Deolaters

First Appearance and Context

Deolaters are first mentioned when the narrator explains the layout of the Mynster: a nave there is compared to the main gathering space in a Deolater ark—the place where attendees sit, stand, kneel, and otherwise take part in ceremonies such as weddings and funerals. The mention frames Deolater practice as a recognizable extramuros reference for readers outside the mathic world.

Description and Role

The Deolaters are presented as a religious community from extramuros whose places of worship are called “arks.” The text offers no doctrine or hierarchy; rather, it evokes the congregational atmosphere in their arks and implies varied rites and physical expressions of devotion. The tone of the comparison suggests an avout’s outside view rather than an insider account, and specific practices are left deliberately vague.

Relationships and Functions

• Cultural reference: Deolaters serve as a point of comparison for explaining the structure and use of the Mynster’s nave, contrasting mathic rites with familiar extramuros worship spaces.
• Terminology: The singular term also appears in mathic iconography as a named general type; see Deolater. The text does not state whether that iconographic figure is directly tied to this extramuros community.

Current Status

Active extramuros and known to the avout by reputation and observation. No direct encounters or detailed institutional information have been described so far.