Religion: The Order of Simartlea
The
Order of Simartlea, sometimes known as the "Simartlean Cult" or simply "The Order", is the dominant religion in Mktvartvelo. It was the state religion in the country until the 20th century, and foreign religions were not allowed in Mtkvartvelo until the late 19th century. The Order of Simartlea has as a polytheist framework, although as a religion it focuses more on rituals and practical aspects rather than in doctrine or theology. Unlike other religions, the Order of Simartlea lacks a holy book, although there are several literature books or chronicles that have official status.
The most important sources for the Order's rituals and traditions are:
- Literature produced by the Order's temples and clergy, including doctrinal literature and collections of hymns and prayers
- Historical chronicles accepted as authentic by the Order's authorities
- Knowledge and practice transmitted orally from generation to generation from the clergy in the context of particular temples or shrines
- Folklore such as folk tales, folk songs, and special traditions and rituals linked to special celebrations or dates
Organization
The nomenclature of the Order of Simartlea officially refers to the members of the clergy and the administrative organization of the temples and other religious institutions as the "Holy Order of the Simartlean Wisdom" as a whole, commonly simply called as "The Order". In Simartlean religion, every temple is destined to the worship of a deity, lacking a hierarchy of temples, although traditionally those where Okro and Dalotsvili Dedopali are worshiped were believed to have a higher status. The temples are administered by a magistrate with the title of "Katsi" (wise man or scholar) who is in charge of the daily affairs, and who had an education as religious scholars (in case the temple is too large or important, a council of magistrates may lead it instead). However, the ritual ceremonies are performed by female clergy, who traditionally lived in the temple or a nearby sanctuary. The priestesses have vows of celibacy and in ancient times they were not allowed to leave the temple. The priestesses are often assisted by younger assistants and underage apprentrices.
The magistrates were rather powerful in the past, as they served as religious scholars and judges. In ancient times, the religious magistrates were eunuchs. However, this was abolished in the 12th century. Since them, the magistrates must be married. Nowadays, the magistrates have a minor role compared to priestesses. In 1971, women were accepted as magistrates for first time.
Since the 18th century, the Brzdmtsveli (Mktvartvelo's head of state) is the official and ceremonial head of the Simartlean Order, as "Guardian and Protector of the Order". However, the spiritual leadership of the Order is under the Sinatdedopali (literally "Queen of Light" or "Enligthened Queen", but which is often translated as "Supreme Priestess"), who is commonly considered as the true head of the Order. The Sinatdedopali is elected from the Simartlean priestesses as despite her title includes the word for "queen", she is not a relative of the head of state or a government official.
The residence of the Sinatdedopali is the Shrine of Dalotsvili Shadrevani, which includes a temple consacrated to Dalotsvili Dedopali. Besides her responsibility as official head of the Order, she is also the main priestess in the shrine, along her two Mghvdelmtavari ("High Priestess"), two priestess who permanently serve as her assistant on both religious and administrative duties. Very often, the Sinatdedopali served as mghvdelmtavari of the previous Sinatdedopali, although it is not an official requisite.
The Sinatdedopali also heads the Supreme Committe of the Order, which is considered the executive council of the Order, mostly dealing with administrative and organizational issues. The Supreme Committee of the Order is formed by the Sinatdedopali herself, her two Mghvdelmtavari -although is customary that one or both of them may remain in the Shrine of Dalotsvili Shadrevani, which unlike the headquarters of the Supreme Committee is not located in the capital city, and other priestesses and magistrates.
Besides the Supreme Committee of the Order, there is the General Assembly of the Order, which is formed by priestesses, magistrates, and laymen representatives, a consultative body without executive power, which meets once or twice per year, to address or suggest problems or conflicts regarding the Simartlean community.
