The above map (still very much a rough draft!) shows some of the names (and stories) of the acibiibi I have managed to trace through my interviews over the past six weeks. Some narratives are more local, and their reach is more limited, while the fame of other acibiibi has captured the imagination of people more widely.

Acivaanjila is the most famous biibi (later recognized as rainha by the Portuguese colonial government). While the exceptionality of this woman is widely admitted, contradictory stories exist concerning the source of her power as well as her rise to fame.