Ishmael

Ishmael
Biographical information
Full name	Ishmael
Physical information
Gender	Male
Skin color	Dark
Affiliations
Occupation	Houngan Slave (former) Cook for Mrs. Abernathy Galley Mate on Persephone
Book appearances
Voyager
Voyager
A Plague of Zombies
A Plague of Zombies

Ishmael is an African houngan. After being sold into slavery, he lives on Jamaica, where he inspires fear and awe in the maroons that live in the upland jungles.

Personal History

Ishmael was taken from a barracoon on the Gold Coast of Africa, and traveled on the slave ship Persephone. He was taken from the hold to work as a galley mate, and was the only slave who survived a sudden squall, by clinging to a cask of alcohol that floated ashore on Great Inagua two days later. He then became a cook at Mrs. Abernathy's plantation Rose Hall, and prepared 'zombie poison' for her.

Lord John Series

"A Plague of Zombies"

In June 1761, Lord John Grey meets Ishmael on Jamaica – Ishmael is a Houngan who turns people into zombies. He challenges Grey to a 'snake spirit' contest, and gets the worst of the bargain, losing part of his foot.

Outlander Series

Voyager

See also: Voyager

In spring 1767, Ishmael is fishing by the river when a pirate ship comes, and he is enslaved again. After the pirates attack Jamie and Claire's ship, the Artemis, the Frasers take Ishmael prisoner. They put him ashore on Jamaica in exchange for information on Scottish boys taken by Mrs. Abernathy, as they are looking for Jamie's nephew Young Ian.

A few days later, Claire meets Ishmael at Mrs. Abernathy's plantation, at the Crocodile's Fire.

Personality

Ishmael is mysterious and somewhat menacing in aspect, with a dark sense of humor.

Physical Appearance

Ishmael has deep red-black skin, characteristic of slaves from the Guinea coast. His face is narrow and wary-eyed, with a high forehead and tribal scars. As a result of a snake bite he is missing part of his foot.

Name

Ishmael comes from the Hebrew name יִשְׁמָעֵאל (Yishma'el) meaning "God will hear".

Trivia

• "Ishmael" was the name given to him by Geillis Duncan, who explains that he had a "heathen name [with] six syllables," so she gave him the name Ishmael after hearing his story of survival.