Full Vocabulary Index

Every class, property, and concept across all 16 Iroko Framework modules — 1,044 terms total. Links go directly to the term's definition on its module browse page.

v2.0.0 92 Classes 363 Properties 589 Concepts 16 Modules

1,044 terms

Term	Type	Module	Meaning
aboutEntity about entity	Property	Narrative	Links a narrative or variant to entities it concerns — a spirit, plant,…
access-community-only	Concept	Core	Accessible to verified community members.
access-initiated-elder	Concept	Core	Requires elder designation within tradition — recognized by community as…
access-initiated-only	Concept	Core	Accessible only to initiated practitioners whose initiation has been…
access-no-access	Concept	Core	Operational or internal use only.
access-public-no-amplification	Concept	Core	Publicly viewable but should not be amplified, shared widely, or used for…
access-public-unrestricted	Concept	Core	Freely accessible to anyone.
accessLevel access level	Property	Core	Governs who may view this knowledge.
AccessPolicy Access Policy	Class	Core	A named policy governing disclosure, access, or use of a resource,…
act-blessing	Concept	Qal	A formally authorized speech act conferring spiritual benefit,…
act-consecration	Concept	Qal	Speech that transforms an object, person, or space from secular to sacred…
act-farewell	Concept	Qal	Formal speech acts that close a ceremony or take leave of a spiritual…
act-invocation	Concept	Qal	Speech that calls or invites a spiritual entity.
act-naming	Concept	Qal	The formal conferral of a sacred or initiatory name on a person, object,…
act-oath	Concept	Qal	A sworn commitment made in the presence of spiritual witnesses, binding…
act-other	Concept	Qal	Speech act type not covered by existing concepts.
act-praise	Concept	Qal	Formal praise speech honoring an entity, ancestor, or lineage.
act-prohibition	Concept	Qal	Speech acts that declare or reinforce a taboo, restriction, or prohibition.
act-salutation	Concept	Qal	Formal greetings addressed to an entity, elder, or ceremonial space.
addaEspiritualStatus esoteric status notes	Property	Ngoma	Free-text description of the esoteric or sacred status of this…
affiliatedHouse affiliated house	Property	Ilé	A house with recognized but non-hierarchical affiliation: alliance,…
africanTradition African source tradition	Property	Sankofa	The African source tradition claimed in this heritage relationship.
alternateNames alternate names	Property	Core	Other names, honorifics, or tradition-specific designations for this…
Assertion	Class	Core	A first-class statement node representing a single claim about any…
assertion-consensual	Concept	Core	Affirmed by multiple independent lineages or sources.
assertion-contested	Concept	Core	Actively disputed; multiple contradictory positions exist across lineages.
assertion-lineage-specific	Concept	Core	Recognized within a specific lineage or house but not universally.
assertionLineage assertion lineage	Property	Core	The specific lineage, house, or community within which this assertion…
assertionNote assertion note	Property	Core	Free-text note explaining the basis, source, or dispute surrounding the…
assertionObject assertion object	Property	Core	The entity that is the object of the claim.
assertionPredicate assertion predicate	Property	Core	The property or relationship type being asserted in an n-ary assertion…
assertionScope assertion scope	Property	Core	Restricts the claim to a specific camino, aspect, or manifestation.
assertionStatus assertion status	Property	Core	Whether the claim is consensual, lineage-specific, or contested.
assertionSubject assertion subject	Property	Core	The entity that is the subject of the claim.
associatedHouse associated house	Property	Ékpè	A religious house (iroko:House) with which this society maintains an…
associatedRhythm associated rhythm	Property	Ngoma	The rhythm pattern that accompanies this song.
Authority	Class	Authority	A jurisdictional authority capable of authorizing assertion-level claims…
authority-any-practitioner	Concept	Travay	Can be performed by any person regardless of initiation status.
authority-babalawo	Concept	Travay	Requires Ifa initiation specifically.
authority-elder-designation	Concept	Travay	Requires recognition as an elder or authority holder within the…
authority-initiated	Concept	Travay	Requires initiation but not a specific level or title.
authority-olorisha	Concept	Travay	Requires full head initiation: kariocha in Lucumi, kanzo in Vodou,…
authority-tradition-specific	Concept	Travay	Authority requirements are tradition-specific and cannot be generalized.
AuthorityBasis Authority Basis	Class	Authority	What the authority rests on: lineage succession, consecration,…
authorityBasis authority basis	Property	Authority	What the authority rests on — the epistemic or social foundation for its…
authorityHolder authority holder	Property	Ilé	The person holding this title.
authorityHouse authority house	Property	Ilé	The house within which this authority is recognized.
authorityNote authority note	Property	Authority	Free-text note on the nature, history, or contested aspects of this…
authorityRequired authority required	Property	Qal	The initiation level or title required to speak this phrase in ceremony.
authorityRequirement authority requirement	Property	Ngoma	The initiation or authority title required to perform in this lineage.
authorityScope authority scope	Property	Ilé	What ritual functions this title authorizes.
authorityTitle authority title	Property	Ilé	The formal title held.
authorityTradition authority tradition	Property	Ilé	authority tradition
AuthorityType Authority Type	Class	Authority	Classifies the structural form of an authority — lineage, house, cabildo,…
authorityType authority type	Property	Authority	Classifies an Authority instance by its structural form.
authorityType-cabildo	Concept	Authority	Authority vested in a cabildo or mutual aid association with ritual…
authorityType-council	Concept	Authority	Authority vested in a collective governing council of elders or priests.
authorityType-divinatory-office	Concept	Authority	Authority vested in a specific divinatory office — Babalawo, Oluwo,…
authorityType-house	Concept	Authority	Authority vested in a religious house (ile, sosyete, cabildo house, etc.).
authorityType-individual-elder	Concept	Authority	Authority vested in a recognized individual elder acting in their own…
authorityType-lineage	Concept	Authority	Authority vested in a descent line or transmission chain.
AuthorizationChain Authorization Chain	Class	Agency	A structured representation of delegated or layered authority across…
AuthorizationEvent Authorization Event	Class	Agency	A ritual event in which authorization is asserted, delegated,…
authorizedBy authorized by	Property	Core	Links an Assertion to the RitualAuthority that authorizes it.
authorizedPractitioner authorized practitioner type	Property	Marca	The authority title required to cast this system.
basis-appointment	Concept	Authority	Authority derives from formal appointment by a recognized governing body.
basis-community-mandate	Concept	Epistemic	Constraint basis asserted as a community mandate or collective governance…
basis-community-recognition	Concept	Authority	Authority derives from informal but sustained community acknowledgment.
basis-consecration	Concept	Authority	Authority derives from a ritual consecration event.
basis-contested	Concept	Authority	The basis of the authority is itself disputed across lineages or houses.
basis-divinatory-selection	Concept	Authority	Authority derives from selection through divination (Ifa, oracle,…
basis-gender-regime	Concept	Epistemic	Constraint basis asserted as a tradition-specific gender regime governing…
basis-hereditary	Concept	Authority	Authority derives from family lineage independent of formal consecration…
basis-initiation	Concept	Epistemic	Constraint basis asserted as initiation level or initiatory boundary.
basis-lineage	Concept	Epistemic	Constraint basis asserted as lineage affiliation.
basis-ritual-condition	Concept	Epistemic	Constraint basis asserted as a ritual state or condition — mourning…
basis-safety	Concept	Epistemic	Constraint basis asserted as safety or harm prevention — knowledge that…
basis-succession	Concept	Authority	Authority derives from recognized succession in a transmission line.
basis-temporal	Concept	Epistemic	Constraint basis asserted as time-bound — a festival period, mourning…
basis-unknown	Concept	Epistemic	Constraint basis not known or not recorded.
Cabildo	Class	Ilé	A Cuban colonial-era mutual aid and religious society organized by…
castingMedium casting medium	Property	Marca	The physical medium used to cast or generate the sign in this system.
CeremonialSequence Ceremonial Sequence	Class	Travay	An ordered set of steps within a RitualProcess.
Ceremony	Class	Travay	A recurring ritual event that can be performed multiple times for one or…
ceremonyContext ceremony context	Property	Core	The ritual process in which this entity — sign, rhythm, plant use, or…
chainLink chain link	Property	Agency	Links one node in an AuthorizationChain to the next — the agent, event,…
claimObject claim object	Property	Narrative	The entity to whom the subject is related by this claim.
claimSubject claim subject	Property	Narrative	The entity about whom the kinship claim is made.
cognateTerms cognate terms	Property	Qal	Terms in related languages that are etymologically cognate or…
collisionNotes collision notes	Property	Ewé	Explanation of name collision: which plants share the name, how to…
color	Property	Nkisi	Sacred color or color combination associated with this entity.
colorSignificance color significance	Property	Vèvè	The ritual significance of colors used with this sign, where applicable.
Commentary	Class	Core	A commentary, gloss, or interpretive note attached to any resource in the…
commentaryOn commentary on	Property	Core	Links a Commentary to the resource it annotates.
commission-africano	Concept	Nkisi	Commission of African spirits, often depicted as enslaved Africans or…
commission-arabe	Concept	Nkisi	Commission of Arab or Moorish spirits.
commission-celestial	Concept	Nkisi	Commission of highly evolved or elevated spirits associated with light,…
commission-congo	Concept	Nkisi	Commission of Kongo-derived spirits in Espiritismo.
commission-gitano	Concept	Nkisi	Commission of Romani spirits.
commission-indio	Concept	Nkisi	Commission of Indigenous American spirits.
commission-intranquil	Concept	Nkisi	Spirits who died in conflict, trauma, or without resolution.
commission-madama	Concept	Nkisi	Commission of maternal African or Afro-Caribbean women spirits, often…
commission-marinero	Concept	Nkisi	Commission of sailor or seafaring spirits.
commission-medical	Concept	Nkisi	Commission of spirits who were doctors, healers, or medical practitioners…
commissionType commission type	Property	Nkisi	For espiritu-commission entities: the specific commission they belong to.
communityDefinition community definition	Property	Qal	A definition appropriate for community members and practitioners,…
communityEndorsement community endorsement	Property	Core	Status of community review and approval.
communityRecognition community recognition status	Property	Sankofa	Whether and how this reconstructed practice has been recognized by source…
communityReleaseApproval community release approval	Property	Core	community release approval
competingClaim competing claim	Property	Core	Links to a prov:Entity representing an alternative position on this…
conferral-election	Concept	Ékpè	Title conferred by vote of eligible members.
conferral-hereditary	Concept	Ékpè	Title passes within a family or lineage by birthright or elder designation.
conferral-other	Concept	Ékpè	Title conferral method not covered by existing concepts.
conferral-purchase	Concept	Ékpè	Title conferred in exchange for a defined payment or contribution to the…
conferral-senior-nomination	Concept	Ékpè	Title conferred by nomination from existing titleholders or elders.
conferral-spiritual-designation	Concept	Ékpè	Title conferred through divination or spiritual indication rather than…
conferralDate conferral date	Property	Ilé	conferral date
conferredTitle conferred title	Property	Travay	Title or designation conferred upon completion of this initiatory rite.
consecrationDate consecration date	Property	Ngoma	Date the instrument was consecrated or born.
consent-community-authorized	Concept	Core	Community-Authorized
consent-documented	Concept	Core	Documented Consent
consent-not-obtained	Concept	Core	Not Obtained
consent-unknown	Concept	Core	Unknown
consent-verbal-undocumented	Concept	Core	Verbal (Undocumented)
ConstraintBasis Constraint Basis	Class	Epistemic	A SKOS concept describing the basis for an epistemic constraint:…
constraintCondition constraint condition	Property	Epistemic	Explicit condition statement for this constraint.
constraintNote constraint note	Property	Epistemic	Free-text description of the epistemic constraint — what it restricts or…
constraintSanctionedBy constraint sanctioned by	Property	Epistemic	Links a SanctionedDisclosure to the iroko:Authority that must sanction…
ContestedAuthority Contested Authority	Class	Core	An authority (religious title, position, or role) whose legitimacy or…
contestedNotes contested notes	Property	Core	Free-text description of the nature of contestation.
contestedStatus contested status	Property	Core	Boolean indicating whether this entity's attributes, existence, or…
contraindication	Property	Ewé	Safety warnings: allergic reactions, pregnancy contraindications, toxic…
culturalFrame cultural frame	Property	Authority	Short label for the tradition frame within which this authority operates.
currentCommunity current practicing community	Property	Sankofa	The house or community practicing this reconstructed tradition.
custodial-community-held	Concept	Core	Community-Held
custodial-institutional-disputed	Concept	Core	Institutional Holding Disputed
custodial-institutional-with-access	Concept	Core	Institutional Holding with Community Access
custodial-lineage-succession	Concept	Core	Object received through lineage or house transmission.
custodial-private-collection	Concept	Core	Private Collection
custodial-repatriation-active	Concept	Core	Repatriation Claim Active
custodial-shared-custody	Concept	Core	Shared Custody
custodial-under-negotiation	Concept	Core	Under Negotiation
custodial-unknown-location	Concept	Core	Unknown Location
custodialRelationship custodial relationship	Property	Core	Nature of custody for sacred objects.
day sacred day	Property	Nkisi	Day of the week or calendar feast day associated with this entity.
depictedCeremony depicted ceremony	Property	Core	depicted ceremony
depictedEntity depicted entity	Property	Core	depicted entity
depicts	Property	Core	Links archival materials to the entities they depict.
