Messallan

A messallan is the small private room where a messal (small formal dinner) is held among avout (cloistered scholars). At the Concent of Saunt Tredegarh, messals are the standard dining format during the Convox, and each occurs in its own messallan rather than in a communal refectory.

Context and first mention

During an orientation conversation at the Concent of Saunt Tredegarh, an avout explains that instead of open refectory dining, Tredegarh “is all about messals,” each hosted in a separate messallan. The room term is given explicitly as the setting for these small dinners.

Description and usage

• Capacity and purpose: A messal is capped at seven participants so that all can hear one another; the messallan exists to provide a quiet, private setting for that conversation.
• Dedicated kitchen: Each messallan is served by its own kitchen, preparing about fourteen portions per sitting (seven for the table and seven for the staff/servers).
• Distribution: Rather than one central kitchen, service is organized through many dowments (endowed house/estate) and chapter houses (order residence within a math), each supplying its assigned messallans.

Roles and participants

• Doyn (senior mentor at table): A doyn leads or anchors a messal and is attended by a servitor.
• Servitor (junior table attendant): Servitors prepare and carry dishes, stand behind their doyn during the meal, and listen in; on occasion they may be invited to contribute to the discussion. Pairings of servitor and doyn are arranged ahead of time through the relevant house.
• Rotation: Some doyns rotate to a different messallan each evening; this is noted as unusual but practiced in certain cases during the Convox.

Notes

• Terminology: “Messal” names the meal format; “messallan” names the room used for it. The terms are closely related but not interchangeable in context.
• Scope: The practice is described for Tredegarh during the current Convox; other concents may follow different dining customs.

Related

• avout — the community for whom messals are organized.
• Convox — the large convocation of avout under which Tredegarh’s messal practices are currently observed.
• Concent of Saunt Tredegarh — the site where messallans are in use as described.
• Dowment — houses and estates that provision messallans.