Bill Hillman's
ERB ORBS
The Worlds of Edgar Rice Burroughs

presents

Huck's Barsoom Glossary
by J. G. Huckenpöhler

The Martian stories of Edgar Rice Burroughs have been called, and rightly, the greatest sustained pieces of imaginative fiction in literary history. In Barsoom ERB created an entire culture with a history going back thousands of years, and peopled this planet with a large number of strange races and equally strange fauna and flora.

This glossary first appeared, in much abbreviated form, as an appendix to THUVIA, MAID OF MARS, in 1920. I have greatly expanded it, including a number of terms not found in the earlier version, as well as enlarging it to cover the many terms introduced in the eight stories written since the glossary was first published. The finished product is a compilation which will, I feel be useful to the advanced Burroughs reader and the new ERB fans as well.

I have combined the four short stories which make up LLANA OF GATHOL, but have not done so for the two in JOHN CARTER OF MARS, as there is no direct connection between them. After each entry I have inserted in parentheses the abbreviation of the story in which the term is first introduced. The stories, with their abbreviations, and dates of writing, are as follows: I have combined the four short stories which make up LLANA OF GATHOL, but have not done so for the two in JOHN CARTER OF MARS, as there is no direct connection between them.
                                                                                                ---J. G. H.

[Editor's Note: Each of the following titles is linked to our cover gallery where the book's art is displayed - the reader might also be interested in visiting the ERB LifeLine where events surrounding the writing of these books are chronicled]

A PRINCESS OF MARS (PM) -- 1911

CHAPTER TITLES
Foreword // 1. On the Arizona Hills // 2. The Escape of the Dead // 3. My Advent on Mars // 4. A Prisoner // 5. I Elude My Watch Dog // 6. A Fight That Won Friends // 7. Child-Raising on Mars // 8. A Fair Captive from the Sky // 9. I Learn the Language // 10. Champion and Chief // 11. With Dejah Thoris // 12. A Prisoner with Power // 13. Love-Making on Mars // 14. A Duel to the Death // 15. Sola Tells Me Her Story // 16. We Plan Escape // 17. A Costly Recapture // 18. Chained in Warhoon // 19. Battling in the Arena // 20. In the Atmosphere Factory // 21. An Air Scout for Zodanga // 22. I Find Dejah // 23. Lost in the Sky // 24. Tars Tarkas Finds a Friend // 25. The Looting of Zodanga // 26. Through Carnage to Joy // 27. From Joy to Death // 28. At the Arizona Cave
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       THE GODS OF MARS (GM) -- 1912

CHAPTER TITLES
Foreword // 1. The Plant Men // 2. A Forest Battle // 3. The Chamber of Mystery // 4. Thuvia // 5. Corridors of Peril // 6. The Black Pirates of Barsoom // 7. A Fair Goddess // 8. The Depths of Omean // 9. Issus, Goddess of Life Eternal // 10. The Prison Isle of Shador // 11. When Hell Broke Loose // 12. Doomed to Die // 13. A Break for Liberty // 14. The Eyes in the Dark // 15. Flight and Pursuit // 16. Under Arrest // 17. The Death Sentence // 18. Sola's Story // 19. Black Despair // 20. The Air Battle // 21. Through Flood and Flame // 22. Victory and Defeat
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THE WARLORD OF MARS (WM) -- 1913

CHAPTER  TITLES
1. On the River Iss // 2. Under the Mountains // 3. The Temple of the Sun // 4. The Secret Tower // 5. On the Kaolian Road // 6. A Hero in Kaol // 7. New Allies // 8. Through the Carrion Caves // 9. With the Yellow Men // 10. In Durance // 11. The Pit of Plenty // 12. "Follow the Rope!" // 13. The Magnet Switch // 14. The Tide of Battle // 15. Rewards // 16. The New Ruler
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THUVIA, MAID OF MARS (TMM) -- 1914

CHAPTER  TITLES
Carthoris and Thuvia // Slavery // Teachery // A Green Man's Captive // The Fair Race // The Jeddak of Lothar // The Phantom Bowmen // The Hall of Doom // The Battle in the Plain // Kar Komak, the Bowman // Green Men and White Apes // To Save Dusar // Turjun, the Panthan // Kulan Tith's Sacrifice
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THE CHESSMEN OF MARS (CM) -- 1921

CHAPTER  TITLES
Prelude: John Carter Comes To Earth // 1. Tara In A Tantrum // 2. At the Gale's Mercy // 3. The Headless Humans // 4. Captured // 5. The Perfect Brain // 6. In the Toils of Horror // 7. A Repellent Sight // 8. Close Work // 9. Adrift Over Strange Regions // 10. Entrapped // 11. The Choice of Tara // 12. Ghek Plays Pranks // 13. A Desperate Deed // 14. At Ghek's Command // 15. The Old Man of the Pits // 16. Another Change of Name // 17. A Play to the Death // 18. A Task for Loyalty // 19. The Menace of the Dead // 20. The Charge of Cowardice // 21. A Risk for Love // 22. At the Moment of Marriage // Jetan, or Martian Chess
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THE MASTER MIND OF MARS (MMM) -- 1925

