Mun Clergy Dedication
And if I should stand at the end of the world, I will see it is reborn
Process
A common misconception about Mun clergy is that because the Mun diety, Nelo, has a male face and a female face, the gender of the clergy person dictates which of the two faces a person can choose to dedicate themselves to. In reality, this has no bearing on the dedication, as Mun followers believe that like their deity, all people have both male and female elements within them. Nor do clergy have to select a face of the deity to honor based on whether they live in water or on land.
To become a member of the clergy, a person usually studies for several years, learning both sides of Nelo in order to reach a broad understanding of the deity's movement and commands, and only in the last year of their study do they declare which face of the deity they wish to honor in their service.
When their final year of study comes to an end, the clergy person undergoes a ceremony which makes them an official member. This ceremony is usually led by a mentor or older member of the clergy at the temple where the new member will begin their service. It is attended by family, friends, and other mentors. In Brek, ceremonies are usually small because the most favored place to hold them is Yuenpol Temple (even when the clergy person will be serving in a temple far from Yuenpol.)
The ceremony is held either at dawn or at dusk, depending on which of the two faces the clergy person is dedicating themselves to. Similarly, they wear a robe of either white or black. Then they recite the story of the world, from its origins to The Great Reset, and explain how they fit into this cycle. Their mentor then leads them in an oath to honor both the deity and Mun people, and finally writes their name in the clergy listings.
The World Cycle
There is no official document detailing the cycle of the world from birth to the Great Reset (its destruction and rebirth), and in fact, this story is different in the Book of Orange and the Book of Blue. When reciting the story as part of the dedication ceremony, a clergy person may select parts of either (or both) text, may use another's retelling of the story, or write their own. It is less important exactly how this tale is recounted and more important that the clergy person knows where they fit into it.
There is no official document detailing the cycle of the world from birth to the Great Reset (its destruction and rebirth), and in fact, this story is different in the Book of Orange and the Book of Blue. When reciting the story as part of the dedication ceremony, a clergy person may select parts of either (or both) text, may use another's retelling of the story, or write their own. It is less important exactly how this tale is recounted and more important that the clergy person knows where they fit into it.
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Nice article! I liked the details in the sidebar. Really gave the whole ceremony more depth and significance.
Thanks for reading! I'm glad you enjoyed it!