navy)
Commander
Lieutenant-Commander
Lieutenant (Navy)
Ensign
Midshipman
Enlisted:
Chief Petty Officer
Petty Officer
Master Seaman
Leading Seaman
Able Seaman
Ordinary Seaman
It should be noted that the General of the Realm is the head of the Army, the Navy, and the Lord Protector’s Guard. The Lord Protector’s Guard recruits from the Army of the Realm, and rarely, from the Navy. The Navy’s top rank, the Fleet Admiral, is not equal to the General. In this world, the Navy is not the senior service.
Calendar and Seasons
The calendar is in the background of the world and not specifically referenced except where it occurs accidentally. We don’t dwell on the calendar and neither do the folks in Turgany. In this world, the Celtic names for things have slipped and are rarely used. The common language is English.
Seasons:
Winter (Geimhreadh) – December, January, February (Nollaig, Eanair, Feabhra)
Spring (Earrach) – March, April, May (Marta, Aibrean, Bealtaine)
Summer (Samhraidh) – June, July, August (Meitheamh, Luil, Lunasa)
Autumn (Fomhar) – September, October, November (Mean Fomhair, Deirreadh Fomhair, Samhain)
Time Frames:
Day – dia
Night – nocht
Week – 8 days and nights—deug
Fortnight – 15 days and nights – cola-deug
Month – mios
Days of the Week:
Sunday – Domhnaich
Monday—Luain
Tuesday—Mairt
Wednesday—Ciadain
Pluday (Extra)—Durdaoin
Thursday—Ardaoin
Friday—Aoine
Saturday—Sathurna
Breakdown of a Year:
365 days in a calendar year for which only 360 are provided actual dates. The extra five days per year (see Solstices/Equinoxes) are used as celebration days and are known by their title rather than as a calendar date. It works like this: there is a December 24th, followed by Christmas Day, which is then followed by December 25th.
24 fortnights (24x15 days) per year
45 weeks per year
3 weeks and 6 days per month (totalling 30 days per month)
Solstices (longest/shortest day of the year)/Equinoxes:
Vernal Equinox is the day after March 19th (or Marta 19) and is celebrated for 1 day as Ostara Day (non-calendar day).
Estival Solstice (summer) is the day after June 20th (or Meitheamh 20) and is celebrated for 1 day as Litha Day (non-calendar day)
Autumnal Equinox is the day after September 21st (or Mean Fomhair 21) and is celebrated for 2 days as First Mabon Day (harvest) and Last Mabon Day (feast) (non-calendar days).
Hibernal Solstice (winter) is the day after December 20 (or Nollaig 20) and is celebrated for 1 day as Yule (non-calendar day).
Holidays:
Samhain. Nov 7 (Samhain 7). The midpoint between Autumn Equinox and Winter Solstice. Celebrates the last harvest, the cycle of life and gifts for passing spirits. Preparation to survive winter, confront the possibility of death. Colours: black, brown, reds, oranges. Opposite to Bealtaine.
Yule is the day after December 20 (Nollaig 20) and is a non-calendar day. Shortest day and longest night of the year. Celebrates the end of darkness, the return of light to the earth. Herbs are at their least potent. Colours: green, red, white, silver, gold.
Imbolc. Feb 1 (Feabhra 1). The midpoint between Winter Solstice and Spring Equinox. Celebrates the quickening of spring, the end of winter, time of planning and hopes. Colours: red, orange, white.
Ostara Day is the day after March 19 (Marta 19) and is a non-calendar day. The first day of spring, the night and day stand equal. Celebrates the birth of spring, rebirth. Time of planting. Colours: red and yellow.
Bealtaine. May 6 (Bealtaine 6). The midpoint between Spring Equinox and Summer Solstice. Time of rebirth. Colours: blue, pink, yellow, green. Opposite to Samhain.
Litha Day is the day after June 20 (Meitheamh 20) and is a non-calendar day. Summer solstice, the first day of summer, longest day of the year. Celebrates the light and the sun without there would be no life. Time of strengths and accomplishments. Gather herbs as “herb night” is when they are at their most potent. Colours: blue, yellow, green.
