Land of Ev facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Ev
Location of Ev (top right)
Flag of Ev
The Oz series location
Other name(s)	Land of Ev
Created by	L. Frank Baum
Genre	Juvenile fantasy
Type	Fairy country
Ethnic group(s)	Evians, Wheelers, Big Wigs, Blacks
Notable locations	Evna (capital), Smith and Tinker factory
Notable characters	King Evoldo and his children, Princess Langwidere, Tik-Tok
First appearance	Ozma of Oz

The Land of Ev is a make-believe country found in the famous Oz books by L. Frank Baum and other writers. It was first shown in Baum's third Oz novel, Ozma of Oz, published in 1907. Ev was the first country Baum created that is located around the magical Land of Oz. This book also introduced the Nome King, a bad guy who often appears in the stories and lives underground beneath Ev.

Adventures in Classic Oz Books

In the past, King Evoldo of Ev made a strange deal. He sold his Queen and their ten children to Roquat, the Nome King. The Nome King lives in a huge underground kingdom below Ev. In return for his family, King Evoldo was promised a very long life.

However, King Evoldo soon regretted his choice. He destroyed the long life the Nome King had given him. The people of Oz thought the Nome King had simply kidnapped the royal family. So, they sent a group to Ev to free them. When they learned about the deal, they played by the Nome King's rules. Thanks to a brave hen, Billina, they won back Ev's royal family and the Nome King's Magic Belt!

While the royal family was held captive, King Evoldo's niece, Princess Langwidere, became the temporary ruler. She was very vain and spent most of her time admiring her 30 different heads, which she could swap out! She even changed the palace to make visitors go to only one wing. She was happy to give up the throne to her cousin, King Evardo, who was the oldest of Evoldo's children.

In the capital city of Evna, there was once a factory run by Smith and Tinker. They created Tik-Tok, a famous mechanical man, and a Giant with a Hammer. Tik-Tok was a special gift to King Evoldo. Later stories say that Smith and Tinker are still alive and well, even though Tik-Tok once reported they were gone.

In many later Oz books, adventures often happen under Ev, in the Nome King's lands. We don't see much of Ev's surface or its people. One unusual group living there are the Wheelers. They have wheels instead of hands and feet. They protect the Royal Family's Lunch Box Trees and Dinner Pail Trees by trying to scare travelers away.

The Royal Family of Ev also appeared in The Road to Oz. They were honored guests at Princess Ozma's birthday party in the Land of Oz.

Ev in Later Stories

Ruth Plumly Thompson added an important character to Ev: Jinnicky the Red Jinn. He is the Wizard of Ev and lives in a red glass palace. This palace is closer to the Land of Ix. Sometimes, Thompson suggests Jinnicky is the ruler of Ev.

Thompson's book The Hungry Tiger of Oz introduced Rash, a small kingdom within Ev. It is ruled by Prince Evered. This book also mentioned Down Town and Immense City. The Wishing Horse of Oz introduced Bitty Bit, who could see the future from Some Summit.

Jack Snow's The Shaggy Man of Oz describes a visit to the Valley of Romance in Ev. This valley is ruled by King Ticket and Queen Curtain. It also mentions an underground Kingdom of the Fairy Beavers.

In Out of Oz, a book by Gregory Maguire, a character named Tip mentions visiting Ev. He says he went to a "duchy principality" to see a duchess who could change her appearance.

Where is Ev Located?

The exact location of the Land of Ev can be a bit confusing. The Road to Oz says Ev is north of the Land of Oz. In Ozma of Oz, Princess Ozma and her friends enter the Munchkin Country after leaving Evna, Ev's capital city. This suggests Evna is near the Munchkin Country.

However, other books place Ev closer to the Winkie Country. A map in Tik-Tok of Oz shows Ev as a small country to the northwest of Oz. This map also shows the Nome King's lands as a separate area. Different maps and stories sometimes show Ev in slightly different places.

Interesting Places in Ev

• Down Town: This town is located underneath the Land of Ev. It's a busy place, much like downtown areas in big cities. The people here are very focused on work and making money. Their clothes are even made of money! Only men are usually seen on the streets, while women stay at home. In the Public Square, there's an Indus-Tree, which grows all kinds of tools for different jobs.
• Cave Inn: This is a doorway that leads into the Nome Kingdom's Lost Labyrinth, a maze underground.
• Evna: This is the main capital city of the Land of Ev.
• Fire Island: This island is also located underneath the Land of Ev. It's home to Fire People, who are made of red and blue flames. They live in open fireplaces. To visit Fire Island, you need a magic spell to protect you from the heat. The parts of the Nonestic Ocean near Fire Island are always burning.
  • Blazes' Volcano: This volcano belongs to a Fire Man named Blazes.
• Immense City: This is a giant city in Ev, close to the Nome King's lands. Everything here is huge, but the humans are normal size. However, if they wear special Big Wigs, they grow to giant size! Then, Immense City seems normal to them. Travelers are often warned to stay away from this city.
• Rash: This is a small, pink kingdom in the southwest part of Ev. The people of Rash are kind but can get angry quickly. Rash is also home to a type of Speckled Bear.
• Rash River: A river that flows through the kingdom of Rash.
• Too Much Mountain: This mountain is at the southern edge of Rash, near the Deadly Desert. A character named Ippty had to fly over it to reach the Land of Oz.
• Valley of Romance:
• Wheeler's Territory: This is the area where the Wheelers live.

Well-Known People of Ev

• Bitty Bit: A person who can see the future from Some Summit.
• Blazes: A Fire Man who owns a volcano near Fire Island.
• Elma: The Princess of the Big Wigs from Immense City.
• Evered ("Reddy"): The Prince and current ruler of Rash.
• Evring: The youngest prince of Ev.
• Forge John: A blacksmith who leads the Fire People of Fire Island.
• Irasha the Rough: A former ruler of Rash who took power for a short time.
• Jinnicky the Red Jinn: The magical Wizard of Ev.
• King Evardo XV: The current King of Ev.
• King Evoldo: The former King of Ev.
• King Dad and Queen Fi Nance: The rulers of Down Town.
• King Ticket and Queen Curtain: The rulers of the Valley of Romance.
• Princess Langwidere: The former temporary ruler of Ev, known for her many heads.
• Tik-Tok: A famous mechanical man who first lived in Ev before moving to the Land of Oz.
• Wheelers: A group of people whose arms and legs are the same length, and they have wheels instead of hands and feet.