Concepts & Terms
The terms listed on this page are in alphabetical order. The chapters listed after each term indicates where the concept first appears in detail.
- Ani - The deity described in The Great Book thought to have created the world containing the Okeke and Nuru. It is also believed that she created the Nuru to enslave the Okeke. (Chapter 3)
- The East - The literal eastern part of the novel's world where the Okeke escape from the Nuru and create communities deep in the desert. (Chapter 3)
- Eleventh Year Rite - A 2000-year-old tradition that involves the circumcision of eleven year old girls within a community. After they undergo the 11th Rite, girls are worthy of being spoken to as an adult. (Chapter 4)
- Eshu- A term used to describe sorcerers that can shape-shift into various animals. Onye is Eshu. (Chapter 6)
- Ewu- A child who is half Okeke and half Nuru. Typically born as a result of a Nuru man raping an Okeke woman. The least desirable of all the races. (Chapter 3)
- The Great Book- The religious text adhered to by both the Okeke and Nuru people. (Chapter 3)
- Great Mystic Points- A powerful magic taught to a sorcerer/sorceress after they pass initiation. (Chapter 18)
- The Green- A place where there is lush rainforests and oceans, thought not to exist because of the harsh desert environment the characters in the novel live in. Onye travels to this place with her mother in Kponyungo form and again at the “end” of the novel. (Chapter 4)
- The House of Osugbo- The government building in the middle of Jawhir. The building is actually much larger on the inside of the building and changes due to the Juju placed on it by Aro. (Chapter 15)
- Ifunanya- A term of endearment used by Mwita to Onye. The word does not translate directly to English, but it describes a feeling more intense than love is only said to one other person in one's life. (Chapter 33)
- Initiation- A process that all people attempting to become a sorcerer and learn the Great Mystic Points must undergo prior to learning the Points. During initiation, individuals must witness how they will die in the future. (Chapter 18)
- Juju- The term used to describe the magic that sorcerers, such as Aro, use throughout the novel. (Chapter 11)
- Kponyungo- Mystic dragon-like creatures that are known to befriend travelers. (Chapter 45)
- Masquerade- A spirit of the wilderness that is made dead leaves and many needles. The creature also spews white smoke from its head and attracts birds to it. The masquerade was sent by Aro to poison Onye while she is with the Vah people. (Chapter 44)
- Nuru- People of Arab descent; the ruling class within the novel. (Chapter 3)
- Okeke- People of African descent) slaves to the Nuru in the West. (Chapter 3)
- The Seven Rivers Kingdom/The Unnamed Lake- The kingdom in the West, home to the Nuru people. The land is literally surrounded by seven river systems with a massive lake in the western part of the kingdom, home to the Seer. (Chapter 55)
- The Vah- Known as the Red People. Desert Nomads who assist Onyesonwu and her friends on their journey West. (Chapter 41)
- The West- The literal western part of the novel's world, mainly home to the Nuru kingdom and some Okeke tribes that are often subjected to Nuru attacks. The west is also home to the Seven Rivers Kingdom. (Chapter 3)
- The Wilderness- A spirit-like realm, separate from the physical world, that Onyesonwu is able to journey into after she passes initiation. (Chapter 19)
This page compiled by Max Barrows & Ben Kuxmann.
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