Cosmology
In Simartlean mythology, the world is divided into three spheres: the first is the
Upper World, the home of the gods; the second is the
Middle World, the world we know, and finally the
Underworld. Originally, only the Upper World existed, although it is uncertain how and when it was created. According to Simartlean mythology, the Upper World is inhabited by a number of gods, as old as time and who emerged from the void as primary divine beings. One of them, Okron, created the Tree of Life, from which the Middle World emerged -as well all plants and animals were created-, while Damaluli created the Tree of Wisdom, from which emerged the Underworld. From the fruits of the Tree of Wisdom were born some supernatural and immortal beings called the Nakhevradi (often mistranslated as "angels", "demons", or "semi-gods"). The Nakhevradi, unlike the gods, who can be male or female, are believed to have no gender and be asexual. They originally served as messengers between the Upper and Middle worlds.
In the Simartlean myths, the Underworld in the sense of the realm of the dead is fused with the realm beneath the surface of the earth from which the plants and the crops grow up. The earth is on the one hand the resting place of the dead who are embedded in her bosom, on the other the giver of fertility. That is one of the reasons why the soil, the stones, and the mud are both associated with Velia -goddess of the harvest- and Chabnelebuli -god of the death-, despite seeming opposite deities.
Simartlean myths
According to the legend, one day Atter convinced the Nakhevradi to support him to become the sole and only supreme god of the Upper World, in exchange, they could do as they please and stop serving them. Okron, with the assistance of the other gods and Gmiratsi- a mythical hero who ate a golden fruit from the Tree of Life-, defeated Damaluli, who was imprisoned inside the Tree of Wisdom. The rest of the Nakhevradi -with the exception of Ertgul, who remained loyal to Okron- were sent to the Underworld. Since them, they are eternally in charge of protecting the Tree of Wisdom, and they are only allowed to leave the Underworld if Okron -who became supreme king of the Upper World since then-, allows them to do so. Since them, Ertgul remained as the messenger of the gods and the Supreme Guardian of the Middle World.
Ertgul is assisted as Guardian of the Middle World by four Guardians, who were worn from golden fruits who fell from the Tree of Life, and are named after the cardinal points. They are assisted by four Nakhevradi who were born after the divine war started by Damaluli, and are allowed to leave the Underworld and establish in the Middle World. Those Nakhevradi, however, unlike the four Guardians, are not allowed to participate in human affairs, they rather serve as advisors (in ancient Simartlean literature, however, they relation between the Guardians and their assistant was often presented as some kind of marriage). In one ancient myth, the Tsmindami Valley -in southeastern Mktvartvelo- was considered to be the center of the universe, therefore the conflicts between the four Guardians were often explained as the case of serious crisis, such as bad harvests, famine, or war.
Another important myth in Simartlean religion is the Pirveli Katsebi, sometimes wrongly referred as the creation myth. According to the legend, Shavrinveli was the daughter of Mamtsvari and Msubuki, and who was assigned by Okron as a protector of Dalotsvili Dedopali. Shavrinveli, when relieved of her duties, often lived high in the mountains. She also traveled to help those who suffered from sicknesses since she was very skillful in medicine and had a sympathetic heart. One day, an evil spirit escaped from the Underworld and turned into a monster or dragon. The creature suddenly appeared in front of Shavrinveli, who scared and tried to escape by transforming into a crane to fly away. Kvarveli, a horseman from Tsmindami Valley, passed by and saw the semi-goddess in danger, a killed the monster with his own arrows. When Shavrinveli stopped flying to see the very person that saved her, she instantly fell in love with her benefactor. They had forty children, but despite their love for each other, Shavrinveli had to continue with her divine duties while Kvarveli yearned for his native home. From their children were born the twenty ancient tribes which formed the Mktvartvelian nobility. It is an unwritten but respected tradition that the Brzdmstveli must be a descendant from a clan derived from those twenty tribes.
