Aut

Aut is defined in The Dictionary as a term of Orth whose sense shifts across eras.

Meaning and Evolution

• Earlier usage (Proto‑/Old Orth): an act deliberately taken by an individual.
• Later usage (Middle and later Orth): a formal rite, conducted by an assembly of Avout, by which a Math or concent carries out a collective act.

Observed Rites and Practice

• Dawn aut: A brief, regular morning service that can wake nearby residents; attendance may be light, drawing those especially fond of ceremony.
• Eliger days: After distinctive bell changes are rung for Eliger, an aut follows with singing and chanting while names are called and inductees are received by their orders.
• Voco: A rare, solemn aut in which the Primate formally calls a named fraa or suur; mourners among the Hundreders answer with a hymn of farewell. Within the concent this is treated as a final departure and is conducted in the Mynster with the full community gathered.

Relationships

• Office and presider: Major auts are led by the Primate, with other hierarchs assisting as needed.
• Named rites: Eliger and Voco are specific auts associated, respectively, with induction into an order and with an Evocation from the community.

Descriptions and Characteristics

• Signaling: Complex bell changes precede notable auts; the ringing can be decoded by pattern to distinguish occasions.
• Form: Aut commonly includes chant, set formulae (sometimes in older Orth), and call‑and‑response elements.
• Scope: Some auts are routine and communal (e.g., at dawn); others are extraordinary and life‑changing for the named individual and their chapter.

Current Status

Aut remains an active element of community life within maths: routine dawn observances continue, Eliger auts mark the public binding of members to orders, and Voco—though rare—may be proclaimed when required.