DiasporaReturn Diaspora Return	Class	Sankofa	A documented instance of a diaspora practitioner or community making…
diasporaTradition diaspora tradition	Property	Sankofa	The diaspora side of the claimed heritage relationship.
directionality	Property	Vèvè	Whether and how orientation of the sign affects its function (e.g.,…
DisclosurePermission Disclosure Permission	Class	Epistemic	An epistemic constraint asserting that disclosure is permitted under…
DisclosureRestriction Disclosure Restriction	Class	Epistemic	An epistemic constraint asserting that disclosure is restricted, limited,…
DivinationCorpus Divination Corpus	Class	Marca	The complete body of verses, prescriptions, proverbs, and interpretive…
DivinationReading Divination Reading	Class	Marca	A specific divination event performed for a recipient by an authorized…
DivinationSign Divination Sign	Class	Marca	A discrete sign, figure, or configuration within a divination system.
DivinationSystem Divination System	Class	Marca	A tradition-specific divination system consisting of a defined corpus of…
DivinationVerse Divination Verse	Class	Marca	A single verse, story, or pataki within a sign's corpus.
DocumentaryEvidence Documentary Evidence	Class	Core	Umbrella class for archival materials (photographs, manuscripts, audio…
documentationRecord documentation record	Property	Vèvè	Photographic, rubbing, or tracing record of this sign instance.
documents	Property	Core	Links archival materials to practices or events they document.
domain	Property	Nkisi	The sphere of influence or governance of this entity.
drawingMedium drawing medium	Property	Vèvè	The material used to draw this instance.
drawingSequence drawing sequence	Property	Vèvè	The step-by-step sequence in which the sign must be drawn.
drawingSurface drawing surface	Property	Vèvè	The surface on or within which this instance was drawn.
drawnBy drawn by	Property	Vèvè	The practitioner who drew this sign instance.
ebo-abstention	Concept	Marca	A behavioral abstention or avoidance prescribed by the reading: specific…
ebo-adimú	Concept	Marca	A food or vegetable offering (without blood) to an Orisha.
ebo-ceremony	Concept	Marca	A prescribed ceremony (initiation, reception of Orisha, specific feast)…
ebo-cleansing	Concept	Marca	A full-body or environmental cleansing (despojo, limpieza) using herbs,…
ebo-ebo	Concept	Marca	A prescribed offering to the Orisha or Ifá indicated by the reading.
ebo-etutu	Concept	Marca	A cooling or pacifying ceremony, often performed after death, severe…
ebo-rogacion	Concept	Marca	A cleansing and feeding of the head (ori/eleda) using specific cool and…
ebo-sacrifice	Concept	Marca	Ritual sacrifice of an animal specified by the reading.
element	Property	Nkisi	Natural element or sphere associated with this entity.
endorsement-community-reviewed	Concept	Core	Community-Reviewed
endorsement-contested	Concept	Core	Contested
endorsement-elder-approved	Concept	Core	Elder-Approved
endorsement-pending-review	Concept	Core	Pending Review
endorsement-unreviewed	Concept	Core	Unreviewed
endorsement-withdrawn	Concept	Core	Withdrawn
entityAssociation entity association	Property	Ewé	Spiritual entity (orisa, lwa, mpungu) associated with this plant.
entityCalled entity called	Property	Ngoma	The spiritual entity primarily associated with this rhythm — the entity…
entityCrowned entity crowned	Property	Ilé	For head initiations: the orisha/entity seated on the initiate's head.
entityReference entity reference	Property	Qal	The spiritual entity denoted by this sense, where applicable.
entityType entity type	Property	Nkisi	Classification of this spiritual entity within the EntityType scheme.
entityType-ajogun	Concept	Nkisi	Adversarial cosmic forces in Yoruba cosmology.
entityType-egun	Concept	Nkisi	The ancestral dead across Afro-Atlantic traditions.
entityType-espiritu-commission	Concept	Nkisi	A spirit belonging to a named commission (comision) in Espiritismo.
entityType-espiritu-guia	Concept	Nkisi	A personal spirit guide in the Espiritismo tradition.
entityType-lwa-ghede	Concept	Nkisi	Spirits of the Ghede nanchon in Haitian Vodou.
entityType-lwa-petwo	Concept	Nkisi	Spirits of the Petwo nanchon in Haitian Vodou.
entityType-lwa-rada	Concept	Nkisi	Spirits of the Rada nanchon in Haitian Vodou.
entityType-mpungo-inquice	Concept	Nkisi	Divine forces in Bantu-derived traditions: Mpungo in Palo Monte and…
entityType-nfumbe	Concept	Nkisi	The human dead bound to a nganga in Palo Monte and Mayombe.
entityType-ori	Concept	Nkisi	The individual divine head and personal destiny in Yoruba and…
entityType-orisa	Concept	Nkisi	Divine forces in Yoruba and Yoruba-derived traditions (Lucumi, Candomble…
entityType-spirit-of-element	Concept	Nkisi	Spirits governing elemental forces — water, wind, fire, earth, lightning…
entityType-spirit-of-place	Concept	Nkisi	Spirits tied to specific locations, landscapes, or natural features:…
entityType-vodun	Concept	Nkisi	Divine forces in Fon/Ewe-derived traditions including Arara in Cuba.
EpistemicConstraint Epistemic Constraint	Class	Epistemic	A constraint describing conditions under which knowledge may be…
epistemicType epistemic type	Property	Core	Epistemological source classification.
epistemicType-archival-document	Concept	Core	Archival Document
epistemicType-claimed-revelation	Concept	Core	Claimed Direct Revelation
epistemicType-continuous-oral-transmission	Concept	Core	Continuous Oral Transmission
epistemicType-fieldwork-recording	Concept	Core	Fieldwork Recording
epistemicType-material-culture	Concept	Core	Material Culture
epistemicType-political-reinterpretation	Concept	Core	Political Reinterpretation
epistemicType-published-ethnography	Concept	Core	Published Ethnography
epistemicType-reconstructed-from-text	Concept	Core	Reconstructed from Text
epistemicType-ritual-performance	Concept	Core	Ritual Performance (Embodied)
epistemicType-speculative-reconstruction	Concept	Core	Speculative Reconstruction
esotericDefinition esoteric definition	Property	Qal	The initiated or esoteric meaning of this sense, disclosed only to…
eventDate event date	Property	Core	Date or date range of the fieldwork event.
eventHouse event house	Property	Ilé	The house in which the initiation took place.
eventLocation event location	Property	Core	Location where the fieldwork event took place.
eventProtocol event protocol	Property	Core	Notes on consent, permissions, recording protocols, and any community…
evidenceBase evidence base	Property	Sankofa	Summary of the scholarly and community evidence supporting or…
evidentiarySources evidentiary sources	Property	Sankofa	The documentary, scholarly, or oral sources used as the basis for…
family-candomble-angola	Concept	Ngoma	Rhythms of the Angola (Bantu/Kongo-derived) nation in Candomblé.
family-candomble-ketu	Concept	Ngoma	Rhythms of the Ketu (Yorùbá-derived) nation in Candomblé, performed on…
family-lucumi-bata	Concept	Ngoma	Rhythms performed on the consecrated Añá bàtá drum set in Lucumí/Ocha…
family-lucumi-guiro	Concept	Ngoma	Rhythms performed on non-consecrated shakers, cajón, or güiro in Lucumí…
family-other	Concept	Ngoma	Rhythm family not covered by existing concepts.
family-palo	Concept	Ngoma	Rhythms of Palo Monte and related Cuban Bantu-Atlantic traditions,…
family-vodou-petwo	Concept	Ngoma	Rhythms of the Petwo nation in Haitian Vodou, associated with fiercer and…
family-vodou-rada	Concept	Ngoma	Rhythms of the Rada nation in Haitian Vodou, associated with the cool,…
family-yoruba-continental	Concept	Ngoma	Sacred rhythms in continental Yorùbá practice, including dundun (talking…
featuresSacredAgent features sacred agent	Property	Narrative	Links a narrative or variant to a sacred agent (spirit, ancestor) who…
Fieldnote	Class	Narrative	Researcher-authored note, observation, or analytic memo.
fieldworker	Property	Core	Person who conducted the fieldwork.
FieldworkEvent Fieldwork Event	Class	Core	A bounded fieldwork session or interview event during which assertions,…
fieldworkProvenance fieldwork provenance	Property	Core	Details of fieldwork context if this knowledge derives from direct…
founder	Property	Ilé	The founding practitioner of the house.
foundingDate founding date	Property	Core	Date or approximate date when this community, house, society, or lineage…
foundingHouse founding house	Property	Ilé	The house from which this lineage (rama/branch) originates.
foundingLocation founding location	Property	Ékpè	Place of origin or founding of the society.
func-binding	Concept	Vèvè	The sign constrains or binds a force or entity.
func-communication	Concept	Vèvè	The sign transmits information or messages between practitioners or…
func-consecration	Concept	Vèvè	The sign activates or consecrates an object, person, or space for sacred…
func-entertainment	Concept	Ngoma	The rhythm has an accepted public or entertainment role alongside its…
func-farewell	Concept	Ngoma	The rhythm signals or facilitates the departure of a spiritual entity…
func-funerary	Concept	Ngoma	The rhythm is performed in funerary, Egungun, or ancestral veneration…
func-identification	Concept	Vèvè	The sign identifies a house, potencia, lineage, or practitioner's…
func-initiation	Concept	Ngoma	The rhythm is performed specifically during initiatory ceremonies and is…
func-narrative	Concept	Vèvè	The sign records an event, tells a story, or encodes historical knowledge.
func-opening	Concept	Vèvè	The sign opens a ceremony, a spiritual pathway, or a sacred space for work.
func-possession-induction	Concept	Ngoma	The rhythm is specifically associated with inducing or deepening spirit…
func-processional	Concept	Ngoma	The rhythm accompanies movement through ceremonial space or between spaces.
func-protection	Concept	Vèvè	The sign creates a boundary of spiritual protection around a person,…
func-salutation	Concept	Ngoma	The rhythm formally greets and honors an entity without necessarily…
func-sealing	Concept	Vèvè	The sign closes or concludes a ceremony or seals a spiritual agreement.
func-territorial	Concept	Vèvè	The sign marks the boundary or domain of a spiritual entity, house, or…
genderPolicy gender policy	Property	Ékpè	Documents tradition-specific rules regarding gender and membership.
