Houses of Betazed
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The Houses of Betazed is the top most social class of Betazoid society. All of the individuals in this class are considered to be actual descendants of ancestral Betazoids. The Houses of Betazoids are numbered, and they can also be classified in the qualities that the Houses are supposed to hold. Each House can be made up of numerous families, all distantly related, and often holding their relation to the ancestral Betazoids in high regard.
Members of the Houses are considered Nobility within their culture and can be afforded numerous titles. The most widely-used titles are (in order of authority):
- Mother Perennial: The Head of a House, sometimes also referred to as Regent or Matriarch, often shortened to simply Mother as an honorific before the woman's name. Some Noble Houses may not have a singular established head, depending on the organisation of families.
- The term Perennial Ascendant (or Matriarch Ascendant) refers to the member of the House that is intended to inherit the responsibility of Head of the House.
- Mother / Father: The head of an individual family within a House.
- Daughter / Son: Offspring of a Mother/Father, typically considered 'next in line' to inherit their parent's title.
- The term Daughter (or Son) Ascendant may refer to any member of the House or family that is intended to inherit the responsibility of a Daughter (or Son).
- Speaker : A selected representative for a family within a House.
Due to the matriarchal society of the Betazoids, daughters of nobility are always the first to be considered as heir to a family name, but if no female heirs have been produced, males are also accepted in this roles without question. Only female members of nobility can serve as Head of a House (and gain the title Mother Perennial/Regent/Matriarch), and if no female successors can be named from within the head family, then the next family in line with an eligible female member will become the new head.
When a Betazoid or a member of a family chooses to forsake their title and position in a House, their names are often struck from the family tree.
Those employed by noble families can also be inducted into their house of nobility, but generally are not afforded titles or positions of representation.
Houses
To date, there are a total of 20 separate houses.[1]
- First House of Betazed: House of Honesty/Truth
- Second House of Betazed: House of Science and Mysticism
- Third House of Betazed: House of Health
- Fourth House of Betazed: House of Natural Art and Muses
- Fifth House of Betazed: House of Nobility
- Sixth House of Betazed: House of Heart and Life
- Seventh House of Betazed: House of Courage
- Eighth House of Betazed: House of Intuition
- Ninth House of Betazed: House of Agriculture (formerly House of Wealth)
- Tenth House of Betazed: House of Perseverance
- Eleventh House of Betazed: House of Hearth
- Twelfth House of Betazed: House of Balance
- Thirteenth House of Betazed: House of Peace and Protection
- Fourteenth House of Betazed:
- Fifteenth House of Betazed: House of Love and Joy
- Sixteenth House of Betazed:
- Seventeenth House of Betazed:
- Eighteenth House of Betazed:
- Nineteenth House of Betazed:
- Twentieth House of Betazed: House of Travelers
Disputes
Legal disputes of any nature between the houses are heard by the Betazoid Government Council.
Disputes between citizens and one or more Houses of Betazed must be heard by a sitting of the Primary Reconciliation Forums of Betazed.
Betazoid Nobility Charter
The Betazoid Nobility Charter is a legal document that governs the rules of Nobility.
Section 44, part 1 of the Betazoid Nobility Charter states that "any Betazoid siblings, either by blood, by marriage, or by adoption, of a Betazoid House noble, who is not a subject or a citizen or entitled to the rights or privileges of a subject or citizen of a foreign power,” is eligible to act as an Advocate (i.e. legal representative) for a head of House in the case where the matriarch is absent or unwell. This section was written long before Betazed’s membership of the Federation. Parts 4 and 5 of the section state that in the case of non-noble siblings, such as in the case of a stripped title, preference must be given to a female sibling[2].
References
- ↑ House (Betazed), Memory Beta
- ↑ "Section 44 eligibility", Ral/Ukinix, SD239602.29