CHAPTER  TITLES
A Letter // 1. The House of the Dead // 2. Preferment // 3. Valla Dia // 4. The Compact // 5. Danger // 6. Suspicions // 7. Escape // 8. Hands Up! // 9. The Palace of Mu Tel // 10. Phundahl // 11. Xaxa // 12. The Great Tur // 13. Back to Thavas // 14. John Carter

A FIGHTING MAN OF MARS (FMM) -- 1929

CHAPTER  TITLES
Foreword // 1. Sanoma Tora // 2. Brought Down // 3. Cornered // 4. Tavia // 5. To the Pits // 6. Sentenced to Die // 7. The Death // 8. The Spider of Ghasta // 9. Phor Tak of Jhama // 10. The Flying Death // 11. "Let the Fire Be Hot!" // 12. The Cloak of Invisibility // 13. Tul Axtar's Women // 14. The Cannibals of U-Gor // 15. The Battle of Jahar // 16. Despair // 17. I Find a Princess

SWORDS OF MARS (SM) -- 1933

CHAPTER  TITLES
Prologue // 1. Rapas the Ulsio // 2. Fal Sivas // 3. Trapped // 4. Death by Night // 5. The Brain // 6. The Ship // 7. The Face in the Doorway // 8. Suspicion // 9. On the Balcony // 10. Jat Or // 11. In the House of Gar Nal // 12. "We Must Both Die!" // 13. Pursued // 14. On to Thuria // 15. Thuria // 16. Invisible Foes // 17. The Cat-Man // 18. Condemned to Death // 19. Ozara // 20. We Attempt Escape // 21. In the Tower of Diamonds // 22. In the Dark Cell // 23. The Secret Door // 24. Back to Barsoom

SYNTHETIC MEN OF MARS (SMM) -- 1938

CHAPTER  TITLES
1. Where is Ras Thavas? // 2. The Mission of the Warlord // 3. The Invincible Warriors // 4. The Secret of the Marshes // 5. The Judgement of the Jeds // 6. Ras Thavas, Master Mind of Mars // 7. The Vats of Life // 8. The Red Assassin // 9. Man Into Hormad // 10. I Find Janai // 11. War of the Seven Jeds // 12. Warrior's Reward // 13. John Carter Disappears // 14. When the Monster Grows // 15. I Find My  Master // 16. The Jeddak Speaks // 17. Escape Us Never // 18. Treason Island // 19. Night Flight // 20. The Mighty Jed of Gooli // 21. Duel to the Death // 22. Off for Phundahl // 23. Captives of Amber // 24. Caged // 25. Prince in a Zoo // 26. The Bite of the Adder // 27. Flight Into Jeopardy // 28. The Great Fleet // 29. Back Toward Morbus // 30. The End of Two Worlds // 31 Adventure's End

JOHN CARTER AND THE GIANT OF MARS (JCGM) -- 1939

CHAPTER  TITLES
1. Abduction // 2. The Search // 3. Joog, The Giant // 4. The City of Rats // 5. Chamber of Horrors // 6. Pew Mogel // 7. Flying Terror // 8. The Reptile Pit // 9. Attack on Helium // 10. Two Thousand Parachutes // 11. A Daring Plan // 12. The Fate of a Nation // 13. Panic // 14. Adventure's End

LLANA OF GATHOL (LG) -- 1940

CHAPTER  TITLES
Foreword // Book 1: The Ancient Dead (The City of Mummies) // Book 2: The Black Pirates of Barsoom // Book 3: Escape On Mars (Yellow Men of Mars) // Book 4: Invisible Men of Mars  