Deities in Simartlean religion
| Name | Description |
| Okron | Meaning "Golden Father", who restored order in both the Upper World and the Middle World. He is the god of the sky and the head of the Upper World |
| Dalotsvili Dedopali | Meaning "Blessed Lady/Queen", she is the "mother goddess", the goddess of motherhood and fertility - not of agrarian fertility but the fertility of man and the animals. She helps the females to bring forth their childbirth and protect the young. She is connected with the Tree of Life and fertility plays a conspicuous role in her cult. The Shrine of the Dedopali Tsotskhali, consacrated to this goddess, is considered one of the most important temples in the Simartlean cult, and believers -particularly women and parents- are expected to do a pilgrimage to the shrine at least once during their lifetime.
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| Damaluli | Meaning "Hidden Guardian", is the creator of the Tree of Wisdom, who inhabites in the Underworld after he failed to defeat the other gods in the Upper World. It is a divinity that awakens fear and appeasement rather than devotion |
| Velia | Meaning "Blossomed", is the goddess of harvests. She is the consort of Okron, and she is widely associated to agriculture, harvest, grains, and nourishment. |
| Bortsvimaghalia | Meaning "Mountain Goddess", is the goddess of wild nature, which has not been touched by the hands of man. It is also known as "Mistress of Nature and the Master of the Animals". She roams about in the mountains and shadowy woods and the wet meadows, she hunts and dances together with female spirits. She has the potency of the female body and the power to subdue wild animals. She is also associated with music and dance.
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| Mzemepe | Meaning "Sun King", he is the sun god, oldest son of Okron and Velia. He protects the border between the Upper World and the Middle World. |
| Kariani | Meaning "Wind King", he is the king of wind, second son of Okron and Velia. His armor and weapons are made of silver, his sacred metal. |
| Deda Kariana | Meaning "Mother Wind", is the goddes of rain a female counterpart of Kariani. She is a wise, elderly woman who lives in a cave on top of a huge mountain that rises from the Middle World to the Upper World. She rides the winds and creates storms and whirlwinds. Doves are associated with this goddess
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| Jarebupali | Meaning "Lord of Armies", is the god of war, third son of Okron and Velia. He also forged the Upper Sword ("Zeda khmali") which was used by Okron to secure his victory over Damaluli. Horses are widely associated with him, and it is tradition to sacrifice white stallions during his festivities.
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| Chabnelebuli | Meaning "Lord of Darkness", is the god of death, diseases and wicked things, and the head of the Underworld realm. He is also Damaluli's twin. Despite his ominous association, he did not participate in Damaluli's incited rebellion, remaining in the Underworld during the war between deities. Dogs were traditionally sacrificed to placate this god. |
| Mamtsvari | Meaning "Moon Father", god of the night. He is associated with the owl |
| Msubuki | Meaning "Sun mother", is the goddess of light, consort of Mzemepe. She is widely associated with doves, and she has also the epithet of "Dove Goddess". The dove symbolizes her connection with both the sky and the Upper World, as she is believed to the oldest daughter of Okron and Velia. |
| Tsetskhali | Meaning "Fire Mother", goddess of the fire. She is considered the daughter of Dalotsvili Dedopali. |
| Chanchkeri | Meaning "Water Father", god of the water and the seas |
| Gvelikali | Meaning "Lady Snake", she is the goddess of the Underworld, who constantly moves between the Underworld and the Middle Word, and consort of Chabnelebuli. She is also known as "Lady of the Underworld", and the snake is her attribute, being the snake a representative of the dead -a holy animal in Simertlean cult-, a form in which the dead or his soul appears, or as a "soul animal", as the animal is often called. Gvelikali is represented as a naked woman, with snakes ascending from her legs -sometimes covering her waist and breasts-, holding in one hand a bottle or a jar, and in the other hand a sword - symbols of both healing and death. Considered a deity of the Underworld, conjuring, and necromancy. In ancient times, her cult was highly related with divination practices. |
| Shavrinveli | Meaning "Flying Guardian", she is the daughter of Mamtsvari and Msuburi. Her main duty is to protect Dalotsvili Dedopali. She is believed to be able to turn into a bird, particularly into cranes and ravens, which are also her animal attributes. Sometimes, she is also depicted as a half-human and half-bird goddess. She is the patron of many cities in Mktvartvelo, and she is a widely popular deity given she is considered an ancestor of Mktvartvelo's ancient tribes. She is also sometimes known as "Lady of Hearing" or "Lady of Favor", as she is believed to be called upon to listen to prayers and to grant requests.
