Character guide

Allan Quatermain

major

Also known as myself, your, I

Allan Quatermain is the voice through which these stories reach us — a veteran hunter who has traded years of his life for a rough fortune in ivory and gold, and who now recounts his past to a visitor by the fire. He is a man of restless curiosity and occasional folly, as his disastrous investment in a Pilgrims' Rest gold claim shows, yet he is also a keen observer of landscapes and people. His storytelling frames the entire collection, and his willingness to admit his own mistakes makes him an unusually honest guide into the dangers ahead.

Sir Henry Curtis

major

Also known as Curtis, Harry, Harry—‘yer

Sir Henry Curtis is a man of enormous physical presence and even larger generosity, the kind of host who fills his hall with guests and his lungs with laughter. He guards the secret of his African treasure with playful stubbornness, refusing to speak of it until Quatermain arrives to tell the tale properly. His loyalty to Quatermain — and the hint that none of them would be alive without him — establishes the deep bond of trust that underpins the adventures to come.

Mashune

supporting

Also known as thou, thee, thy

Mashune belongs to the small circle of African servants and hunters who accompany Quatermain through the wilderness, sharing its dangers and its strange encounters. His faithfulness stands in quiet contrast to the solitary, often perilous existence Quatermain describes, where the wilderness has been both mother and potential grave. Though his role is supporting, he embodies the human bonds that make Quatermain's rough life bearable and the adventures possible.

Magepa the Buck

supporting

Also known as Magepa, old Magepa, old Magepa the Buck

Magepa is a tall, elderly Zulu of gentle bearing and remarkable hands, a man who fought beside Quatermain at the Tugela and survived when three thousand of his regiment did not. Now living quietly with his wives and widowed daughter Gita, he dotes on his grandson Sinala, the last of his line, even as he senses war gathering around Cetewayo's Zululand. Quatermain's admiration for him — recorded in a note wondering whether the 'Land Beyond' rewards such devotion — signals that Magepa's story will test what heroism truly means.

Pharaoh

supporting

Also known as holloaed Pharaoh

Pharaoh belongs to the small retinue of creatures and companions that share Quatermain's rough existence as an elephant-hunter, where the wilderness serves as both provider and threat. In a life measured by long absences, strange adventures, and the deaths of those close to him, a faithful animal offers a steadiness that human company cannot always supply. His presence in the stories reminds readers that Quatermain's world is not only one of gold and guns but of small, loyal attachments.

Macumazahn

supporting

Also known as your

Macumazahn is not a separate person but the name by which Africans know Allan Quatermain, a mark of the respect and familiarity he has earned over years of hunting, trading, and fighting alongside Zulu warriors. When Magepa the Buck greets him with that name at the kraal, it carries the weight of shared history — the battle of the Tugela, the court of King Panda, the dangerous politics of Cetewayo's rise. The name anchors Quatermain in a world where reputation is earned by watchfulness and survival, and where old alliances can still be called upon.

Lion

minor

Also known as myself

A majestic and dangerous lion encountered by Quatermain in a tale.

Tom

minor

Also known as Accordingly Tom, Handspike Tom, Mr. Tom, Mr. Handspike Tom

A sailor and companion of Quatermain, known for his handiness with a handspike.

Hans

supporting

Also known as the Hottentot Hans, Accordingly Hans, the Hottentot

A Hottentot servant and tracker whose loyalty to Quatermain is matched only by his talent for comic misadventure in the field.

Allan Quatermain

major

Also known as Mr. Allan Quatermain, Mr. Quatermain, old Quatermain, the late Allan Quatermain, old Allan

A veteran elephant-hunter and gold prospector who narrates his African adventures with hard-won wisdom and a dry, self-deprecating wit.

Jim

supporting

Also known as Jim - Jim, poor Jim - Jim, III Jim - Jim Is

A Zulu servant whose courage and devotion to Quatermain are tested when lions stalk the camp and terror stalks his imagination.

Captain Good

supporting

Also known as Good

A naval officer and trusted companion whose monocle, precise habits, and unflappable manner bring order to Quatermain's wildest expeditions.

Poor Hans

minor

Also known as Hans

A Hottentot servant who meets a tragic end during an adventure.

Gita

minor

A young Zulu woman involved in a romantic subplot.

Cetewayo

minor

Also known as the Prince Cetewayo

A Zulu prince and later king, a historical figure encountered by Quatermain.

Master Harry

minor

A young English boy under Quatermain's care during a journey.

The Zulu

minor

Also known as Zulu

A representative of the Zulu people, often a warrior or servant.

Koos

supporting

A Hottentot tracker whose sharp eyes and steady nerves make him invaluable on hunts, though the wilderness he loves may yet claim him.

Kaptein

minor

Also known as old Kaptein, poor Kaptein

An old Hottentot servant who accompanies Quatermain on his journeys.

Hunter Quatermain

minor

Also known as Quatermain, Here Quatermain

An alternate reference to Allan Quatermain, the famous hunter.

The English

minor

A collective term for English colonists and travelers in Africa.

The Kaffirs

minor

Also known as Kaffirs

A generic term for indigenous African people in the narrative.

Sinala

minor

Also known as little Sinala

A young Zulu boy who appears in a story of adventure.

King Solomon

minor

The biblical king referenced in legends of hidden treasure in Africa.

Inkoos

minor

A Zulu term of address meaning 'chief' or 'lord', used for Quatermain.

Pilgrims

minor

A group of travelers on a quest, referenced in a story.