genderRestriction gender restriction	Property	Marca	Documents tradition-specific restrictions on who may cast this system,…
geographicBase geographic base	Property	Qal	The geographic region(s) where this language is primarily used.
geographicVariation geographic variation	Property	Core	Regional or lineage-specific differences in use, form, identification, or…
gov-consensus	Concept	Ékpè	Decisions made through deliberation among all members or all senior…
gov-council-of-elders	Concept	Ékpè	Governance by a council of senior members without strict linear grade…
gov-elected-officers	Concept	Ékpè	Governance officers are elected by the membership for defined terms.
gov-hereditary-title	Concept	Ékpè	Key titles pass within specific families or lineages.
gov-hierarchical-grade	Concept	Ékpè	Authority flows through a defined sequence of grades; higher grades…
gov-other	Concept	Ékpè	Governance structure not covered by existing concepts.
governance-age-grade	Concept	Ilé	Authority structured by seniority within initiation grade rather than…
governance-democratic	Concept	Ilé	Decisions made by member consensus or elected leadership.
governance-elder-council	Concept	Ilé	Collective of recognized elders sharing governance authority.
governance-gender-divided	Concept	Ilé	Male and female authorities govern separate domains within the same…
governance-hereditary	Concept	Ilé	Leadership passes through biological or ritual family succession.
governance-lineage-federation	Concept	Ilé	Federated structure of affiliated houses under loose shared authority.
governance-other	Concept	Ilé	Other
governance-single-elder	Concept	Ilé	One recognized head (Iyalosha, Babalosha, Mambo, etc.) with primary…
governedBy governed by	Property	Core	Links a resource or assertion to an AccessPolicy that governs it.
governingAuthority governing authority	Property	Vèvè	The title or institution with authority over this sign system.
governingEntity governing entity	Property	Marca	The spirit or deity principally associated with this sign across the…
gradeCount grade count	Property	Ékpè	Number of grades in this society's hierarchy.
gradeLevel grade level	Property	Ékpè	Numeric position in the grade sequence.
gradeName grade name	Property	Ékpè	The name of the grade in the tradition's language.
gradePrerequisite grade prerequisite	Property	Ékpè	The grade that must be held before this grade may be received.
gradePrivileges grade privileges	Property	Ékpè	The ritual, governance, or social privileges conferred by this grade.
gradeSign grade sign	Property	Ékpè	The esoteric sign, mark, or identifying symbol associated with this grade.
gradeSociety grade society	Property	Ékpè	The initiatory society to which this grade belongs.
grantedBy granted by	Property	Ilé	The authority figure who conferred this title.
GraphicSign Graphic Sign	Class	Vèvè	A discrete ritual diagram, symbol, or graphic mark belonging to a sacred…
harvest-commercial-market	Concept	Ewé	Purchased from commercial sources or markets.
harvest-cultivated	Concept	Ewé	Grown intentionally in gardens or farms.
harvest-lunar-phase-required	Concept	Ewé	Must be harvested during a specific moon phase.
harvest-plant-spirit-offering	Concept	Ewé	Offering (water, coins, tobacco) must be left at plant base.
harvest-ritual-offering-required	Concept	Ewé	Requires ritual protocol and offering to plant spirit before harvesting.
harvest-specific-practitioner	Concept	Ewé	Must be harvested by a practitioner with specific initiation.
harvest-specific-time-of-day	Concept	Ewé	Must be harvested at dawn, dusk, midnight, etc.
harvest-wildcrafted	Concept	Ewé	Harvested from wild without specific ritual protocol.
harvestProtocol harvest protocol	Property	Ewé	Method of harvesting: ritual vs.
harvestProtocolDetailed harvest protocol (detailed)	Property	Ewé	Detailed harvest instructions: exact timing (dawn, dusk), direction (face…
hasAuthorizationChain has authorization chain	Property	Agency	Associates a RitualEvent, policy, or mandate with an AuthorizationChain.
hasConstraintBasis has constraint basis	Property	Epistemic	Associates an EpistemicConstraint with a ConstraintBasis concept…
hasEpistemicConstraint has epistemic constraint	Property	Epistemic	Associates a record, assertion, access policy, or any resource with an…
hasJurisdiction has jurisdiction	Property	Authority	Links an authority to the domain(s) where it is recognized.
hasLineage has lineage	Property	Ilé	Links a house to a formal Lineage record documenting its rama…
hasMandate has mandate	Property	Agency	Associates an agent, event, or policy with a StewardshipMandate.
hasManifestationMode has manifestation mode	Property	Manifestation	Associates a ManifestationEvent or assertion node with a…
hasMediumType has medium type	Property	Manifestation	Associates a Medium with a MediumType concept from iroko:MediumTypeScheme.
hasOutcome has outcome	Property	Agency	Links an event or action to an outcome entity — a RelationshipAssertion,…
hasRelationshipAssertion has relationship assertion	Property	Core	has relationship assertion
hasRitualConsequence has ritual consequence	Property	Agency	Associates a ritual event or action with a RitualConsequence category.
hasSegment has segment	Property	Core	Links a Narrative or NarrativeVariant to a constituent TextSegment.
hasSourceCitation has source citation	Property	Core	Links any archival record — plant, spirit, Odu, ceremony, lineage — to a…
hasStoryLineage has story lineage	Property	Narrative	Links a Narrative or NarrativeVariant to a StoryLineage node documenting…
hasTemporalVariation has temporal variation	Property	Core	Cross-cutting qualifier linking any resource — assertion, policy,…
hasVariant has variant	Property	Core	Links a Narrative to one of its NarrativeVariants.
HerbariumSheet Herbarium Sheet	Class	Ewé	Physical plant specimen preserved for documentation.
HeritageRelationship Heritage Relationship	Class	Sankofa	A formal assertion of the relationship between a diaspora tradition and…
hostCommunity host community	Property	Sankofa	The African community or institution receiving the diaspora visitors.
House	Class	Ilé	A religious house, temple, or community organized around a lineage and…
houseAffiliation house affiliation	Property	Ngoma	The religious house with which this instrument or drum set is affiliated.
houseGovernanceModel house governance model	Property	Ilé	How authority and decision-making are structured within the house.
houseType house type	Property	Ilé	Institutional form of the house.
houseType-abakua-potencia	Concept	Ilé	An Abakuá lodge (potencia).
houseType-cabildo	Concept	Ilé	Cuban colonial mutual aid and religious society organized by African…
houseType-egbe	Concept	Ilé	Association or society organized around a specific orisha or shared…
houseType-espiritismo-centre	Concept	Ilé	Centre for Kardecist or Afro-influenced Espiritismo practice.
houseType-hounfo	Concept	Ilé	Haitian Vodou temple and its associated community.
houseType-ile-ifa	Concept	Ilé	House organized primarily around Ifá divination practice and Babaláwo…
houseType-ile-orisha	Concept	Ilé	Lucumí/Candomblé Ketu house organized around Orisha worship.
houseType-other	Concept	Ilé	Other
houseType-palero-house	Concept	Ilé	House organized around Palo Monte/Mayombe practice and nganga custody.
houseType-sosyete	Concept	Ilé	Haitian Vodou society, often with named lineage and territorial identity.
houseType-study-group	Concept	Ilé	An informal group organized for learning, not yet constituted as a full…
houseType-terreiro	Concept	Ilé	Brazilian ritual space for Candomblé, Umbanda, or Quimbanda practice.
initiatedPerson initiated person	Property	Ilé	The person who received initiation.
initiatingOfficiant initiating officiant	Property	Ékpè	The titleholder who performed the initiation.
initiation-abakua	Concept	Ilé	Initiation into an Abakuá potencia.
initiation-couche	Concept	Ilé	The lying-in period component of Vodou kanzo initiation.
initiation-egbe	Concept	Ilé	Initiation into an Egbé society or association.
initiation-ifa	Concept	Ilé	Full initiation into the Ifá corpus, conferring the title of Babaláwo.
initiation-kanzo	Concept	Ilé	Haitian Vodou initiation ceremony.
initiation-kariosha	Concept	Ilé	Full head initiation in Lucumí/Candomblé Ketu.
initiation-mano-orula	Concept	Ilé	Reception of Orula's hand.
initiation-necklaces	Concept	Ilé	Reception of the five sacred beaded necklaces.
initiation-olofin	Concept	Ilé	Reception of the Olofin mysteries.
initiation-other	Concept	Ilé	Other
initiation-palo-rayamiento	Concept	Ilé	Palo Monte/Mayombe initiation ceremony marking entry into a munanso.
initiation-rayisman	Concept	Ilé	Haitian Vodou ceremony of recognition and elevation within a sosyete.
initiation-warriors	Concept	Ilé	Reception of the warrior orishas: Elegua, Ogun, Ochosi, and Osun.
InitiationEvent Initiation Event	Class	Ilé	A specific ceremony creating a formal genealogical link between initiator…
initiationLevel initiation level	Property	Travay	The level of initiation conferred by this InitiatoryRite.
initiationLevel-head-initiation	Concept	Travay	Full head initiation permanently establishing the initiant as a priest or…
initiationLevel-ifa	Concept	Travay	Initiation into the Ifa priesthood.
initiationLevel-necklaces	Concept	Travay	Reception of consecrated beaded necklaces in Lucumi tradition.
initiationLevel-reception	Concept	Travay	General category for receiving sacred objects or marks without full head…
initiationLevel-tradition-specific	Concept	Travay	Initiation levels that do not map to general categories.
initiationLevel-warriors	Concept	Travay	Reception of Eleggua, Ogun, Ochosi, and Osun in Lucumi tradition.
initiationType initiation type	Property	Ilé	Type of initiation ceremony.
initiationWitness initiation witness	Property	Ilé	Witnesses present at the initiation.
initiator	Property	Ilé	The authority figure who performed the initiation.
InitiatoryRite Initiatory Rite	Class	Travay	A threshold ceremony that permanently changes the initiant's spiritual…
InitiatorySociety Initiatory Society	Class	Ékpè	A sodality or secret society organized around graded initiation, with…
inLanguage in language	Property	Qal	The sacred language to which this lexical entry belongs.
inst-agogo	Concept	Ngoma	Double or single iron bell providing the timeline in many Afro-Atlantic…
inst-atabaque	Concept	Ngoma	Single-headed conical drum used in Candomblé in sets of three…
inst-bata	Concept	Ngoma	Two-headed conical hourglass drum of Yorùbá origin.
inst-nkomo	Concept	Ngoma	Drums used in Palo Monte ceremonies.
inst-other	Concept	Ngoma	Sacred instrument type not covered by existing concepts.
inst-petwo-drum	Concept	Ngoma	Drums used in Haitian Vodou Petwo nation ceremonies.
inst-rada-drum	Concept	Ngoma	The three-drum Haitian Vodou Rada battery: manman (largest), seconde…
inst-shekere	Concept	Ngoma	Gourd rattle with bead netting used across Yorùbá-derived and related…
instanceSign sign type	Property	Vèvè	The abstract GraphicSign of which this is a specific drawn instance.
instrumentation	Property	Core	instrumentation
instrumentName instrument name	Property	Ngoma	The name of this specific consecrated instrument or set.
instrumentType instrument type	Property	Ngoma	The type of sacred instrument.
InterpretiveStance Interpretive Stance	Class	Narrative	A hermeneutic or epistemological approach to reading a narrative or…
interpretiveStance interpretive stance	Property	Narrative	Tags a NarrativeVariant or Commentary with an interpretive hermeneutic…
invocationText invocation text	Property	Core	Exact words, prayers, or songs recited when working with this entity —…
invokedEntity invoked entity	Property	Vèvè	The spiritual entity primarily associated with or invoked by this sign.
involvesAgent involves agent	Property	Agency	Links an event, action, or assertion node to an agent involved.
itaPerformed itá performed	Property	Ilé	True if a life reading (itá) was conducted as part of this initiation.
