Fina – Kafo of Gods – M. L. Wang Books

The finawu are class of religious teachers, historians, preachers, and musicians. An ancient offshoot of the jaseli kafo (specifically the Kuyasse family), the finawu control all temples and religious education.

Relationship with other kafoka

Rather than living on the patronage of specific koro or manga koro families like their fellow oral traditionalists, the jaseliwu, most finawu are collectively supported by taxes and donations that go toward supporting temples.

Attire & Adornment

Like jaseliwu, finawu are defined by their words, knowledge, and music rather than their physical attributes. Therefore, it is unusual for finawu to dress in revealing clothing, which suggests a vanity about one’s body. Most finawu wear bulky robes and head coverings. While jaseliwu’s patrons sometimes lavish gifts on them to signal their own wealth, finawu do not have personal patrons, meaning that they dress less ostentatiously than jaseliwu, in unadorned black and muted earth tones. Most wear no jewelry.

Marriage

In traditional Yammanka society, finawu were only allowed to intermarry with their own or jaseliwu. With inter-kafo marriage laws loosened or abolished in the modern age, most finawu still opt to keep their bloodlines pure and marry within their kafo.

Families

Fina families mentioned in the Theonite Series thus far: Sekhmet

Terms of Address

Fina a polite address for a member of the fina kafo, as well as a prefix for a member of the fina kafo, similar to the English ‘Mr.’ or ‘Ms.’
finaden a diminutive address for a member of the fina kafo younger than the speaker
Finake a respectful address for a male member of the fina kafo, roughly equivalent to the English ‘Sir.’
Finayaa a respectful address for a female member of the fina kafo, roughly equivalent to the English ‘Ma’am.’

Symbol

The official fina symbol is derived from the jaseli’s drum, with the addition of the four directions in which God, Kiye, and Goddess, Nyaare, planted the seeds of humanity.