Germanic calendar

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The Germanic calendars were any of the various calendars in use among the Germanic peoples prior to the introduction of the Julian calendar^{[citation needed]}.

The months were probably lunar; the Old English "mónaþ", Old Norse "mānaðr, and Old High German "mānōd"[1], as well as the modern English "month", modern Swedish "månad", and the German "Monat"[2], are all cognate with the word "moon". A leap month was periodically added to keep the months synchronized with the seasons^{[citation needed]}.

Each group of Germanic peoples developed its own names for the months, which have long since been replaced with local adaptations of the Roman month names, although Germanic languages have largely kept the old Germanic names for days of the week to this day, most of which are named after the Germanic gods.

In the 8th/9th century CE, Charlemagne tried to introduce Germanic names for the months of Julian calendar. These names did not persist in the long term; although later on, up to the 20th century, German month names were sometimes used in Germany (sensu lato) that were based on or resembled those Carolingian month names. Some of these more recent German month names are given in the table below.

[edit] Month Names

Modern English	Old English	Old Norse	Old High German (and the New High German equivalent)	Poetic German / Carolingian
January	Æftera Géola (After Yule) or Giuli	Morsugr or Jól (the first half of the month) and Þorri (the latter half)	Hartimānōd (New High German: Härtemonat, English: Month of Severe Frost)	Hartung (Severeness), Eismond (Ice Month), or Schneemond (Snow Month)
February	Solmónaþ (Sun Month) or Fillibrook (Brook-Filling)	Þorri and Gói; Kyndilsmessa	Hornung (Hornung)	Hornung (Time of Hornets[3])
March	Hréðmónaþ (Month of the Goddess Hréð or Month of Wildness[4])	Gói and Einmánuðr	Lenzinmānōd (Lenzmonat, Spring Month)	Lenzing (Springing) or Lenzmond (Springtime Month)
April	Eosturmónaþ / Eastermónaþ (Month of the Goddess Eostre)	Einmánuðr and ???	Ōstarmānōd (Ostermonat)	Ostermond (Month of the Goddess Eostre)
May	Þrimilcimónaþ (Month of Three Milkings)	???	Drīmilki[5] (no common NHG equivalent), Winnimānōd (Wonnemonat)	Wonnemond (Graze Month [later interpretation: Blissfulness Month])
June	Ærra Líða (Before Midsummer)	??? and Sólmánuðr	Brāhmānōd (Brachmonat)	Brachet or Brachmond (Fallow Month)
(None; leap month)	Þrilíða (Third Midsummer)	(none)	(none)	(none)
July	Æftera Líða (After Midsummer)	Sólmánuðr and Heyannir	Hewimānōd or Houmānōd (both Heumonat, hay-month)	Heuert or Heumond (Hay Month)
August	Weodmónaþ (Plant month)	Heyannir and Tvímánuðr	Aranmānōd (Erntemonat, Month of Harvest)	Ernting or Erntemond (Crop Month / Harvest Month)
September	Háligmónaþ (Holy Month) or Hærfestmónaþ (Harvest Month)	Tvímánuðr and Haustmánuðr	Witumānōd (Holzmonat, Month of Wood); or Herbistmānōd (Herbstmonat, Month of Harvest)	Scheiding (Separating) or Herbstmond (Autumn Month)
October	Winterfylleþ (Winterfilled) or Rugern (Rye harvest)	Haustmánuðr and Gormánuðr	Windumemānōd (Weinlesemonat, Month of Vintage)	Gilbhart / Gilbhard (Forest Yellowing) or Weinmond (Wine Month)
November	Blótmónaþ (Blót Month)	Gormánuðr and Frermánuðr	Wintarmānōd (Wintermonat)	Nebelung (Fogging) or Nebelmond (Fog Month) or Wintermond (Winter Month)
December	Ærra Géola (Before Yule) or Giuli (Yule)	Frermánuðr and Morsugr or Jól	(Julmonat)	Julmond (Yule Month) or Heilmond (Holy Month) or Christmond (Christ Month)