The Drinkard’s wife, who also remains unnamed, serves as the deuteragonist and the narrator’s steadfast companion. Introduced as a beautiful but headstrong daughter of a town chief, she initially appears vain and foolish, as she impulsively follows the complete gentleman into the forest, captivated by his superficial beauty. Her subsequent rescue and marriage to the Drinkard mark her initiation into his bizarre quest. Throughout their journey, she evolves into a figure of immense resilience and practicality, often acting as a grounding force for her magically-reliant husband. She endures unimaginable hardships, including giving birth to a monstrous, preternaturally strong child from her thumb, being transformed into a kitten and a wooden doll, and being swallowed by the hungry-creature alongside her husband. Despite these traumas, she rarely falters in her loyalty to the Drinkard, sharing in his punishments and aiding in their survival.

While the Drinkard relies on his juju, his wife often displays the kind of quiet wisdom and foresight that he lacks. Her pronouncements can be cryptic yet prophetic, suggesting a deeper understanding of the supernatural world they traverse. When she first encounters the Red-lady, for example, she observes that “this is only fear for the heart but not dangerous to the heart” (77), a statement that proves true when the seemingly terrifying Red-people turn out to be victims themselves. Later, when the Drinkard volunteers to be sacrificed, she reassures him by repeating her enigmatic line about “a brief loss of woman” and “a shorter separation from lover,” (88) foreshadowing their reunion. These moments position her as an insightful partner whose intuition complements the Drinkard’s magical brute force. Throughout the story, her core traits of loyalty and endurance are constant, but she is also defined by her complex experiences and her blend of pragmatism and subtle wisdom.

Her role in the narrative is complex. She is a damsel in distress who must be rescued, a loyal companion on the hero’s journey, and an occasional fount of wisdom. Her suffering is often more visceral and personal than that of her husband. She is the one who must carry the burdensome half-bodied baby on her head, for example. She also is a moral and narrative anchor. Her presence humanizes the Drinkard, giving him someone to protect and interact with beyond the monsters he encounters. Through her, the narrative explores themes of companionship and endurance in a world where the laws of reality are constantly in flux. Her journey alongside the Drinkard emphasizes the idea that survival in this chaotic world requires magic, but also an unyielding, if sometimes inexplicable, loyalty.

The palm-wine tapster, named Baity, is the catalyst for the entire narrative, though he appears in person only briefly at the story’s climax. His life and, more importantly, his death are the direct cause of the Drinkard’s quest. In life, he was an “expert palm-wine tapster” (1) who could produce a seemingly endless supply of wine, enabling the Drinkard’s idyllic and indolent lifestyle. His sudden death represents the end of this paradise, forcing the protagonist out of his comfortable stasis and into the dangerous, unknown world of the bush. As the object of the Drinkard’s 10-year search, the tapster is a narrative goal that drives the plot forward and justifies the hero’s many trials.

When the Drinkard finally reaches the Deads’ Town, the tapster speaks directly to the novel’s theme of The Uncrossable Divide Between Life and Death. Although he greets the Drinkard warmly, he has been fundamentally changed by death. He now walks backward, like all the other dead, and is part of a society whose customs are antithetical to those of the living. He firmly rejects the Drinkard’s plea to return with him, explaining that “a dead man could not live with alives and their characteristics would not be the same” (108). This statement solidifies the boundary between the two worlds, making it clear that even the most powerful magic and the most determined quest cannot reverse the state of death. The tapster is not a prisoner to be rescued. He is a permanent resident of another realm. His refusal to return forces the Drinkard to finally abandon his quest to reclaim the past. As a parting gift, he gives the Drinkard the magical egg, a powerful but unstable symbol of the supernatural aid that the world of the dead can offer the living, but only at a distance.

The complete gentleman is a symbolic antagonist who embodies the dangers of superficiality and deception. He appears in the market as a perfectly handsome man, so beautiful that he would be valued at £2000. This stunning appearance captivates the chief’s daughter, who abandons her wares to follow him. This beauty is reinforced by the Drinkard’s narration, as he admits that he can entirely understand why his future wife would be so captivated by the complete gentleman’s appearance. This beauty is a temporary illusion, however, constructed from body parts rented from various owners. As he travels back into the forest, the complete gentleman systematically disassembles himself, returning each part—feet, belly, arms, neck—until only a Skull remains. The completeness of the gentleman, the novel suggests, is an illusion built on rent and exchange. This grotesque transformation serves as the core of a cautionary tale, illustrating the horrifying reality that can hide beneath a flawless exterior.

As a character, the Skull serves a specific moral and narrative purpose. He is more than just a monster, as he is portrayed as a living symbol of false appearances. His story arc, titled DO NOT FOLLOW UNKNOWN MAN’S BEAUTY, is a self-contained fable within the larger narrative. He is cruel and possessive, trapping the woman in his subterranean home and rendering her mute with a cowrie tied around her neck. His power lies in his initial deception and the magical, oppressive control he exerts over his victim. The Drinkard’s ability to outwit him and rescue the woman marks his first significant heroic act, undertaken as a task to gain information but nonetheless establishing his credentials as the Father of gods.

These two characters represent monstrous and burdensome consequences that arise from the supernatural realities of the Drinkard’s world. Zurrjir is the first child of the Drinkard and his wife, born from the wife’s swollen thumb a short time after their marriage. He emerges fully grown and speaking, with a preternatural strength and a malevolent, destructive nature. He quickly becomes a tyrant in the household, consuming all the food, beating people, and burning houses. He is a force of pure chaos, the novel suggests, an unnatural child who must be destroyed. The Drinkard disposes of him by trapping him in a burning house, an act of desperation that leads to further consequences.

From the ashes of Zurrjir rises the half-bodied baby, a creature who is even more of a parasite. This baby is insatiable, swallowing entire meals in an instant. He becomes a physical and social burden that forces the Drinkard and his wife into exile. He cannot be fought or abandoned; when they try to leave him, he magically blinds them and stops their breathing until they take him back. This character symbolizes an inescapable problem, a haunting repercussion of a past deed. The only way the couple can be free of him is to transfer the burden to other, more powerful supernatural entities: Drum, Song, and Dance. The baby is mesmerized by their performance and follows them away, freeing the Drinkard and his wife. This resolution suggests that, in the novel’s world, some problems are not solved but merely passed along to forces capable of absorbing them.

The Faithful-Mother is a benevolent supernatural being who is an archetypal mentor or helper figure. She resides within a giant, magical White Tree, which is a sanctuary from the dangers of the bush. Her domain is a place of peace, abundance, and order, featuring a grand hall with endless food, drink, and entertainment. In this space, the ordinary rules of the Drinkard’s world are suspended; here, one can literally sell one’s death and lend one’s fear. The Faithful-Mother’s role is to aid those in distress, offering them shelter and healing. She treats the Drinkard and his wife with kindness, allowing them to recover from their ordeal in the Unreturnable-Heaven’s town. Her help, however, is temporary. After a year, she insists they continue their journey, reinforcing the idea that her sanctuary is a respite, not a final destination. She shows a force of kindness and order within the chaotic and often hostile supernatural landscape, providing the protagonists with the physical and psychological resources to continue their quest.