Mennity of Vanlösa
The Mennity of Vanlösa is a loose confederation of non-interventionist Orkanan congregations. In everyday use, it is synonymous with Mennity Orkanan, but the term specifically refers to the religious belief system, while the Mennity of Vanlösa refers to the organization itself.
History
Non-interventionist branches of Orkanan have traditionally held minority positions in Stoldavia. Traveling clergy felt the need to unify non-interventionist communities in their religious foundation during the emergence of the Greater Stoldavic Empire. Under the loose alliance of Skara Samverkan, non-interventionists found their place in society, but the expansionist ambitions of Råger Mellanhand were quickly identified as a threat to their lifestyle and belief system.
In 6944, twelve large land-owning non-interventionist communities gathered their spiritual leaders in the town of Vanlösa. The centrally located Vanlösa Stift provided an excellent gathering place and an inspirational environment. For 11 Orkanan calendar months, high-ranking clergy formulated a common foundation for non-interventionist congregations within Orkanan. This effort resulted in the religious document "Guidance from the Fervent Gathering at Vanlösa," agreed upon in 6945. The publication's title, in High Stoldavic Ledhsaghare fraan Maen Nitiska af Vanloesa, also came to represent the light organization of the common religious ground for non-interventionists, known as the Mennity of Vanlösa.
When Vanlösa Stift built a new combined government and religious complex, the Mennity took over the old convent building as the main seat for the congregation. Of the 12 original stifts and stonds, 11 ratified the publication and sent permanent representation to Vanlösa. Eight of those are still part of the Mennity; one vanished during the Greater Stoldavic Empire, and three others merged into a single congregation. Since the fall of the Greater Stoldavic Empire, seven more non-interventionist congregations have allied with the Mennity, the most well-known being the Bengtist Stift from Vittmark. During the Pan-Anarian War, the Mennity was forced to evacuate from besieged Wanlösa on several occasions, resulting in a brief exile of the movement in Uppwift fem Friställen.
Belief System
- For more details, see: Mennity Orkanan
Organization and Clergy
The seat of the confederation is located in the town of Wanlösa, Euvertabbe, United Royal Provinces of the Fivefold Covenant. Although the current spelling is Wanlösa, the Mennity continues to use the place name as it was during the Greater Stoldavic Empire, "Vanlösa." The town is also referred to as "Wanloesen," "Wanleuce" in Hallish, or "Hu v Anlosa" in Pastanan.
As a confederative type of religious association, the 15 representatives and their delegations mainly meet to outline current issues, religious challenges, modernization, and guidelines for interaction with worldly politics. The prerequisites of this permanent meeting are formulated in the Hvanloesa Foereninghesstadgar or Wanloesens Vereenigingsstaethen. These are written in two languages: the High Stoldavic variation as spoken in pre-imperial Östvallen and Middle Mindels, a predecessor of the current language of the area. As a result, much of the terminology is bilingual in two nearly extinct languages.
The meeting body itself is called "Den Permanente Algemeene Vergaaderinghe" or "Bestaaende Samfaellighetsfoereninghe" (Permanent Assembly). This assembly only discusses matters and is not in a position to make decisions; even recommendations from the assembly are rare.
The convent complex of the Mennity includes several buildings:
- A Sala or Sael Hall
- Several smaller oratories, some with shrines, either as individual buildings within the complex or as dedicated rooms adjacent to the hall or library
- A library
- A Refter (common dining room)
- Residential quarters
- A communal garden with a covered walkway (cloister)
- A Badh Stova (wood furnace bath house)
- A Hvärdshus or Waerdshuus (hospice and infirmary)
- A school
- A brewery