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The Simartlean pantheon
The divinities of the Simartlean pantheon have not a hierarchy in the traditional sense. While some divinities have a higher status in general, such as Okron, Dalotsvili Dedopali, Gvelikali, and both Okron and Chabnelebuli have a particular importance for being the head of the realms of the Upper World and the Underworld, respectively, the importance of the divinities very often relates in the festivities associated with those divinities -which often is derived from regional or local traditions-, the closer or more important temples where a person lives, and the profession or occupation of a believer, as some divinities or rites are particularly related to one or several occupations.
In Simartlean myths, however, there is still a certain hierarchy or status regarding how the gods related to each other, particulary where there is an attribute filial relation between them, as it is the case of Okron and Velia and their sons, although this does not often translated to the rites and festivities associated to a particular divinities or temple. At the same time, this does not always apply to every divinity, as those divinities associated with the Underworld, such as Chabnelebuli and Gvelikali, who may be considered equals to Okron, despite the latter being often identified and revered as the "Father God".
Priesthood
In ancient times, priestesses were ordained at the age between six and ten. Nowadays, the candidates to priestesses start their training at the age of twelve, when they move to a religious residence. Proper training in religious rites only starts at 14 years od, and usually when they are 16 years old, they are elegible to become apprentices, and are transferred to a temple or shrine. This, however, requires a process of selection, which is usually done by the assistant priestess of the temple, which may include personal interviews, and visit to the student religious residence.
The religious residences are, for the most part, owned and managed by the Order of Simartlea. The study programme is obviously focused on religious education, including subjects such as theology, religious history and symbology, Simartlean cosmology, religious law, the study of rites and prayers, meditation, music, dance, human and animal biology, traditional medicine and, more controversially, the dissection of animals, however they also include nowadays some basic and common subjects such as history, maths, science, language, etc...to assure that the students have a proper formation in case they leave the school or simply do not end ordained as priestesses. While the study programme and learning methodology in religious residences are reviewed and supervised by the state authorities, it is the Directorate of National Education -an independent body formed by both state and private representatives- rather than the Ministry of Education which is in charge of this supervision and control. The religious residences ("sakhlitsminde", or "holy houses") serve as both school and residences, only accept female students and they are mostly secluded, and for the most cases all their staff is female. Every religious residence is typically related to one or several temples and shrines, which the students may visit often to continue the formation and study the Simertlean rites and customs more closely.
Most of the requirements to be accepted to religious residence and start the training to become a priestess, even if controversial, have remained unchanged: she shall be born in Mktvartvelo from a Mktvartvelian mother, be free of any kind of physical blemish or impediment; to have both living and married mother and father at the moment they join the residence; both parents can not be members of other religion or cult. In ancient times, being a member of the clergy was mostly a privilege of the upper classes. It was a tradition for aristocratic families that they second daughter was ordained as priestess. However, this was changed after the 18th century reform, in which the daughters from middle classes were allowed to join the clergy. Nowadays, besides an annual stipend from their families, some students may receive a scholarship from the state.
It is required that, in order to join a religious residence, both parents sign an official declaration that they consent to their daughter starting the process to become a priestess. Relatives can not visit a student, although correspondence or telephone calls to relatives are usually allowed. In some cases, students may be allowed to leave the residence for more than one day, for special cases such as the funeral of a relative, to attend a religious festivity, or a pilgrimage. They must, however, be granted written authorization from the school board before being allowed to do so. In most cases, leaving the school residence without authorization results in the expulsion of the student and the ban of being ordained priestess. Once a religious apprentice is ordained priestess, she changes her surname -usually derived from an aspect or localtion related to the Simartlean religion-, and they are not longer considered to be members of their family or clan.