Jurisdiction	Class	Authority	A place, house, cabildo, lineage territory, nation, or other bounded…
jurisdictionLabel jurisdiction label	Property	Authority	Human-readable name for this jurisdiction.
jurisdictionType jurisdiction type	Property	Authority	Short classifer for the jurisdiction type: 'geographic', 'genealogical',…
keyFigures key figures	Property	Sankofa	Principal practitioners, scholars, or leaders associated with this…
kinship-ancestor	Concept	Narrative	ancestor
kinship-brother	Concept	Narrative	brother
kinship-brother-of	Concept	Nkisi	brother of
kinship-child	Concept	Narrative	child
kinship-child-of	Concept	Nkisi	child of
kinship-father	Concept	Narrative	father
kinship-father-of	Concept	Nkisi	father of
kinship-mother	Concept	Narrative	mother
kinship-mother-of	Concept	Nkisi	mother of
kinship-owner	Concept	Narrative	Describes the relationship between an orisha or lwa and the practitioner…
kinship-parent-of	Concept	Nkisi	parent of
kinship-road	Concept	Narrative	Describes a relationship between aspects of a spirit or between a spirit…
kinship-sibling-of	Concept	Nkisi	sibling of
kinship-sister	Concept	Narrative	sister
kinship-sister-of	Concept	Nkisi	sister of
kinship-spouse-of	Concept	Nkisi	spouse of
kinship-twin-of	Concept	Nkisi	twin of
KinshipClaim Kinship Claim	Class	Narrative	A claim about relationships between entities (spirit-father,…
lang-african-christian	Concept	Qal	Languages of African origin used in pre-colonial or early-colonial…
lang-diaspora-adapted	Concept	Qal	A source language preserved in diaspora in a fossilized or adapted form,…
lang-full-liturgical	Concept	Qal	A language used in its complete grammatical form as the primary medium of…
lang-graphic-lexical	Concept	Qal	A system in which graphic signs function as lexical or semiotic units,…
lang-other	Concept	Qal	Sacred language type not covered by existing concepts.
lang-sacred-register	Concept	Qal	A specialized ceremonial register of a vernacular language, with…
languageISO ISO 639 code	Property	Qal	The ISO 639-3 code for the base language, where applicable (e.g., 'yor'…
languageName language name	Property	Qal	The name of the sacred language or register.
languageOfPerformance language of performance	Property	Core	language of performance
languageType language type	Property	Qal	Classification of this sacred language.
LexicalEntry Lexical Entry	Class	Qal	A word, term, or morpheme in a sacred language with its liturgical or…
LexicalSense Lexical Sense	Class	Qal	A specific meaning of a lexical entry, which may carry different access…
Lineage	Class	Ilé	A rama, branch, or transmission line descending from a founding house or…
lineageCharacteristics lineage characteristics	Property	Ilé	Description of what distinguishes this rama: liturgical variations,…
lineageChild lineage child	Property	Ilé	A house that descends from this house through initiation.
lineageFounder lineage founder	Property	Ngoma	The founding master musician of this lineage.
lineageHouse lineage house	Property	Ngoma	The religious house through which this musician lineage operates.
LineageKnowledgeGraph Lineage Knowledge Graph	Class	Core	A named graph representing one lineage's perspective on contested…
lineageName lineage name	Property	Ngoma	The name of this musician lineage or school.
lineageNotes lineage notes	Property	Nkisi	Notes on which lineages recognize this path and any contested aspects of…
lineageParent lineage parent	Property	Ilé	The house from which this house descends through initiation.
lineageTradition lineage tradition	Property	Ilé	lineage tradition
lineageVariations lineage variations	Property	Travay	Documented variations in how different lineages or houses conduct this…
LiturgicalPhrase Liturgical Phrase	Class	Qal	A multi-word expression, formula, invocation, or greeting used in…
location	Property	Ilé	Geographic location of the house.
lodgeName lodge name	Property	Ékpè	The public name of the lodge or potencia.
lodgeTerritory lodge territory	Property	Ékpè	The geographic or community territory over which a lodge exercises…
mandateCondition mandate condition	Property	Agency	Text description of conditions activating or limiting this stewardship…
mandateScope mandate scope	Property	Agency	Free-text description of the scope of a StewardshipMandate — what…
ManifestationEvent Manifestation Event	Class	Agency	A ritual event in which a sacred agent is asserted to manifest through a…
ManifestationMode Manifestation Mode	Class	Manifestation	A SKOS concept describing how a sacred agent is asserted to manifest.
manifestsThroughMedium manifests through medium	Property	Manifestation	Associates a ManifestationEvent with a Medium through which manifestation…
mask-function-ancestral-embodiment	Concept	Ékpè	The masquerade manifests an ancestral spirit or collective ancestral…
mask-function-communal-sanction	Concept	Ékpè	The masquerade enforces community rules or social norms through symbolic…
mask-function-entertainment	Concept	Ékpè	The masquerade performs entertainment, social commentary, or satire as a…
mask-function-funerary	Concept	Ékpè	The masquerade participates in funerary ceremonies, guiding the deceased…
mask-function-healing	Concept	Ékpè	The masquerade carries healing or protective power for the community or…
mask-function-honor-mothers	Concept	Ékpè	The masquerade pays tribute to the power of elder women, ancestresses,…
mask-function-other	Concept	Ékpè	Masquerade function not covered by existing concepts.
mask-function-society-voice	Concept	Ékpè	The masquerade carries and communicates the voice or authority of the…
masqueradeFunction masquerade function	Property	Ékpè	The ceremonial function of this masquerade.
masqueradeInsignia masquerade insignia	Property	Ékpè	Description of costume elements, materials, and identifying features.
masqueradeName masquerade name	Property	Ékpè	The name of the masquerade or masked figure.
masqueradeRequiredGrade required grade for performance	Property	Ékpè	The minimum grade required to perform or wear this masquerade.
masqueradeSociety masquerade society	Property	Ékpè	The initiatory society to which this masquerade belongs.
materialRequirements material requirements	Property	Travay	Detailed list of materials, implements, and quantities required.
mediaDuration duration	Property	Core	duration
mediaFormat media format	Property	Core	Technical format of the file.
mediaType media type	Property	Core	media type
mediaType-audio	Concept	Core	Audio Recording
mediaType-ephemera	Concept	Core	Printed or handwritten items of transient purpose: programs, invitations,…
mediaType-manuscript	Concept	Core	Manuscript
mediaType-photograph	Concept	Core	Photograph
mediaType-video	Concept	Core	Video Recording
medicinal-anti-inflammatory	Concept	Ewé	Reduces inflammation and swelling.
medicinal-digestive-support	Concept	Ewé	Supports digestive system, relieves stomach issues.
medicinal-fever-reduction	Concept	Ewé	Reduces fever, antipyretic properties.
medicinal-general-tonic	Concept	Ewé	Overall health tonic, vitality support.
medicinal-maternal-postpartum	Concept	Ewé	Postpartum recovery and maternal health.
medicinal-pain-relief	Concept	Ewé	Analgesic properties, relieves pain.
medicinal-pediatric	Concept	Ewé	Safe for children, pediatric applications.
medicinal-reproductive-fertility	Concept	Ewé	Supports reproductive health and fertility.
medicinal-respiratory-support	Concept	Ewé	Supports respiratory system, cough relief, asthma.
medicinal-skin-topical	Concept	Ewé	Applied to skin for rashes, irritation, wounds.
medicinal-spiritual-psychosomatic	Concept	Ewé	Addresses spiritual and emotional dimensions of illness.
medicinal-wound-healing	Concept	Ewé	Promotes wound healing, tissue repair.
medicinalUse medicinal use	Property	Ewé	Medicinal or healing application of this plant.
Medium	Class	Manifestation	A medium through which manifestation is asserted to occur — a person,…
medium-ash	Concept	Vèvè	Wood ash or specific burned materials used for cooling, ancestral, and…
medium-blood	Concept	Vèvè	Animal or human blood used as a drawing medium in highly restricted…
medium-carved	Concept	Vèvè	Signs carved or incised into wood, stone, metal, or other materials for…
medium-cascarilla	Concept	Vèvè	Powdered eggshell (cascarilla), a cooling and purifying medium used…
medium-chalk-colored	Concept	Vèvè	Pigmented chalk in tradition-specific colors, used for signs associated…
medium-chalk-white	Concept	Vèvè	White chalk or powdered eggshell (cascarilla/efun) used for protective…
medium-chamalongo-bone	Concept	Marca	Prepared bones or discs used as an alternative casting medium for…
medium-chamalongo-coconut	Concept	Marca	Four coconut shell halves prepared and consecrated for Chamalongo…
medium-charcoal	Concept	Vèvè	Ground charcoal used for ancestral, funerary, and dark-force-related signs.
medium-cornmeal	Concept	Vèvè	Ground cornmeal used for vèvè and some Lucumí ground drawings.
medium-cowrie	Concept	Marca	Sixteen cowrie shells used in Dilogún divination by authorized Olorisha.
medium-flour	Concept	Vèvè	Refined wheat flour, the most common medium for Haitian Vodou vèvè.
medium-gunpowder	Concept	Vèvè	Gunpowder used in Palo Monte firmás and some Vodou vèvè for…
medium-ikin	Concept	Marca	Sacred palm nuts (ikin Ifá, obi Ifá) used by Babalawos for Ifá divination.
medium-ink	Concept	Vèvè	Ink applied with pen, brush, or stamp.
medium-instrument	Concept	Manifestation	A musical, divinatory, or ritual instrument serves as the medium — a…
medium-obi-coconut	Concept	Marca	Coconut divided into four pieces for Obi divination.
medium-obi-kola	Concept	Marca	Kola nut divided into lobes for Obi divination.
medium-object	Concept	Manifestation	A material object serves as the medium — a consecrated vessel, nganga,…
medium-okuele	Concept	Marca	Eight-piece divining chain of alternating concave and convex seed halves…
medium-paint	Concept	Vèvè	Commercial or natural paint used for wall murals, cloth stamping, or…
medium-person	Concept	Manifestation	A human person serves as the medium, as in possession or mounted…
medium-place	Concept	Manifestation	A place, site, crossroads, or territory serves as the medium.
medium-text	Concept	Manifestation	A text, inscription, vèvè, firma, or graphic document serves as the medium.
medium-unknown	Concept	Manifestation	Medium type not recorded or not known.
MediumType Medium Type	Class	Manifestation	A SKOS concept categorizing the kind of medium involved in a…
memberPerson member person	Property	Ékpè	The person to whom this membership record belongs.
membershipDate membership date	Property	Ékpè	Date of initiation into this grade.
membershipEstimate membership estimate	Property	Ilé	Approximate number of initiated members.
membershipGrade membership grade	Property	Ékpè	The grade held by this member.
MembershipRecord Membership Record	Class	Ékpè	A record documenting an individual's initiation into and progression…
membershipSociety membership society	Property	Ékpè	The society into which the individual was initiated.
membershipTitle membership title	Property	Ékpè	A title held by this member within the society.
method-archival	Concept	Sankofa	Reconstruction based on primary archival sources: colonial records,…
method-community-consensus	Concept	Sankofa	Reconstruction through formal community process: elders and practitioners…
method-cross-tradition-synthesis	Concept	Sankofa	Reconstruction by synthesizing elements from multiple related surviving…
method-ethnographic	Concept	Sankofa	Reconstruction based primarily on published ethnographic literature…
method-oral-tradition	Concept	Sankofa	Reconstruction based on oral transmission from living elders or…
method-other	Concept	Sankofa	Reconstruction method not covered by existing concepts.
mode-auditory	Concept	Manifestation	Manifestation asserted to occur through sound, voice, drumming, or…
mode-divination	Concept	Manifestation	Manifestation asserted to occur through divination, oracle, or the…
mode-dream	Concept	Manifestation	Manifestation asserted to occur through dreams, dream visitation, or…
mode-embodied	Concept	Manifestation	Manifestation asserted to occur in a physically embodied form distinct…
mode-possession	Concept	Manifestation	Manifestation asserted to occur through mounting or possession of a…
mode-symbolic	Concept	Manifestation	Manifestation asserted to occur through symbols, signs, graphic marks, or…
mode-territorial	Concept	Manifestation	Manifestation asserted to be bound to or expressed through a place,…
mode-unknown	Concept	Manifestation	Manifestation mode not recorded or not known.
movementContestation contestation notes	Property	Sankofa	Notes on how this movement has been received, resisted, or debated within…
movementName movement name	Property	Sankofa	The name or designation of this reclamation or revitalization movement.
movementOutcome movement outcome	Property	Sankofa	The documented or ongoing result of this movement.
movementType movement type	Property	Sankofa	The typological category of this movement.
multiTradition multi-tradition	Property	Ilé	True if the house actively practices more than one distinct tradition.
