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

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

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

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

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

holds office
type: ObjectProperty
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.
domain: Person
range: Religious Office
inverse of: authority holder
minimum access level: access-community-only

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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
definition: Authority structured by seniority within initiation grade rather than individual title.
in scheme: Governance Models

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Other
type: Concept
in scheme: House Types

Iroko Framework: Ilé Module (Lineage, Houses, and Religious Office)
type: Ontology
created: 2026-02-21
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.
is part of: iroko-framework
license: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/
modified: 2026-02-25
references: iroko-authority
references: iroko-epistemic
imports: iroko-core
version IRI: https://ontology.irokosociety.org/iroko-ile/1.3.0
version info: 1.3.0

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

entity crowned
type: ObjectProperty
comment: For head initiations: the orisha/entity seated on the initiate's head. Range: nkisi:SpiritualEntity.
domain: Initiation Event
range: SacredEntity
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
type: Concept
definition: The specific form of transmission was determined by divination rather than fixed protocol.
in scheme: Knowledge Transmission Types

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

Initiation Event
type: Class
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.
subclass of: SacredEntity

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

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

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

recognized office
type: ObjectProperty
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.
domain: House
range: Religious Office
inverse of: authority house
minimum access level: access-community-only

Religious Office
type: Class
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.
subclass of: SacredEntity

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

House
type: Class
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: Organization
subclass of: SacredEntity

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

public presence
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.
domain: House
range: boolean
minimum access level: access-public-unrestricted

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

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

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

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.
domain: Initiation Event
range: House
minimum access level: access-initiated-only

Schism Event
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.
subclass of: SacredEntity

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Iyanifa
type: Concept
definition: Female Ifá priest. Recognition is contested across lineages; use iroko:contestedStatus when applicable.
in scheme: Religious Office Titles
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.

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

Cabildo
type: Class
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.
subclass of: House

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Other
type: Concept
in scheme: Religious Office Titles

Other
type: Concept
in scheme: Governance Models

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

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

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

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

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