The fact that a priestess was not supposed to belong to her former family or a clan, put her in an unique position in Mktvartvelian society. This symbolic status, a legal entity for their own, served to place her outside any other legal or ritual category. They were, and still are, therefore, above the family, the clan, and the tribe -unless other subjects of the state, including the head of state-, to serve as mediators between the deities and the society, and therefore also the state, and symbolize the collectivity as a whole in their own status. From the moment they are ordained as priestesses, they have no kin. Until very recently, priestesses did not pay any tax, and were not subjected to inheritance customs and legislation. Instead, they have the right to make a will - something that most Mktvartvelian were not able to until the early 20th century, as inheritance and property were legally clan-based, not an individual right. Priestesses usually donate their will after her death to a (former) relative, a younger priestess, a friend in the clergy, or to charity. If they fail to complete the process, however, their wealth goes directly to the Order or the temple where they are established (the latter obviously in the case of active priestesses).
In ancient times, priestesses were considered "holy mediators" between the deities and the men, and were expected to be treated to reverence, and had a particularly unique legal protection. They could not be touched by other people, and -even surperficially- physicially hurting or verbally offending a priestess could result in a death sentence for the offender. Even when they were sentenced to death for crimes such as witchcraft, sexual intercourse, or secular serious crimes such as murder, treason, etc, they could not be killed by another hand. They were allowed to choose the method of her death, being drinking a poison, being buried alive, or -particularly in the cases of priestesses related to the Mountain Goddess- to jump to their death from a special cliff. Although this legal protection disappeared following the 19th-century reforms and in the criminal code reform in the early 20th century, they have still a particular social status in Mktvartvelian society.
Priestesses have a vow of celibacy and a vow of chastity. Until the 18th-century, breaking these vows would result in facing the death penalty. This contrasted with civil legislation, where, in most Mktvartvelo's history, adultery was not a serious crime and adulterers typically faced an economic compensation to their spouse and the spouse's clan or simply a divorce. Lika Boladze, in 1804, was the last priestess to face death penalty. Nowadays, if a priestess is found to break those vows, she can not longer serves a priestess, leaves the clergy, and may even face an expulsion from the community.
Priestesses can retire whenever she decides to do so, however, and they can marry once she leaves the clergy. However, it is relatively rare that they have children, as most priestesses do not retire until they are not longer fertile. In the case that a former priestess had children, however, they are consider to belong to a new clan, rather than members of the clan in which the priestess may have born. In some cases, some important widowed husbands may be interested to marry a former priestess, in order to advance their political career. However, most former priestesses remain single, as women older than 35 rarely marry or remarry in Mktvartvelian society. Most of former priestesses continue to be involved with the Order of Simertlea after their retirement, serving as religious magistrates, teachers at a religious residence, or professors at a religious college. In some cases, they remain as independent scholars or simply retire. All priestesses who have served at least 25 years have a right to a monthly payment by the state.
Contrary to the popular belief, priestesses do not live secluded and participate actively in the life of the community. For those priestesses who are permanently associated to a temple or shrine, they live in a community nearby, being involved in another daily occupations besides the observance of rituals and preparation for her services. Priestesses have not a vow of poverty, so they can own and invest in real estate and other business activities. As many believers may donate food and funds to the temples, along as lacking any family obligations, priestesses often do not have much spending, and therefore they are able to save more money that many married women.
However, there is no membership to the priesthood as a whole. If a priestess moves to another temple, something that is not rare nowadays, they must proceed a period of training, particularly if the temple is consacrated to a different god or goddess, which may last from one year to four year, depending the background of the priestess and the status of the temple.
