10. TIMES

10.1: by the Religion On some occasions a lunar date is not given solely as the waxing or waning night of the month in year x, but as so many years, months, and days. The formulation then varies: instead of being month 4, waxing 5, it is 4 months, 5 days. The years (on their own) total 4999 years, the months total 12 months, and the days total 30 days (360-day years). When the years have been found, the base of the reckoning lies in the Vaisakha Full Moon last occurring.

* Example: The Chiang Mai inscription Wat Sri Suphan Aram (Mission Pavie 5) exhibits the lunar date Magha 1 waxing of CS 862 (where Magha is expressly labelled the third month, as in Sukhothai style). The date is later redefined as falling on "2043 years complete, 8 months and 17 days". Vaisakha Full Moon (6 months and 15 days) plus these 8 months and 17 days yields 15 (i.e. 3) months and 2 days. The extra day is presumably a consequence of inclusive counting. Intercalation is not taken into account.

* Example: an unpublished Chiang Mai inscription of Wat Thaen Phra (1814) has: "CS 1176 ... Karttika month new moon ... 2357 years, 6 months, 15 days; and 2642 years, 5 months, 15 days". The BS reckoning, which makes up 5000 years, reaches up to the end of Karttika. Vaisakha 15 plus 6 months 15 days equals Karttika 30. It looks as though the hora has said correctly, Full to New is 15 days, but then separately reckoned that Vaisakha to Karttika is six months, when he needed only five. 84 SECTION TEN

full 1 2 3 4 5 6 Jo I ! j JVaisakh Jyesth Ashl4h Sr1VUA Bhhpw Asvma. Kartt:ib :n.ew

* Example: Inscription Nan 16 (Wat Phra That Chre Hreng (1789; LI, p. 90) has a date CS 1151, month 3, full moon, and a past and future count of 2332 years, 8 months, 15 days plus 2667, 3 months, 15 days. The two amounts tally to 5000, but the interval from V aisakha Full Moon to the date is 7 months exact. The hora has acquired another 1 month and 15 days. He seems to have counted in the same way as the Chiang Mai hora: "I have Full Moon; and V aisakha to· Margasirsha (8th month to 3rd month) is 8 months".

8 months 15 bys 8 ru111 1 2 3 4 5 6 1 (: I ! j IVaisakh :n.ew C

* Example: Inscription Nan 20 (Wat Phra That Khao Noi 1906; LI, p. 94) has some lacunae but they can be filled easily. The date is CS 1268, month 3, waning 6, and the past and future count is 2449 years, 7 months, 21 days (till today), plus 2560 (read 2550) years, 4 months, 8 days (from tomorrow). This yields the 5000, but on this occasion the reckoning penetrates as far as Pausha 7 waxing. Again the hora has said, "I have 21 days", but this time he started turning down his fingers with Jyestha, not with Vaisakha: