A siekakovothin (/siː'eɪ.kʌ.koʊ'vɒ.θiːn/), plural siekakovothis, meaning "title-challenge" in Murese Sith,[1][2] was a type of single combat duel that was fought between Murese Force users for a prominent political appointment in the Third Predorate. It was most commonly fought between a reigning monarch (grafas or predor) and a claimant to the throne, overseen by a unbiased audience to prevent cheating and officiated by members of the clergy. However, multiple claimant free-for-all versions (nicknamed siekakovotojasikut or "title-championships" in Murese[2]) were not uncommon, and generally occurred immediately following a reigning monarch's voluntary abdication.
Though the origins of the siekakovothin could be traced to the claimant duels of the Murese Postantiquity period, in which tribal rulers called zhejarikut ("Overlords" in Murese[2]) were decided on the basis of individual Force ability, it was unknown if the ancient Red Sith ritual conflict known as the kaggath was the initial inspiration of the siekakovothin. Though both shared certain similarities, the kaggath was primarily fought between individuals' powerbases over a span of days, weeks, or even years,[3] while the siekakovothin was fought between individuals alone with no assets permitted except Forcesabers and Force powers. Such fights rarely last more than a few hours at most.
As part of the Murese cultural concept of teznchwayat ("just rule"[2][4] in Murese), presiding rulers were expected to honor the challenges of upstart claimants in defense of their thrones, as such challenges were deemed necessary tests of each ruler's fitness to rule over the Sith. Those who sought to shrug off or avoid such conflicts were quickly run out of town by their own citizens and the religious authorities alike for failing to fulfill their cultural responsibilities. As these conflicts defined in large part the manner in which a Murese community was run, they evolved into spectacles for the entertainment of the general populace during the late Murese Premodernity period, hosted in vast arenas before thousands and covered in the press for weeks in advance.
Originally, during the Murese Premodernity and early Modernity periods, such fights were fought to the death of one of the participants, as death was seen as an appropriate punishment for those shown to be unworthy of leading the Murese through their inability to support a claim or failure to protect a throne. However, as such duels often resulted in the loss of talented commanders and prominent leaders of the populace, the punishment was mitigated in many cases to temporary exile, public humiliation, or in more severe cases, permanent banishment from Mure. Death was rarely administered as a punishment during the Murese Postmodernity period due to the need to preserve talented Murese as a measure protecting against outside threats.
Sources[]
- Sith (language) on Starsider wiki (Unavailable as of 8/2/18)
- Sith (language) on Wookieepedia
- Star Wars: The Old Republic Encyclopedia
Notes and references[]
- ↑ From sieka meaning "rank" and kovothin meaning "challenge." Kovothin was believed to be a loanword of Old Rakata origin based on the nature of its case ending and plural form.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Sith (language) on Starsider wiki
- ↑ Star Wars: The Old Republic Encyclopedia
- ↑ Sith (language) on Wookieepedia
