The Mur

At the time Dick Brown arrived in Exura (‘Stones in the Sea’), proto-Ildin and proto-Muram populations dwelt in fairly close proximity in the mountainous areas of the mainland north of the Isle of Nagi. Before the two populations split and migrated their separate ways, there was a certain amount of cultural and genetic exchange between them. Indeed, some numbers of Ildin (then known as Heldu) traveled north with the Mur and became incorporated into their population.

All these peoples were already mixed, first when they arrived on Nagi and then later as they encountered other populations. I have given the Ildin something of an Indo-Iranian heritage, but combined with earlier Proto-Indo-European peoples and even back to the Mal'ta-Buret culture. There would certainly have been more influences as other populations dribbled into Exura from our world, most commonly only a few — or one — at a time.

The Mur have a somewhat similar past but a larger percentage of more modern additions to their heritage, including Hunnic peoples. I have attempted to reflect these differences in their respective cultures and languages.

The name Mur simply means ‘man’ but takes on the connotation of warrior or noble, in time. This is obviously derived from Indo-European examples. They themselves had a more ‘Asian’ appearance than their neighbors, reflecting Hunnic, Turkic, and other Central Asian and Siberian ancestors. At the time they lived in proximity to the Heldu, they did not yet have the horse but did raise cattle and traveled in ox-drawn carts. Their migrations took them north toward the Great Rift and then eastward through the cold steppes north of the Tesran Unum. Eventually they turned south along the coasts of the Great Sea to displace the Tesran power.

Then some took to the sea, carving out an empire across the ocean. In doing so, the Mur of that eastern-based empire became increasingly sundered from those of the ‘Old Kingdoms,’ mixing with (and conquering) Sharshites and others. That’s a topic for another time and essay.

I do not use any specific culture to model them (nor the Ildin), but simply borrow some ideas from our past. One given when it comes to the inhabitants of Exura is that they are not in any sense of ‘pure’ stock. Not that we are either, of course! I create new customs and ways, as needed, attempting to remain true to my conception of who they are.

 

Calendars

A week of seven days is natural if one divides a lunar month of twenty-eight days into quarters. That is almost certainly the reason we use seven. The weeks can start on recognizable phases of the moon, new, quarter, full. Of course, a twenty-eight day month does not mesh that well with a twelve month, 365 day year, so most calendars end up being something of a mess of compromises and contradictions.

Twelve months, to be sure, are a tidy way of dividing the year. If each were equal, mostly likely at thirty days, there are only five days left over. Those can be addressed in various ways, as outside the normal sequence of days and weeks. A thirteen month year has its own advantages and disadvantages; it does not line up with the solstices and equinoxes in the same manner as twelve months.

That may or may not be bothersome to a society. If we do use a thirty day month, the weeks needn’t be of seven days. Ten or five might do as well, or six, for that matter. Or, as long as we are not tying the months to the moon, they might be of some other length altogether. Forty-five, for example—half of a season. That could be divided neatly into weeks of five or nine days.

All these are things to be considered in world-building. They do assume a world with the same length of year and phases of the moon as our own; both fantasy and science fiction may have to deal with worlds with completely different rules. The Exura where most of my fantasy fiction is set does not present this difficulty, but I do keep in mind that other worlds are not necessarily the same.

I have given my Mura the thirteen month calendar. Yes, with seven day weeks. They do not line up at all with the seasons, though the solstices and equinoxes do always end up on the same date. Only one day is not named as a normal day, belonging to neither a week nor a month, and that is the New Year Day, celebrated at the spring equinox. On leap years, an extra day is inserted just before it. These are the names of the months, as use in the Muram Empire:

the Month of the Ram — March 21 to April 17
the Month of the Fox — April 18 to May 15
the Month of the Bull — May 16 to June 12
the Month of the Rooster — June 13 to July 10
the Month of the Grasshopper — July 11 to August 7
the Month of the Lion — August 8 to September 4
the Month of the Fish — September 5 to October 2
the Month of the Hawk — October 3 to October 30
the Month of the Horse — October 31 to November 27
the Month of the Wolf — Novemeber 28 to December 25
the Month of the Crow — December 26 to January 22
the Month of the Rabbit — January 23 to February 19
the Month of the Frog — February 20 to March 19

New Year Day — March 20

Most of the old Muram kingdoms across the Greater Sea from the Empire utilize some variant of this calendar, although the names of the months may differ. It was never adopted, however, by the Sharshites or other nationalities ruled by the Mura at some point. We can take a look at some of their calendars another time.