MusicianLineage Musician Lineage	Class	Ngoma	A documented chain of transmission from master musician to apprentice,…
nameCollision name collision	Property	Ewé	Boolean indicating if the same vernacular name refers to multiple…
nameConvention name convention	Property	Qal	The type of secret name convention this follows.
naming-ecobio-abakua	Concept	Qal	The initiatory name given to an Abakuá member at their juramento.
naming-initiate-ita	Concept	Qal	A name or identifier given to an initiate in their itá (life reading).
naming-lwa-vodou	Concept	Qal	A restricted name of a specific lwa, known only to initiates at a…
naming-nkisi-palo	Concept	Qal	The secret name of a specific Nganga/nkisi in Palo Monte, given at…
naming-orisha-camino	Concept	Qal	The secret name of a specific camino (path) of an Orisha, revealed in…
naming-other	Concept	Qal	Secret name convention not covered by existing concepts.
narratedBy narrated by	Property	Narrative	The person or agent who narrated this variant.
Narrative	Class	Core	A narrative cluster that may have multiple variants across place, time,…
narrativeLanguage narrative language	Property	Narrative	BCP 47 language tag of the language in which the variant is expressed.
narrativeRole narrative role	Property	Narrative	The role played by a participant in a narrative event — narrator, elder,…
narrativeText narrative text	Property	Narrative	The text of this narrative variant.
NarrativeVariant Narrative Variant	Class	Core	A specific telling, transcript, or rendering of a narrative within a…
number sacred number	Property	Nkisi	Sacred number or numbers associated with this entity.
Offering	Class	Nkisi	A material or symbolic offering given to a spiritual entity.
offering-animal	Concept	Nkisi	Animal sacrifice or offering.
offering-candle-light	Concept	Nkisi	Candles or other light sources offered or burned for an entity.
offering-cloth-fabric	Concept	Nkisi	Fabric, beads, or clothing offered or draped for an entity in the…
offering-drink	Concept	Nkisi	Liquids offered to an entity: water, rum, wine, honey, etc.
offering-food	Concept	Nkisi	Prepared or natural foods offered to an entity.
offering-labor-action	Concept	Nkisi	Dedicated labor, service, or action performed as offering.
offering-money-coin	Concept	Nkisi	Coins or currency offered to an entity, particularly common with Elegba,…
offering-music-song	Concept	Nkisi	Songs, drumming, or music performed in honor of an entity.
offering-object	Concept	Nkisi	Ritual objects, implements, or symbolic items offered or dedicated to an…
offering-plant	Concept	Nkisi	Plants, flowers, or herbal preparations offered to an entity.
offering-water	Concept	Nkisi	Fresh water, ocean water, river water, or blessed water offered to an…
offeringDetailed offering (detailed)	Property	Nkisi	Specific offering details: exact foods, quantities, preparation methods.
offeringGeneral offering (general)	Property	Nkisi	General category of offering accepted by this entity.
operationalNotes operational notes	Property	Travay	Contextual notes about how this process is conducted in practice.
oralTransmissionChain oral transmission chain	Property	Core	Documented chain of oral transmission for this knowledge.
originDate origin date	Property	Sankofa	Approximate date the movement began.
orthographicVariants orthographic variants	Property	Qal	Alternative spellings in use across lineages or transcription traditions.
outcome-ire	Concept	Marca	A sign comes with positive polarity.
outcome-ire-aiku	Concept	Marca	Iré of long life.
outcome-ire-are	Concept	Marca	Iré of victory or achievement.
outcome-ire-omo	Concept	Marca	Iré of children or generativity.
outcome-ire-owo	Concept	Marca	Iré of prosperity.
outcome-osogbo	Concept	Marca	A sign comes with negative polarity.
outcome-osogbo-arun	Concept	Marca	Osogbo of illness or physical affliction.
outcome-osogbo-iku	Concept	Marca	Osogbo of death or severe loss.
outcome-osogbo-ojú	Concept	Marca	Osogbo of enemies or opposition.
parentEntity parent entity	Property	Nkisi	The SpiritualEntity of which this Path is an aspect or manifestation.
parentSociety parent society	Property	Ékpè	The broader society network or tradition of which this lodge is a chapter.
part-bark	Concept	Ewé	Bark
part-bulb	Concept	Ewé	Bulb
part-flower	Concept	Ewé	Flower
part-fruit	Concept	Ewé	Fruit
part-leaf	Concept	Ewé	Leaf
part-pollen	Concept	Ewé	Pollen
part-resin	Concept	Ewé	Resin
part-root	Concept	Ewé	Root
part-sap	Concept	Ewé	Sap
part-seed	Concept	Ewé	Seed
part-stem	Concept	Ewé	Stem
part-whole-plant	Concept	Ewé	Whole Plant
participantRole participant role	Property	Travay	Roles that participants may hold in this process.
partOfSpeech part of speech	Property	Qal	Grammatical category of this term.
Path	Class	Nkisi	A distinct manifestation, aspect, or camino of a spiritual entity.
path	Property	Nkisi	Links a SpiritualEntity to its known Path instances (caminos/avatars).
pathColor path color	Property	Nkisi	Color specific to this path, which may differ from the parent entity's…
pathDomain path domain	Property	Nkisi	The specific domain of this path, which may differ from the parent…
pathName path name	Property	Nkisi	The name of this specific path or camino.
pathNumber path number	Property	Nkisi	Sacred number specific to this path.
pathOfferingDetailed path offering (detailed)	Property	Nkisi	Offering details specific to this path.
pathSyncreticIdentity path syncretic identity	Property	Nkisi	Catholic saint or other syncretic correspondence specific to this path,…
pathTaboo path taboo	Property	Nkisi	Prohibitions specific to this path.
pathTemperament path temperament	Property	Nkisi	Temperament of this specific path.
perm-ephemeral	Concept	Vèvè	Destroyed or erased immediately after use as part of the ceremony (e.g.,…
perm-permanent	Concept	Vèvè	Intended to endure: carved stone or metal, tattooed or scarified body…
perm-semi-permanent	Concept	Vèvè	Remains for an extended period but is understood to be renewable (e.g.,…
perm-temporary	Concept	Vèvè	Fades naturally or is ritually removed after the ceremony concludes…
permanence	Property	Vèvè	Whether this instance is ephemeral, temporary, or permanent.
photographicVoucher photographic voucher	Property	Ewé	Link to photographic documentation of this plant specimen.
phraseFunction phrase function	Property	Qal	The ceremonial function of this phrase.
phraseLanguage phrase language	Property	Qal	The sacred language in which this phrase is spoken.
phraseText phrase text	Property	Qal	The text of the liturgical phrase in its original language.
phraseTranslation phrase translation	Property	Qal	Translation of the phrase into a non-liturgical language.
Plant	Class	Ewé	Sacred plant entity in Afro-Atlantic traditions.
plantAssociation plant association	Property	Nkisi	Plants associated with this entity.
plantPart plant part	Property	Ewé	Which part of the plant is used.
PlantPreparation Plant Preparation	Class	Ewé	A prepared spiritual material combining specific plants with defined…
plantUse plant use	Property	Travay	Plants used in this ritual process.
polarity-androgynous	Concept	Nkisi	Masculine and feminine qualities are simultaneously present and…
polarity-apolar	Concept	Nkisi	Not described in gendered or polarity terms, or explicitly transcending…
polarity-aspect-dependent	Concept	Nkisi	Polarity varies by named camino, avatar, path, or manifestation.
polarity-feminine	Concept	Nkisi	Consistent feminine polarity in ritual address, manifestation, and…
polarity-masculine	Concept	Nkisi	Consistent masculine polarity in ritual address, manifestation, and…
polarity-temporal	Concept	Nkisi	Polarity shifts according to time of year, liturgical calendar, season,…
policyCondition policy condition	Property	Core	Text description of the conditions under which this policy applies.
policyLabel policy label	Property	Core	Human-readable name or identifier for this access policy.
pos-adjective	Concept	Qal	A modifier (epithets, descriptive terms for entities).
pos-adverb	Concept	Qal	An adverbial modifier.
pos-formula	Concept	Qal	A multi-word fixed expression that functions as a unit in ceremonial…
pos-interjection	Concept	Qal	A standalone ceremonial exclamation or ritual call-and-response marker.
pos-noun	Concept	Qal	A noun or noun phrase (entity names, place names, object names).
pos-other	Concept	Qal	Part of speech not covered by existing concepts.
pos-verb	Concept	Qal	A verb or verb phrase (ceremonial actions, states).
possessionTrigger possession trigger	Property	Ngoma	Whether this rhythm is understood to trigger or invite spirit possession…
prep-bath	Concept	Ewé	Prepared as spiritual bath for immersion or washing.
prep-decoction	Concept	Ewé	Boiled to extract properties from harder plant parts.
prep-dried-bundle	Concept	Ewé	Dried and bundled for hanging or storage.
prep-fumigation	Concept	Ewé	Burned as incense or smoke for cleansing.
prep-incantation-only	Concept	Ewé	Used ritually with words or prayers but not physically prepared.
prep-infusion	Concept	Ewé	Steeped in hot water like tea.
prep-ingestion	Concept	Ewé	Consumed internally as tea, tonic, or food.
prep-maceration	Concept	Ewé	Soaked in cold water or oil for an extended period.
prep-poultice	Concept	Ewé	Applied topically as paste or compress.
prep-powder	Concept	Ewé	Dried and ground into powder.
prep-tincture	Concept	Ewé	Extracted in alcohol or spirits.
prep-topical	Concept	Ewé	Applied directly to skin or affected area.
prep-wash	Concept	Ewé	Prepared as liquid wash for ritual bathing or anointing.
preparationMethod preparation method	Property	Ewé	General preparation method.
preparationMethodDetailed preparation method (detailed)	Property	Ewé	Exact preparation instructions including timing, quantities, and critical…
prerequisiteProcess prerequisite process	Property	Travay	A RitualProcess that must be completed before this one.
prescribedEntity prescribed entity	Property	Marca	The spiritual entity indicated by the reading as requiring propitiation,…
prescribedWork prescribed work	Property	Marca	The ebó, rogation, ceremony, or spiritual work prescribed as a result of…
presidingEntity presiding entity	Property	Travay	The spiritual entity (orisa, lwa, etc.) for whom or by whose authority…
primarySign primary sign	Property	Marca	In composite systems (Ifá), the sign generated by the first cast.
processName process name	Property	Travay	The name of this ritual process in its tradition.
processReference process reference	Property	Ewé	Ritual process where this plant is used.
processType process type	Property	Travay	Classification of this ritual process.
processType-ancestor-veneration	Concept	Travay	Ceremonies specifically directed to the ancestral dead.
processType-cleansing	Concept	Travay	Ritual cleansing of a person, object, or space.
processType-community-working	Concept	Travay	Collective ceremonial work on behalf of a house, lineage, or community…
processType-divination	Concept	Travay	Ritual consultation for guidance.
processType-elevation	Concept	Travay	Ceremony to elevate the spirit of a deceased person or clear unresolved…
processType-feast-celebration	Concept	Travay	Celebration ceremonies: anniversary of initiation, feast days of…
processType-funerary	Concept	Travay	Death and funeral ceremonies specific to initiated practitioners.
processType-head-feeding	Concept	Travay	Ritual feeding and cooling of the head (Ori) with white foods and prayers.
processType-healing	Concept	Travay	Ceremonial processes directed toward physical, spiritual, or…
processType-initiation-full	Concept	Travay	Full head initiation permanently transforming the initiant's spiritual…
processType-initiation-reception	Concept	Travay	Reception of sacred objects conferring a level of initiation without full…
processType-possession-ceremony	Concept	Travay	Ceremony in which spirits may manifest through initiated practitioners.
processType-protection	Concept	Travay	Ceremonial processes establishing or strengthening spiritual protection…
processType-sacrifice-offering	Concept	Travay	Ceremonies involving animal sacrifice or major offerings to spiritual…
publicDefinition public definition	Property	Qal	A general, publicly accessible definition of this sense: what a general…
publicPresence public presence	Property	Ilé	True if the house maintains a publicly known identity (website, social…
purposeDescription purpose description	Property	Travay	General description of the purpose and outcome of this ritual process.
readingDate reading date	Property	Marca	reading date
readingNotes reading notes	Property	Marca	Free-text notes from the diviner.
readingOfficiant reading officiant	Property	Marca	The diviner who performed the reading.
readingOutcome reading outcome	Property	Marca	Whether the sign came iré (positive polarity) or osogbo (negative…
readingRecipient reading recipient	Property	Marca	The person for whom the reading was performed.