Being a priestess is considered both a privilege, for the particular status that they occupy in Mktvartvelian society, independently of the economic and social background they were born in, and a sacrifice in itself, for the renounce to their family, clan and their vow of celibacy and chastity. There has been calls, particularly in recent decades, to change these requirements, as they are seem for some as outdated or unnecessary. However, such calls have been either ignored or rejected. Those defending the requirement of those vows argue that they make the priestesses capable of devoting all of their religious energy to the consacration of the deities without also having to fulfil a role in, or risk being polluted by, the private sphere of an individual family.
However, the fact that most priestess are highly likely to remain childless, spiritually put them in a difficult position as, according to Simertlean theology, childess rarely enter the Underworld and the souls are condemned to wander on earth after their death, which would make their sacrifice for the community even bigger. This may partly one of the rites of initiation to be ordained a priestess, which is often considered controversial and misunderstood, particulary outside Mktvartvelo, the "chamarsebiti". The ritual requires that the new priestess, once she is ordained priestess in her temple, to drink a potion known as "kalisishkhli" which includes the water, bread, milk, oil, and a special unguent in which is mixed a few drops of blood from the other priestess in the temple. Unlike another similar ritual drink, savsasmeli (which is made with animal blood instead), the kalisishkhli is served and drank hot. The ritual probably symbolizes that the corporal form of a priestess also includes blood of every former priestess who served in the temple from ancient times, and therefore the essence of a priestess continue living on earth, despite them likely dying childess. Some anthropologists and writers have found in this tradition an explanation why murdering a priestess is found equivalent to parricide, as it would likely imply to spill the blood of your ancestors (in case a member of the family or clan served in the past in her temple).
It is a tradition for priestesses to visit the "Fountain of the Spirits", in Dakargulo, which is along a temple dedicated to the snake goddess, after being ordained a priestess.
Temples of the Order of Simartlea
Shrine of Dalotsvili Shadrevani
The Shrine of Dalotsvili Shadrevani is consacrated to Dalotsvili Dedopali. It is also the residance of the Sinatdedopali or Supreme Priestess, head of the Simartlean Order. It is located about 80 kms from Mktvartvelo's capital city.
Shrine of the One Thousand Double Axes
The shrine is considered the third most important temple consacrated to the Mother Goddess. It was built in 1709, following a military victory against a nearby state. According to the legend, the temple was built on the place where
Matskharebeli Tengiz Kasrashvili erected the statue of a woman seated with a child in her lap as if she were suckling him. Any woman who, afflicted by a disease in her body, rubbed the corresponding part of the body of the statue, was said to recover her former state. In a likewise manner, if her breast milk diminished and she rubbed the statue breasts, then it increased. If her menstruation decreased and she became afraid of this, she rubbed the statue under its knees. If his son was ill, she rubbed it under its knees. And so on. The statue was described in many Mktvartvelian literary works. However, the statue was destroyed in the 14th century, when the town was occupied by foreign forces. The temple is well-known for the large number of double axes engraved and painted through the walls and columns of the temple, therefore the names. Many believers still claim that the offering to the goddess in the temple are likely to have similar healing properties than the ones once attributed to the ancient statue.
Temple of the Snake Goddess
It is the main temple consecrated to Gvelikali, goddess of the Underworld, and which main attribute is famously the snake animal. It is said that, in ancient times, apprentices to priestesses in this temple and other associated to Gvelikali were bitten by a snake and, after some pause, they were immediately administered an antidote, as part of their training as priestesses. If she die or suffered some kind of permanent injuried, it was believed that Gvelikali had rejected her. It is unclear, however, if this practice has continued until current times, due to the secrecy that involves the training of the clergy in the Simartlean religion.
