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Runic calendar is definitely a marked invention of the medieval Swedish culture and has an enchanting history of its own. Runic calendar are typically written either on parchment or are carved on staves of wood, horn or bone. It is basically the lunar calendar and is ideally based on the 19 year long metonic cycle of the moon. The eternal runic calendar is one of the archaic calendars where each of the 19 years in the cycle is marked by its golden number.
Like any other ancient and medieval calendar runic calendar also witnessed a lot of alteration to match with the changing time. In the earlier runic calendar the days of the year were typically approved in a long line. 52 repetitions of the first seven runes of the Younger Futhark in order to represent the 52 weeks of 7 days each was the fundamental structure of the ancient runic calendar. Curiously Solstices, equinoxes, and celebrations and also the dates of the Christian holidays were marked with extra lines of signs and symbols in the runic calendar which made the calendar an account of sheer importance in the early medieval period.
The first full moon after the winter solstice marks the beginning of the runic calendar. The length of the tropical year or the occurrence of the leap year does not count into the style of the runic calendar which is certainly one of the great inventions of the Swedish medieval era.
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