Lammas. Aug 1 (Lunasa 1). The midpoint between Summer Solstice and the Autumn Equinox. First harvest festival. Celebrates the beginning of harvest season, the decline of summer to winter. Time to dismiss regrets, farewells, preparation for winter. Ceremonies involve bread, grains and corn dolls. Colours: oranges, greens, browns.
Mabon Days are the two days after September 21st (Mean Fomhair 21) and they are non-calendar days. Referred to as First Mabon and Last Mabon. Autumn Equinox, the first day of autumn. Celebrates harvest. First Mabon is harvesting time and Last Mabon is the feast. Time for thanks and learning, repairing all things. Colours: dark reds, yellows, browns.
Important Calendar Dates Summary:
February 1 (Feabhra 1)—Imbolc
March (Marta)—Ostara Day (Vernal Equinox) is the day after March 19th
May 6 (Bealtaine 6)—Bealtaine
June (Meitheamh)—Litha Day (Estival Solstice (summer)) is the day after June 20th
August 1 (Lunasa 1)—Lammas
September (Mean Fomhair)—First/Last Mabon Days (Autumnal Equinox) is the two days after September 21st
November 7 (Samhain 7)—Samhain
December (Nollaig)—Yule (Hibernal Solstice (winter)) is the day after December 20th
Currency
1 crown (large round gold coin) = 36 groats = 144 pence
1 half-crown (large round gold coin with a centre hole) = 18 groats = 72 pence
1 mark (small gold coin) = 9 groats = 36 pence
1 groat (silver rectangular coin) = 4 pence
1 tuppence (a small silver coin or large copper coin) = 2 pence
1 pence (copper coin) = 1 pence
1 half-pence (copper coin with a centre hole) = 1/2 pence
1 farthing (small rectangular copper coin) = 1/4 pence
Coins are measured by known weights under the Turgany Weights and Measures Act. For example, a full crown must weigh one royal ounce (28 gramme). A half-crown weighs a half ounce (14 gramme). And a mark weighs a quarter ounce (7 gramme) which means it is heavier than a Canadian quarter (25 cent piece) but sized about the same. A groat weighs the same as a mark (but is larger), and a tuppence weighs half that of a groat (hence if it is made of copper it will be larger). Typically, wealthy merchants will carry coin scales to verify that they are not being cheated with counterfeit coins. The habit of biting a gold coin was to prove that it was indeed gold—which is soft—and not some impostor.
Seven Tenets of Morality
1. Strive to act w
ith compassion and empathy toward all creatures in accordance with reason.
2. The struggle for justice is an ongoing and necessary pursuit that should prevail over laws and institutions.
3. One’s body is inviolable, subject to one’s own will alone.
4. The freedoms of others should be respected, including the freedom to offend. To wilfully and unjustly encroach upon the freedoms of another is to forgo your own.
5. Beliefs should conform to our best scientific understanding of the world. We should take care never to distort scientific facts to fit our beliefs.
6. People are fallible. If we make a mistake, we should do our best to rectify it and resolve any harm that may have been caused.
7. Every tenet is a guiding principle designed to inspire nobility in action and thought. The spirit of compassion, wisdom, and justice should always prevail over the written or spoken word.
About the Author
DONALD D. ALLAN is a Canadian author of fantasy and science fiction and a retired senior Royal Canadian Navy officer.
He is the GOLD medal winner of the Dan Poynter's Global eBook Awards 2016 for the category Fantasy/Other Worlds for his debut novel Duilleog, the first novel in his New Druids series. The second novel, Craobh, won the BRONZE medal in the same category in 2017.
Donald lives with his wife Marilyn, son James, daughter Katherine, and dog Woody, in Ottawa, Canada.
Connect with Donald D. Allan:
BLOG: http://donalddallan.com
FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/donalddallan
TWITTER: https://twitter.com/donalddallan/
EMAIL: donalddallan@gmail.com