Core Vocabulary
Cross-module governance infrastructure
Cross-module infrastructure for governance and semantic integration of Afro-Atlantic sacred knowledge systems. Provides access control, provenance tracking, contested knowledge modeling, assertion governance, temporal variation, fieldwork capture, and thin narrative primitives.
A named policy governing disclosure, access, or use of a resource, assertion, or collection. Policies may be conditioned on temporal variation, authority authorization, or community mandate. Used to attach institutional policy nodes to records and assertions. Full governance via iroko:accessLevel (per-property), iroko:EpistemicConstraint (per iroko-epistemic.ttl), and iroko:StewardshipMandate (per iroko-agency.ttl).
A first-class statement node representing a single claim about any subject in the framework. Attach authority, access level, epistemic type, contested status, and fieldwork provenance at the property level. iroko:RelationshipAssertion is a subclass for relationship-specific claims. All Assertion instances are semantically governed — they do not imply factual truth, only documented assertion.
A commentary, gloss, or interpretive note attached to any resource in the framework — a narrative, an assertion, a sacred entity, a text segment. Keeps interpretive voice distinct from primary narrative content.
An authority (religious title, position, or role) whose legitimacy or historical continuity is disputed across lineages. Example: Iyanifa (women Ifa priests) — some lineages affirm historical continuity, others claim modern innovation.
Umbrella class for archival materials (photographs, manuscripts, audio recordings, herbarium specimens) that document sacred knowledge practices. Maps to schema:CreativeWork in RDF serialization.
A bounded fieldwork session or interview event during which assertions, narratives, or recordings were captured. Connects knowledge claims to their fieldwork provenance. rdfs:subClassOf prov:Activity asserted in iroko-align-prov.ttl.
A named graph representing one lineage's perspective on contested knowledge. Enables multiple community-endorsed positions to coexist without requiring resolution. Core mechanism for postcustodial knowledge governance.
A narrative cluster that may have multiple variants across place, time, authority, and lineage. First-class in Core so any domain module (Marca for odu essays, Ngoma for lyric traditions, Ékpè for origin stories) can attach narratives without importing the full narrative module.
A specific telling, transcript, or rendering of a narrative within a particular context, lineage, or temporal frame. The unit that carries text, language tag, authority scope, and access control.
A structured reification node recording a claimed relationship between two entities. Extends iroko:Assertion with relationship-specific slots: relationType, assertionScope, assertionLineage. Inherits governance properties (authorizedBy, recordedInEvent, assertionStatus, accessLevel) from the Assertion superclass.
A governance entity capable of authorizing assertion-level claims. May represent a lineage, cabildo, religious house, elder council, or individual office-holder. This is the minimal Core stub — full modeling of jurisdiction, basis, and recognition is in iroko-authority.ttl. Distinguished from ile:ReligiousOffice, which models the specific title instance held by an individual practitioner.
Top-level class for any tradition-specific concept within the Iroko Framework. All module-specific classes (Plant, SpiritualEntity, RitualProcess, etc.) are subclasses of this.
Audio, photographic, or video records of sacred knowledge, ceremonies, instruments, or practitioners. Extends DocumentaryEvidence with media-specific metadata including format, instrumentation, consent status, and depicted entities.
Distinguishes objects that maintain active sacred status (consecrated, in ritual use) from decommissioned objects or museum specimens. Used to track the ritual life cycle of material culture.
A named unit within a sacred sign system — divination sign, graphic symbol, rhythmic pattern identifier, or similar structured signifier. Superclass of tradition-specific sign types such as marca:DivinationSign and veve:GraphicSign.
A named temporal regime, calendar cycle, or context that conditions how a property, assertion, or policy applies. Covers: ritual calendar seasons, festival-bound periods, pre/post-initiation thresholds, gender regime cycles, and any other time-bounded condition affecting sacred knowledge governance. TemporalVariation instances are named nodes shared across modules — define once, reference everywhere. Examples: iroko:TemporalVariation/egungun-festival-period, iroko:TemporalVariation/post-kariocha-year.
