The Dark Crystal Chronology

Fortunately, urAc, the Mystic scribe, had done considerable research on the history of Thra and had recorded that information within the spiral designs of a special cloth he kept in his cave. with the restoration of the Dark Crystal to its original status, that information was released to become part of the store of cosmic wisdom. After much effort and difficulty I managed to read that information from its cosmic storage area and have recorded it here for the benefit of non-Thra sentients.

The history urAc recorded was dated based on the beginning of the Dark Millennium, the time during which the Skeksis held power and the Crystal was dark. Therefore BDM means "Before Dark Millennium."

Earliest Gelfling History

Birth or Creation of Aughra.... Date unknown

Domestication of Nebrie by Podlings....Date unknown

First evidence of Gelfling habitations...ca. 3400 BDM

First Gelfling villages established...ca. 3350 BDM

Pictographic writing developed (1)...ca 3325 BDM

Invention of double flute...ca. 3300 BDM

First castle constructed at Ballenchor...ca. 3300 BDM

Monarchy begins with coronation of Ariel the First (2)...3285 BDM

Written language developed (3)...3285 BDM

1. It is believed that pictographic writing was introduced to the Gelfling by Aughra.

2. Until this time each tribe had its own female leader. In 3285 a gathering of the Tribes was held in which all Gelfling tribes met and chose a Queen to reign over all the tribes.

3. The Gelfling had a very strong oral tradition. The written language was also introduced by Aughra, apparently in honor of the crowning of the first Queen. The oral tradition maintained the highest popularity through Gelfling history. only a few scholars practiced the more complicated formal written language and they seemed to use it only to record special occasions. The pictographic language was more widely practiced by builders and historians. The general Gelfling population, however, was quite content with its oral tradition.

Pre-Dark Millennium Monarchies

Note: A Gathering of the Tribes was often used to elect a new Queen, but the procedures of succession did not require such a gathering, so many of the new Queens ascended to the throne upon the death of their Queen mother.

3285-3106 BDM: Reign of Ariel the First. Length of reign: 179 years. Daughters: 18. Major events: Capital city of Tarakendal founded 3280 BDM.

3106-2814 BDM: Reign of Ariel the Second. Length of reign: 192 years. Daughters: 14. Major events: Great Conjunction of 2000 BDM; Floods of 2850-2847BDM.

2814-2811 BDM: Reign of Ariel the Third. Length of reign: 3 years. Daughters: 2. Major events: Gathering of the Tribes in 2811 BDM to share discoveries of the various tribes. Ariel the third was killed in an accident. None of her daughters wished to rule as Queen.

2811-2732 BDM: Reign of "Shalana the Wise". Length of reign: 79 years. Daughters: 21. Major events: Library at Barendel constructed in 2809 BDM. Music Center established in 2806 BDM in Tarakendal. Her reign was noted for artistic and musical advances.

2732-2589 BDM: Shalana the Second: Length of reign: 143 years. Daughters: 16. Major events: Northernmost colony established 2679 BDM.

2589-2367 BDM: Shalana the Third: Length of reign: 222 years. Daughters: 27. Major events: Easternmost colony established 2497 BDM. Aughra disappears 2392 BDM.

2367-2114 BDM: Shalana the Fourth, also known as "Shalana the Sad." Length of reign: 253 years. Daughters: 23. Major events: Her consort died in 2120 BDM. She never bonded again and spent the rest of her reign as a virtual recluse. it is said she died of a broken heart.

2114-1939 BDM: Shalana the Firth, also known as "Shalana the Beautiful." Length of reign: 275 years. Daughters: 42. Major events: Great Conjunction of 2000 BDM observed with great festivals. Reappearance of Aughra in the same year.

1754-1601 BDM: Shalana the Seventh. Length of reign: 153 years. Daughters: 3. Major events: Westernmost colony established in 1697 BDM.

1601 BDM: Gathering of the Tribes called upon the death of Shalana the Seventh. All three daughters were produced late in Shalana the Seventh's reign and were considered too young to become Queen.

1601-1434 BDM: Sharla the First: Length of reign: 167 years. Daughters: 15. Major events: Drought of 1483-1469 BDM. Southern colonies were abandoned in 1473 due to the drought.

1434-1293 BDM: Sharla the Second. length of reign: 131 years. Daughters: 9. Major events: Great Festival of Crafts in 1337 BDM. Jen's ancestor becomes Consort in 1432 BDM.

1293-1153 BDM: Sharla the Third. Length of reign: 140 years. Daughters: 29. Major events: Southern colonies re-established. "Altan the Remarkable" composes over a hundred songs in a two-year period, 1196-1194 BDM.

1153 BDM: Gathering of the Tribes called by Sharla the Third for unknown reasons, during which she stepped down from the throne. She studied with Aughra for the next twenty years and disappeared somewhere in the West shortly thereafter.1153-1009 BDM: Tarena the First. Length of reign: 144 years. Daughters: 21. Major events: The "ruins" seen in the movie were part of a structure built in 1129-1123 BDM.

1009-871 BDM. Tarena the Second. Length of reign: 138 years. Number of daughters: 9. Major events: Great Conjunction of 1000 BDM. Eltan the prophet predicts an on-coming age of darkness.

871 BDM: Gathering of the Tribes.

871-742 BDM: "Marla the Unfortunate." Length of reign: 129 years. Daughters: none. Major events: First ocean-going vessel constructed in 860 BDM. Attempt to explore Beta continent fails in 853 BDM. Castle at Karuftan destroyed by fire in 827 BDM. Two consorts died during her reign, one in 846 BDM and the other in 753 BDM.

