#gallifreyan culture

[gallifreyinstituteforlearning]

Converting Gallifreyan Age to Human Years

GIL's noticed some confusion about how old Gallifreyans are in human years. Have no fear; GIL's here to help.

✨ Quick Answer

If you're not interested in the breakdown, here's the formula:

For Gallifreyan ages under 100: (see below).

For Gallifreyan ages over 100: Human age = 18 + ((Gallifreyan age - 100) * 0.0133)

Here's a straight conversion table:

Continue reading for the maths...

🌌 Gallifreyan Ageing: Some Key Facts

Gallifreyans physically mature at 100 years old (roughly like humans at 18).

They're considered socially mature at 200 years old.

They typically live between 4000 and 7000 years, with 13 different bodies over their lifetime, each lasting around 450-500 years (though both can be more).

The 10th and later incarnations tend to have shorter lifespans, around 350-400 years per body.

For comparison, the average human lifespan is around 73 years.

🔢 How Does Gallifreyan Age Compare to Human Age?

To make the conversion work, we use a two-step approach that adjusts for the different life stages of Gallifreyans:

1. For the First 100 Gallifreyan Years:

Gallifreyans mature rapidly during their first 100 years, and we map these years to 18 human years. This period includes:

0-8 Gallifreyan years = Infancy

8-16 Gallifreyan years = Childhood

16-100 Gallifreyan years = Teenage years (ages 11-18)

2. After 100 Gallifreyan Years:

Once Gallifreyans reach physical maturity at 100, their ageing slows significantly. We scale their entire lifespan to fit within a typical human lifespan of 73 years, using the formula 1 Gallifreyan year = 0.0133 human years for ages beyond 100.

📐 Why These Numbers?

The reasoning behind these numbers is based on two main factors:

Different ageing rates at different life stages: Gallifreyans physically mature by 100 years, just like humans reach maturity around 18 years old. But after that, their ageing slows down significantly. We needed two different formulas to account for these different ageing phases.

Mapping a long lifespan to a human one: Gallifreyans live for 4000-7000 years, far longer than humans. To make sense of this, we compress their later years to fit into a human context, ensuring that even the oldest Gallifreyan reaches a human-equivalent age of about 70-80 years.

So there you have it! So next time you meet a 900-year-old Time Lord, don't call them old. They're only 28.

Any orange text is educated guesswork or theoretical. More content ... →📫Got a question? | 📚Complete list of Q+A and factoids →📢Announcements |🩻Biology |🗨️Language |🕰️Throwbacks |🤓Facts → Features: ⭐Guest Posts | 🍜Chomp Chomp with Myishu →🫀Gallifreyan Anatomy and Physiology Guide (pending) →⚕️Gallifreyan Emergency Medicine Guides →📝Source list (WIP) →📜Masterpost If you're finding your happy place in this part of the internet, feel free to buy a coffee to help keep our exhausted human conscious. She works full-time in medicine and is so very tired 😴

[zonedallthewayout]

There should be a Duolingo course in Gallifreyan.

Can you imagine the chaos?

Job interviewer: Are you fluent in a language other then English?

Me:

[the-worms-in-your-bones]

I like making slideshows and I'm more than a little bit obsessed with Time Lords, so this post is going to be my masterpost for all my Time Lord related slideshows, enjoy

Why Time Lords dress the way they do

Time Lord Names

What is a Time Lord

Regenerative Dissonance (also me complaining about the Eleven)

Regeneration

A brief explanation of Time Lord Chapters and Houses

(More will be added as I make them)

(If you want more in depth explanations this site is very good)

[heimeldat]

Heimeldat! I have a weird question and I’d love to know what you think! What sort of calendar system do you think a temporally sensitive species like Gallifreyans would use? I’ve been wondering like, they’ve got to have some kind of official clock timekeeping and calendar, the Time Lords are way too officious and bureaucratic not to have some way to keep meetings scheduled and events organized. But what would that even look like? How would it work? Would it be something that could even be written down or would it just, live in the Matrix where they can access it like a giant Google drive? I dunno!