An addressable, orderable segment within a narrative or narrative variant. Used for verse-level segmentation of odu essays, chant lines, prayers, and other structured oral or textual corpora.
| Property | Type | Domain → Range | Access | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| accessLevel access level |
Object | — → Concept | Public | Governs who may view this knowledge. Values: iroko:access-public-unrestricted through iroko:access-no-access. Applied at record level and/or field level. |
| alternateNames alternate names |
Datatype | — → — | Public | Other names, honorifics, or tradition-specific designations for this entity across traditions or lineages. Language-tagged strings. Example: Babalu Aye (Lucumí) / Obaluaye (Candomblé) / Sakpata (Fon). |
| assertionLineage assertion lineage |
Datatype | Relationship Assertion → langString | Public | The specific lineage, house, or community within which this assertion holds. |
| assertionNote assertion note |
Datatype | Assertion → langString | Community Only | Free-text note explaining the basis, source, or dispute surrounding the claim. |
| assertionObject assertion object |
Object | Assertion → — | Public | The entity that is the object of the claim. Named assertionObject (not object) to avoid shadowing rdf:object. |
| assertionPredicate assertion predicate |
Object | Assertion → — | Public | The property or relationship type being asserted in an n-ary assertion node. Named assertionPredicate (not predicate) to avoid shadowing rdf:predicate. |
| assertionScope assertion scope |
Datatype | Relationship Assertion → langString | Community Only | Restricts the claim to a specific camino, aspect, or manifestation. |
| assertionStatus assertion status |
Object | Assertion → Concept | Public | Whether the claim is consensual, lineage-specific, or contested. Range: iroko:AssertionStatusScheme. |
| assertionSubject assertion subject |
Object | Assertion → — | Public | The entity that is the subject of the claim. Named assertionSubject (not subject) to avoid shadowing rdf:subject. |
| authorizedBy authorized by |
Object | Assertion → Ritual Authority | Public | Links an Assertion to the RitualAuthority that authorizes it. An assertion without this property is undeclared as to authority — it may still carry other provenance (fieldwork event, epistemic type). |
| ceremonyContext ceremony context |
Object | — → — | Initiated Only | The ritual process in which this entity — sign, rhythm, plant use, or artifact — is employed. Range: travay:RitualProcess. |
| commentaryOn commentary on |
Object | Commentary → — | Public | Links a Commentary to the resource it annotates. Range is intentionally open — commentary may attach to a Narrative, NarrativeVariant, TextSegment, Assertion, SacredEntity, or any other resource. |
| communityEndorsement community endorsement |
Object | Sacred Entity → Concept | Public | Status of community review and approval. Values from iroko:CommunityEndorsementScheme. Flips institutional authority model by centering community validation. |
| communityReleaseApproval community release approval |
Datatype | Sacred Media → boolean | Community Only | communityReleaseApproval |
| competingClaim competing claim |
Object | Sacred Entity → Entity | Community Only | Links to a prov:Entity representing an alternative position on this contested knowledge. |
| contestedNotes contested notes |
Datatype | — → string | Community Only | Free-text description of the nature of contestation. |
| contestedStatus contested status |
Datatype | — → boolean | Public | Boolean indicating whether this entity's attributes, existence, or interpretation are disputed across lineages. |
| custodialRelationship custodial relationship |
Object | Sacred Specimen → Concept | Public | Nature of custody for sacred objects. Values from iroko:CustodialRelationshipScheme. |
| depictedCeremony depicted ceremony |
Object | Sacred Media → — | Community Only | depictedCeremony |
| depictedEntity depicted entity |
Object | Sacred Media → — | Public | depictedEntity |
| depicts depicts |
Object | Documentary Evidence → — | Public | Links archival materials to the entities they depict. |
| documents documents |
Object | Documentary Evidence → — | Public | Links archival materials to practices or events they document. |
| mediaDuration duration |
Datatype | Sacred Media → duration | Public | mediaDuration |
| epistemicType epistemic type |
Object | — → Concept | Public | Epistemological source classification. Values from iroko:EpistemicTypeScheme. |
| eventDate event date |
