Refectory

The Refectory is one of the buildings reached from the Cloister within a math, fronting the roofed gallery around the central garden.

First appearance and context

The Refectory is first identified as a named building opening onto the Cloister’s walkway alongside other long‑standing structures. Its placement conveys that it is part of the everyday circulation within the central precinct.

Role and function

The Refectory serves as the community’s dining hall and working kitchen for avout. It is used for large‑scale meal preparation—vegetable chopping and stew‑making are specifically described—and can feed hundreds at a time. During one kitchen shift, the narrator worked at the chopping board while speaking with Fraa Orolo, and several fids gathered to watch the exchange. The kitchen faces south into a small herb garden, and a deep overhanging eave keeps direct sun out of the windows. In the shade beneath that eave, avout such as Suur Tulia and Suur Ala were seen cutting old tires into sandals.

Avout sit at shared tables during meals, and it is common to cross the hall to join others. After eating, diners carry their bowls into the adjoining kitchen and clean them before returning to other duties.

Relationships and references

The space doubles as a social setting for informal teaching and dialog that unfolds alongside routine chores. Its proximity to the Cloister makes it easy for avout to move between the Refectory and other nearby buildings as duties demand.

Current status

Active and in daily use, providing meals and serving as a locus of conversation and work for the resident community.