| She Who Must Be Obeyed | |
|---|---|
 | |
|
Real Name |
Ayesha/Hiya/Asha |
|
First Appearance |
She (1887) |
|
Original Publisher |
Longmans |
|
Created by |
H. Rider Haggard |
Origin[]
Ayesha, Hiya or Asha is an immortal woman, rumored to be 2,000 years old, regenerated by a mysterious flame within her subterranean temple which is guarded by the mysterious Amahagger tribe.
Ayesha in the Pillar of Flame.
Her secret African realm, Kôr, houses great wealth, strange mysteries of a lost world, and the dark secret of her megalomaniacal rulership. She tolerates no disobedience from any, even the white visitors whose expedition so intrigues her.
There seems to be some small degree of uncertainty whether her powers as a sorceress are merely trickery, but they are generally pretty convincing. She seems to have the ability to do incredible things, such as summoning storms on command and killing men by mere willpower.
Allan Quatermain, in one of his later adventures, travels to Kôr, and is confronted by She Who Must Be Obeyed.
Public Domain Literary Appearances[]
- She (1887)
- Ayesha (1905)
- She and Allan (1921)
- Wisdom's Daughter (1923)
Public Domain Comic Appearances[]
- Stories by Famous Authors #3 (Seaboard Publishing/Famous Authors Illustrated)
Notes[]
- Ayesha was one of the main inspirations for Jadis the White Witch in C.S. Lewis' The Chronicles of Narnia and the elf-queen Galadriel in J.R.R. Tolkien’s Middle Earth.