Datatype | Fieldwork Event → date | Public | Date or date range of the fieldwork event. |
| eventLocation event location |
Datatype | Fieldwork Event → langString | Public | Location where the fieldwork event took place. Language-tagged string; may be general (city/country) for access-controlled records. |
| eventProtocol event protocol |
Datatype | Fieldwork Event → langString | Community Only | Notes on consent, permissions, recording protocols, and any community authorization obtained for this fieldwork event. |
| fieldworkProvenance fieldwork provenance |
Datatype | Sacred Entity → string | Community Only | Details of fieldwork context if this knowledge derives from direct ethnographic observation. |
| fieldworker fieldworker |
Object | Fieldwork Event → Person | Community Only | Person who conducted the fieldwork. Range: foaf:Person or prov:Agent. |
| foundingDate founding date |
Datatype | — → — | Public | Date or approximate date when this community, house, society, or lineage was established. Applies to ile, ekpe lodge, sankofa project, or any organizational entity. |
| geographicVariation geographic variation |
Datatype | — → — | Community Only | Regional or lineage-specific differences in use, form, identification, or meaning. Applies to plants, signs, rhythms, and other cross-domain entities. |
| governedBy governed by |
Object | — → Access Policy | Public | Links a resource or assertion to an AccessPolicy that governs it. |
| hasRelationshipAssertion has relationship assertion |
Object | Sacred Entity → Relationship Assertion | Public | hasRelationshipAssertion |
| hasSegment has segment |
Object | — → Text Segment | Public | Links a Narrative or NarrativeVariant to a constituent TextSegment. |
| hasSourceCitation has source citation |
Object | — → BibliographicResource | Public | Links any archival record — plant, spirit, Odu, ceremony, lineage — to a structured bibliographic citation. Range is dcterms:BibliographicResource, which covers both plain dcterms string citations and structured BIBO nodes (bibo:Book, bibo:DocumentPart). Use dcterms:bibliographicCitation for simple string citations on instances; use this property with BIBO nodes for queryable structured citations. Cross-domain: applies to all Iroko module entity types. |
| hasTemporalVariation has temporal variation |
Object | — → Temporal Variation | Public | Cross-cutting qualifier linking any resource — assertion, policy, property value, access rule, narrative — to a TemporalVariation node. Defined once in Core and referenced across all modules. Do not redefine per-module. |
| hasVariant has variant |
Object | Narrative → Narrative Variant | Public | Links a Narrative to one of its NarrativeVariants. |
| instrumentation instrumentation |
Datatype | Sacred Media → langString | Public | instrumentation |
| invocationText invocation text |
Datatype | — → — | No Access | Exact words, prayers, or songs recited when working with this entity — plant, spirit, or ceremony. Applies to any domain module. OPERATIONAL ONLY — never exported to public RDF. |
| languageOfPerformance language of performance |
Datatype | Sacred Media → string | Public | languageOfPerformance |
| mediaFormat media format |
Datatype | Sacred Media → string | Public | Technical format of the file. Example: FLAC, WAV, TIFF, JPEG, MP4. |
| mediaType media type |
Object | Sacred Media → Concept | Public | mediaType |
| minimumAccessLevel minimum access level |
Annotation | — → — | Annotation property used on other properties to indicate the minimum access level required to view their values. Used in vocabulary documentation and RDF export filtering. | |
| oralTransmissionChain oral transmission chain |
Datatype | Sacred Entity → string | Community Only | Documented chain of oral transmission for this knowledge. Example: Elder A (Havana) to Elder B (Matanzas) to Informant C (2018). |
| policyCondition policy condition |
Datatype | Access Policy → langString | Community Only | Text description of the conditions under which this policy applies. May reference initiation levels, authority authorizations, temporal variations, or community mandates. |
| policyLabel policy label |
Datatype | Access Policy → langString | Public | Human-readable name or identifier for this access policy. |
| recordedInEvent recorded in event |
Object | Assertion → Fieldwork Event | Public | Links an Assertion to the FieldworkEvent during which it was captured. |
| recordedOn recorded on |
Datatype | Assertion → date | Public | Date on which the assertion was captured or recorded. |
| recordingContext recording context |
