Lexicon

A
Abuela: The female head of household. Literal meaning "grandmother". Within series timeframe, the abuela of Heirba were a caste of female-exclusive land/property managers to whom all other members of the family and any bondsfolk where responsible to. Most villages had 4-6 abuela that were themselves accountable to the aciana. There are an estimated 10,000 abuela in Hierba ( 1 per village household). Abuela are almost always born in the contado but not necessarily the township they co-manage.

Aciana: The village elder or "mayor" who was accountable for a township to their condado's condesa. Most aciana are initiates of Tierra Madre, literate and teachers/keepers of the la sacrata oral traditions. There are an estimated 2000 aciana in Hierba. They generally choose their own successors. Aciana are almost always born into households of the township they steward.

El Apocalipsis: The 90 year period between 2040 CE and the Restoration Era (RE 1 or 2130 CE) in which modern civilization collapsed. Human population decreased by 80-90%. Technology dramatically reset. The book series only looks how human culture recovered during the 8 generations (240 years) following El Apocalipsis in the distinct area of the Midwestern United States, specifically Kansas (Hierba), Iowa (Eastern Delamaize) and neighboring states.

Artesane: A very generalized caste of professional tradecrafters in Hierba. There are more of them in ciudads than villages. Weavers, shoemakers, tailors, furniture makers, millers are examples of artesane. Prestigious Artesanes (especially abuelas such as Dama Fatima Tejedora) often use a more customized caste name for themselves and their households. Each ciudad has around 50 artesans with the less populated and industrialized townships having just 1-2.

B
Book of the Earth: a compilation of Hierban sacred scriptures (sagrate) attributed to Luna Aradia. Most commonly, sagrate is taught as an oral tradition to all children. Illustrated copies of the Book of Earth are treasured possessions by the Hierban literate castes. It is the most widely distributed text in Hiebra.

Bondsfolk: The lowest socio-economic class in Heirba comprised of both sexes and all genders. They are laborers who are contracted from the ages of 12-40 by a condesa, aciana, or abuela. Most typically, they are orphans or otherwise excess or unwanted children who are indentured outside their birth village to somewhere else within the contado. All male bondsmen are nuetered and female bondswomen are denied motherhood privileges. Bondsfolk lack citizenship privileges but la sacrata enforces their rights to food, shelter, medical care, clothing and other basic needs. The village aciana is expected to ensure any and all bondsfolk residing in the township are treated humanely by their employer. There are an estimated 30,0000 bondsfolk (2-4 per village household average)

C
Cáliz: The Hierban matriarch or queen. Since the Restoration period began there have been seven Cáliz. When Dionn is turning 12 (start of novel series), Katherine had been Cáliz for 18 years. She was the successor of Nimue (6 years reign) who was the successor of Viviana (30 years). The rest of Cáliz (backward to founder) isn't mentioned in book one but is: Barbara > Judith > Abril Luna > Luna Aradia. Not every previous Cáliz ruled for exactly 30 years, but all of their reigns fell within 25-35 years in length. The oral tradition vs. actual history marks each reign as a generation which Katherine & Nimue share with a total of 174 years at series beginning since the start of the Restoration.

Ciudad: The equivalent of a county seat, the economic and governmental center of a condado. La sacrata limits them in population to five hundred residents over the age of 12.

Condesa: The provincial administrator of each of Hierba's one hundrd condados. As a socio-economic class, the condesa are have the most status and prestige outside of the Hierban capital and the National University. Condesa can groom and suggest successors to the Caliz but they are promoted by her and can be removed from office at will. Katherine is believed to be the first Cáliz to have made over 6+ transgenera Condesa appointments (1/4 of her total appointments) during her time in office at the start of the book series. Under Katherine's regime, most condesa are not only literate but had at least one year at university. Condesa are typically born into the condado they govern, but not necessarily so.

Condado: territorial divisions in Hiebra who's chief administer is called a condesa. There are 105 contados and condessa in Hiebera at the start of the book series. Each contado is further divided into townships limited to two hundred residents and one ciudad township limited to five hundred residents. The administrator of a township is called an abuela.

D
Dama: a Hierban formal term of respect for a woman of equal or higher caste. A less formal equivalent address ma'am. The only male equivalent is sir. It is used for both biological females and transgendera.

