Winter's Deep
The festival generally known as Winter's Deep also has many other names, and both the forms of celebration and the mythology around the festival vary from one culture to another. What is consistent to all of them is the timing.
As with many things, the oldest recorded information on the subject are held by the elves of the Barsian Empire, the oldest civilization still existing in the present day, and the origin of the common calendar used across Kyvandia today. It is worth noting that while Dwarven cultures are believed to date back as far, and have their own traditions, the upheaval of the Sundering of Kyvandia caused much more direct disruption to their civilization and destruction of any records kept.
Horologists of the early Barsian Empire studied the cycles of the seasons, and the movements of the Sun and Moon, and divided the year into eight months, naming each one to honour one of the eight major gods of the Aetheon, and gave each month 5 weeks, each of 8 days. The 320 day cycle this created was close to the actual year's rotation, but the imperial scholars realised that this regular cycle would not be accurate enough over subsequent generations, and some additional days would be needed to make adjustments. They therefore planned in a section of what they referred to as "Shadow Time" - kept separate from the normal calendar to avoid cause offence or imbalance among the gods already honoured. This "Shadow Time" is always added at the darkest point of winter, at the New Moon closest to the shortest day.
As "Shadow Time" is considered separate to normal time, it is perhaps inevitable that this would become a festival holiday, although various cultural mythologies give alternative reasons for celebration. The name "Winter's Deep" is considered a non-specific term for the time of year, therefore is used cross-culturally. "Darkest Night" is a reference used among dwarven and gnomish cultures, and tends to be associated with close-knit family celebrations, drawing together for safety and warmth. In contrast, the name "Festival of Secrets" will usually be found in connection with revelries of more elven origin, often in the form of masquerade balls, with an undertone of outragous flirting, romantic rendezvous, and secret trysts.
Some other names which might seem logically similar, such as "Winter's Shadow" or "Festival of Shadows" are no longer in general use, having been historically associated with dangerous "cults of darkness" or other secretive evil organizations.
Another name briefly in fashion, especially in the courts of the Fleurian Era, prior to the Gallate Revolution, was "Eccah's Night". This connection between Eccah the Mystic, patron of magic, mystery and darkness in the Aetheon, and the darkest night of winter may seem logical at first glance. However, as you will note from the earlier explanation of the origins of the festival and of "Shadow Time", the festival itself is considered separate to the two winter months. Even though Winter's Deep will inevitably fall within either Imbumis or Eccamis, as the two months of winter, the festival itself should not be considered under the jurisdiction of either Imbus the Storm or Eccah the Mystic. This point has been insisted upon by horologists and theologists of the Barsian Empire continually.
It may or may not also be worthy of note that this scholarly research becomes exceptionally vocal whenever any association between the Barsian Empire and the now defunct Fleurian Realm is mentioned.
Horologists of the early Barsian Empire studied the cycles of the seasons, and the movements of the Sun and Moon, and divided the year into eight months, naming each one to honour one of the eight major gods of the Aetheon, and gave each month 5 weeks, each of 8 days. The 320 day cycle this created was close to the actual year's rotation, but the imperial scholars realised that this regular cycle would not be accurate enough over subsequent generations, and some additional days would be needed to make adjustments. They therefore planned in a section of what they referred to as "Shadow Time" - kept separate from the normal calendar to avoid cause offence or imbalance among the gods already honoured. This "Shadow Time" is always added at the darkest point of winter, at the New Moon closest to the shortest day.
As "Shadow Time" is considered separate to normal time, it is perhaps inevitable that this would become a festival holiday, although various cultural mythologies give alternative reasons for celebration. The name "Winter's Deep" is considered a non-specific term for the time of year, therefore is used cross-culturally. "Darkest Night" is a reference used among dwarven and gnomish cultures, and tends to be associated with close-knit family celebrations, drawing together for safety and warmth. In contrast, the name "Festival of Secrets" will usually be found in connection with revelries of more elven origin, often in the form of masquerade balls, with an undertone of outragous flirting, romantic rendezvous, and secret trysts.
Some other names which might seem logically similar, such as "Winter's Shadow" or "Festival of Shadows" are no longer in general use, having been historically associated with dangerous "cults of darkness" or other secretive evil organizations.
Another name briefly in fashion, especially in the courts of the Fleurian Era, prior to the Gallate Revolution, was "Eccah's Night". This connection between Eccah the Mystic, patron of magic, mystery and darkness in the Aetheon, and the darkest night of winter may seem logical at first glance. However, as you will note from the earlier explanation of the origins of the festival and of "Shadow Time", the festival itself is considered separate to the two winter months. Even though Winter's Deep will inevitably fall within either Imbumis or Eccamis, as the two months of winter, the festival itself should not be considered under the jurisdiction of either Imbus the Storm or Eccah the Mystic. This point has been insisted upon by horologists and theologists of the Barsian Empire continually.
It may or may not also be worthy of note that this scholarly research becomes exceptionally vocal whenever any association between the Barsian Empire and the now defunct Fleurian Realm is mentioned.
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