Object | Sacred Media → Concept | Public | recordingContext |
| recordingDate recording date |
Datatype | Sacred Media → date | Public | recordingDate |
| recordingLocation recording location |
Datatype | Sacred Media → langString | Community Only | recordingLocation |
| recordist recordist |
Datatype | Sacred Media → langString | Community Only | recordist |
| rejectingLineages rejecting lineages |
Datatype | Entity → string | Community Only | Text list of lineages or houses that reject this position on contested knowledge. |
| relatedTradition related tradition |
Object | — → Concept | Public | Links to related traditions when knowledge spans multiple systems. |
| relationType relation type |
Object | Relationship Assertion → Concept | Public | The semantic type of relationship being asserted. |
| sacredStatus sacred status |
Object | Sacred Specimen → Concept | Public | Current ritual status of an object. Values from iroko:SacredStatusScheme. |
| secretName secret name |
Datatype | — → — | No Access | Esoteric or secret name used only in restricted ceremonial contexts. Applies to any sacred entity — plant, spirit, or lineage. OPERATIONAL ONLY — never exported to public RDF. |
| segmentOrder segment order |
Datatype | Text Segment → integer | Public | Integer position of this TextSegment within its containing narrative or variant. Used to reconstruct canonical ordering. |
| segmentText segment text |
Datatype | Text Segment → langString | Community Only | The text content of this segment. Language-tagged. Use iroko:accessLevel on the TextSegment instance to govern disclosure. |
| signAlternateName sign alternate name |
Datatype | Sign → — | Community Only | Alternative or regional names for this sign across traditions or lineage variants. Language-tagged. |
| signCount sign count |
Datatype | Sign → — | Public | The number of discrete signs in the system. Example: Ifá 256, Dilogún 16 principal odù. |
| signName sign name |
Datatype | Sign → — | Community Only | The canonical name of the sign in the tradition's liturgical language. Language-tagged. Examples: Ogbe Meji (Ifá), Ogún vèvè (Vodou). |
| signSystem sign system |
Object | Sign → — | Public | The sacred sign system to which this sign belongs — divination, graphic, rhythmic, or other. |
| sourceRelationship source relationship |
Object | — → Concept | Public | Nature of relationship to source tradition for reconstructed or reclaimed practices. Primarily used in Sankofa module. |
| subjectConsentStatus subject consent status |
Object | Sacred Media → Concept | Community Only | subjectConsentStatus |
| supportingLineages supporting lineages |
Datatype | Entity → string | Community Only | Text list of lineages or houses that endorse this position on contested knowledge. |
| systemType system type |
Object | Sign → — | Public | Typological classification of the sign system. Range is tradition-specific concept scheme in marca or veve modules. |
| tradition tradition |
Object | Sacred Entity → Concept | Public | The Afro-Atlantic tradition to which this entity belongs. Values from controlled vocabulary: iroko:tradition-lucumi, iroko:tradition-candomble-ketu, iroko:tradition-vodou-rada, etc. |
| variationCondition variation condition |
Datatype | Temporal Variation → langString | Community Only | Text description of the condition that activates this temporal variation. Example: 'Applies during the 40-day post-kariocha seclusion period'. |
| variationContext variation context |
Object | Temporal Variation → — | Public | Links a TemporalVariation to a tradition concept, ceremony, or event that defines the relevant context. |
| variationLabel variation label |
Datatype | Temporal Variation → langString | Public | Human-readable name for the temporal regime or cycle. |
Six-tier classification of access restrictions for sacred knowledge.
Accessible to verified community members. Requires authentication.
Requires elder designation within tradition — recognized by community as having authority to access lineage-specific teachings.
Accessible only to initiated practitioners whose initiation has been verified.
Operational or internal use only. Never exported to RDF.
Publicly viewable but should not be amplified, shared widely, or used for commercial purposes.
Freely accessible to anyone. No authentication required.
Controlled terms for whether a claim is widely attested, lineage-specific, or actively contested.
Actively disputed; multiple contradictory positions exist across lineages.
Recognized within a specific lineage or house but not universally.
Affirmed by multiple independent lineages or sources.
