Argan of the Siur
The Argan of the Siur (Hártal Argann Sít Fólki; Savamese Argan des Siurs) is the governing body of the Siur Cairan community. It is headquartered in Öldhólmur, the capital of Ærlasse, the Siur commonhold in which the greatest number of Siur Cairans live. It is currently led by the Holy Mother Livía Fríkarl, appointed in Sation 2012.
Structure and orientation
Largely due to the influence of neighbouring argans in Vettermark and, especially, Odann, the Argan of the Siur is considered to be orthodox within the context of the overall Cairan communion. The Argan is, understandably in a dominant Arlaturi environment, non-national or “dissident”, and is not officially supported by the government of its host territory at either state or regional (commonhold) level. In common with most western orthodox argans, its services are conducted in accordance with the Dael rite.
The argan’s structure is smaller and more dispersed than is often the case with its fellows in Cairan countries. At present it is administered as a single triburion, divided into three familiae or provinces: Familia Aerlassae in Öldhólmur covers Ærlasse and the eastern half of Sarevi, Familia Helminiae in Virkið the remainder of Helminthasse, and Familia Sciulae in Reylatur covers mainland Siurskeyti. (The Cairan population of the Siursk Median islands and Sæmunsvar is part of Familia Tunsurae et Maris Mediis, based in Doreysne.) The Siur familiae are currently led by matrons, as the argan is considered too small to permit the status of archmatron.
Relations with Arlatur and Siur society
Long-held traditions of religious tolerance in the Siur country have given the Argan a certain measure of protection. Even so, its relationship with government and society in the Siur polities has fluctuated in terms of acceptance and politeness in day-to-day dealings; in many instances, the status of Arlatur as an integral part of the Siur self-image is such that non-Arlaturi Siur are often seen by their fellow-countrymen as “flawed” at best and potentially dangerous at worst. The stance of Siur Cairans as doctrinally closer to the perceived “theocracy” of Odann has caused further grounds for concern, in a vein of thought going back to the 1831 trial of Væntir Hjörður for espionage.
The commonhold of Ærlasse, however, has had to make particular accommodations with the Siur Cairan community, given their larger presence there in both absolute and percentage terms (in the 2015 census this was around 170,000 or approximately 9.5% of the population). It is currently the only commonhold of the twelve which form Helminthasse and Siurskeyti which permits Cairan-only schools (since 1978); these are granted a measure of exemption from some aspects of the standard Siur school curriculum in return for the Argan’s submission to oversight by the commonhold’s education authority.