ReclamationMovement Reclamation Movement	Class	Sankofa	An organized or semi-organized community effort to recover, revitalize,…
recognition-disputed	Concept	Sankofa	Some source tradition representatives recognize the practice; others do…
recognition-formally-recognized	Concept	Sankofa	The reconstructed or diaspora practice has received formal recognition…
recognition-informally-recognized	Concept	Sankofa	Recognition exists through interpersonal relationships and mutual respect…
recognition-not-sought	Concept	Sankofa	The community practices without seeking external recognition, asserting…
recognition-pending	Concept	Sankofa	Recognition process is underway; outcome not yet determined.
recognition-rejected	Concept	Sankofa	Source tradition authorities have formally rejected or declined to…
recognizedBy recognized by	Property	Authority	Links one authority to a recognizing body, council, or adjacent authority.
ReconstructedPractice Reconstructed Practice	Class	Sankofa	A religious practice or tradition that has been assembled or restored…
reconstructionMethod reconstruction method	Property	Sankofa	The primary method used to reconstruct this practice.
recordedInEvent recorded in event	Property	Core	Links an Assertion to the FieldworkEvent during which it was captured.
recordedOn recorded on	Property	Core	Date on which the assertion was captured or recorded.
recordingContext recording context	Property	Core	recording context
recordingContext-archival-transfer	Concept	Core	Archival Transfer
recordingContext-ceremonial	Concept	Core	Ceremonial Recording
recordingContext-field	Concept	Core	Field Recording
recordingContext-studio	Concept	Core	Studio Recording
recordingDate recording date	Property	Core	recording date
recordingLocation recording location	Property	Core	recording location
recordist	Property	Core	recordist
RefusalEvent Refusal Event	Class	Agency	A ritual event in which a sacred agent is asserted to refuse…
rejectingLineages rejecting lineages	Property	Core	Text list of lineages or houses that reject this position on contested…
rel-claimed-disputed	Concept	Sankofa	The diaspora tradition claims a relationship to the African source, but…
rel-direct-descent	Concept	Sankofa	The diaspora tradition descends directly from the African source…
rel-influence	Concept	Sankofa	The African tradition influenced the diaspora tradition without a direct…
rel-other	Concept	Sankofa	Heritage relationship type not covered by existing concepts.
rel-parallel-development	Concept	Sankofa	The diaspora and African traditions share a common ancestor but developed…
rel-reconstructed	Concept	Sankofa	The relationship is based on reconstruction from historical evidence…
relatedAs related as	Property	Narrative	The type of kinship or relational bond asserted.
relatedEntity related entity	Property	Nkisi	Another spiritual entity with a significant relationship to this one.
relatedSign related sign	Property	Vèvè	A sign within the same system that shares visual elements, modifies this…
relatedTradition related tradition	Property	Core	Links to related traditions when knowledge spans multiple systems.
RelationshipAssertion Relationship Assertion	Class	Core	A structured reification node recording a claimed relationship between…
relationshipType relationship type	Property	Sankofa	The type of heritage relationship claimed.
relationType relation type	Property	Core	The semantic type of relationship being asserted.
ReligiousOffice Religious Office	Class	Ilé	A religious title or position held by a practitioner, authorizing…
representedEntity represented entity	Property	Ékpè	The ancestral spirit, principle, or force embodied by this masquerade.
requiredAuthority required authority	Property	Travay	The level of initiation or authority required to lead this process.
return-ceremony-participation	Concept	Sankofa	Diaspora practitioner participates in African ceremonies without…
return-consultation	Concept	Sankofa	Diaspora practitioner receives divination or consultation from African…
return-initiation	Concept	Sankofa	Diaspora practitioner receives initiation in Africa within a source…
return-other	Concept	Sankofa	Return type not covered by existing concepts.
return-protocol-exchange	Concept	Sankofa	Formal exchange of liturgical, ceremonial, or governance knowledge…
return-research	Concept	Sankofa	Diaspora practitioner or scholar conducts fieldwork in African source…
returnContestation contestation notes	Property	Sankofa	How this return has been evaluated or contested within the broader…
returnDate return date	Property	Sankofa	return date
returningCommunity returning community	Property	Sankofa	The diaspora house or community making the return.
returnOutcome return outcome	Property	Sankofa	The documented result of this return: mutual recognition, initiation,…
returnType return type	Property	Sankofa	The nature of the return encounter.
rhythmAlternateName alternate rhythm name	Property	Ngoma	Alternative or regional names for this rhythm.
rhythmFamily rhythm family	Property	Ngoma	The broad rhythmic family or tradition category.
rhythmFunction rhythm function	Property	Ngoma	The ceremonial function of this rhythm.
rhythmName rhythm name	Property	Ngoma	The conventional name of the rhythm in the tradition's liturgical…
rhythmNotation rhythm notation	Property	Ngoma	Onomatopoeic or phonetic notation of the rhythm pattern (e.g.,…
ritual-ancestor-veneration	Concept	Ewé	Honors ancestors, facilitates ancestral connection.
ritual-consecration	Concept	Ewé	Consecrates objects, spaces, and persons.
ritual-cosmological-symbolic	Concept	Ewé	Represents cosmological principles and symbolic meaning.
ritual-death-rites	Concept	Ewé	Funeral ceremonies and death transitions.
ritual-divination-enhancement	Concept	Ewé	Enhances divinatory abilities and spiritual sight.
ritual-domination-binding	Concept	Ewé	Binds, controls, or dominates situations or people.
ritual-healing-restoration	Concept	Ewé	Spiritual healing, restoration of balance.
ritual-house-blessing	Concept	Ewé	Blesses homes, workplaces, and sacred spaces.
ritual-invocation-communication	Concept	Ewé	Facilitates communication with spirits and invocation.
ritual-legal-justice	Concept	Ewé	Legal matters, court cases, justice.
ritual-love-attraction	Concept	Ewé	Attracts love and enhances relationships.
ritual-offering-devotion	Concept	Ewé	Offered to spirits as devotion or tribute.
ritual-prosperity-abundance	Concept	Ewé	Attracts wealth, prosperity, and abundance.
ritual-protection-boundary	Concept	Ewé	Creates protective boundaries, shields from harm.
ritual-purification-cleansing	Concept	Ewé	Spiritual cleansing, removal of negative influences.
ritual-rites-of-transition	Concept	Ewé	Used in initiation, birth, death, and marriage ceremonies.
ritual-road-opening	Concept	Ewé	Opens paths, removes obstacles, facilitates opportunities.
RitualAction Ritual Action	Class	Agency	A typed action asserted to be performed or effected within ritual…
RitualAuthority Ritual Authority	Class	Core	A governance entity capable of authorizing assertion-level claims.
RitualConsequence Ritual Consequence	Class	Agency	An outcome category describing asserted consequences of ritual actions or…
ritualContext ritual context	Property	Ewé	Textual description of ceremonial use context.
RitualEvent Ritual Event	Class	Agency	A time-bounded ritual activity in which agents participate.
RitualProcess Ritual Process	Class	Travay	Base class for any structured ceremonial activity in an Afro-Atlantic…
RitualRole Ritual Role	Class	Authority	The functional role an authority occupies within a ritual governance…
ritualRole ritual role	Property	Authority	The functional governance role this authority occupies.
ritualUse ritual use	Property	Ewé	Ceremonial or spiritual application of this plant.
role-archivist-steward	Concept	Authority	Recognized steward of archival materials within a tradition or house.
role-chorus	Concept	Narrative	Collective voice responding to or accompanying the narrator.
role-co-officiant	Concept	Travay	A supporting officiant with authority to perform portions of the ceremony.
role-community	Concept	Narrative	Collective community voice or assembled participants.
role-community-delegate	Concept	Authority	Person acting in an authorized representative capacity on behalf of a…
role-community-member	Concept	Travay	General attendee, potentially uninitiated, present for community portions…
role-diviner	Concept	Authority	Diviner
role-godparent	Concept	Travay	The initiated sponsor responsible for the initiant's spiritual formation…
role-helper	Concept	Travay	Initiated helper assisting with logistical or supporting ceremonial tasks.
role-initiant	Concept	Travay	The person receiving initiation or the primary recipient of the ceremony.
role-lead-officiant	Concept	Travay	The principal authority leading the ceremony.
role-medium	Concept	Travay	Practitioner who may receive spiritual possession during the ceremony.
role-musician	Concept	Travay	Drummer, singer, or musician providing ceremonial music.
role-narrator	Concept	Narrative	Primary teller or transmitter of the narrative.
role-officiant	Concept	Narrative	Ritual officiant whose role shapes the telling.
role-priest	Concept	Authority	Priest
role-researcher	Concept	Narrative	Ethnographer, archivist, or scholar whose authorship must be…
SacredAgent Sacred Agent	Class	Agency	An entity recognized within a ritual system as capable of intentional…
SacredDrumSet Sacred Drum Set	Class	Ngoma	A formally recognized set of consecrated drums understood as a unified…
SacredEntity Sacred Entity	Class	Core	Top-level class for any tradition-specific concept within the Iroko…
SacredInstrument Sacred Instrument	Class	Ngoma	A musical instrument used in Afro-Atlantic sacred contexts, which may be…
SacredLanguage Sacred Language	Class	Qal	A language, language register, or language variety used as a liturgical…
SacredMedia Sacred Media	Class	Core	Audio, photographic, or video records of sacred knowledge, ceremonies,…
SacredRhythm Sacred Rhythm	Class	Ngoma	A tradition-specific ritual drumming pattern with defined entity…
SacredSong Sacred Song	Class	Ngoma	A song, chant, or liturgical vocal composition used in Afro-Atlantic…
SacredSpecimen Sacred Specimen	Class	Core	Distinguishes objects that maintain active sacred status (consecrated, in…
SacredSpeechAct Sacred Speech Act	Class	Qal	A formally defined speech act type within a tradition's ceremonial…
sacredStatus sacred status	Property	Core	Current ritual status of an object.
sacredStatus-awaiting-consecration	Concept	Core	Awaiting Consecration
sacredStatus-consecrated-active	Concept	Core	Consecrated/Active Use
sacredStatus-contested-consecration	Concept	Core	Contested Consecration
sacredStatus-decommissioned	Concept	Core	Decommissioned
sacredStatus-hereditary-custody	Concept	Core	Object has passed to a new keeper through lineage or house succession and…
sacredStatus-honored-rest	Concept	Core	Object retired from active ritual use but continues to be tended with…
sacredStatus-museum-specimen	Concept	Core	Museum Specimen
sacredStatus-replica-teaching	Concept	Core	Replica/Teaching Object
sacredStatus-unknown	Concept	Core	Unknown Status
salutation	Property	Nkisi	Formal greeting or praise name used when addressing this entity in…
SanctionedDisclosure Sanctioned Disclosure	Class	Epistemic	An epistemic constraint asserting that disclosure is permitted only when…
schismCause schism cause	Property	Ilé	Documented reason for the lineage split.
