schism party
comment: Persons involved in the schism. Range: foaf:Person. Sensitive.
domain: Schism Event
range: Person
minimum access level: access-initiated-only
type: ObjectProperty

Ekpe Member
definition: Initiated member of the Ekpe leopard society (Cross River / Calabari tradition).
type: Concept
in scheme: Religious Office Titles

House Types
has top concept: Abakuá Potencia
preferred label: Tipos de casa religiosa @pt
has top concept: Study / Learning Group
has top concept: Espiritismo Centre
has top concept: Hounfò
preferred label: Àwọn iru ilé ẹ̀sìn @yo
has top concept: Sosyete
has top concept: Ilé Orisha
preferred label: Types de maison religieuse @fr
has top concept: Other
has top concept: Palo House
has top concept: Egbé
type: ConceptScheme
has top concept: Terreiro
has top concept: Cabildo
has top concept: Ilé Ifá

tradition practiced
comment: Tradition(s) practiced in this house. Range: iroko:TraditionScheme in core.
domain: House
minimum access level: access-public-unrestricted
range: Concept
type: ObjectProperty

transmission method
domain: Initiation Event
comment: How the authority or knowledge was transmitted. Range: iroko:TransmissionTypeScheme.
type: ObjectProperty
minimum access level: access-community-only
range: Concept

holds office
range: Religious Office
inverse of: authority holder
type: ObjectProperty
minimum access level: access-community-only
domain: Person
comment: A religious office currently or historically held by this person. Inverse of iroko:authorityHolder. Multiple offices may be held simultaneously or sequentially; each is a separate ReligiousOffice instance with its own iroko:conferralDate. This property does not distinguish current from historical — that distinction is carried by the office record. Access: community-only — office holding within a house is internal governance information not appropriate for public disclosure.

initiator
domain: Initiation Event
type: ObjectProperty
range: Religious Office
comment: The authority figure who performed the initiation. Range: iroko:ReligiousOffice.
sub property of: wasAttributedTo
minimum access level: access-initiated-only

Olofista
type: Concept
in scheme: Religious Office Titles
definition: Priest initiated into the Olofin mysteries. Among the highest initiatory grades in Lucumí.

membership estimate
minimum access level: access-community-only
sub property of: numberOfEmployees
domain: House
range: string
type: DatatypeProperty
comment: Approximate number of initiated members. Text to allow ranges or qualitative descriptions.

initiation witness
domain: Initiation Event
type: ObjectProperty
comment: Witnesses present at the initiation. Range: foaf:Person. Sensitive; access no-access by default.
range: Person
minimum access level: access-no-access

Initiation Types
has top concept: Ifá Initiation
has top concept: Rayamiento
has top concept: Warriors
has top concept: Mano de Orula
has top concept: Couche
has top concept: Kariosha
has top concept: Necklaces
has top concept: Rayisman
type: ConceptScheme
has top concept: Kanzo
has top concept: Other
has top concept: Olofin Initiation
has top concept: Abakuá Initiation
has top concept: Egbé Initiation

Babalosha
alternative label: Padrino @es
alternative label: Babalorishaisha
definition: Senior male Orisha priest with the authority to initiate others.
in scheme: Religious Office Titles
type: Concept

Egbé
in scheme: House Types
type: Concept
definition: Association or society organized around a specific orisha or shared ritual purpose.

Lineage
type: Class
comment: A rama, branch, or transmission line descending from a founding house or practitioner. Represents what makes a specific lineage distinct from others within the same tradition: liturgical variations, oriki, priestly protocols, or founding relationships.
subclass of: SacredEntity

Age-Grade
type: Concept
in scheme: Governance Models
definition: Authority structured by seniority within initiation grade rather than individual title.

