322
NOTES AND QUERIES. [11 s. v. APBIL 27, 1912.
runes of the futhork should have consecu-
tive values ; the only point to be settled
is where to start.) The values of the epact,
on the other hand, can be calculated with
certainty ; for, since the epact is the age of
the moon in days on 1 Jan., the date of the
first new moon must be 31-E Jan., E being
the numerical value of the epact. Thus,
by reading off from the calendar the dates
of the new moons which occur in January
during a Metonic cycle, and subtracting
these dates from 31, the values of the epacts
corresponding to the various runes are-
known. It is obvious from these remarks-
that the order of the runes of the lunar
cycle will be that of the numerical values of
the epacts, in descending order. Referring
to the previous table, the order will be as
given below, the figures being the date in-
January to which the rune belongs. (It
will be noticed that there are vacant spaces,
which is, of course, necessary when nineteen
runes have to be spread over twenty -nine
and thirty days alternately.)
10 11 13
16 18 19 21 23 24 26 27 29
By way of illustrating the foregoing remarks, the month of December is repro-
duced below, together with the Explanatory Runes near the ferrule.
DECEMBEB.
n
pm
Explanatory Runes.
V Y t>
>nmiwwniww
A x%
The upper row of the month runes and the
two upper rows of the Explanatory Runes
have already been explained. To use the
lunar information proceed as follows :
Calculate the Golden Number of the year
by adding 1 to the A.D. year value and
dividing by 19, when the remainder is the
Golden Number. (The addition of 1 is
necessitated by the fact that A.D. 1 was the
second year of a Metonic cycle, or, in
other words, there was a new moon on
1 Jan., B.C. 1.) Count out the Golden
Number so found on the bottom row of
Explanatory Runes, and the rune indicated
will give the dates of all the new moons of
the year, Let 12 be the Golden Number,
then the corresponding rune is
and
there is a new moon on 8 Dec. ; similarly
for the other months. To find the dates
in the next year, take the rune which stands
to the right of ^ in the Explanatory Runes namely and this ^ t h e symbol for the year. The December new moon is on the 27th The next Golden Number after
g
W
(A similar remark applies, to the solar cycle
above.) E. CHAPPEIJ..
(To be continued.)