SKELETON MEN OF JUPITER (SMJ) -- 1941

CHAPTER  TITLES
Forward // 1. Betrayed // 2. U Dan // 3. The Morgors of Sasoom // 4. ...and the Savators // 5. I Would Be A Traitor // 6. Escape // 7. Pho Lar // 8. In the Arena // 9. To Zanor!
AAANTHOR A dead city of ancient Mars, southwest of Helium. The city lies at Latitude 50o South, Longitude 40o East of Hors, and about 200 haads southeast of the boundary of Torquas. TMM
AD The basis of linear measurement on Mars. It is the equivalent of 11.694 Earth inches TMM
AISLE OF 
HOPE		 The broad isle in the chief courtroom of the Temple of Reward in Helium, leading to the Throne of Righteousness GM
A-KOR Prince of Manator, son of O-Tar and Haja of Gathol. Dwar of the Towers of Jetan and laterJeddak CM 
AMHOR A city and nation of red men, about 700 miles north of Gooli. The principal business is livestock raising. They are hereditary enemies of Duhor MMM
ANATOK Jed of Gooli SMM
APT An arctic monster, the only true mammal on Mars. It is a huge, white-furred creature, six to eight feet high at the shoulder, with six limbs, four of which, short and heavy, carry it swiftly over the snow and ice; while the other two, growing forward from the shoulders on either side of its long, powerful neck, terminate in white, hairless hands, with which it seizes and holds its prey. Its head and mouth are similar in appearance to those of a hippopotamus, except that from the sides of the lower jawbone two mighty horns curve slightly downward to the front. Its huge eyes extend in two vast, oval patches from the center of the top of the cranium down either side of the head to below the roots of the horns, so that these weapons really grow out of the lower part of the eyes, which are composed of several thousand ocelli each. Each ocellus is furnished with its own lid, and the apt can, at will, close as many of the facets of its huge eyes as it wishes.  WM
ARBOK A carnivorous tree reptile JCGM
ARTOLIAN 
HILLS		 A range of snow-clad hills lying between Toonol and Duhor MMM
A-SOR Name by which Tasor of Gathol was known in Manator CM
ASTOK Prince of Dusar  TMM
ATMOSPHERE 
PLANT		 The huge building which is the source of the artificial atmosphere of Mars. It covers perhaps four square miles and towers two hundred feet in the air. There is only one tiny door in the massive walls, which are about twenty feet thick. The building is entered through a series of three doors, controlled by a set of nine thought waves. The Ninth Ray is separated from the other rays of the sun by means of a set of finely adjusted instruments on the roof of the huge building, three-quarters of which is used for reservoirs in which the Ninth Ray is stored. Certain proportions of refined electric vibrations are combined with it, and the result is pumped to the five principal air centers of the planet, where, as it is released, contact with the ether of space transforms it into atmosphere. There is always sufficient reserve of the Ninth Ray stored in the great building to maintain the present atmosphere for 1,000 years. The only danger is that some accident might befall the pumping apparatus, a battery of twenty radium pumps any one of which is equal to the task of furnishing all Mars with the atmosphere compound. Each is used for a day at a time. Two men are in charge of this plant, each of whom spends half a Martian year at a time alone in the plant. The building is absolutely unassailable, built as it is with walls 150 feet thick, and even the roof being guarded from attack by aircraft by a glass covering five feet thick. The only fear of attack is form the green Martians or some demented red man, as all Barsoomians realize that the very existence of every form of life on Mars is dependent upon the uninterrupted working of this plant  PM
AVENUE OF 
ANCESTORS		 A street in Greater Helium, five miles long, leading from the Gate of Jeddaks to the Temple of Reward GM
AVENUE OF 
GATES		 A street in Manator which circles the city just inside the outer wall CM
AVENUE OF THE
GREEN THOAT		 A street in Zodanga
AVENUE OF 
QUAYS		 A street in Aaanthor, flanked by huge monoliths and leading from the ancient waterfront to the great central Plaza TMM
AVENUE OF
WARRIORS		 A street in Zodanga SM
AYMAD Number One Man. Name taken by the Third Jed as Jeddak of Morbus SMM

BAL TAB A green man, held prisoner in the zoo of Jal Had of Amhor. SMM
BAL ZAK Commander of Ras Thavas' ship, the Vosar. MMM
BANDOLIAN Emperor of the Morgors of Jupiter. SMJ
BANTHA A fierce beast of prey that roams the low hills surrounding the dead seas of ancient Mars. It is almost hairless, having only a great bristly mane about its thick neck. Its long, lithe body is supported by ten powerful legs; its enormous jaws are equipped with several rows of needle-like fangs. Its mouth reaches to a point far back of its tiny ears. It has enormous, protruding green eyes, and can see well in total darkness. GM
BANTOOM The valley inhabited by the Kaldanes. It lies southwest of Torquas, and far southwest of Gathol CM
BAN-TOR A warrior among the Black Pirates of Kamtol CM
BAR Eight SMM
BAR COMAS Jeddak of Warhoon PM
BARSOOM Mars  PM
BLACK PIRATES The remnant of the black race of ancient Mars, on the shore of the Lost Sea of Korus and in the Valley of Kamtol. They are large men, six feet and over in height. They have clear-cut and handsome features; their eyes are well-set and large though a slight narrowness lends them a crafty appearance. The iris is extremely black, while the eyeball itself is quite white and clear. Their skin has the appearance of polished ebony. GM

CALOT A Martian dog. It is about the size of a Shetland pony, with ten short legs. The head bears some resemblance to that of a frog, except that the jaws are equipped with three rows of long, sharp tusks. This is the fleetest animal on Mars, and owing to its intelligence, loyalty and ferocity is used in hunting, in war, and as the protector of the Martian man. It is omnivorous. PM
CALOT TREE A carnivorous Martian plant. It is about the size of a large sagebrush. Each branch ends in a set of strong jaws, which have been known to drag down and devour large and formidable beasts of prey. WM
CANALS The fertile, irrigated strips of farmland. The water which supplies the farms is collected in immense underground reservoirs at the poles form the melting ice caps, and pumped through long conduits to the various populated centers. Along either side of these conduits, and extending their entire length, lie the cultivated districts. They are divided into tracts of about equal size, each under the supervision of one or more government officers. Instead of flooding the surface of the fields, and thus wasting immense quantities by evaporation, the water is carried underground through a vast network of small pipes directly to the roots of the vegetation. PM
CARRION 
CAVES		 A series of twenty-seven caverns connecting the hothouse cities of the North Pole with the outside world, beneath the ice cliffs. Here the yellow men of Okar bring their dead so that the stench will discourage any invasion of their territory. WM