E
El Guapo: The title given to the 3+ virils who participate in the Ostara ceremonies to help potential mothers conceive. They do not use their actual first and caste names. Sagrate dictates that none of them is recognized as the father of any children born and they have no paternal rights or responsibilities. It is custom for El Guapos to arrive together in a village by ceremonial coach after sundown the night before Ostara and depart the same way the morning after. They wear special costumes of green, orange, and yellow that include leather collars, wrist bands and leg bands with metal loops by which the Spring Lady (or Ladies) can lead them around, tie them up, and play licentious games for that one day.

G
Granjera: Female citizen farmers of Hierba; male counterparts are called Granjero. Mixed groups are called Granjere. A large mostly rural work caste throughout the Unión dela Reinas. In Hierba, Granjera are not landowners. They typically form one or two households connected together by blood or adoption. Granjera are citizens unlike bondsfolk. All farm animals, agricultural tools, and raw produce (grains, fruits, vegetables, meat, wool, etc.) considered the shared property of the family/household who's Abuela is accountable for seeing it best purposed by the village. It is customary for the youngest Granjere to live with their mothers and siblings or the mother/siblings of their best friends or lovers. The oldest Granjera daughter inherits her Granjera mother's house and has final word on who lives with her and what household chores each of them is expected to preform. The village Aciana must approve the addition of bedrooms or building of new Granjera homes.

H
Hermane: The caste name of the Temple priesthood. Hermane begin training as Noviciade at the age of 12-14 and take their final vows with accompanying privileges and responsibilities between the age of 18-20. While the Quorum of High Temple are exclusively female in gender, there is a slight majority of male hermane (hermanos) vs. female hermane (hermanas) in the lower echelons.

High Temple: The oldest and largest of the Hierban temples where Luna Aradia lived in Ozawkie before the completion of the nearby palace. Estelle is fully sequestered there after the assassination of Barloc and Noah.

L
Lands of Na: A phrase used in book series to refer to the geography and political territories of North America, especially post-apocalipsis. Human population of Na went from an estimated 580 million people in 2022 to less than 100 million people when the series takes place roughly 200 years later. The novel series focusses on a centralized part of Na that includes Hierba, Missuri, Western and Eastern Delamaize, and Perdition.

P-Q
Pastore: The caste of shepherds, goatherds, cowherds and other handlers of grazing livestock. Males are called Pastors; females are called Pastoras. Typically, they are accountable to either the leader of the Granjere (like Evar is to Sedar during Dionn's childhood) or to the local Aciana or Condesa. There are somewhere around 3000 Pastore, usually 1-2 per Hierban township.

Penitente: subcaste of bondsfolk who are indentured to temples either voluntarily or remanded by authorities to serve penance ranging from 1 year to life. Most temples seek to have 1-4 penitentes in residence; sacrate dictate the terms of their servitude more strictly than that of secular bondsfolk.

Pescadore: the caste of freshwater fisherman in Hierba. They are most common in townships like those of the Waconda Lake region. Males are Pescador, females are Pescadora. They craft and maintain most of the equipment of their trade, living in households similar to the Granjere (farmers). There are somewhere around 3000 Pescadore but they are not evenly distributed between townships.

The Priesthood of Terra Madre is Heirba's only recognized religious institution. The caste name for fully initiated priests are Hermane (Hermana for female & Hermano for male). There are roughly 500 fully ordained priests spread throughout the hundred temples (1 per condado) with another 1500 noviates and bondsfolk called Penitente residing in the temples.

Quorum of High Temple: The Quorum is composed the Cáliz and at least four other priestesses who live at High Temple as administers and scholars.

S
Sagrate (also called La Sacrata) are religious dictums attributed to Luna Aradia and successive Cáliz that are taught throughout Hiebra by the Priesthood and via texts like The Book Of The Earth.

T
Tejedore: One of the Artesane subcastes, specifically professional weavers and other kinds of clothmakers. Males use Tejedor, females use Tejedora.

U-V
Unión dela Reinas: The midwestern matriarchies which include Hierba, Eastern & Western Delamaize, Missuri, and 5 others. Most commonly referred to as The Union.