| ||||
| Season of Low Water[1][a] Šmw inhieroglyphs | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
TheSeason of the Harvest orLow Water[1] was the third and final season of the lunar and civilEgyptian calendars. It fell after theSeason of the Emergence (Prt) and before the spiritually dangerousintercalary month (Ḥryw Rnpt), after which the New Year's festivities began theSeason of the Inundation (Ꜣḫt).[1] In theCoptic andEgyptian calendars this season begins at the start of the month ofPashons (about 9 May), continues through the months ofPaoni andEpip, before concluding at the end ofMesori (about 5 September).[3][4][5]: 453
The festival now is known asSham Ennessim, and it has been nationally celebrated by all the Egyptians since ancient times, as it is considered a national festival in Modern Egypt as it was related to the agricultural background of the ancient Egyptians, originating fromShemu.Sham Ennessim is an official holiday in modern Egypt.
The Season of the Harvest was known to the Egyptians themselves as "Low Water" (Ancient Egyptian:Šmw), variously transliterated asShemu orShomu,[6] in reference to the state of theNile before the beginning ofits annual flood.
It is also referred to asSummer or theDry Season.[7]
In the lunar calendar, the intercalary month was added as needed to maintain theheliacal rising ofSirius in thefourth month of this season. This meant that the Season of the Harvest usually lasted from May to September. Because the precise timing of the flood varied, the months of "Low Water" no longer precisely reflected the state of the river but the season was usually the time for the collection of Egypt's grain harvest.[8]
In the civil calendar, the lack of leap years into thePtolemaic andRoman periods meant the season lost about one day every four years and was not stable relative to thesolar year orGregorian calendar.
The Season of the Harvest was divided into four months. In the lunar calendar, each began on a dawn when the waning crescent moon was no longer visible. In the civil calendar, each consisted of exactly 30 days[9] divided into three 10-day weeks known asdecans.
In ancient Egypt, these months were usually recorded by their number within the season: I, II, III, and IVŠmw. They were also known by the names of their principal festivals, which came to be increasingly used after thePersian occupation. These then became the basis for the names of the months of theCoptic calendar.
| Egyptian | Coptic | |
|---|---|---|
| Transliteration | Meaning | |
| IŠmw Hnsw | First Month of Low Water | Pashons |
| IIŠmw Hnt-Hty | Second Month of Low Water | Paoni |
| IIIŠmw Ipt-Hmt | Third Month of Low Water | Epip |
| IVŠmw Wp Rnpt Mswt Rꜥ | Fourth Month of Low Water New Year's Birth of theSun | Mesori |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Preceded by | Egyptian Seasons Season of the Harvest Šmw days: 125 or 126 days | Succeeded by Days over the Year Ḥryw Rnpt |
