Mellanhand Orkanan
Mellanhand Orkanan is an Orkanan denomination that has its roots in the Greater Stoldavic Empire and is the most widespread of the Orkanan denominations in Stoldavia, Thultannia and parts of northern Anaria, as well as in former colonies of nations from this region in Darunia and Altaia. Mellanhand follows the Interventionist tradition and is rooted in Sunnist Orkanan as well as the basic Fyrirhugun Orkanan denominations. The main difference with other major denominations is that the authority of the religion and as such the Orkanan clergy is connected to royalty. It is seen as a logical continuation of the bottom-up structure of Orkanan as a religion, through the stim, socken and stift that the highest authority is that of the head of state.
Originally, Mellanhand was only associated with the Greater Stoldavic Empire, where the role of monarch (emperor) was kept inside the same marriage. Through line marriage, succession was anchored in such a way that it was the marriage that kept the title while the head of the marriage functioned as head of state. The concept of line marriage had been faded out through history, with the last line marriages being abandonded and replaced with the more standard two person marriages as late as 7572.
Etymology
The word Mellanhand comes from northern Stoldavic languages, predecessors of Wortsproke, literally meaning "middle man". It therefore symbolises the role of the monarch as the ultimate middle man between Vind and Orkanan congregations. The word does not get translated and is as such one of the more widespread loanwords in Gotha's languages.
History
There are two major events defining the establishment of Mellanhand as the major congregation of the Greater Stoldavic Empire. The first process was the ambition of the leadership of the Union of Skara, a loose confederation of trade ports on the Stoldavic coast, to extend their rule over more continuous territories including agricultural land and productive forests for building and ship building. Early mechanisation played a role in this process as well. It was King XX who in 6XXX implemented the concept of royalty as ultimate authority, himself being both a Stoldavic nobleman and a high ranking Orkanan in the Sunnist tradition. King XX provided the opportunity for the rather separated stifts of northern Stoldavia to pledge allegiance to his throne in return for protection and trade rights. The Orkanan element was that he used the stifts and not the lands or countries as the level of intervention, creating a direct line up from the stim, socken and stift to his rule.
The second event is the marriage of his successor Prince XX with XX of XX. This strategic marriage created an important but bristle union between southern and northern Stoldavic territories. The union was deemed so important that the role of monarch and leader of the Orkanan congregation was connected to the union itself, not the crown prince. For the title to remain within the union, the rather niched polygamic tradition of warlords and mobility engaging in multiple strategic marriages in order to acquire sovereignty over lands was applied on the level of royalty. It was also turned into a transgenerational polygamy, making sure that the marriage would outlast the life span of the married persons.
This new constellation was a decisive factor in the success of the Greater Stoldavic Empire, enabling the line marriage to acquire lands across all of Stoldavia, much of Thultannia, parts of the northern Anarian coasts and through early colonisation and accompanying conversion even to western Altaia and northern Darunia. The expansion wasn't free of friction, with the Sunnist traditionalist is the west refusing to convert completely. In the 71st century, a rapidly modernising southwestern Stoldavic region saw the rise of a new interpretation in the form of Stellism. Both movements ultimately led to the fall of the empire in 7204.
The Mellanhand tradition was however continued after the empire crumbled into smaller kingdoms, principalities and duchies, since the new, regional ruling class saw an advantage in continuing the concept. Most successor nations, including Hagen, Ådalen and Halland however abandoned the practice of line marriage, transforming into the elected monarchies they are even today.
Structure
Even though the imperial scale of Mellanhand has been replaced by a more multifaceted approach by several royal families, there are still remnants of the imperial past present on today's Mellanhand structure.
One of the clearest example is that of the registry of Examplars, which only can be done in one of the 6 registries, all located in Kulla state, high up in the central mountain valleys of southern Vittmark. To get recognized in the wider Orkanan community, even Peratolian and Stellist congregations want to have their Examplars registered here. As such, the region functions as the central spot for Mellanhand Orkanan, but is an important place for Orkanan in general.
The Mellanhand congregation is also responsible for maintaining and guarding the Heilags complex in Östervallen, the location of the core of the almost mythical capitol of the Orkanan Realm called Skiöldavik. The city was completely destroyed by raiders at the end of the Realm's rule to secure that Orkanan rule would never dominate the Stoldavic subcontinent again. Archaeological finds have over the course of centuries resulted in an outline of the ancient capital that still is considered a holy place for all Orkanans. even though all congregations have some role in overseeing and maintaining the complex, it is the Mellanhand congregation that is leading here. The fact that the area is an administrative exclave in the Vittmarker capital, a crown domain run directly by the royal family of Vittmark, adds to the strong roots into Mellanhand. It is the same royal familiy that owns and runs the 6 previously mentioned Orkanan registries, as well as 6 other royal mansions in the Kulla region.
But even outside Vittmark, the monarch is still considered to be the religious leader of the national Mellanhand congregation in those nations. This role does not include direct delegative or executive powers, since Orkanan is pretty much a bottom-up structured religion. But being the final authorities in matters of ethics, morality, the afterlife and Vind's master plan, these monarchs have considerable indirect powers.