| Koiak | |
|---|---|
| Native name | Coptic: Ⲕⲟⲓⲁⲕ |
| Calendar | Coptic calendar |
| Month number | 4 |
| Number of days | 30 |
| Gregorian equivalent | December–January |
Koiak (/ˈkɔːjæk/; Coptic: Ⲕⲟⲓⲁⲕ, [ˈkɔjak]), also known as Choiak (Ancient Greek: Χοιάκ, Khoiák) and Kiyahk[1] (Coptic: Ⲕⲓⲁϩⲕ, Kiahk, [ˈkijahk]; Arabic: كياك or كيهك), is the fourth month of the ancient Egyptian and Coptic calendars. It lasts between 10 December and 8 January of the Gregorian calendar, or between 11 December and 9 January of the Gregorian calendar in Coptic calendar years immediately following a Coptic calendar leap year (which occur every four years, in Coptic calendar years immediately preceding those that are divisible by 4 to produce an integer; i.e., 1719, 1723, 1727, 1731, etc. are all examples of leap years in the Coptic calendar).
The month of Koiak is also the fourth month of the Season of Akhet (Inundation) in Ancient Egypt, when the Nile floods historically covered the land. They have not done so since the construction of the High Dam at Aswan.
Name
The name of the month of Koiak comes from the Egyptian phrase kꜣ ḥr kꜣ "Soul upon Soul", a name of the sacred ancient Egyptian Apis Bull. It is attested in cuneiform with the pronunciation 𒆪𒄿𒄴𒆪 ku-i-iḫ-ku, likely representing /kɔʔ-iḥ-kɔʔ/ with an o-vowel as in later Coptic.[2] It is also attested in Imperial Aramaic in the letters of Ananiah in the Jewish colony of Elephantine, Egypt as כיחך kyḥk.[3]
Coptic tradition
The month of Koiak holds a special place in the rite of the Coptic Orthodox Church. It is known as the "Mariam Month" ("Month of Mary") because the Nativity according to the Coptic calendar falls on 29 Koiak. The month is characterized by midnight praises that commemorate the Lord's Incarnation and venerate his mother, the Virgin Mary. The name of the Koiak midnight praise translates into Seven and Four, describing the outline of the praise that consists of 4 Canticles and 7 Theotokias (glorifications of Saint Mary).
It was at the beginning of the month of Koiak in Coptic calendar year 1726 that the Virgin Mary was said to have appeared in churches all over Egypt.[4]
The liturgies and other services are held in the Kiahky tune. Notable seasonal hymns include "O Mary" and "Efemepsha Ghar."
Coptic Synaxarium of the month of Koiak
| Coptic | Julian | Gregorian | Commemorations |
|---|---|---|---|
| Koiak 1 | November 27 | December 10 |
|
| Koiak 2 | November 28 | December 11 |
|
| Koiak 3 | November 29 | December 12 |
|
| Koiak 4 | November 30 | December 13 |
|
| Koiak 5 | December 1 | December 14 | |
| Koiak 6 | December 2 | December 15 |
|
| Koiak 7 | December 3 | December 16 |
|
| Koiak 8 | December 4 | December 17 |
|
| Koiak 9 | December 5 | December 18 |
|
| Koiak 10 | December 6 | December 19 |
|
| Koiak 11 | December 7 | December 20 |
|
| Koiak 12 | December 8 | December 21 |
|
| Koiak 13 | December 9 | December 22 |
|
| Koiak 14 | December 10 | December 23 |
|
| Koiak 15 | December 11 | December 24 |
|
| Koiak 16 | December 12 | December 25 | |
| Koiak 17 | December 13 | December 26 |
|
| Koiak 18 | December 14 | December 27 |
|
| Koiak 19 | December 15 | December 28 |
|
| Koiak 20 | December 16 | December 29 |
|
| Koiak 21 | December 17 | December 30 |
|
| Koiak 22 | December 18 | December 31 |
|
| Koiak 23 | December 19 | January 1 |
|
| Koiak 24 | December 20 | January 2 |
|
| Koiak 25 | December 21 | January 3 |
|
| Koiak 26 | December 22 | January 4 |
|
| Koiak 27 | December 23 | January 5 | |
| Koiak 28 | December 24 | January 6 |
|
| Koiak 29 | December 25 | January 7 | |
| Koiak 30 | December 26 | January 8 |
|
Rituals
During the month of Koiak, many rituals and festivals are performed in Egypt to celebrate Osiris, Isis, and Nephthys.[5] These rites have been prominent as early as the New Kingdom.[6] Two women will take the roles of the goddesses, Isis and Nephthys, to mourn for their dead brother Osiris. The main festival was over a length of ten days, ending at the day of Osiris's resurrection. This day also marked the beginning of the new agricultural season, when the Egyptians began to plant new crops for the year. Each day of the festival also featured a scene of purifications, feasts, and constructions of memorials associated with Osiris's resurrection.[7]
See also
- Egyptian, Coptic, and Islamic calendars
References
Citations
- ^ Gabra, Gawdat (2008), "Coptic Calendar", The A to Z of the Coptic Church, A to Z Guide Series, No. 107, Plymouth: The Scarecrow Press, pp. 70–1, ISBN 978-0-8108-7057-4.
- ^ PEUST 1999 Egyptian Phonology An Introduction To The Phonology Of A Dead Language OCR.
- ^ "The Comprehensive Aramaic Lexicon: TAD B3.11". cal.huc.edu., cf. Textbook of Aramaic Documents from Ancient Egypt
- ^ "Apparitions of the Blessed Holy Virgin Mary at El-Warraq Coptic Orthodox Church, Greater Cairo, Egypt, December 2009". www.zeitun-eg.org. Retrieved 2018-03-14.
- ^ Assmann, Jan (2005) [German edition 2001]. Death and Salvation in Ancient Egypt. Translated by David Lorton. Cornell University Press. ISBN 978-0-8014-4241-4.
- ^ Lesko, Barbara S. (1999). The Great Goddesses of Egypt. University of Oklahoma Press. ISBN 978-0-8061-3202-0.
- ^ Fairman, H. W. (July 1934). "Le Temple d'Edfou. ParEmile Chassinat. Tome 7me. Mission Archéologique Française au Caire. 13¾ × 9¾, pp. x + 356. Cairo: L'Institut Français d'Archéologie Orientale, 1932". Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society. 66 (3): 592–593. doi:10.1017/s0035869x00075948. ISSN 1356-1863. S2CID 163725012.
