Rekkadantik

Rekkadantixi (Old Adzamian /rɛk'ɐdɐntɪxɪ/)), sg. rekkadantik, are geographically-defined religious sub-sects in Temyarq. They are similar in form and function to a parish in some senses, but do not typically fall under the jurisdiction of any larger religious authority. In this sense rekkadantixi are the largest organized entities within Temyarq.

Within Tabiqa, most county lines and city districts have been drawn along historical boundaries of various rekkadantixi.

Etymology and other names

Rekkadantik means "town belief" in Old Adzamian, as most rekkadantixi began in separate city-states. The modern Adzamasi word is reḳadantsik (pl. reḳadanji).

In the Osuri language the word has been borrowed as reɂádãtì /reʔɐ́dɐ̃tì/. The phoneme /ʔ/ in Osuri is reserved purely for loanwords, generally replacing /k' q'/. The native calque ṗébé gze rèka /ʘébé gze ɾèkɐ/ (belief of a town) is also occasionally used (rèka being a borrowing from Proto-Adzamic *rekha).

Structure

As a geo-political and religious entity, the structure of each rekkadantik has geophysical and social structures.

Territory and borders

Rekkadantixi vary wildly in size depending on density of total population and of Temyarq adherents. Each houses at least one head temple, or a head temple with a few sub-temples or shrines, with the highest being eight temples or three temples and sixteen shrines (both in districts of Mehyaran. The territories often form roughly round shapes but can also be long and skinny and even have disconnected exclaves; it is particularly chaotic in cities. In rural and desert areas the territories of each rekkadantik are massive.

There are many areas of Tabiqa which fall under the official jurisdiction of a rekkadantik but have no or very few Quurožiri as permanent inhabitants. (In these areas, political divisions tend to be drawn by other means.) There are also some areas of Tabiqa that are not officially incorporated into the rekkandantik system.

Shrines

Most shrines are dedicated to a single deity (typically one of the Four or a biāren, although some are dedicated to more than one entity.

Shrines may be large enough for people to enter and congregate, but are typically much smaller, and even if they are large enough to be entered they do not have resident religious leaders or structured worship. The local rekkadantik is in charge of upkeep and cleaning of the shrines.

Shrines typically feature artwork depicting the deities to which they are dedicated, and space to leave offerings toward them. Shrine staff are tasked with disposing of any rotting organic matter or any offerings deemed distasteful (tourists and young people are known to leave "pranks" at shrines), but leave others in place.

Shrines often serve as places where the homeless and poor congregate. Larger shrines may be used as temporary or long-term shelters, and even smaller ones can sometimes offer shade from the desert. Edible or monetary left by the devout are often taken by those in need. In some locales this is seen as distasteful and shrines are surrounded by hostile architecture and are frequented by municipal police; in others this behaviour is actively encouraged and seen as a method of charity.

Organization

The administration of a rekkadantik is split into at least two tiers, which may be organized in different ways in each rekkadantik due to their lack of superior organizing structure. Many are governed or effectively run only two or three people, while others have large boards or are even run through direct democracy.

Religious leaders

The religious leader of a temple, who organizes structured worship, is called a ŧer (pl. ŧeret). This individual falls under the authority of the rekkaŧer, the town-priest (or, in some cases, they may be the same person).

The rekkaŧer is given ultimate authority over the keeping and interpretation of doctrine and, in some jurisdictions, the rewriting thereof (although this is rare).

The lüüyaten ((pl. lüüyatenet) dream interpreter or "dream-reader") is the other key member of any temple (in a temple of any decent size there will be more than one). They provide spiritual guidance to individuals or small groups through the interpretation of dreams and scripture. Typically the lüüyatenet answer to their temple's ŧer and, in turn, the rekkaŧer, but in some rekkadantixi they are of equal or even higher status than the ŧeret.

Ŧeret and lüüyatenet may reside within temple grounds and, if not, typically live nearby. In some cases however they may not even live within the jurisdiction of their own rekkadantik, but this is quite rare.

Traditionally all religious leaders are from the leŧe gender or sometimes benthi. In modern times this is still true of upwards of 80% of religious leaders, and is a bylaw of many rekkadantixi.

Congregation

Since rekkadantixi are geographically defined, the official congregation of each is made up of all residents of its territory. However, functionally, within those boundaries there will always be atheists, members of other faiths, and Quurožiri who attend temple in neighbouring or further districts.

Like the larger rekkadantik, each individual temple draws most of its congregation from those who live immediately around it. However, again, its neighbours may go elsewhere for prayer (or not practice at all), and, in turn, it may draw non-locals. This most often occurs when families are split across different jurisdictions.

Higher tiers

Although rekkadantixi are officially the highest authority within Temyarq, they often form allied groups with neighbouring or like-minded districts to form larger and more unified 'sects'. These will typically stick to the same interpretations of major texts and differ mainly only in the treatment of local biārevah. Many rekkadantixi have official treaties signed with others to form these alliances or unions, or to enforce peace between neighbouring but very differently-minded groups.

Attempts have been made to forcibly unify the rekkadantixi, or to enshrine a more central religious authority for Temyarq or even all of Qurosism. The most notable example of this was the Holy Adzamic Empire, which was short-lived in large part due to its unpopular attempts to forcibly organize and homogenize worship in the territory of its predecessor Adzamic Empire.

Function

Rekkadantixi have somewhat varied function and purpose in the lives of their attendants. In many urban places they are purely religious structures and houses of worship, while in rural areas the main temple is often the community centre and may double as the town hall, municipal courthouse, or house a local publicly-owned brewery (alcohol has religious purposes in Temyarq). There are some temples in that open their doors to the homeless at night.

Rekkadantixi collect tribute at worship, and some collect taxes from citizens within their territories; this revenue is used to pay the upkeep of temples and shrines and wages for its staff. Excess collections may go towards renovations and community events, or, in some cases, charity.

As political units, rekkadantixi hover between the county, municipal, and district level, depending on their size and population. Some are effectively the same as the local county at the political level and, in these cases, may be non-democracies (since the rekkaŧer, effective head of the jurisdiction, is not always an elected position) ; such rekkadantixi have the power to collect taxes and to pass and enforce bylaws.