Last Updated: 2012-02-19;

Based on original novels, stories, characters, and situations in works created by C. J. Cherryh.

Visit the universe of C. J. Cherryh, author of the Chanur saga and many other great science fiction books, at http://www.cherryh.com/. Visit her blog at: Wave Without A Shore. Buy her books at: Closed Circle.

Hani Persons, Families, and Ships

The following term keywords are taken directly from the Chanur novels, unless otherwise indicated.

Anify: Clan related to Chanur.
Anify, Geran “Gery”: Cousin of Pyanfar, sister of Chur Anify, small and wiry. She and her sister are Ops officers on The Pride.
Anify, Chur: Cousin of Pyanfar, sister of Geran Anify. Smallest of The Pride’s crew and somewhat delicate looking, though wiry, with lighter, shorter mane and beard. Actually, Chur is quite able to take care of herself. She comes to see Between during jump, after a prolonged recovery from injuries. She becomes able to predict points in jump, find new jump points, and move about during jump. The name Chur is related to churrau, betterment. The name may mean betterment, good, best. She and her sister are Ops officers on The Pride.
Araun: Clan related to Chanur.
Araun, Haral “Hal”: Cousin of Pyanfar, sister of Tirun Araun. Tall and broad shouldered. First Officer of The Pride of Chanur, and oldest of the crew, of an age with Pyanfar. Wise and level-headed, Pyanfar regards her as her best friend and most trusted and capable officer.
Araun, Tirun: Cousin of Pyanfar, sister of Haral Araun. Tall and broad shouldered. Senior Scan officer on The Pride.
Ayhar: Clan name.
Ayhar, Banify “Banny”: Captain of Ayhar’s Prosperity.
Ayhar’s Prosperity: Capt. Banify Ayhar. Ship at Meetpoint at the start of Book 2, Chanur’s Venture.
Chanur: A clan of Enafy province, noted for its pride, headstrong stubbornness, and radical idealism. A leading and wealthy merchanter spacing clan. Chanur is one of the oldest spacefaring hani clans. Although fair, it has its rivals who also want trade and wealth. Chanur are generally red-gold of mane and amber eyed.
Chanur, ker Anfy: Sister of Pyanfar and Captain of a Chanur ship.
Chanur, na Dahan: Beloved, smart, sensitive brother of Hilfy. He dies prior to events in Book 1 or 2.
Chanur, ker Hilfy Chanur par Faha: Daughter of na Kohan Chanur and ker Huran Faha. Niece of ker Pyanfar Chanur. She is na Kohan’s favorite and probable heir to control of Chanur’s interests. She ships out on her first voyage as a com officer on The Pride of Chanur prior to the events of Book 1. She has a skill for translation, communications, and diplomacy, and wants deeply to be a merchant spacer like her aunts. She reminds Pyanfar of herself. She becomes a valued crewwoman on the Pride and goes on to captain Chanur’s Legacy. She does not entirely agree with her aunt, but agrees on some important and radical parts of her ideas. Hilfy becomes fascinated with aliens, particularly Tully, and shares her aunt’s ideas about hani males. One of the pivotal events for Hilfy is being held captive, together with Tully, by the kif.
Chanur, ker Jofan: A half-sister of Pyanfar and na Kohan; a downworlder resident of Chanur estate.
Chanur, na Kohan Chanur: Lord of Chanur. Brother of Pyanfar. Husband of Huran Faha. Father of Hilfy Chanur. A cultured, sensible man capable of forethought, planning, and forestalling his aggressive tendencies. He rules mostly benignly, and tolerates na Khym nef Mahn’s presence on Chanur holdings during Challenge.
Chanur, ker Nifas: Niece of Pyanfar, downworlder resident of Chanur estate.
Chanur, ker Pyanfar “Py” Chanur (? par Faha ?): Captain of The Pride of Chanur. Leader of the clan’s merchanter captains. Wife of na Khym nef Mahn. Mother, with him, of ker Tahy Mahn par Chanur and na Kara Mahn. Aunt of Hilfy Chanur. She becomes a pivotal figure in the Compact when she takes in the human refugee, Tully. Events lead her to a realization of some fundamental truths about hani society, and her efforts save the hani and the Compact from collapse. She becomes Director of the Compact and the han.
Chanur, ker Rhean Chanur: Sister of Pyanfar and Captain of Chanur’s Fortune.
Chanur’s: The Pride of Chanur: Flagship of Chanur clan, Captain Pyanfar Chanur.
Chanur’s Fortune: Hani ship of Captain Rhean Chanur.
Chanur’s Legacy: Hani ship of Captain Hilfy Chanur.
Ehrran: A Protected or Immune clan.
Ehrran, ker Rhif: Captain of Ehrran’s Vigilance, a courier ship for the han.
Ehrran’s Vigilance: Capt. Rhif Ehrran. Black-breeched courier ship for the han, at Meetpoint at the start of Book 2, Chanur’s Venture.
Faha, ker Huran Faha: Mother of Hilfy Chanur par Faha. First wife of na Kohan Chanur. Pyanfar regards her as na Kohan’s true love and as the one who will know how to defend Chanur. Huran is a sensible, practical woman. She does not desert her husband when he is Challenged. She stays and fights. She stays when other Faha desert Chanur. Pyanfar regards na Kohan’s other wives as ornaments, perhaps uncharitably. Whatever else Pyanfar may think of ker Akify Kihan and ker Garas Lilun, good or bad, is not stated.
