The Azanlilɛn Kilɔmbo is the official calendar of the maroon Monarchy of Gànlɔdó and set to be the official calendar of the culture and tradition of Afrikan Vodún. It is based on an ancient calendar concept originally found amongst the ancient Ajã people who reside in what is now Southern Benin Republic, with adjustments based on a New Afrikan overstanding. This calendar is a guide for our daily dɛxixò – ritual ceremonies, cleansing schedules, and more. The monarchy of Gànlɔdó put this calendar together in the year 6256 AX (2015 CE) by uniting various oral traditions on time keeping that the Ayinon (His Imperial Majesty) Axosu Agelogbagan Jǐsovì Azàsinkpontín Agbovi gathered from various sources in Southern Benin Republic and Southern Nigeria over a two-year plus period. This calendar has been adjusted to modern times without compromising any of its ancient integrity. Thus, it has a New Afrikan character also. The names of the days of the week and the supporting Kpólí (sign) of the month are from a New Afrikan approach. The creation of this calendar was totally guided by the Ifá/Fá oracle.
The same spirit that inspired the Axosu to adopt the N’ko Mande writing script as the official Afrikan writing system of Gànlɔdó is the same spirit that has informed the development of our calendar. It was the spirit that saw the dire need to bring integrity back to Afrikan traditions. Respected traditions are traditions which have their own languages, writing scripts, foods, culture, and calendars. The problem of the loss of a proper calendar kicked in under the Nawɔnkúvó – the fall of Afrikan people into sickness and degeneracy (“slave trade”) and their “forgetting” a lot of their more ancient and powerful traditions. This term is also used for the captivity period and the resultant post captivity oppression suffered by New Afrikan people at the hands of their enemies – the European yovo (“white” non Afrikans). The Azanlilɛn helps us reestablish our Máwùfɛnu (Ajã word for “Afrikan”) concept of gan (time). In our current calendar period, the year is 6264 AX (AX being year the clan starting 6264 years ago). We hope that people in other Afrikan cultures can adopt this calendar and adjust it to their needs.
The Calendar
By Ganlodo being based in the western hemisphere, in Vodùn, our xwe (year) starts on the vernal equinox which is usually anywhere between March 19-21 of the Gregorian calendar. The year is composed of twelve 30-day months with 5-6 Azan lɛ Doxweme (Intercalary Days) added at the end for a complete 365 day year.
There are two weeks that the calendar acknowledges. One is the mundane 7-day week (7-day weeks were in use in West Afrika before European contact) and the cyclical 9-day sacred week called the Gba Azan. This 9-day cycle is the heartbeat of the calendar, each of the nine days being governed by particular deities, chants, taboos, and colors. The 7-day week and 9-day week work in conjunction with one another in that depending on which day of the 7-day week a Gba Azan falls on will determine how auspicious the gba Azan is or not. For instance, when the Azoblo Gba Azan falls on a Gbetozangbe (Monday) it is considered ganji (auspicious).
Each month has certain celebrations to the deities in fixed positions. Another profound feature of this African calendar is that each month is governed by a particular Kpólí Fá (Odù Ifá among the Yọrùbá). These are the 256 sacred chapters of the sacred Ifá/Fá oracle containing the deep philosophy and spiritual integrity of the universe. Importantly, they are divine energies that govern aspects of life and situations we find ourselves in. The Kpólí Fá of the month one is born under, in conjunction with the togodo (zodiac sign), one’s personal Kpólí Fá (found out through a Fá oracle reading), day of the week one is born on, time of day, and a few more factors lay out powerful life information, spiritual and mundane, for the individual.
Of special note are the 27 and 45 Day cyclical celebrations/rituals observed within this calendar. The 27-day cycle, Kúlitɔ Hɔngbó, is done as a major appeasement to the elevated ancestors and is the portal of the ancestors. That’s when certain bigger rituals are done for the ancestors because they come closer to us during that time. The 45-day ritual is called Gbĕlŭgan. It is a ritual cycle done to the deities to target specific familial and community issues. It is designed to bring energies back into alignment on a larger scale and to cleanse.
