Jippirasti clerics
From Almeopedia
Babur considered the pagan shamans to be a worthless scourge: inventing rituals for profit, promoting cures that did nothing, and speaking lies about nonexistent gods. He warned the Jippirasti to never countenance such “unclean fools.” There is therefore no class of ‘priests’ in Jippirasti (except perhaps in the Kahon pita).
However, Jippirasti is not without clerics. These are of four kinds. In various divisions (pitau) other roles have developed, but they always derive from one of these four classes.
Contents |
Officials
The officials of the Tej itself, starting with the atej, who is the spiritual head of Jippirasti, the voice of Jippir, and the successor of Babur.
The atej is not infallible— only Babur’s words have that authority, and it has always been held that the atej is not be be obeyed when his commands contradicted the word of God. Of course, it’s a bold Jippirasutu who stands up to the atej alone.
The atej can arbitrate religious disputes, and even issue new words of Jippir. None of these offices can be delegated.
More importantly, perhaps, is his power to judge, which he can delegate to judges (adepe). Ideally judges ruled based only on Babur’s words; but they soon took commentaries and local traditions into account, as well as explicit laws. (There is no concept of ‘secular’ laws in Jippirasti.)
The atej can also command the faithful in the name of Jippir and make laws; the former power can of course be delegated to generals, the latter to legislators.
Teachers
Teachers (anebe), that is, those undertaking a special action of ineba. As Ajažril puts it, this may involve “counseling, elucidating the words of Jippir, answering the pagans, or training the young”. An aneb traditionally wore distinctive white robes, and served for at least a year. Today, there are short-term anebe, but there are also those who make this their permanent career. Women can serve as anebe.
Caregivers
Caregivers (agobaña), those undertaking the ordinary duty of igobaña or the alleviation of suffering. This is a lesser office than teaching, since it is a constant duty of all Jippirasti. It could be taken as a vocation, in which case it is a highly honored position— though part of the honor is also a restriction: the caregiver only serves, he does not teach or give orders.
Celebrants
The weekly rites (jenčimi) needed celebrants (ajenče). Among the nomads, the jenčim was celebrated within a fsava and the elders took charge; often a brother of the leader (asev) led the cleaning rites and prayers, while the women were responsible for reading or reciting the words of Babur. In the cities, people might meet in local groups instead.