This is probably the dullest thing possible to be curious about but, how do you ask the question “what Earth year was this Time Lord born” and get any kind of answer? Like was the Master actually born in what would be 1800 or something? If you tried to hold the Doctor up to a calendar would they have been born in the year 3000 on an Earth scale? Like, what is “contemporary” Earth for them! Shh yes obviously it’s all and none but STILL.

This is stupid, I’m sorry, I just love your headcanons for things like this so I had to ask. No it doesn’t matter but I also want to know 😂

It's not stupid at all! I love getting this sort of ask, it's such fun to blather about my headcanons lol!

Right, so Gallifrey (or more accurately, the Eye of Harmony at the core of the planet) is one of the anchor points around which the entire Web of Time is woven, so it can't be part of regular continuity. The planet is described as existing "outside the meta-structure of history." Normal linear time does pass on Gallifrey, but it's a self-contained timeline, out of sync with the rest of the universe.

The result of this is that the Gallifreyan calendar is as straightforward as ours, but it can't be aligned with any other calendar in the universe. Gallifrey measures days, months, years, etc. just like any other planet, but those measurements only have meaning with reference to one another. You can convert length of time but not coinciding times. In other words, the Doctor can translate his age from Gallifreyan years to Earth years, but his Gallifreyan birth-year doesn't correspond to any particular year on Earth. All of spacetime is basically happening "now" from Gallifrey's perspective outside the Vortex-proper; conversely, everything in Gallifreyan history is happening "now" (or never) from the outside perspective.

Basically, when you're on Gallifrey, it's totally logical to ask "How long ago did Rassilon live?" but that question has no real meaning when you're anywhere else in spacetime. There's a correct answer to "Who was President of the Time Lords when the Doctor was born?" but there can't ever be a correct answer to "Who was King of England when the Doctor was born?" The Time Lords therefore don't consider any other civilization to be their "contemporaries" because everything offworld is seen as simultaneously long past and yet to occur. Gallifrey is the "single, all-seeing eye set apart from the rest of history" and they'll never let you forget it.

[buildoblivion]

you know how xhosa has all those different beautiful ‘click’ consonants? I think gallifreyan should have something similar - I think that time lords should speak in a language that ticks

[sun-spice]

The Doctor's name is a collection of emotions and/or concepts.

Listen: hear me out.

Gallifreyans/Time Lords are telepathic, some other people have speculated that they initially communicated telepathically and then later developed a written and oral language in order to more easily store and communicate information on more complex concepts.

We know that Gallifreyans are very superstitious about people knowing their name. Telling someone your name is a (love commitment) marriage tradition. Expressing who you are in emotions and concepts is extremely vulnerable and could be as to why they're so reticent about names.

Now when spoken language developed so did oral and written names. These were especially needed when communicating with non-telepathic species, but the superstitions still remained hence the really long names like Romana's full name. Some Gallifreyans, the ones who didn't like the change perhaps or who didn't like the long names just started refering to each other by description (the one person who lives in Arcadia by the large dead tree... And oh yeah she's a blacksmith btw) which probably very quickly just became shorter and shorter until you get stuff like the Blacksmith and the General. And eventually people probably just started picking out what they thought was cool (the Master, the Doctor, the Rani).

But the telepathic names still remained as part of the culture as a marriage rite and are considered to be one's truest name.

"Children can hear it. Sometimes, if their hearts are in the right place, and the stars are too, children can hear your name."

[gallifreyanhotfive]

She's having some deep thoughts

[garden-variety-jumo]

Someone asked me about it but they were a TERF so I had to block them. But I wanna ramble about it anyway so voila my post:

Alien Cultural Differences I Love (in Doctor Who, anyway)* :

Disclaimer: forgive my knowledge of Doctor Who being a little spotty, a lot of it I learned purely through the fandom

(Skipping over regeneration because that is a huge one)

NAMES: I cannot emphasise enough how much I adore their naming conventions/them not revealing their "real" names. Like, naturally, there's the inherent trans-ness of choosing your own name, but I also love the idea of choosing it after what you want to emulate. (And if I may mention, the outright insanity that the Master, who HATES humans, used a human term. Which. Hmm. Yeah. The implications. (To me))

There are also academy names, which I think are Super interesting, because from what I can see, they still aren't their real names, but they're never mentioned supposedly after their academy days. So, they have an element of the superstition that their real names have, But they are still like,, placeholder names.

