Court (Themiclesia)
Court (朝, ndrjaw) is the ceremonial meeting of the Themiclesian monarch with an assembly of civil and military officials, of which there are several varieties, varying by scope, occasion, and purpose. The original purpose of holding court is to transact affairs of state or those of the royal family, but the practice has become purely procedural in recent times. At one time perceived as an institution fundamental to continuance of government, it was imbued with many rites to emphasize the power of the crown, which eventually impaired the efficiency of the practice itself, leading to its demise. Today, the main purpose of holding court is to deliver royal assent to legislation.
Etymology
The character for "court" (朝, ndrjaw) was written with the radicals for grass, sun, and moon, assembled to represent a sun rising and shining through woods, while the moon was still visible in the sky. The composite meaning is the early morning. It is generally assumed that the term was applied to court, since court was usually held during the early morning, as evinced from the Menghean Classics of Poetry. Phonologically, it is a N-derivation of trjaw, "morning".
Types of court held
- Great Court (大朝, dadh-ndrjaw), held on the first (moonless) day of each lunation, consisting of all peers and officials located in the capial city Ninth Rank and above; the equivalent military rank is colonel in the Army and commodore in the Navy and Air Force. Individuals with the title of Courtesy Courtier (奉朝請, bjong’-ndrjaw-nsjêng) as well as heads of foreign missions are also invited to participate. For the first Great Court held each administrative year, which occurs on the tenth lunation after the winter solstice, the representatives of prefectures and other high-ranking regional officials are present, in the ceremony of Account.
- Day Court (日朝, njik-ndrjaw), held every fifth day (weekends not counted), attended by government ministers and legislators.
- Leisure Court (宴朝, ‘rênh-ndrjaw), held, in principle, every day, for the emperor's personal attendants and the governors of his household.
Procedure for holding court
The Nine Intercessors
The Nine Intercessors (九賓, kju′-prjin) are an ancient element of the relationship between host and guest in Themiclesian culture.