Species in The Oz Series
the people of Voe
Also known as invisible people, such light-hearted folks, the unseen people, our unknown friend, our unseen friend.
The inhabitants of the Valley of Voe, who eat the dama-fruit and are thereby invisible to human and animal eyes; they live in scattered cottages rather than villages, speak courteously to strangers, and are threatened by invisible bears that also eat the fruit.
Appears in 2 chapters, first in chapter 77, last in chapter 78.
This encyclopedia covers chapters 1 to 100 of the story and shows the world as it stands at chapter 100, so it contains spoilers up to that point. To read it spoiler free, one chapter at a time, open the interactive codex.
What the story establishes
| Cultural norms | They live in individual cottages with their own orchards and gardens rather than in clustered villages or towns, and are hospitable toward strangers, offering food readily. (as of ch. 77) |
| Habitat | The Valley of Voe, living in scattered individual cottages surrounded by orchards and gardens. (as of ch. 77) |
| Innate traits | Light-hearted and cheerful in temperament; naturally invisible only because they eat the dama-fruit, not by inherent nature. (as of ch. 77) |
Relationships
- enemy of · the bears of the Valley of Voe ch. 78The bears of the Valley of Voe remain the standing enemy of the people of Voe, who still flee and evade them (e.g. by taking to the water) even after the Wizard slew one lone bear.
- located in → Valley of Voe ch. 77The invisible people of Voe live in scattered cottages throughout the Valley of Voe, each with its own grounds, orchards, and gardens.
- provides service → underground_traveling_party ch. 77The invisible family at the cottage offers the hungry travelers a meal already laid on their table, inviting Dorothy, Zeb, and the Wizard to sit and eat.
- member of ← Ianu ch. 78Ianu is the son of the unseen host family in their cottage in the Valley of Voe, one of the invisible people of Voe.
- rescues → underground_traveling_party (ended) ch. 78An unseen girl of Voe rescues the travelers from the bears by pulling up a broad-leaved plant and telling them to rub its leaves on their feet so they can walk on the river, where the bears will not follow.
- warns → underground_traveling_party (ended) ch. 78An unseen person of Voe warns the traveling party that bears are near and cautions them to be careful, then instructs them how to escape onto the river.
- warns → the bears of the Valley of Voe (ended) ch. 78The unseen person's warning to the travelers is specifically about the danger posed by the Valley's bears, naming them as the threat to watch for.
- communicates with → underground_traveling_party (ended) ch. 77The unseen people of Voe converse with the arriving travelers from an invisible cottage, explaining who they are, the nature of the Valley of Voe, and the danger of the invisible bears.
- communicates with → underground_traveling_party (ended) ch. 78The unseen family hosting the travelers converses with them at length over dinner, explaining life in the Valley of Voe, the invisibility caused by the dama-fruit, the danger of the bears, and the route over the Pyramid Mountain toward the Land of Naught.
- member of ← Overman-Anu (ended) ch. 78Overman-Anu is identified by the unseen man as "our" greatest Champion, marking him as a member of the people of Voe who fought on their behalf against the Gargoyles.
- warns → underground_traveling_party (ended) ch. 77The invisible people of Voe warn the travelers that fierce, invisible bears roam the Valley of Voe and will catch and eat anyone they can find, including Jim the horse since he cannot fight.
- fears ← Eureka (ended) ch. 78When an unseen hand suddenly clutches and suspends her in the air after she jumps on the dinner table, Eureka is frantic with terror and tries to scratch and bite before being dropped.
From the text
"For two reasons, my dear," the woman's voice answered. "The dama-fruit is the most delicious thing that grows, and when it makes us invisible the bears cannot find us to eat us up."Chapter 77
"Are you surprised that you are unable to see the people of Voe?"Chapter 77
"We are not vain in the Valley of Voe, because we can not display our beauty, and good actions and pleasant ways are what make us lovely to our companions."Chapter 78
See the people of Voe chapter by chapter in the interactive codex →