I think I once read a fic where there was a superstition/fairytale about speaking your real name out loud and being stolen by toclofane because of it- which I think is Brilliant!!

Language: First of all. We must applaud whoever designed Gallifreyan writing because it Fucks Severely. What an absolutely beautiful form of writing. Additionally, I don't Believe we've ever heard it in the show, which means it's fully up to interpretation. Something that makes me deeply sad to think about is, at least in RTD's initial era, how the Doctor is the only one left to speak a dead language. I like the headcannons that it's very difficult for other species to learn (while they would never be able to properly re-create it, that doesn't mean they can't learn a form or version to it  though!!) This could be due to vocal differences or even, potentially, psychic elements to it- which leads onto my next point:

Psychic Abilities: I'm going insane what do you MEAN Gallifreyans are a psychic race I'm going to loose my mind. If you take that into consideration, it has to have influenced their society or how they socialise somewhat. What must their perception of the world feel like? What are the social conventions/ethics of it all? I feel like they only scratch the surface of this topic in the show and long story short I would like a handbook that explains all of this in depth.

Imagine, then, going from a society that Could, if they wanted, connect to each other psychically, then having it all taken away. How empty that must feel??

The society: While my memory on Gallifreyan culture is a little muddied, it's been made Pretty clear the culture and socialisation is very different to, at the very least, humans. For one, the hubris Time Lords are taught to believe in. (At the very least, Time Lords being Gallifreyan but Gallifreyans not necessarily being Time Lords)

What other subtle differences might there be from there? I imagine they would be taught cultural norms/habits of other species in order to blend in or better communicate ((for example, the story the Doctor was telling about aliens who communicated largely with their eyebrows)). Time Lords in the show are vaguely "human" with certain landmarks to prove them as a different species, two hearts as the most prominent example. They are also implied to have three brainstems, and I'm sure, other internal differences (isn't it mentioned they have orange/rust coloured blood?) Therefore, what forms of socialising did they evolve differently, that they must adjust for speaking to humans? It's just cool to think about!!!

Biology: Largely touched upon in the previous point but their Blood is Orange. That's pretty neat!!!!!! WOAH ALSO. Their body temperatures being naturally lower!!!! That's an absolutely fascinating detail. I wonder if the Doctor ever discloses these medical details to their companions in case of emergency? Almost definitely not...

Aspirin: It's fatal to Gallifreyans? Insane. And has the Doctor ever mentioned this to their companions, just in case? Probably not.

THE GOD DAMN FOBWATCHES: Insane to me that they can just. Do that. As a lover of Tensimm, I regularly think about the set up of series 3 and how insane fans must have felt watching it live. Fobwatched Ten largely sucks though, my love goes out to Martha always. (But also... does that imply Ten's memories and experiences made the Doctor kind? Or being a Time Lord in itself, though that seems to align less with what we know)

Aaaand that's all I can think of for now!!

*((Special shout out to Mandolorian culture also, though. I am entranced and fascinated by it))

[theangelshavethephonebox]

HELP ME FIND A FIC

Hey guys, so, I remember this wonderful fic that had like, a list of gallifreyan terminology, and one of the words was 'helar' or 'telar', but I think it had an accent, and it meant healer/medic/doctor. I can't find the fic

Before anyone asks, I've already checked- it wasn't Heimeldat's Gallifreyan Grammar fic, I checked. helllpppppp I need to find this again. For Reasons.

[gallifreyinstituteforlearning]

Time Lords, particularly of high rank, often self-apply silver to their cheeks, eyes, and lips. Not seeing this on your Time Lord is no cause for alarm. While a change in appearance can sometimes indicate stress or illness, the absence of face paint alone isn't a definitive sign. Observe other behaviours, and if you are concerned about your Gallifreyan's welfare, prompt them to consult their local Gallifreyan physician.

also like have they never again done the silvery makeup for the time lords. cowards.

