Perpetual calendar
lastmod 2018-08-17created 2014-05-031 edits
A calendrical book compiled in the Joseon dynasty (Mansaeryeok).
Detail information
The 87 years from 1777 (1st year of King Jeongjo) to 1863 (14th year of King Cheoljong) form Part 1, and from the following year, 1864, Part 2 begins, recalculated every 10 years; 1904 (41st year of King Gojong) corresponds to the 8th year of Gwangmu (光武). Because continuing to add calendars in this way puts calendars spanning many years into a single book, when the Gwansanggam (Royal Astronomical Bureau) made a sequel to the Cheonseryeok (千歲曆) in 1864 (1st year of King Gojong), it was decided in the 8th year of Gwangmu to rename the Cheonseryeok as the Mansaeryeok. Computing calendars many years ahead became possible because the German missionary J. Bell (1592–1666; Chinese name 湯若望) of the late Ming (明) dynasty passed on a method of precise correction.
The predecessor of the Cheonseryeok was originally the Baekjungnyeok (百中曆), which served to announce in advance the calendar days and seasonal divisions (節候) of the next 100 years. After the Siheon (Shixian) calendar system was introduced from China in 1653 (4th year of King Hyojong), the Siheon Baekjungnyeok (時憲百中曆) was published in 1772 (48th year of King Yeongjo), covering 10 years with the Siheon calendar system. In 1782 (6th year of King Jeongjo), the Gwansanggam computed in advance the calendars for 100 years from 1777 based on the Baekjungnyeok and produced the Cheonseryeok. This Cheonseryeok came to be renamed the Mansaeryeok.
The extant copy is the Gwansanggam edition, 1 volume, woodblock print (17×26.4cm). At the front of the Mansaeryeok is the Yeogwondo (曆元圖, chart of calendar epochs), which records the Sangwon Gapja (上元甲子) as 1444 (26th year of King Sejong), the Jungwon Gapja (中元甲子) as 1504 (35th year of King Seongjong, actually 10th year of Yeonsangun), and so on. Joseon set its Sangwon Gapja to the same year as China's Hawon Gapja. There is good reason for Korea and China to differ on the Samwon Gapja (三元甲子, three sexagenary epochs). The 26th year of Sejong is the year Joseon published the Chiljeongsan Naepyeon, and its significance is that it was the year calendar calculation was first worked out. Thus, differing from China in this way can be seen as an attempt to find autonomy through the calendar system.
Mansaeryeok references
- Real Mansaeryeok CAL20000 website
- Lunar calendar (Mansaeryeok) 1849-2052: Lunar_calendar_1849-2052.pdf
- Mansaeryeok Windows executable and Delphi Source: Lunar_calendar.7z <span style="color:red;font-weight:bold;">(Caution: may contain a virus.)