In Mktvartvelian tradition, the snake is also believed to be the protector and guardian of the house. Indeed, in Mktvartvelian mythology, every household has assigned a spirit that observes the house. In daily prayers, believers often address the spirit asking for protection and leave some offerings in certain dates. It is believed that the spirit of the house may appear in the guise of a snake. If the snake appears, it is believed that it shall be greeted with silent delight or with a few words of welcome quietly spoken. It is considered a bad omen if the snake is hurt, frighten, or slay. In some regions, the snake may be even offered milk and treated as domestic pets. Besides, being domestic spirits, they are also believed to be spirits of deceased ancestors who after their death take care of the house.
The Temple of Tsitelikade
The Temple of Tsitelikade, consacrated to Bortsvimaghalia, the Mountain Goddess, is widely associated with the Khishsuli festivity, one of the most famous of the Simartlean religion. This festivity, held on early spring in the hills around the temple and next to the nearby Moqabish forest. The festivities are attended by thousands from the nearby provinces. The festivities became quite famous for the dances performed by the religious apprentices who belong to the temple. Through whirling and repetitive movements, the apprentices dance in twisting and fast choreographies performed to try to reach religious ecstasy. This ceremony is typically performed in the foot of northern hill around where the main outdoor altar of the temple in the located. In the 19th century, this tradition received both the attention of foreign travellers and the condemnation of moralist writers as they found them of an orgiastic and at time indecent character, ill suited to be performed by teenage virgins, as the apprentices are supposed to be, in front of men and women of all ages. Sometimes, the dancers have their face covered with the blood of a rabbit, an animal associated with the goddess. This ceremony, although not intended as an entertainment, has become a tourist attraction in Mktvartvelo. The Khishsuli festivity symbolizes the start of the hunting season.
The temple is also associated with the datsqabuli festival, held a few days before the summer. The festival was once known for the practice of flagellation at the altar to boys by the assistant priestesses using tree branches. It was conceived as a trial of endurance and a rite to the transition to adulthood, conferring strength and good luck to the teenagers. However, the ritual became highly controversial for it is rather bloody and violent nature, particularly after legislation on protection of childhood was passed in the early 20th century, and this tradition was consequently abandoned, sometime afterwards. Nowadays, Datsqabuli is mostly associated with cheerful parades of girls and boys holding and waving tree branches.
The Temple of the Ethernal Fire Maradiuli Tsetskhli
The Maradiuli Tsetskhli temple (often translated as "The Temple of the Eternal Fire" is consacrated to Tsetskhali, goddess of fire. Compared to most Simartlean temples, the temple is rather small and austere, with no cult statue and barely no decoration. It is situated in a hill along the town of Galavani, nearby the Dampatsikhe ruins. Unlike most temples, the temple is not associated to public worship or local festivities. Instead, the main duty of the priestesses and their assistants of the temple is to taking turns to ceaselessly take care of the hearth fire in the temple. The fire itself, which is generally considered one of the sacred elements in Simaltrean religion, is regarded as a representation of Tsetskhali. The fire of the temple is also seen as a purificatory medium, in the same way that fire is used in many Simartlean rites.
The temple is considered one of the oldest in Mktvartvelo. The priestesses of the temple often volunteer for funerary rites in the town.
Temple of Tskhenosani
The temple of Tskhenosani, located in Qavisparumi is consacrated to Jarebupali, the god war. While religious rites are not considered as important for warfare as they were in ancient times, the temple is still often visited by members of the armed forces. The temple is widely associated with the Dzhays kavira festivity. The festivity, which is widely male-oriented, involves a large number of sporting activities, including ritual dances, boxing, wrestling, weightlifting and, more famously, cheese-fighting. Priestesses bring cheese in front of the altar of the god, young girls press the cheeses, give them to the people, and then young men fight with them. The winner has sometimes the honour to put a wreath of flowers on the main priestess' head. Once every three years, a white horse may be sacrificed and its meat distributed to soldiers.
The Shrine of the Dove Goddess
The Shrine of the Dove Goddess is the main temple consacrated to Msubuki, of great importance for the most important festivities related to this goddess.