schismChildHouse schism child house	Property	Ilé	schism child house
schismDate schism date	Property	Ilé	schism date
SchismEvent Schism Event	Class	Ilé	A documented lineage split creating a new house from an existing one.
schismParentHouse schism parent house	Property	Ilé	schism parent house
schismParty schism party	Property	Ilé	Persons involved in the schism.
script-adinkra	Concept	Qal	Akan visual symbols functioning as a lexical and semiotic system.
script-anaforuana	Concept	Qal	The Abakuá graphic script with lexical and communicative functions.
script-arabic	Concept	Qal	Arabic script used to write African languages in religious contexts,…
script-geez	Concept	Qal	The Ethiopic abugida used to write Ge'ez, Amharic, Tigrinya, and other…
script-latin	Concept	Qal	Latin alphabet as used to transcribe liturgical Yorùbá, Lucumí, Kikongo,…
script-nsibidi	Concept	Qal	The Ejagham ideographic writing system, functioning as both script and…
script-oral-only	Concept	Qal	Language transmitted exclusively orally without a writing system.
script-other	Concept	Qal	Script system not covered by existing concepts.
scriptSystem script system	Property	Qal	The writing system used for this language, where applicable.
secondarySign secondary sign	Property	Marca	In composite systems (Ifá), the sign generated by the second cast.
secretComponents secret components	Property	Travay	Components of this process restricted to initiated elders.
secretName secret name	Property	Core	Esoteric or secret name used only in restricted ceremonial contexts.
SecretName Secret Name	Class	Qal	An esoteric or restricted name for a spiritual entity, practitioner, or…
secretNameHolder name holder	Property	Qal	The entity (spiritual or human) who holds this secret name.
secretNameText secret name	Property	Qal	The secret name itself.
segmentOrder segment order	Property	Core	Integer position of this TextSegment within its containing narrative or…
segmentText segment text	Property	Core	The text content of this segment.
segType-chant-line	Concept	Narrative	Chant Line
segType-episode	Concept	Narrative	Episode
segType-gloss	Concept	Narrative	An explanatory note or translation embedded within the narrative.
segType-praise-name	Concept	Narrative	Praise Name
segType-prayer	Concept	Narrative	Prayer
segType-prohibition	Concept	Narrative	A stated prohibition or interdiction within the narrative.
segType-rubric	Concept	Narrative	A heading, liturgical direction, or structural marker in the narrative.
segType-verse	Concept	Narrative	Verse
sequence	Property	Travay	Links a RitualProcess to its CeremonialSequence.
sequenceOrder sequence order	Property	Travay	Integer indicating the position of this step within the full sequence.
sequenceStep sequence step	Property	Travay	A numbered step label within the ceremonial sequence.
sequenceStepDescription sequence step description	Property	Travay	General description of what occurs at this step, without operational…
sequenceStepOperational sequence step (operational)	Property	Travay	Exact operational instructions for this step.
setComponents set components	Property	Ngoma	Description of the drums in a consecrated set (e.g., iyá, itótele,…
setLineage drum set lineage	Property	Ngoma	The musician lineage to which this drum set belongs.
Shrine	Class	Nkisi	A consecrated physical space or vessel housing a spiritual entity.
shrine	Property	Nkisi	Links a spiritual entity to a documented shrine or vessel.
Sign	Class	Core	A named unit within a sacred sign system — divination sign, graphic…
signAlternateName sign alternate name	Property	Core	Alternative or regional names for this sign across traditions or lineage…
SignCorpus Sign Corpus	Class	Vèvè	The complete inventory of graphic signs held and transmitted by a…
signCount sign count	Property	Core	The number of discrete signs in the system.
signFunction sign function	Property	Vèvè	The primary ceremonial function of this sign.
SignInstance Sign Instance	Class	Vèvè	A specific documented occurrence of a graphic sign: a particular vèvè…
signMeaning sign meaning	Property	Vèvè	The semantic or esoteric meaning of the sign as transmitted within the…
signName sign name	Property	Core	The canonical name of the sign in the tradition's liturgical language.
signNumber sign number	Property	Marca	The numeric identifier for this sign within its system.
signProverb sign proverb	Property	Marca	The principal proverb (owe) associated with this sign.
signReceived sign received	Property	Marca	The divination sign(s) that appeared in this reading.
signReference sign reference	Property	Ewé	Divination sign that prescribes this plant.
signSystem sign system	Property	Core	The sacred sign system to which this sign belongs — divination, graphic,…
SignSystem Sign System	Class	Vèvè	A tradition-specific graphic communication system consisting of a defined…
signTaboo sign taboo	Property	Marca	A prohibition (eewo) traditionally associated with this sign.
signVerseCorpus verse corpus	Property	Marca	The set of DivinationVerse instances in a specific lineage's corpus for…
society-abakua	Concept	Ékpè	The Abakuá mutual aid and initiatory society founded in Cuba in 1836,…
society-agemo	Concept	Ékpè	An Ijebu Yorùbá priestly and masquerade society associated with Agemo, a…
society-egungun	Concept	Ékpè	The Yorùbá ancestral masquerade society responsible for summoning and…
society-ekpe	Concept	Ékpè	The Ékpè (also Ngbe) leopard society originating among Ejagham and…
society-gelede	Concept	Ékpè	A masquerade society of the Yorùbá, Nago, and Fon peoples honoring the…
society-ogboni	Concept	Ékpè	The Yorùbá earth-deity society organized around Onilé (the earth) and its…
society-oro	Concept	Ékpè	A Yorùbá male initiatory society associated with the voice of Oro (heard…
society-other	Concept	Ékpè	Initiatory society type not covered by existing concepts.
society-poro	Concept	Ékpè	The male initiatory bush school society widespread among Mande, Kpelle,…
society-sande	Concept	Ékpè	The female counterpart to Poro, managing female initiation among Mende,…
societyGovernanceStructure society governance structure	Property	Ékpè	The governance model of this society.
SocietyGrade Society Grade	Class	Ékpè	A defined rank or level within an initiatory society's graded hierarchy.
SocietyLodge Society Lodge	Class	Ékpè	A local chapter or lodge of an initiatory society.
SocietyMasquerade Society Masquerade	Class	Ékpè	A masked or costumed ritual embodiment associated with an initiatory…
SocietyTitle Society Title	Class	Ékpè	A named office or titled position within an initiatory society, distinct…
societyTradition society tradition	Property	Ékpè	The Afro-Atlantic tradition within which this society operates.
societyType society type	Property	Ékpè	Typological classification of the society.
song-funerary	Concept	Ngoma	Songs performed in Ituto, Egungun, or other funerary and ancestral…
song-healing	Concept	Ngoma	Songs performed as part of healing or cleansing interventions.
song-initiation	Concept	Ngoma	Songs performed specifically within initiatory rites, restricted to those…
song-invocation	Concept	Ngoma	Song that calls or invites a spiritual entity.
song-narrative	Concept	Ngoma	Song that tells a story about an entity, an ancestor, or a sacred event.
song-other	Concept	Ngoma	Song function not covered by existing concepts.
song-praise	Concept	Ngoma	Song that honors and praises an entity or ancestor without necessarily…
songEntity song entity	Property	Ngoma	The spiritual entity addressed or invoked by this song.
songFunction song function	Property	Ngoma	The ceremonial function of this song.
songLanguage liturgical language	Property	Ngoma	The liturgical language in which this song is performed (e.g.,…
songText song text	Property	Ngoma	The full text of the song as transmitted in the lineage.
songTitle song title	Property	Ngoma	The title or opening phrase identifying this song.
songTranslation song translation	Property	Ngoma	Translation of song text into a non-liturgical language.
sourceRelationship source relationship	Property	Core	Nature of relationship to source tradition for reconstructed or reclaimed…
sourceTradition source tradition	Property	Sankofa	The African tradition identified as the reclamation's reference point.
specimenNumber specimen number	Property	Ewé	Herbarium catalog number or specimen identifier.
Spirit	Class	Agency	A sacred agent recognized as a spirit within a cultural and ritual…
SpiritualEntity Spiritual Entity	Class	Nkisi	A divine power, ancestral spirit, nature spirit, adversarial force, or…
sponsorRequirement sponsor requirement	Property	Travay	Whether a godparent or existing initiate must sponsor this initiation.
stance-allegorical	Concept	Narrative	Allegorical
stance-analytic	Concept	Narrative	Researcher or scholarly reading, necessarily outside community…
stance-diagnostic	Concept	Narrative	Reading the narrative as a diagnostic tool — for divination,…
stance-initiatory	Concept	Narrative	Reading reserved for or shaped by initiatory context.
stance-literal	Concept	Narrative	Literal
stance-polemic	Concept	Narrative	Narrative produced or shaped by an argument about tradition, authority,…
StewardshipMandate Stewardship Mandate	Class	Agency	A mandate asserted to govern stewardship, custody, disclosure, or use of…
StoryLineage Story Lineage	Class	Narrative	A transmission chain for a narrative — who transmitted the story to whom,…
subjectConsentStatus subject consent status	Property	Core	subject consent status
successorHouse successor house	Property	Ilé	For historical cabildos: the contemporary house that descends from or…
supportingLineages supporting lineages	Property	Core	Text list of lineages or houses that endorse this position on contested…
supportsAssertion supports assertion	Property	Narrative	Links a NarrativeVariant to iroko:Assertion nodes it supports or…
surface-altar	Concept	Vèvè	The surface of an altar, throne, or ritual table.
surface-body	Concept	Vèvè	The skin of a practitioner or initiate.
surface-cloth	Concept	Vèvè	Fabric or cloth, particularly for Adinkra stamping and some Vodou…
surface-door	Concept	Vèvè	Door, doorframe, or threshold — boundary surfaces with protective and…
surface-floor	Concept	Vèvè	Interior floor of a temple, hounfò, or ilé.
surface-ground	Concept	Vèvè	Bare earth or dirt surface, often at crossroads or outdoor ceremony spaces.
surface-object	Concept	Vèvè	A consecrated object, vessel, drum, or implement.
surface-other	Concept	Vèvè	Drawing surface not covered by existing concepts.
surface-paper	Concept	Vèvè	Paper, parchment, or documentary material.
surface-tree	Concept	Vèvè	Living tree or bark surface.
surface-wall	Concept	Vèvè	Interior or exterior wall surface.
surface-water	Concept	Vèvè	A body of water, basin, or liquid surface.
syncreticIdentity syncretic identity	Property	Nkisi	Catholic saint or other syncretic correspondence for this entity.
system-adinkra	Concept	Vèvè	A system of visual symbols originating among the Akan of Ghana and Côte…
system-anaforuana	Concept	Vèvè	The esoteric graphic script of the Abakuá society in Cuba, derived from…
system-chamalongo	Concept	Marca	Kongo-derived divination using four coconut shell halves or prepared…
system-cosmogram	Concept	Vèvè	The foundational Kongo cosmological diagram (dikenga dia Kongo)…
system-derle	Concept	Marca	Card-based or object-based divination associated with Espiritismo and…
system-dilogún	Concept	Marca	Cowrie shell divination using 16 shells (owó dilogún) to generate 16…
system-fa	Concept	Marca	The Fon and Ewe divination system cognate to Ifá, using palm nuts or a…
system-firma	Concept	Vèvè	The Kongo-derived graphic sign system of Palo Monte and related…
system-ifa	Concept	Marca	The Yorùbá-derived divination system using ikin (palm nuts) or okuele…
system-ita	Concept	Marca	The extended Ifá reading performed for an individual at initiation…
system-nsibidi	Concept	Vèvè	An ideographic script and graphic sign system originating among the…
system-obi	Concept	Marca	Four-piece binary divination using coconut (obi abata) or kola nut (obi…
system-ponto-riscado	Concept	Vèvè	The graphic sign system of Brazilian Umbanda and Quimbanda, consisting of…
system-veve	Concept	Vèvè	The graphic sign system of Haitian Vodou, consisting of elaborate…
system-vititi-nfinda	Concept	Marca	Mirror or reflective-surface divination used in Palo Monte for spiritual…
systemType system type	Property	Core	Typological classification of the sign system.
taboo	Property	Nkisi	Prohibitions associated with this entity: foods, behaviors, or materials…
targetTradition target tradition	Property	Sankofa	The diaspora tradition this movement seeks to reclaim or revitalize.
temperament	Property	Nkisi	General temperament classification.
temperament-cool-sweet	Concept	Nkisi	Entities of cool, gentle, beneficent energy.
temperament-hot-fierce	Concept	Nkisi	Entities of hot, intense, warrior energy.
temperament-liminal	Concept	Nkisi	Entities who exist at thresholds — between life and death, sacred and…
temperament-transformative	Concept	Nkisi	Entities whose primary nature is change, transition, and transformation.
