Doyn

Context and first mention

During the Convox (rare mass convocation) at the Concent of Saunt Tredegarh, avout (monastic scholars) describe a dining system built around small, private dinners called messals (small private dinners, 6). In this setting, each junior participant serves as a servitor (junior dining server) and is paired with a senior fraa or suur (male/female avout honorific) referred to as "your doyn."

Function in the messal system

• Pairing and service: A servitor is assigned to a doyn for a given messal. Servitors arrive a couple of hours beforehand at the dowment (estate/endowment) or chapter house (residential house) where the doyn is scheduled to dine, help prepare the meal in the attached kitchen, and during the dinner stand behind their doyn when not moving plates.
• Conversation and mentorship: The doyn is the senior participant the servitor attends and listens to. Servitors are expected to understand the discussion and may occasionally be invited to contribute.
• Rotation: Some doyns rotate among different messallans (private dining rooms) on successive evenings.
• Progression: It is stated that, as years pass, a servitor may "move up" to become a doyn and then be served by a servitor.

Relationships and setting

The doyn-servitor relationship is specific to the messal tradition practiced during the Convox at Concent of Saunt Tredegarh. The system is supported by a network of dowments and chapter houses across the concent, each with its own small kitchen serving a single messallan.

Notes

• The term is presented in-use rather than formally defined; all details above are reported from participants' descriptions at Tredegarh during the Convox.

See also

• Avout
• Convox
• Concent of Saunt Tredegarh
• Dowment
• Math