Canon

User:CIA391/CovenantTime

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The "Covenant measurement system", also described as the "old Covenant measurement system", was a system of measurements employed by Covenant,and often by it's remnants.[1] These measurements were often used as a timekeeping system, which when combined formed a standardized military calendar for operational coordination with a broader historical framework of prophetic "Ages" tied to theological and cultural milestones.[2]

Overview

The Covenant primarily use four units of measurement; Age, Cycle, Unit, and Cental, with various others used depending on the context such as Revolution. A cycle is broken down into units, then units further into centals.[2] Some units of measurement share a name with a Forerunner equivalent, with Cycle[3] and Revolution.[4] The units of measurement often don't translate one to one with human Earth time often leading to a large decimal in difference.[2]

This timekeeping system had been implemented and utilized by the San'Shyuum Reformists by at latest 876 BCE.[5] After the fall of the Covenant Empire in 2552, a version of the system was still used by the Sangheili,[6] with various individuals such as various Jiralhanae occasionally reverting back to the system.[1] The calendar also remained in use by the Ussans by 2552.[7] By 2559, according to Veta Lopis, she described the system as the "old".[1]

Units of time

Age

Main article: Age

The Covenant have seven ages that form the progression of the Covenant history: Abandonment, Conflict, Reconciliation, Discovery, Conversion, Doubt, and Reclamation. These ages may not run sequentially, and are broad overall themes of the period the Covenant are in.[2]

Cycle

A cycle is equal to an artificial day on High Charity. A cycle has 265 units, which is equal to 265.2 hours or 11.05 days in human Earth time.[2][8][9] The term "cycle" is often reused in conjunction with another word a lot for other units of time, though on its own it primarily refers to an artificial day on High Charity.[2]

Unit

A unit is equal to a hundred centals, which is equal to approximately one hour (60.046528302 minutes) human Earth time.[2][1] However, the meaning of the term is also dependent on the context in which it is used. A unit also refers to distance,[10] with one meter being approximately equivalent to 3.3 units.[11] A unit is also a measurement of temperature.[12]

Cental

A cental is equal to approximately 36 seconds (36.0279169812 seconds) human Earth time.[2][1]

Miscellaneous measurements

The Covenant and it's remnants also use various versions of cycles and other terms separate from the High Charity version, these can vary in context:[2]

A solar cycle, or an annual cycle,[18] was the Covenant equivalent of a year.[19] Other forms of units of time included a weekly cycle[20] with the former being similar in length to a standard human week.[20]

Covenant Battle Calendar

Main article: Covenant Battle Calendar

Briefly talk about the calendar here and how it uses Ages, Cycles, Units, and to a lesser extent Centals based on High Charity time.

Examples

Below is a few examples of how to use cycles, units, and centals in relation to human Earth time:

  • Five centals is roughly equivalent to three minutes.[1]
  • Five cycles equates to 1326 hours, or 55.25 days.[2]
  • Ten cycles equal 2652 hours, 110.5 days[2]

Production notes

Mention here how over the years stuff was inconsistent. Mention the Silent Storm "First Annual, Second Month". So on so on.

Very common, human terms are used such as “hour”, “minutes”. With at most “cycle” used in a loose context.

Ghosts of Onyx doesn’t treat Units like they would be described in later media. With Units rapidly going up throughout November 3 rapidly. The final Unit count on Chapter 38 of 265 may have been the cause of Cycles equaling 265 Units.

Ghosts of Onyx also describe Cycles as very loose, requiring 70 of them to fix an issue on a ship. Suggesting that originally Cycles were very rapid.

Contact Harvest also continues the idea that Cycles were very loose. If I was to guess Cycles were days or close to it back when those were written. With several descriptions such as “early hours of a cycle” supporting this. However Contact Harvest forgoes “Units”, opting for human terminologies like the before “hours”.

Silent Storm and Oblivion both do Cycles and Units differently to one another. With Silent Storm having Cycles last days, and Oblivion having cycles last a day.

Confusion happens when Cycles and Units are shared. Halo: The Flood – Chapter 7 and Halo: Ghosts of Onyx – Chapter 27 both have Seventh Cycle, 49 Units yet are not the same day. Something not ideal on its own.

Confusion happens when later cycles are shown in the same Age and then later it reverts. Example: Halo: Silent Storm Chapter 21 happens in 2526 and has Cycle 34, 208 Units, then Halo: The Floods Chapter 7 happens in 2552 and has Cycle 7, 49 Units.

List of appearances

Sources

  1. ^ a b c d e f Halo: Divine Wind, chapter 2
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n Halo Waypoint, Canon Fodder - Midnight Oil (Retrieved on May 29, 2026) [archive]
  3. ^ Halo: Blood Line, issue 5
  4. ^ Halo 2, Conversations From the Universe
  5. ^ Halo: Broken Circle, Prologue
  6. ^ a b c d Halo: Hunters in the Dark, chapter 3
  7. ^ Halo: Broken Circle, chapter 15
  8. ^ Halo Encyclopedia (2009 edition), page 31
  9. ^ Halo Encyclopedia (2011 edition), page 31
  10. ^ Halo: The Flood, Prologue
  11. ^ Halo: Oblivion, chapter 14: notes that 10 kilometers is approximately 33 thousand units. Simple math indicates one meter equals 3.3 units.
  12. ^ Halo: Hunters in the Dark, chapter 7
  13. ^ Halo: Evolutions - Wages of Sin
  14. ^ Halo: Contact Harvest, chapter 6
  15. ^ Halo: The Cole Protocol, chapter 54
  16. ^ Halo: Hunters in the Dark, chapter 6
  17. ^ Halo: First Strike, Epilogue
  18. ^ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named hitd30
  19. ^ Halo: Broken Circle, chapter 20
  20. ^ a b Halo: Hunters in the Dark, p. 54 (Google Play edition)
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