Faha, ker Lihan: Captain of Faha’s Starchaser. Dies with the Starchaser. See Also: Faha’s Starchaser.
Faha, ker Hilan: First officer, Faha’s Starchaser. Survivor of the Starchaser, argues with Pyanfar and Hilfy. A crewwoman Tamun, clan name unknown, is injured in the initial damage. Two other survivors. They insist on taking point in the battle to retake Gaohn Station control from the kif, because they feel shamed by their association with Tahar. They die in freeing central control. See Also: Faha’s Starchaser.
Faha’s Starchaser: Ship of Faha clan, related by marriage to Chanur. The ship is damaged by the kif and lost when it cannot come down from jump on reentry. Some of its crew eject in an escape pod, and are rescued by the mahen freighter Hasatso. The surviving crew elect to return with Tahar’s Moon Rising to Anuurn. They later insist on taking point in a fight to retake Gaohn Station control, thinking to regain their honor. All four surviving crew members die in the attempt, but succeed in regaining station control from the kif for the hani. Capt. Lihan Faha, initial casualty. Hilan Faha, first officer, survivor, argues with Pyanfar and Hilfy. Tamun injured in the initial damage. Two other survivors.
Handur: A clan from the opposite hemisphere on Anuurn from clan Chanur. See Also: Handur’s Voyager.
Handur’s Voyager: Ship owned by clan Handur, a clan from the opposite hemisphere on Anuurn from clan Chanur. Destroyed by kif in cold-blooded retaliation against Chanur for Pyanfar’s refusal to give up Tully to them in Book 1, The Pride of Chanur. The kif destroy the ship simply because it is hani and docked at the station, despite the lack of involvement or communication by them with The Pride of Chanur.
Khai: Immune clan, among station authorities at Gaohn.
Khai, ker Ana: A young adult messenger and representative of Llun authorities at Gaohn, sent to bring Pyanfar to a second, private, unannounced, spontaneous meeting immediately after the public meeting, brought on by ker Kifas Llun and na Llun and ker Pyanfar, so that i Llun might discern Capt. Pyanfar’s motives, and offer a chance. As a side benefit, both Llun size up Tully.
Kihan, ker Akify: A wife of na Kohan Chanur.
Lilun, ker Garas: A wife of na Kohan Chanur.
Llun: A Protected or Immune clan that holds and runs Gaohn Station, orbiting Anuurn, the hani homeworld.
Llun, ker Ginas: A young adult messenger and representative of Llun authorities at Gaohn, sent to observe the Challenge by Mahn against Chanur, in Book 1. She also fights to retake Gaohn from the kif.
Llun, ker Kifas: Stationmaster of Gaohn Station.
Mahn: Clan neighboring Chanur.
Mahn, na Kara Mahn: Son of Pyanfar and Khym. He takes Mahn and tries to take Chanur.
Mahn, na Khym nef Mahn: Pyanfar Chanur’s husband, formerly lord of Mahn. A thoughtful man who is not willfully violent unless backed into it. He enjoys Pyanfar’s tales. He becomes the first male hani crewmember in history and serves aboard The Pride of Chanur as a Com officer.
Mahn, ker Tahy Mahn par Chanur: Daughter of Pyanfar and Khym.
Marrar: Clan name. Ship Marrar’s Golden Sun.
Marrar’s Golden Sun: Ship at Meetpoint at the start of Book 2, Chanur’s Venture.
Maura: Immune clan, among station authorities at Gaohn.
Meras: Clan name.
Meras, na Hallan: A young hani male who wants to be a spacer. He meets Pyanfar at the end of Book 4, Chanur’s Homecoming, and is caught up in events of Book 5, Chanur’s Legacy. He is studious, polite, cultured, and sensitive, and can control his aggression.
Nuurn: Immune clan, among station authorities at Gaohn.
Quna: Immune clan, among station authorities at Gaohn.
Rau: Insystemer clan that hold no land on Anuurn.
Rau, ker Kihany: Navigator of Rau’s Luck; presumably of clan Rau.
Rau, ker Nerafy or Narafy: Captain of Rau’s Luck, an insystem lander. She volunteers to take Pyanfar and a Chanur landing party directly to Chanur estate during Challenge and the Battle for Gaohn.
Rau, ker Tamy: Co-pilot of Rau’s Luck; presumably of clan Rau.
Rau’s Luck: An insystem lander. Capt. Nerafy (or Narafy) Rau.
Sahan: Immune clan, among station authorities at Gaohn.
Tahar: Clan name, Enafy province, rivals of Chanur. Like many southern clans, Tahar are a darker bronze to Chanur’s red-gold.
Tahar, ker Dur: Captain of Tahar’s Moon Rising. In Book 1, The Pride of Chanur, Tahar is involved in a deal of some kind with the kif. She and Pyanfar cross ways. Tahar takes the survivors of Faha’s Starchaser back to Anuurn. Tahar accuses Chanur. Tahar is later disgraced and may be outlawed by the han as a result of the first Battle for Gaohn.
Tahar, na Kahi: Lord of Tahar clan.
Tauran: Clan that fights in the Battle for Anuurn.
Vrossaru or Vrossaur: Clan with a ship involved in the Battle for Gaohn. Vrossaru and Vrossaur are either a misspelling or a grammatical variant.