Religious Office Titles
has top concept: Araba
has top concept: Other
has top concept: Ekpe Member
preferred label: Títulos de autoridad religiosa @es
type: ConceptScheme
has top concept: Olorisha
has top concept: Mambo
has top concept: Olofista
has top concept: Babalosha
has top concept: Abakuá Member
has top concept: Osugbo Member
has top concept: Tata Nkisi
has top concept: Mãe de Santo
has top concept: Iyanifa
has top concept: Iyalosha
has top concept: Omo Orisha
has top concept: Yaya Nkisi
has top concept: Alagba
has top concept: Babaláwo
has top concept: Pai de Santo
has top concept: Houngan
has top concept: Olu-Iroko

lineage child
range: House
inverse of: lineage parent
comment: A house that descends from this house through initiation. Inverse of iroko:lineageParent.
minimum access level: access-public-unrestricted
domain: House
type: ObjectProperty

founding house
type: ObjectProperty
comment: The house from which this lineage (rama/branch) originates.
domain: Lineage
range: House
minimum access level: access-public-unrestricted

authority title
range: Concept
type: ObjectProperty
minimum access level: access-public-unrestricted
domain: Religious Office
comment: The formal title held. Range: iroko:AuthorityTitleScheme.

Governance Models
has top concept: Gender-Divided Authority
has top concept: Hereditary
type: ConceptScheme
has top concept: Elder Council
has top concept: Lineage Federation
has top concept: Other
has top concept: Age-Grade
has top concept: Democratic / Consensus
has top concept: Single Elder Authority

initiated person
domain: Initiation Event
type: ObjectProperty
range: Person
minimum access level: access-no-access
comment: The person who received initiation. Range: foaf:Person. Highly sensitive — access no-access by default except to the individual and their house.

location
type: ObjectProperty
minimum access level: access-community-only
comment: Geographic location of the house. May be city/country only for active houses; full address behind access control.
sub property of: location
domain: House

lineage parent
range: House
minimum access level: access-public-unrestricted
sub property of: wasDerivedFrom
domain: House
type: ObjectProperty
comment: The house from which this house descends through initiation. Equivalent to godparent-house in common practice.

house governance model
domain: House
range: Concept
type: ObjectProperty
minimum access level: access-public-unrestricted
comment: How authority and decision-making are structured within the house. Range: iroko:GovernanceModelScheme.

Other
type: Concept
in scheme: House Types

Iroko Framework: Ilé Module (Lineage, Houses, and Religious Office)
created: 2026-02-21
version IRI: https://ontology.irokosociety.org/iroko-ile/1.3.0
references: iroko-epistemic
modified: 2026-02-25
imports: iroko-core
is part of: iroko-framework
type: Ontology
license: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/
version info: 1.3.0
creator: Iroko Historical Society
description: Domain module. Vocabulary for documenting Afro-Atlantic religious houses, lineage structures, initiation genealogy, authority transmission, and schism events. Extends schema:Organization and FOAF with tradition-specific governance and lineage modeling. Covers ilé, terreiro, hounfò, cabildo, and analogous institutions. Use with iroko-authority to model the authority titles and governance structures held by specific individuals; iroko-epistemic to constrain disclosure of initiation details and membership records.
references: iroko-authority

Mãe de Santo
type: Concept
in scheme: Religious Office Titles
definition: Female head of a Brazilian terreiro.

Pai de Santo
type: Concept
definition: Male head of a Brazilian terreiro.
in scheme: Religious Office Titles

Olu-Iroko
preferred label: Olu-Iròkò @yo
in scheme: Religious Office Titles
type: Concept
definition: Consecration to the Iroko tree spirit. Rare; received through specific lineage authorization.

Combined
definition: Transmission involves both embodied/oral and written components.
type: Concept
in scheme: Knowledge Transmission Types

schism parent house
type: ObjectProperty
minimum access level: access-community-only
domain: Schism Event
range: House

Espiritismo Centre
definition: Centre for Kardecist or Afro-influenced Espiritismo practice.
in scheme: House Types
preferred label: Centro de Espiritismo @es
type: Concept

granted by
sub property of: wasAttributedTo
range: Religious Office
type: ObjectProperty
minimum access level: access-community-only
comment: The authority figure who conferred this title. Range: iroko:ReligiousOffice.
domain: Religious Office

lineage characteristics
minimum access level: access-initiated-only
comment: Description of what distinguishes this rama: liturgical variations, oriki, priestly protocols, founding relationships, regional practices.
range: langString
type: DatatypeProperty
domain: Lineage

entity crowned
domain: Initiation Event
range: SacredEntity
type: ObjectProperty
comment: For head initiations: the orisha/entity seated on the initiate's head. Range: nkisi:SpiritualEntity.
minimum access level: access-initiated-only

Omo Orisha
type: Concept
definition: Initiated child of an orisha. General term for those who have completed kariosha/asiento.
in scheme: Religious Office Titles

Divination-Prescribed
definition: The specific form of transmission was determined by divination rather than fixed protocol.
in scheme: Knowledge Transmission Types
type: Concept

Single Elder Authority
type: Concept
in scheme: Governance Models
definition: One recognized head (Iyalosha, Babalosha, Mambo, etc.) with primary authority.

