Description
There are probably not many people today who could tell you what a ‘cog almanac’ is, and few who have ever seen one, and even fewer who have used or made one. An ALMANAC is an old word for a calendar and COG is an old British word for our ‘Ancestors’. The cog almanac was the form of calendar in common use before the invention of printing and before literacy was widespread. It consists of a squared billet of wood with notches cut on the four arrises (the sharp edges between the flat surfaces), one for each day of the year. The four sides represent the four seasons starting with the quarter days: Ladyday, Midsummer, Michaelmas and Christmas.
This book describes the origins of the cog almanac, the symbols that are carved to identify notable dates, and their relationship to religious festivals, the passage of the seasons and astronomical events.
Book Details
- Title: The Origins Signs and Festivals of the Cog Almanac.
- Author: Michael H. H. Bayley
- Illustrator: Michael H. H. Bayley
- Subjects: History; Folklore — England; Social life and customs; Mythology; Mythology — Celtic mythology; Astronomy;
- Publication Details: Maidenhead : Self-published, 1985.
- Notes: Originally published as an A5 pamphlet, 1985. Published as an electronic book, 2020.
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