TemporalVariation Temporal Variation	Class	Core	A named temporal regime, calendar cycle, or context that conditions how a…
Testimony	Class	Narrative	A narrated account offered by a participant or witness.
TextSegment Text Segment	Class	Core	An addressable, orderable segment within a narrative or narrative variant.
timing-annual-cycle	Concept	Travay	Performed on an annual cycle, such as anniversary of initiation.
timing-any-time	Concept	Travay	No specific timing requirement; may be performed as needed.
timing-calendar-feast	Concept	Travay	Associated with a specific calendar date or feast day of the presiding…
timing-divination-prescribed	Concept	Travay	Timing determined through divination consultation.
timing-emergency	Concept	Travay	Performed in response to urgent spiritual or physical crisis without time…
timing-life-event	Concept	Travay	Triggered by a specific life event: birth, death, marriage, illness,…
timing-lunar-phase	Concept	Travay	Must be performed during a specific phase of the moon.
timingRequirement timing requirement	Property	Travay	Whether this process has specific timing requirements.
title-abakua-member	Concept	Ilé	Initiated member of an Abakuá potencia.
title-alagba	Concept	Ilé	Senior elder in a Yoruba-derived tradition, often with lineage-wide…
title-araba	Concept	Ilé	Chief Babaláwo in a Yoruba community or lineage.
title-babalawo	Concept	Ilé	Initiated Ifá priest.
title-babalosha	Concept	Ilé	Senior male Orisha priest with the authority to initiate others.
title-ekpe-member	Concept	Ilé	Initiated member of the Ekpe leopard society (Cross River / Calabari…
title-houngan	Concept	Ilé	Male Haitian Vodou priest.
title-iyalosha	Concept	Ilé	Senior female Orisha priest with the authority to initiate others.
title-iyanifa	Concept	Ilé	Female Ifá priest.
title-mae-de-santo	Concept	Ilé	Female head of a Brazilian terreiro.
title-mambo	Concept	Ilé	Female Haitian Vodou priest.
title-olofista	Concept	Ilé	Priest initiated into the Olofin mysteries.
title-olorisha	Concept	Ilé	Initiated Orisha priest of any gender.
title-olu-iroko	Concept	Ilé	Consecration to the Iroko tree spirit.
title-omo-orisha	Concept	Ilé	Initiated child of an orisha.
title-osugbo	Concept	Ilé	Member of the Osugbo/Ogboni earth society, holding judicial and spiritual…
title-other	Concept	Ilé	Other
title-pai-de-santo	Concept	Ilé	Male head of a Brazilian terreiro.
title-tata-nkisi	Concept	Ilé	Male initiated priest in Palo Monte with authority over an nganga.
title-yaya-nkisi	Concept	Ilé	Female initiated priest in Palo Monte with authority over an nganga.
titleConferralMethod title conferral method	Property	Ékpè	How this title is conferred: election, hereditary succession, purchase,…
titleFunction title function	Property	Ékpè	The ritual, ceremonial, or governance function of this title holder.
titleInsignia title insignia	Property	Ékpè	Material objects, dress, or identifying marks associated with this title.
titleName title name	Property	Ékpè	The name of the office or title in the tradition's language.
titleRequiredGrade required grade	Property	Ékpè	The minimum grade required to hold this title.
toqueSequence toque sequence	Property	Ngoma	The full performance sequence: how this rhythm is introduced, developed,…
tradition	Property	Core	The Afro-Atlantic tradition to which this entity belongs.
tradition-21-divisiones	Concept	Core	21 Divisiones
tradition-abakua	Concept	Core	Calabari/Efik-derived all-male secret society in Cuba.
tradition-afro-indigenous	Concept	Core	Traditions that blend African and Indigenous American religious elements.
tradition-akan-derived	Concept	Core	Traditions with primary roots in Akan religious culture.
tradition-arara	Concept	Core	Fon/Ewe-derived tradition in Cuba.
tradition-ausar-auset	Concept	Core	Ausar Auset Society
tradition-bantu-derived	Concept	Core	Traditions with primary roots in Bantu and Kongo religious culture.
tradition-calabari	Concept	Core	Traditions rooted in Efik, Ejagham, and Cross River peoples.
tradition-candomble-angola	Concept	Core	Candomble Angola
tradition-candomble-jeje	Concept	Core	Candomble Jeje
tradition-candomble-ketu	Concept	Core	Yoruba-derived Candomble tradition in Brazil (Nago/Ketu nation).
tradition-ekpe	Concept	Core	Ekpe
tradition-espiritismo	Concept	Core	Espiritismo
tradition-fon-ewe-derived	Concept	Core	Traditions with primary roots in Fon and Ewe religious culture from…
tradition-garifuna	Concept	Core	Garifuna
tradition-haitian-vodou	Concept	Core	The creolized sacred tradition of Haiti, encompassing multiple nanchon…
tradition-hoodoo	Concept	Core	Hoodoo
tradition-kemetic	Concept	Core	Traditions reconstructing or reviving Ancient Egyptian (Kemetic)…
tradition-kemetic-orthodoxy	Concept	Core	Kemetic Orthodoxy
tradition-kromanti	Concept	Core	Kromanti
tradition-kumina	Concept	Core	Kumina
tradition-lucumi	Concept	Core	Yoruba-derived tradition in Cuba.
tradition-new-orleans-voodoo	Concept	Core	The syncretic sacred tradition of New Orleans and Louisiana.
tradition-obeah	Concept	Core	A category of spiritual practice found across the Anglophone Caribbean.
tradition-oyotunji	Concept	Core	African-centered Yoruba revivalist tradition founded in South Carolina.
tradition-palo-mayombe	Concept	Core	Palo Mayombe
tradition-palo-monte	Concept	Core	Bantu-derived Kongo religious tradition in Cuba.
tradition-pan-african	Concept	Core	Traditions that integrate African religious identity with political…
tradition-quimbanda	Concept	Core	Quimbanda
tradition-rastafari	Concept	Core	Rastafari
tradition-syncretic	Concept	Core	Traditions that deliberately blend multiple African, European, or…
tradition-trinidad-orisha	Concept	Core	Trinidad Orisha
tradition-umbanda	Concept	Core	Umbanda
tradition-vodou-ghede	Concept	Core	Ghede nanchon in Haitian Vodou.
tradition-vodou-petwo	Concept	Core	Petwo nanchon in Haitian Vodou.
tradition-vodou-rada	Concept	Core	Rada nanchon in Haitian Vodou.
tradition-winti	Concept	Core	Winti
tradition-yoruba-continental	Concept	Core	Yoruba (continental)
tradition-yoruba-derived	Concept	Core	Traditions with primary roots in Yoruba religious culture.
traditionalName traditional name	Property	Nkisi	Name of this entity in its tradition of origin.
traditionPracticed tradition practiced	Property	Ilé	Tradition(s) practiced in this house.
transmission-combined	Concept	Ilé	Transmission involves both embodied/oral and written components.
transmission-divination-prescribed	Concept	Ilé	The specific form of transmission was determined by divination rather…
transmission-embodied	Concept	Ilé	Knowledge transmitted through physical ceremony, practice, and direct…
transmission-oral	Concept	Ilé	Transmitted through speech, song, proverb, and oral recitation.
transmission-written	Concept	Ilé	Transmitted through notebooks, libreta, manuscripts, or printed texts.
transmissionDate transmission date	Property	Narrative	Date or date range of this transmission event.
transmissionFrom transmission from	Property	Narrative	The agent who transmitted this story to the next link in the chain.
transmissionLineage transmission lineage	Property	Ngoma	The musician lineage through which this rhythm is transmitted.
transmissionMethod transmission method	Property	Ilé	How the authority or knowledge was transmitted.
transmissionNote transmission note	Property	Narrative	Free-text note on context, mode, or conditions of transmission.
transmissionTo transmission to	Property	Narrative	The agent who received this story.
type-decolonization	Concept	Sankofa	Specifically framed efforts to identify and remove colonial impositions…
type-heritage-tourism	Concept	Sankofa	Organized or individual diaspora visits to African source sites for…
type-other	Concept	Sankofa	Movement type not covered by existing concepts.
type-purification	Concept	Sankofa	Efforts within a tradition community to establish or enforce a more…
type-re-africanization	Concept	Sankofa	Efforts to restore African elements to diaspora traditions that have been…
type-reconstruction	Concept	Sankofa	Efforts to create or restore a practice from documentary, archaeological,…
type-repatriation	Concept	Sankofa	Physical return of diaspora people to African source communities,…
type-validation-seeking	Concept	Sankofa	Efforts by diaspora practitioners to obtain formal recognition,…
typicalDuration typical duration	Property	Travay	General duration of this process.
validFrom valid from	Property	Authority	Date from which the authority's governance standing is recognized or…
validUntil valid until	Property	Authority	Date until which the authority's governance standing is recognized.
variantAuthority variant authority	Property	Narrative	The Authority context recognized for this variant.
variantCreatedOn variant created on	Property	Narrative	Date on which this narrative variant was recorded, transcribed, or…
variantEvent variant event	Property	Narrative	The FieldworkEvent or ritual event that captured or generated this…
variantPlace variant place	Property	Narrative	Place where the telling occurred or was recorded.
variantRelation variant relation	Property	Narrative	Typed relationship between two NarrativeVariants.
variantRelationType variant relation type	Property	Narrative	Classifies the nature of a variant relationship — close variant,…
variationCondition variation condition	Property	Core	Text description of the condition that activates this temporal variation.
variationContext variation context	Property	Core	Links a TemporalVariation to a tradition concept, ceremony, or event that…
variationLabel variation label	Property	Core	Human-readable name for the temporal regime or cycle.
varRel-close	Concept	Narrative	Two variants sharing the same core content with minor differences.
varRel-contested	Concept	Narrative	Two variants that contradict each other on a key claim.
varRel-derived	Concept	Narrative	One variant clearly derives from or expands upon the other.
varRel-harmonized	Concept	Narrative	A variant produced by reconciling two or more divergent tellings.
varRel-lineage-bound	Concept	Narrative	A variant that applies only within a specific lineage — not a deviation,…
varRel-translation	Concept	Narrative	A variant that is a translation into another language, which may…
verseLineage verse lineage	Property	Marca	The ile or lineage corpus from which this verse version derives.
verseSign verse sign	Property	Marca	The divination sign to which this verse belongs.
verseSource verse source	Property	Marca	Provenance of this verse record: oral transmission, field recording,…
verseText verse text	Property	Marca	The full text of the verse.
verseTheme verse theme	Property	Marca	Thematic summary of the verse's principal narrative or prescription,…
verseTitle verse title	Property	Marca	The title or opening line of the verse as used within the lineage.
writtenForm written form	Property	Qal	The conventional written form of this term in the liturgical language.