Initiation Event
subclass of: SacredEntity
comment: A specific ceremony creating a formal genealogical link between initiator and initiate. The primary mechanism by which lineage is transmitted and authority is conferred. Access to records is typically initiated-only; existence of the event may be public.
type: Class

Study / Learning Group
definition: An informal group organized for learning, not yet constituted as a full house.
type: Concept
in scheme: House Types

affiliated house
comment: A house with recognized but non-hierarchical affiliation: alliance, shared lineage recognition, or ongoing ceremonial cooperation.
minimum access level: access-public-unrestricted
range: House
domain: House
type: ObjectProperty

multi-tradition
range: boolean
domain: House
type: DatatypeProperty
minimum access level: access-public-unrestricted
comment: True if the house actively practices more than one distinct tradition.

recognized office
inverse of: authority house
domain: House
range: Religious Office
minimum access level: access-community-only
comment: A religious office recognized and active within this house. Inverse of iroko:authorityHouse. A house may recognize multiple offices; each office is a separate ReligiousOffice instance. Active vs. historical status determined by iroko:conferralDate on the office record. Access: community-only — office structure of a house is internal governance information.
type: ObjectProperty

Religious Office
comment: A religious title or position held by a practitioner, authorizing specific ritual functions within a tradition. Linked to the person (foaf:Person), the house, and the authority figure who conferred it. Distinct from iroko:ContestedAuthority in core, which models disputed titles at the category level — iroko:ReligiousOffice models specific individual instances.
type: Class
subclass of: SacredEntity

Gender-Divided Authority
in scheme: Governance Models
definition: Male and female authorities govern separate domains within the same institution.
type: Concept

conferral date
minimum access level: access-community-only
type: DatatypeProperty
range: date
domain: Religious Office

Araba
definition: Chief Babaláwo in a Yoruba community or lineage. Highest recognized Ifá authority.
in scheme: Religious Office Titles
type: Concept

Osugbo Member
in scheme: Religious Office Titles
alternative label: Ogboni @yo
definition: Member of the Osugbo/Ogboni earth society, holding judicial and spiritual authority.
type: Concept

Written
type: Concept
definition: Transmitted through notebooks, libreta, manuscripts, or printed texts.
in scheme: Knowledge Transmission Types

Yaya Nkisi
in scheme: Religious Office Titles
definition: Female initiated priest in Palo Monte with authority over an nganga.
type: Concept

Palo House
definition: House organized around Palo Monte/Mayombe practice and nganga custody.
type: Concept
preferred label: Casa de Palo @es
in scheme: House Types

House
comment: A religious house, temple, or community organized around a lineage and founding elder. Encompasses ilé (Lucumí/Candomblé), terreiro (Candomblé/Umbanda), hounfò (Vodou), ile orisha, and analogous institutions. Subclass of schema:Organization for interoperability with external directories.
subclass of: SacredEntity
type: Class
subclass of: Organization

Hounfò
in scheme: House Types
definition: Haitian Vodou temple and its associated community.
type: Concept

Cabildo
definition: Cuban colonial mutual aid and religious society organized by African ethnic identity. Use iroko:Cabildo subclass for records of this type.
type: Concept
in scheme: House Types

Necklaces
type: Concept
in scheme: Initiation Types
definition: Reception of the five sacred beaded necklaces. Often the first formal initiation in Lucumí.
alternative label: Collares @es
alternative label: Elekes

Olorisha
type: Concept
in scheme: Religious Office Titles
definition: Initiated Orisha priest of any gender. General term covering Iyalosha and Babalosha.

authority scope
comment: What ritual functions this title authorizes.
minimum access level: access-community-only
range: langString
domain: Religious Office
type: DatatypeProperty

Terreiro
definition: Brazilian ritual space for Candomblé, Umbanda, or Quimbanda practice.
type: Concept
in scheme: House Types

successor house
range: House
domain: Cabildo
comment: For historical cabildos: the contemporary house that descends from or claims continuity with this institution.
minimum access level: access-public-unrestricted
type: ObjectProperty

Hereditary
in scheme: Governance Models
type: Concept
definition: Leadership passes through biological or ritual family succession.

