måningen

Måningen is a term used in Nordic-inspired fiction and worldbuilding to denote a lunar-based time unit analogous to a calendar month. In such settings, a måning is defined by the cycle of the Moon, with its length commonly treated as roughly 29 or 30 days, depending on the author's rules for balancing lunar observation with the solar year.

Etymology and form: The word blends måne, the Scandinavian word for moon, with the suffix -ingen, a productive ending in several Nordic languages that forms nouns from nouns or verbs. This gives måningen the sense of a period or phase tied to the Moon.

Usage in fiction: Writers and game designers use måningen to structure years, festivals, and governance. Typical calendars describe a year as consisting of twelve måningar, with occasional intercalary periods to realign the calendar with the solar year. Dates are often given by two markers: the phase of the Moon at the start of a måning and the season.

Cultural role and examples: In stories, rulers may base decrees on lunar phases; farmers time planting and harvest to the beginning or midpoint of a måning. The concept helps create a distinctive cultural rhythm and a sense of place in Nordic-inspired settings. It appears in tabletop role-playing games, fantasy novels, and worldbuilding guides as a familiar yet flexible time unit.