The Balinese Calendar:

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Other Title
  • バリのこよみ・考
  • バリのこよみ・考--現行太陰太陽暦が辿って来た道
  • バリ ノ コヨミ コウ ゲンコウ タイイン タイヨウレキ ガ タドッテ キタ ミチ
  • ――現行太陰太陽暦が辿って来た道――
  • The Lunisolar System and Historical Change

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Abstract

The Balinese have two ways of reckoning time: the lunisolar system and the system of pawukon, or a combination of seven-day weeks, five-day weeks, and seven-day week names, with a cycle of 210 days. This report deals with the former, the latter being out of its scope. The lunisolar system is described and explained, especially the estimation of new-moon and full-moon days by means of unalatri, “omitting a day,” and the fitting of the lunar year by nampih sasih, “doubling a month,” to keep it in phase with the solar year, the basis of the climate and seasons. Calculation is done by a number of simple formulas, or calendrical rules, without the actual sighting of heavenly bodies. Attention is also given to recent changes in calendrical rules. Disputes and conflicts arose due to different groups of calendar compilers and adjudicators adhering to different opinions. Two important methods for calculation were employed: one is the estimation of new-moon and full-moon days based on modern astronomy, and the other is the Metonic cycle, probably borrowed from the West. These two innovations allow the Balinese calendrical system to work with tolerable accuracy. Thus we may say that the current Balinese calendar applying the innovated system is “modern” as opposed to “traditional.” This results in occasional discrepancy between the “modern” calendar and the natural calendar which is fully used even today by farmers and fishermen based on their own observation of heavenly bodies.

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