It should be noted that the days of this calendar do not start at the Gregorian midnight. They go sunrise to sunrise. Each day is sectioned off into quarters of 6 hours, each corresponding with a cardinal direction and color. Equinoxes and Solstices are marked as special sacred days/periods as well as the full and new moons.
Here follows further specifics of the New Afrikan Vodùn calendar. However, keep in mind this calendar is much more complex than the info you see here and proper usage can only be obtained from us at Gànlɔdó.
Sun lɛ (Months)
1 – Kúlitɔ – Elevated Ancestors. Starting on the vernal equinox. Amethyst
2. Võto – restoring order. Pyrite
3. Hwlεn – delivery. Yellow Jasper
4. Di – illumination. Hematite
5. Gùfon – rebellion. Ammolite
6. Gbésù – divine law. Turquoise
7. Dokun – wealth. Gold
8. Gbogbè – slaying evil spirits. Emerald
9. Dekpe – beauty. Amber
10. Dedagbè – good sacred word. Red Coral
11. Jidido – longevity. Ruby
12. Flìnsɔgudó – remembering. Lapis lazuli
Azan lee zangbe (Days of the Week… corresponding coincidentally with the Gregorian Sunday-saturday)
Kilɔmbozangbe – day of the Kilɔmbo. From the Maroon perspective, the Kilɔmbo is the containers of all we do. It is the basis of our activity towards family development, nation building and sovereignty. Kilɔmbo is a Kongo word that means “encampment”. They were the spaces in Brazil created by Afrikans who freed themselves by various means to join like minded individuals. Many Kilɔmbo were monarchies which the whites could not find or penetrate because of the high focus of culture and security.
Gbetɔzangbe – day of the authentic human
Hwezangbe – day of the family
Hennuzangbe – day of the extended family and community
Akɔzangbe – day of the clan
Togbàzangbe – day of nation building
Mɛdésúsínínɔzangbe – day of sovereignty
Azan lee Doxweme (Intercalary Days)
Alɔɖótè: Stop, pose, rest, cessation of movement
Blãnu – fasting
Lìnsɔgudó – thinking of the future
Sɛ́vɛsín – meditating
Cúɖúɖú – quiet
Vɛ̀kpɔ́n – Task of looking (reserved for leap years)
Seasons and their Directions
Dǒnu – Becoming. Spring. Associated with the East.
Glanu – Power. Summer. Associated with the South.
Hwìhwɛnu. Calming. Fall. Associated with the North.
Hwèsiténu – Rising Sun. Winter. Associated with the West.
Year, Periods, and Great Eras/Cycles (Uga)
The ancients counted time is 135-year periods. So, if I were to say month one, day one of period one then that is pretty simple. But if I say on day one in month one of the first year of the second period that is plus 1 plus 135 years. So that would be the year 136 for us, or more precisely, the date of 1-1-136 A.X.
Uga – Era, Age, Cycle
Each uga, or age, is composed of 2160 years. Our current age of Azi started in 4320 AX (Gregorian year of 79 CE). Each 2160-year cycle is composed of four 540-year smaller cycles. The four ages we have adopted from the Igbo and are as follows:
1. Aka – divine mind and universal consciousness. No boundary between heaven and earth. Very mystic human beings.
2. Chi – world age of the preponderance of reincarnated people. Death emerges. Intuitiveness. Humans were closer to nature still. Duality comes about. Individualized chi come about.
3. Anwu – age of light. Death and illness escape from the bag of hatred and become clearly manifest in this age. Mindless destruction of animals and nature.
4. Azi – battle against nature. Negativity dominates. Age of degeneracy. We are currently in the deep part of the age of Azi which ends in 6480 AX (2239 CE of the Gregorian calendar).
We will reserve sharing the names, taboos, colors, chants and properties of the Gba Azan for those who contact us and we get to know.
For more information, please contact us at ekaabokilombo@gmail.com