742 BDM: Gathering of the Tribes.

742-531 BDM: Keltara the First: Length of reign: 211 years. Daughters: 29. Major events: Westernmost colony disappears with no signs of violence 547 BDM.

531-403 BDM: Keltara the Second. Length of reign: 128 years. Daughters; 31. Major events: Castle of Barendel established in 487 BDM. Castle of Albrenard established in 495 BDM.

403-287 BDM. Keltara the Third. Length of reign: 116 years. Daughters: 17. Major events: great period of construction of cities, with three major cities and a dozen smaller cities established.

287-113 BDM. Kamara the First: Length of reign: 174 years. Daughters: 19. Major events: Second attempt to explore Beta continent fails in 165 BDM.

113-14 BDM: Karara the Second: Length of reign: 127 years. Daughters: 34. Aughra's observatory built in 86 BDM. Warnings from Aughra of "major catastrophe" during the next Great Conjunction. 87 BDM: Arrival of UrSkeks on Thra.

The Monarchy During the Dark Millennium

14 BDM- 136 DM: Reena. Length of reign: 122 years. Daughters: 20. Major events: Major events: Great Conjunction noted by arrival of Urskeks and Skeksis. Contact between urRu and Aughra takes place within days of the Great Conjunction. Skeksis establish the Crystal Castle after the Shattering of the Crystal. First negative effects of Dark Crystal seen in mutations of swamp animals starting in 27 DM. First major plague disease in 64 DM. Northernmost colony abandoned in 112 DM due to extremely violent weather.

136 BDM: Gathering of the Tribes

136-227 DM: Tolmalar. Length of reign: 91 years. Daughters: 14. Major events: Trangorn the Prophet urges exodus to Beta continent in 143 DM. Major storms nearly destroy the easternmost colony in 214DM. Skeksis began tentative attacks in areas nearby the Crystal Castle.

227: Gathering of the Tribes.

227-307DM: Almera the First. Length of reign: 80 years. Daughters: 9. Major events: Colony established on Gamma continent in 281 DM. Second colony established in 283 DM. Third exploratory group finds first two colonies abandoned with no signs of violence, 291 DM. All attempts to colonize Gamma continent end. Trangorm the Rebellious leads one of the smaller tries to Beta continent in 301 DM. The ship was attacked at sea by some form of monstrous reptilian creature with the resultant loss of all life on board.

307-370 DM. Almera the Second. Length of reign: 63 years. Daughters: 7. Major events: Drought of 351-359 DM. Garthim attacks begin spreading out from the crystal Castle, with all nearby villages destroyed by 365 DM.

370 DM: Gathering of the Tribes.

370-430 DM. Karla the First. Reign: 60 years. Daughters: 4. Major events: Capital city of Tarakendal destroyed by fire believed set by Skeksis. Attacks by garthim continue. First appearance of Crystal Bats.

430-463 DM. Karla the Second: Reign: 33 years. Daughters: 7. Major events: Another attempt to colonize Beta continent fails in 443 DM. Several major cities destroyed by Skeksis/Garthim attacks.

463 DM: Gathering of the Tribes.

463-514 DM. Merendel. Length of reign: 51 years. Daughters: 2. Major events: Series of major storms and droughts, 481-497 DM.

514: Final DM Gathering of the Tribes.

514-529 DM: "Shalla the Doomed." Length of reign: 15 years. Shalla and all her daughters killed by the Skeksis in 5229 DM. Great Library of Barendel destroyed by fire. Lat of Gelfling cities and towns fall to Skeksis/garthim attacks. Monarchy effectively ends.

546 DM: Skeksis achieve major control of entire Alpha continent. Few remaining Gelfling flee into the wilderness.

970 DM: Jen born.

981 DM: Kira born.

982 DM: Final Skeksis purge ends. All Gelfling on Alpha continent are killed with the exception of Jen and Kira.

The Age of Renewal

0 ADM (After Dark Millennium): The Great Crystal is healed.

2 ADM: Jen and Kira have their first child, Katara.

13 ADM: Aughra returns with Gelfling that had survived in the wilderness of Beta continent. Survivors revealed that attacks by flying reptilian creatures along with periods of sustained drought had forced them to move deep into the Beta continent interior.

14 ADM: First new Gelfling city founded at Canmore. Aughra along with Jen and Kira locates the ancient Valley of the Queens and finds the crown traditionally worn by Gelfling Queens.

15 ADM: First new-Millennium Gelfling Queen elected, Ahallandra the First. Invention by Aughra allows remote viewing of Beta and Gamma continents. Gamma continent Gelfling are located but are few in number. Contingent of Beta continent Gelfling sail for Gamma continent.

16 ADM: Beta continent group returns with fewer than fifty Gamma continent Gelfling.

The growth of the Gelfing tribes was slow, but gradually their numbers increased and the old cities were restored to their former glory. In the year 54 ADM another attempt, this time successful, was made to colonize Beta continent. A colony was established on Gamma continent soon after. It was discovered that many colony attempts during the Dark Millennium had failed due to effects from the Dark Crystal. Beta and Gamma continents had their own power centers which were also corrupted by the Dark Crystal. this resulted in mutation of local life forms which became the reptilian creatures referred to earlier. With the healing of the Great Crystal these creatures vanished.

18 ADM: Kira is offered the throne after the death of Shallandra the First due to an accident, but she declines to accept the honor. Shallandra the Second is elected the new Queen. Birth of Jen and Kira's second daughter, Kara.

Main index page

Dark Crystal main index page