Transfers of authority witnessed and confirmed
Transfers of authority witnessed and confirmed
Transfers of authority are lawful only when they are witnessed and confirmed. Authority does not move quietly, privately, or by assertion alone.
Witnessing and confirmation protect continuity, legitimacy, and responsibility.
What a transfer of authority is
A transfer of authority may include:
- succession to a name or title
- confirmation of stewardship over territory
- delegation of responsibility within a house
- restoration of authority after disruption
- limitation or withdrawal of authority following violation
Each transfer alters responsibility and must be made visible.
Role of witnessing
Witnessing ensures that:
- the transfer actually occurred
- proper protocol was followed
- responsibility was accepted knowingly
- the community can recall the transfer later
Without witnesses, authority remains unsettled.
Feast confirmation
Feast confirmation completes the transfer.
Through feast:
- the transfer is declared publicly
- witnesses hear and accept it
- responsibility is fixed in collective memory
- denial or revision is prevented
What is confirmed in feast becomes binding.
Relationship to responsibility
Authority never transfers alone.
What transfers with authority:
- obligations
- unresolved duties
- historical consequences
- expectations of conduct
The new holder inherits the full record, not a clean slate.
Limits on transfer
Authority cannot be lawfully transferred:
- without witnesses
- without acknowledgment
- to escape responsibility
- to erase past obligations
Improper transfers are contestable.
Recording in adaawk
Adaawk preserve transfers across generations.
They record:
- when and why authority moved
- who witnessed and confirmed it
- what responsibilities followed
- whether obligations were fulfilled or violated
Adaawk anchor present authority in past action.
Consequences of disputed transfer
When a transfer is disputed:
- witnesses are recalled
- adaawk are consulted
- feast acknowledgment clarifies legitimacy
- unresolved transfers remain legally active
Dispute signals unfinished process.
Core principle
Authority moves only when responsibility is publicly carried forward. What is witnessed and confirmed endures.