Abakuá Initiation
type: Concept
in scheme: Initiation Types
preferred label: Iniciación Abakuá @es
definition: Initiation into an Abakuá potencia.

Mano de Orula
alternative label: Awofakan / Ikofa
type: Concept
in scheme: Initiation Types
definition: Reception of Orula's hand. First level of Ifá initiation, open to non-Babaláwo.

itá performed
domain: Initiation Event
range: boolean
type: DatatypeProperty
comment: True if a life reading (itá) was conducted as part of this initiation.
minimum access level: access-initiated-only

Lineage Federation
definition: Federated structure of affiliated houses under loose shared authority.
in scheme: Governance Models
type: Concept

authority house
comment: The house within which this authority is recognized.
range: House
minimum access level: access-public-unrestricted
type: ObjectProperty
domain: Religious Office

has lineage
minimum access level: access-public-unrestricted
comment: Links a house to a formal Lineage record documenting its rama characteristics.
domain: House
type: ObjectProperty
range: Lineage

public presence
range: boolean
domain: House
type: DatatypeProperty
comment: True if the house maintains a publicly known identity (website, social media, public events). False does not imply the house is secret — many houses simply operate privately.
minimum access level: access-public-unrestricted

authority tradition
minimum access level: access-public-unrestricted
type: ObjectProperty
range: Concept
domain: Religious Office

schism child house
type: ObjectProperty
minimum access level: access-community-only
domain: Schism Event
range: House

Ifá Initiation
type: Concept
definition: Full initiation into the Ifá corpus, conferring the title of Babaláwo.
in scheme: Initiation Types
alternative label: Itefa

Houngan
type: Concept
definition: Male Haitian Vodou priest.
in scheme: Religious Office Titles
preferred label: Oungan @ht

event house
type: ObjectProperty
comment: The house in which the initiation took place.
minimum access level: access-initiated-only
range: House
domain: Initiation Event

Schism Event
subclass of: SacredEntity
type: Class
comment: A documented lineage split creating a new house from an existing one. Records the parent house, child house, date, cause, and parties involved. Often sensitive; access level is typically community-restricted or initiated-only.

initiation type
domain: Initiation Event
comment: Type of initiation ceremony. Range: iroko:InitiationTypeScheme.
minimum access level: access-public-unrestricted
range: Concept
type: ObjectProperty

schism date
type: DatatypeProperty
domain: Schism Event
range: date
minimum access level: access-community-only

founder
sub property of: founder
domain: House
type: ObjectProperty
minimum access level: access-public-unrestricted
range: Person
comment: The founding practitioner of the house. Range: foaf:Person.

lineage tradition
type: ObjectProperty
minimum access level: access-public-unrestricted
range: Concept
domain: Lineage

Abakuá Potencia
type: Concept
in scheme: House Types
definition: An Abakuá lodge (potencia). Abakuá is a Cuban secret society of Calabari/Cross River origin.
preferred label: Potencia Abakuá @es

Sosyete
in scheme: House Types
definition: Haitian Vodou society, often with named lineage and territorial identity.
type: Concept

Knowledge Transmission Types
has top concept: Combined
has top concept: Oral
has top concept: Divination-Prescribed
type: ConceptScheme
has top concept: Embodied
has top concept: Written

Embodied
definition: Knowledge transmitted through physical ceremony, practice, and direct experiential transmission. Cannot be fully conveyed through text.
in scheme: Knowledge Transmission Types
type: Concept

schism cause
comment: Documented reason for the lineage split. Often contested; use iroko:contestedNotes alongside.
minimum access level: access-community-only
range: langString
type: DatatypeProperty
domain: Schism Event

