Plural form referring to multiple monasteries or convents under the leadership of a hegumen or hegumene.
Derived from hegumen with the -ies suffix, following the pattern of words like 'abbey' becoming 'abbeys,' this noun refers to the communities and institutions themselves.
Medieval Orthodox monastic documents reveal extensive networks of hegumenies spread across territories like Mount Athos and Ukraine, creating a kind of spiritual governance system that rivaled secular political structures.
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