Ayesha is the title character of She, subtitled A History of Adventure, a novel by H. Rider Haggard. Ayesha is called Hiya by the native Amahagger, or “She” (She-who-must-be-obeyed). Ayesha was born over 2,000 years ago amongst the Arabs, mastering the lore of the ancients and becoming a great sorceress. Learning of the Pillar of Life in the African interior, she journeyed to the ruined kingdom of Kôr, feigning friendship with a hermit who was the keeper of the Flame that granted immortality. She bathed in the Pillar of Life’s fire. Her name Ayesha is of Arabic origin and according to the author should be pronounced “Assha”. The story is a first-person narrative which follows the journey of Horace Holly and his ward Leo Vincey to a lost kingdom in the African interior. They encounter a primitive race of natives and a mysterious white queen named Ayesha who reigns as the all-powerful “She-who-must-be-obeyed”. Haggard developed many of the conventions of the lost world genre which countless authors have emulated. Haggard was inspired by his experiences living in South Africa for seven years (1875–82) working at the highest levels of the British colonial administration. In the figure of She, the novel notably explored themes of female authority and feminine behaviour. Its representation of womanhood has received both praise and criticism.
First Appearance “She” serialized in The Graphic (October 1886 and January 1887)
First Publisher Longmans
Appearance List Literary: “She” serialized in The Graphic (October 1886 and January 1887), She (1887), Ayesha (1905), She and Allan (1921), Wisdom’s Daughter (1923). Comics: Stories by Famous Authors #3. Film: The Pillar of Fire (1899, dir. Georges Méliès), She (1908, dir. Edwin S. Porter), She (American, 1911), She (British, 1916), She (American, 1917, lost film), She (silent, 1925), She (1935), She (1965).
Description Ayesha is the title character of She, subtitled A History of Adventure, a novel by H. Rider Haggard. Ayesha is called Hiya by the native Amahagger, or “She” (She-who-must-be-obeyed). Ayesha was born over 2,000 years ago amongst the Arabs, mastering the lore of the ancients and becoming a great sorceress. Learning of the Pillar of Life in the African interior, she journeyed to the ruined kingdom of Kôr, feigning friendship with a hermit who was the keeper of the Flame that granted immortality. She bathed in the Pillar of Life’s fire. Her name Ayesha is of Arabic origin and according to the author should be pronounced “Assha”. The story is a first-person narrative which follows the journey of Horace Holly and his ward Leo Vincey to a lost kingdom in the African interior. They encounter a primitive race of natives and a mysterious white queen named Ayesha who reigns as the all-powerful “She-who-must-be-obeyed”. Haggard developed many of the conventions of the lost world genre which countless authors have emulated. Haggard was inspired by his experiences living in South Africa for seven years (1875–82) working at the highest levels of the British colonial administration. In the figure of She, the novel notably explored themes of female authority and feminine behaviour. Its representation of womanhood has received both praise and criticism.
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