Also known as: Cross-lineage consensus
CommunityEndorsementScheme
endorsement-community-reviewed
endorsement-contested
endorsement-elder-approved
endorsement-pending-review
endorsement-unreviewed
endorsement-withdrawn
ConsentStatusScheme
consent-community-authorized
consent-documented
consent-not-obtained
consent-unknown
consent-verbal-undocumented
CustodialRelationshipScheme
custodial-community-held
custodial-institutional-disputed
custodial-institutional-with-access
Object received through lineage or house transmission. Paired with sacredStatus-hereditary-custody on the object record.
custodial-private-collection
custodial-repatriation-active
custodial-under-negotiation
custodial-unknown-location
Classification of knowledge sources for epistemological transparency.
epistemicType-archival-document
epistemicType-claimed-revelation
epistemicType-continuous-oral-transmission
epistemicType-fieldwork-recording
epistemicType-material-culture
epistemicType-political-reinterpretation
epistemicType-published-ethnography
epistemicType-reconstructed-from-text
epistemicType-ritual-performance
epistemicType-speculative-reconstruction
MediaTypeScheme
mediaType-audio
Printed or handwritten items of transient purpose: programs, invitations, ritual schedules, advertisements for religious events.
mediaType-manuscript
mediaType-photograph
mediaType-video
RecordingContextScheme
recordingContext-archival-transfer
recordingContext-ceremonial
recordingContext-field
recordingContext-studio
SacredStatusScheme
sacredStatus-awaiting-consecration
sacredStatus-consecrated-active
sacredStatus-contested-consecration
sacredStatus-decommissioned
Object has passed to a new keeper through lineage or house succession and is actively maintained.
Object retired from active ritual use but continues to be tended with respect. Distinguished from decommissioned — no formal ritual deactivation has occurred.
sacredStatus-museum-specimen
sacredStatus-replica-teaching
sacredStatus-unknown
Controlled vocabulary of Afro-Atlantic tradition classifications.
tradition-21-divisiones
Also known as: Dominican Vodu
Calabari/Efik-derived all-male secret society in Cuba.
Traditions that blend African and Indigenous American religious elements.
Traditions with primary roots in Akan religious culture.
Fon/Ewe-derived tradition in Cuba.
tradition-ausar-auset
Traditions with primary roots in Bantu and Kongo religious culture.
Traditions rooted in Efik, Ejagham, and Cross River peoples.
tradition-candomble-angola
tradition-candomble-jeje
Yoruba-derived Candomble tradition in Brazil (Nago/Ketu nation).
tradition-ekpe
Also known as: Egbo
tradition-espiritismo
Traditions with primary roots in Fon and Ewe religious culture from Dahomey.
tradition-garifuna
Also known as: Dugu
The creolized sacred tradition of Haiti, encompassing multiple nanchon (nations) with distinct African, Kongo, and New World origins.
tradition-hoodoo
Also known as: Conjure, Rootwork
tradition-kemetic-orthodoxy
Traditions reconstructing or reviving Ancient Egyptian (Kemetic) religious practice.
tradition-kromanti
tradition-kumina
Yoruba-derived tradition in Cuba.
Also known as: Regla de Ocha, Santeria
The syncretic sacred tradition of New Orleans and Louisiana.
Also known as: Louisiana Voodoo
A category of spiritual practice found across the Anglophone Caribbean. Systematically criminalized under British colonial law; this history shapes the archival record significantly.
Also known as: Obi, Obia
Obeah's criminalization history means archival materials are often court records or colonial surveillance documents. Access governance and provenance tracking are especially important.
African-centered Yoruba revivalist tradition founded in South Carolina.
tradition-palo-mayombe
Bantu-derived Kongo religious tradition in Cuba.
Also known as: Regla de Congo
Traditions that integrate African religious identity with political liberation frameworks.
tradition-quimbanda
tradition-rastafari
Traditions that deliberately blend multiple African, European, or Indigenous religious streams.
tradition-trinidad-orisha
Also known as: Shango Baptist
tradition-umbanda
Ghede nanchon in Haitian Vodou. Governs death, sexuality, resurrection, and the boundary between living and dead.
Also known as: Gede
Petwo nanchon in Haitian Vodou. Hot, fierce rites with Kongo, New World maroon, and creole origins.
Also known as: Petro
Rada nanchon in Haitian Vodou. Cool, sweet rites with primary Fon/Dahomey origins.
tradition-winti
tradition-yoruba-continental
Also known as: Nigerian Yoruba
Traditions with primary roots in Yoruba religious culture.