Scent of Food (Olfactory Imagery)
The text opens with the lines: "I try not to think of her. But when I do, I think of rice. When Mama was around, the hut always smelled of jollof rice." The olfactory imagery of food surrounds Zélie's nostalgic childhood memories.
When Zélie first enters the divîner camp, the scent of familiar foods like "fried plantain and jollof rice" makes her feel instantly at home. When Zélie embraces her mother in the afterlife, she "smells of warm spices and sauces, the mixtures she brewed in her jollof rice.”
Nature (Visual & Visceral Imagery)
The Orïshan landscape encompasses a variety of climates, described with visual and visceral imagery. For example, in the desert of Ibeji, "heat bounces off the sand in waves, blurring the horizon." Zélie, Tzain, and Amari's physical discomfort is evident. When they reach the "lush forests of the Gombe River Valley," they encounter "trees so wide one trunk could fit an entire ahéré."
The Scent of Souls (Olfactory Imagery)
Throughout the text, Inan and Zélie sense other's souls, which they experience as distinct scents. These fragrances reveal information about a character's personality. For example, Lekan's soul smells like “burnt timber and coal,” indicating the sêntaro's simmering power and loss. Inan frequently remarks on the “sea-salt scent" of Zélie's soul; Zélie feels most at home by the sea.
Architecture (Visual Imagery)
Architecture is used throughout the text to signify status and identity and to compare privilege and class. Different settings, such as Ilorin, Lagos, and Gombe, have distinct architectural styles that symbolize the status of the occupants of those cities.
In Lagos, for instance, the "pristine white walls and gilded arches" of the palace contrast starkly with the dilapidated slums in which the divîners live. The temple of Chândomblé's architecture represents the majis' relationship to magic. After the monarchy banned magic, the temple was destroyed. Though it stands in ruins, inside, "each meter of stone is covered in vibrant paints illustrating the ten gods, the maji clans, everything in between." This architectural imagery demonstrates that, though magic is dormant in Orïsha, the majis' rich heritage survives.