[gallifreyinstituteforlearning]

Looming vs. Natural Reproduction - what on Gallifrey's going on here?

aka What is looming and how does it exist alongside natural reproduction?

As the first of the trending topics, GIL's noticed some confusion about the concept of looming vs. natural reproduction in Gallifreyans. Have no fear; GIL's here to help.

🧬 What is looming?

It's a bit like 3D printing, but for people. These Rassilon-created Genetic Loom Breeding-Engines weave new Gallifreyans from a mix of matter and biodata. Looms produce Gallifreyans of all genders, (though females are loomed slightly less frequently). Each House has its unique Loom, which embeds familial traits into its creations.

❓ Why is looming a thing?

The invention of Looms was Rassilon’s grand solution to a serious problem. Following the catastrophic Curse of Pythia, Gallifrey faced extinction. The Looms became lifelines, ensuring the continuity of Gallifreyan civilisation.

🔮 What is the Curse of Pythia?

The Pythias were a kind of magical matriarchal monarchy, with rulers known as Pythias ruling over ancient Gallifrey in succession. Pythia number 309 (out of 309) was elbowed out by Rassilon. She was, understandably, really hacked off. She condemned Gallifrey to wither and then threw herself into the Crevasse of Memories That Will Be, never to be seen again. This 'withering' is known as the 'Curse of Pythia'. It resulted in mass sterility of Gallifreyans - supposedly instantly killing babies in their mother's wombs, and preventing any Gallifreyan from reproducing naturally from that point forward.

🍷 So Gallifreyans used to reproduce naturally?

Yes. Before the sterility curse, Gallifreyans reproduced just like humans, with a little wine, a candlelit dinner and maybe an album by Barry White.

✨ So does this 'Curse' still exist?

No. The apparent lifting of Pythia's curse was marked by Leela's pregnancy (yes, THAT Leela), which hailed a return to natural reproduction among Gallifreyans. Others besides Leela have also been able to reproduce naturally.

🔄 So what method do they use?

This blend of technological and biological means of reproduction leaves Gallifreyans in a unique position. They could use both methods depending on social, political, or personal factors.

🧐It can't all be that simple, GIL ...

Wow, you've been here before, haven't you?

There are accounts that the supposed 'Curse of Pythia' didn't actually come from Pythia.

Self-inflicted: Some say it was a side-effect of a massive time tech experiment that went awry.

It never existed: Others suggest there never was a curse. Rassilon, seeking absolute control, concocted a narrative to enforce a sterile, controllable society, eradicating the unpredictability of natural birth and driving forward eugenics in his perfect society.

🏫 So ...

Thus, the plot thickens. Were Gallifreyans always capable of natural reproduction but held back by societal constructs and fear? Did Leela's pregnancy unveil a truth long buried or simply reawaken a dormant biological ability? That's up to you.

But of course, GIL denies this version of events, cos how else would we get the funding for all the biscuits in the canteen from the High Council? Praise Rassilon!

Related:

💬|🧶💰How to acquire a Loom?: Practical guide to acquiring a loom, legally or not.

📺|🏡🧬Top 10 list of the most biologically curious Houses of Gallifrey

💬|👤👑Why is Rassilon everywhere?: Who Rassilon is and why you should care.

Hope that helped! 😃

Any purple text is educated guesswork or theoretical. More content ... →📫Got a question? | 📚Complete list of Q+A and factoids →😆Jokes |🩻Biology |🗨️Language |🕰️Throwbacks |🤓Facts →🫀Gallifreyan Anatomy and Physiology Guide (pending) →⚕️Gallifreyan Emergency Medicine Guides →📝Source list (WIP) →📜Masterpost If you're finding your happy place in this part of the internet, feel free to buy a coffee to help keep our exhausted human conscious. She works full-time in medicine and is so very tired😴

[the-worms-in-your-bones]

