The Bulgarian calendar was a solar calendar system used by the Bulgars, who from the 4th century onwards dwelt in the Eurasian steppes north of the Caucasus and around the banks of river Volga. In 681, part of the Bulgarians settled in the Balkan Peninsula and established First Bulgarian Empire. The main source of information used for reconstruction of the Bulgarian calendar is a short 15th century transcript in Church Slavonic called Nominalia of the Bulgarian Khans, which contains 10 pairs of calendar terms. Additionally, the same dating system is used in a marginal note in a manuscript by 10th century monk Tudor Doksov and in the Chatalar Inscription by the 9th-century Bulgaria ruler Omurtag (), who also provides the Byzantine imperial dating equivalent (the indiction). According to the reconstructed calendar, the Bulgars used a 12-year cyclic calendar similar to the one adopted by Turkic peoples from the Chinese calendar, with names and numbers that are deciphered as in Bulgar language. Образуване на българската държава. проф. Петър Петров (Издателство Наука и изкуство, София, 1981) стр. 171. The reading, along with the "cyclic calendar" interpretation itself, was originally proposed by Finnish Slavist Jooseppi Julius Mikkola in 1913. Later, there have been various modifications and elaborations during the 20th century by scholars such as Géza Fehér, Omeljan Pritsak, Mosko Moskov and other scientists.Zlatarski, Vasil. 1918. Istoriya na balgarskata darzhava prez srednite vekove. Balgarsko letobroene (in Bulgarian).
Reconstructions vary slightly because some of the names are unattested, and the exact form of a few is debatable. The following list is based on Mosko Moskov's and description of the average mainstream interpretation, as well as his own reconstruction, and takes into account the existing disagreements:Именник на българските ханове – ново тълкуване. М.Москов. С. 1988 г. § 80,70
Years:
Number Animal In Bulgar 1 Mouse Somor 2 Ox Shegor 3 Uncertain, probably Tiger / Wolf Ver? 4 Rabbit Dvan[sh] 5 Uncertain, probably Dragon Ver[eni]? 6 Snake Dilom 7 Horse Imen[shegor]? 8 Ram Teku[chitem]? 9 Unattested, probably Monkey 10 Hen or Rooster Toh 11 Dog Eth 12 Boar Dohs
Comparison with Turkic calendars
The following comparison table was made based on Omeljan Pritsak's analysis.Die bulgarische Fürstenliste und die Sprache der Protobulgaren. Otto Harrassowitz-Wiesbaden, 1955.
Year Bulgar Old Turkic (7 – 8 century) Uighur (13 – 17 century)TurkmenBashkirKazakhKhakaskiTeleutMouse Somor, (čomor) Corresponds to tat. "jomran" "settled" from the Turkic root "jomra" - küskü сычқансысҡантышқанкÿске қойон „Rabbit“OxShegor, σιγορ Съответства на турската дума sığır „говедо“. udсығырһыйыр „крава“сиырінекулу „Dragon“ Uncertain, probably Tiger / Wolf Ver/Vereni, Vereni According to Pritsak (cit. lit.) it corresponds to Proto-Turkic. börü 'wolf', taken in mar. "puree", sensed. "biræg". But comparing the name of the year from the teleutic cycle circle, we see that "vereni" may be the tabu name for "dragon" = "rope" and be compared with chuv. "faithful", Old Turkic. örgen 'rope'.(Мудрак, цит. лит.) bars (Turkic) bars (Turkic)барс, пәләң (Turkic)барысбарыстÿлгÿ „Fox“йылан „Snake“RabbitDvan (davlan) Proto Bulgar. davlan Corresponds to the Lambdaism rule of Old Turkic. tabïšɣan. tabïšɣantavïšɣanтаушқанҡуянқоянхозанат „Horse“Dragonlüi/lü (Chinese)luu (Chinese)лу балық луулувкилескі „Lizard“қой „Ram“Snake Dilom(čilom) Corresponds to hearing. çĕlĕn, Old Turkic. yïlan "snake". yïlanyïlanйыланиланжыланчыланмечин „Monkey“Horse ImaAccording to Pritsak (cit. lit.) this word is borrowed in mar. imne 'horse', deriving them from Old Turkic. emlik at – "unridden horse, colt", but later took on the meaning of "horse". Mar. "imne" is probably borrowed from Hmong. – see Fassmer (cit. lit.) under "imnyushka". See Beshevliev for the opinion that "ima" is Old Bulgarian. adj. place for a binary number. (Imen)yunt,yundйылқыилҡыжылқычылғыит „Dog“RamTeku, Teke Corresponds to hearing. "so" "ram", Old Turkic. teke "goat".qonyqoinқойҡойқой хойқақай „Boar“ (Mongolian)Monkeybičin bičinбиҗинмишинмаймыл, мешінкіжі „Human/Man“чычқан „Mouse“RoosterToh (čux)Corresponds to hearing. čăhă, Old Turkic. takïɣu hen < diakïɣu. Employed in ung. tyúk. takïɣu takïɣuтауқтауыҡтауықтаңахтақаа „Rooster“ (Mongolian)DogEth Corresponds to hearing. yită, Old Turkic. it "dog".ititитэтиттурна „Crane“инек „Cow“BoarDohs(čočka) Corresponds to tat. "chucka" "pig".laɣzïn (?)toŋuzтоңуздоңгызқара кейікöскі „Ram“пар „Tiger“
References and notes
External links Pritsak, O. Die bulgarische Fürstenliste und die Sprache der Protobulgaren. Otto Harrassowitz-Wiesbaden, 1955. Computer Model of the Bulgarian Calendar and comparison with the Gregorian Calendar Bulgarian Sun-Jupiter calendar
Article on Bulgarian calendar Book about Old Bulgarians Ednazhden peripetiite na kalendara