Kariosha
alternative label: Asiento @es
in scheme: Initiation Types
definition: Full head initiation in Lucumí/Candomblé Ketu. An orisha is seated on the initiate's head.
type: Concept
alternative label: Making Ocha

Ilé Orisha
type: Concept
definition: Lucumí/Candomblé Ketu house organized around Orisha worship.
in scheme: House Types

Iyanifa
type: Concept
scope note: The recognition of Iyanifa is a live dispute in Lucumí communities. iroko:ReligiousOffice records for this title should carry iroko:contestedStatus and iroko:contestedNotes.
in scheme: Religious Office Titles
definition: Female Ifá priest. Recognition is contested across lineages; use iroko:contestedStatus when applicable.

Ilé Ifá
type: Concept
in scheme: House Types
definition: House organized primarily around Ifá divination practice and Babaláwo lineage.

Cabildo
type: Class
subclass of: House
comment: A Cuban colonial-era mutual aid and religious society organized by African ethnic identity. Cabildos were the institutional vessels for Lucumí, Arará, Kongo, and other traditions in Cuba. Distinct from contemporary houses in legal form and historical structure. May have successor houses linked via iroko:successorHouse.

Rayamiento
definition: Palo Monte/Mayombe initiation ceremony marking entry into a munanso.
alternative label: Palo Initiation
type: Concept
in scheme: Initiation Types

authority holder
type: ObjectProperty
minimum access level: access-community-only
domain: Religious Office
range: Person
comment: The person holding this title. Range: foaf:Person.

Tata Nkisi
type: Concept
in scheme: Religious Office Titles
definition: Male initiated priest in Palo Monte with authority over an nganga.

Mambo
type: Concept
in scheme: Religious Office Titles
definition: Female Haitian Vodou priest.
preferred label: Manbo @ht

house type
minimum access level: access-public-unrestricted
range: Concept
domain: House
type: ObjectProperty
comment: Institutional form of the house. Range: iroko:HouseTypeScheme.

Democratic / Consensus
type: Concept
in scheme: Governance Models
definition: Decisions made by member consensus or elected leadership.

Rayisman
definition: Haitian Vodou ceremony of recognition and elevation within a sosyete.
type: Concept
in scheme: Initiation Types

Olofin Initiation
minimum access level: access-initiated-only
type: Concept
definition: Reception of the Olofin mysteries. Among the highest grades in Lucumí practice.
in scheme: Initiation Types

Abakuá Member
type: Concept
in scheme: Religious Office Titles
definition: Initiated member of an Abakuá potencia.
preferred label: Abakuá @es

Babaláwo
tradition: tradition-lucumi
type: Concept
in scheme: Religious Office Titles
definition: Initiated Ifá priest. Authorized to perform Ifá divination and related ceremonies.

Oral
definition: Transmitted through speech, song, proverb, and oral recitation.
type: Concept
in scheme: Knowledge Transmission Types

Other
type: Concept
in scheme: Religious Office Titles

Other
in scheme: Governance Models
type: Concept

Iyalosha
alternative label: Iyalorisha
definition: Senior female Orisha priest with the authority to initiate others.
type: Concept
in scheme: Religious Office Titles
alternative label: Madrina @es

Alagba
definition: Senior elder in a Yoruba-derived tradition, often with lineage-wide ceremonial authority.
type: Concept
in scheme: Religious Office Titles

Elder Council
type: Concept
definition: Collective of recognized elders sharing governance authority.
in scheme: Governance Models

Couche
type: Concept
in scheme: Initiation Types
preferred label: Kouche @ht
definition: The lying-in period component of Vodou kanzo initiation.

Warriors
alternative label: Los Guerreros @es
definition: Reception of the warrior orishas: Elegua, Ogun, Ochosi, and Osun.
type: Concept
in scheme: Initiation Types

Kanzo
type: Concept
definition: Haitian Vodou initiation ceremony. Levels include Sur Pwen, Hounsi Kanzo, Si Pwen, and Asogwe.
in scheme: Initiation Types

Egbé Initiation
type: Concept
definition: Initiation into an Egbé society or association.
in scheme: Initiation Types
preferred label: Inisiación de Egbé @es

Other
type: Concept
in scheme: Initiation Types