I desperately want more exploration into wider gallifreyan culture outside of the time lords and their politics. I want to see what the normal, non time lord, gallifreyans have going on, how they are affected by whatever the time lords are doing. I also want to see more stuff about the houses, because they are farther from the sanitized and 'civilized' existence of the time lords in the capitol, we don't see them often, but they still retain some aspects of what was once time lord/gallifreyan culture (I especially want to see how the culture of the houses that are maybe reminiscent of ancient time lord culture compare to modern day gallifreyan culture, because the time lords are fairly stagnant, even in the houses, but are the gallifreyans)

[radio-ghost-cooks]

the Hole's ideas abt Gallifrey/Gallifreyan

spoken Gallifreyan sounds like song

there's some telepathic layer to it that humans/non-telepathic races can't pick up

in a brighter timeline the Master sings their childhood lullabies to the Doctor to help her sleep

the telepathic element makes it capable of soothing or causing physical harm

the Doctor's brain is so quiet now that Gallifrey is gone

not only are the Time Lords and Gallifreyans gone but so too is their culture

the Doctor scouring the TARDIS for the remaining seeds and saplings of her home, now endangered like she is

in one version of things the Doctor is a horrible gardener, in the other she's fantastic

either way the Master is the best with them

she saves the plants for when she gets the Master back (she never does)

the Master hates human Christmas because it can never go back to Gallifrey and enjoy the foods it loved as a child alongside its family. the Time War took that away.

the Theta Sigma used to bake Koschei a cake each year and now that Gallifrey is gone, the Master wakes up to a cake every year and it's not as pink as it was before and there are substitutions in the flour and it's not the same frosting as the kind from Low Town but it still tastes exactly the same

Gallifrey doesn't die with the Doctor, it dies with the Master.

[gallifreyanhotfive]

I think their everyday clothes depended on status. We saw a lot of them wearing relatively plain clothes, but the politicians and CIA and Chancellery Guard are all seen wearing more elaborate clothing. Given that Time Lords are drama queens, I wouldn't be surprised if they wore that sort of thing every day. As for classes, the Time Lords are the elite (there are only about a thousand of them), and everyone else is lower (probably with some class stratification as well). It might be worthy to note that Prydon Academy overlooks a refugee camp.

As for food, there is a fruit called magentas that are eaten dried or fresh or made into rum. Dactyl eggs for Otherstide (see below). They also have tea of course and Rassilon's red wine. Sealaks might be fish, and roast grockleroot is eaten in the Low Town (lower class). There's a lot of other stuff obviously, like Karmine pudding and stuff (but I haven't quite figured out what it all is yet).

They do have some special occasions. The Feast of Omega celebrates, well, Omega, and the Feast of Rassilon apparently occurs on December 11 or the Gallifreyan equivalent. Otherstide is a Gallifreyan holiday celebrating Rassilon's expulsion of the Other, who is likely actually the Doctor. On the thirteenth night after Otherstide, a cult performs the Thirteenth Night ritual. Otherstide also happens to be the Doctor's birthday! We know that at least some Gallifreyans give birthday gifts. Missy gave the Doctor a Cyberman army, and Romana once got an air car for her 70th.

If you really want to get into the nitty gritty, the Gallifreyan Traditional Society was a recent Doctor Who based cultural reconstruction movement. (Yes this was real, and it was quite cult-y) They have their own holidays, but they aren't canon (so I won't go into them). If you want to go into it though, click below.

I believe that (with exceptions) most Gallifreyans lived with the rest of their House. The Houses are sentient, so I'm assuming any decoration would be done with the House's permission. Gallifreyans do get married though, but it is probably largely political (at least for Time Lords and those of the Greater Houses).

Ya know I want so badly for there to be more talk about actual Gallifreyan/Time Lord culture!!!

What did their every day clothes look like? Did it change very much between social classes? What are their classes if any??

What about food? What did they save for special occasions? Did they have special treats for birthdays? Did they celebrate birthdays, or just major ones?

What’s dating like for Gallifreyans? And marriage ceremonies? How did a couple decorate their homes? Who would live with them?

I have so many ideas and so I just scream

[innocet]

I don’t think they have even the concept of fiction on gallifrey. I think all narrative is history to them

[the13thh0ur]

Yaz said it was tradition to write each other's names in the henna, but neither of them bothered to explain its significance.