Annotation - Chapter 1, Page 2
From Riddley Walker Annotations
Though ominously capitalized phrases have long been a science-fiction/fantasy cliché, Hoban uses them sparingly in this book, and always for mythic or intangible terms.
Note that "everyone knows" not only is a useful device for introducing things that the reader does not know, but also conveys the ritual atmosphere of storytelling in an oral tradition, where familiar characters are often introduced with similar reminders.