The Folklore of Discworld: Legends, Myths, and Customs from the Discworld with Helpful Hints from Planet Earth

by Terry Pratchett, Jacqueline Simpson

Overview

OFFERING INSIGHTS INTO ALL 40 DISCWORLD NOVELS
Find out
- Why cheeses roll down hills
- The hazards of treacle mining
- What’s so uncanny about the humble hare
-The origins of orcs (which are not the same as goblins!)
- Why witches come in threes
  
Legends, myths, fairytales, superstitions. Our world is full of the stories we have told ourselves about where we came from and how we got there. It is the same on Discworld, except that beings such as vampires, trolls, golems, witches and, possibly, gods, which on Earth are creatures of the imagination, are real, alive, and in some cases kicking on the Disc.
 
The Folklore of Discworld, coauthored by Terry Pratchett and leading British folklorist Jacqueline Simpson, is an invaluable reference for longtime Discworld fans and newcomers alike. An irreverent yet illuminating look at the living myths and folklore that are reflected, celebrated, and affectionately libeled in the uniquely imaginative universe of Discworld.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780804169035
Publisher:	Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group
Publication date:	03/25/2014
Series:	Discworld Series
Pages:	528
Sales rank:	393,922
Product dimensions:	5.10(w) x 7.90(h) x 1.10(d)

About the Author

TERRY PRATCHETT is the acclaimed creator of the bestselling Discworld series, the latest of which is Raising Steam. He has been appointed OBE and a Knight Bachelor in recognition of his services to literature. Sir Terry lives in England.

DR. JACQUELINE SIMPSON is a long-standing member and office-holder on the committee of the Folklore Society. Her publications include Green Men and White Swans: The Folklore of British Pub Names; A Dictionary of English Folklore; Folklore of Sussex; Icelandic Folktales and Legends; and (with Jennifer Westwood) The Lore of the Land: A Guide to England's Legends.

Hometown:

Salisbury, Wiltshire, England

Date of Birth:

April 28, 1948

Place of Birth:

Beaconsfield, Buckinghamshire, England

Education:

Four honorary degrees in literature from the universities of Portsmouth, Bristol, Bath and Warwick

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I N T R O D U C T I O N
(Continues…)

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Excerpted from "The Folklore of Discworld"
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Copyright © 2014 Terry Pratchett.
Excerpted by permission of Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group.
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
Excerpts are provided by Dial-A-Book Inc. solely for the personal use of visitors to this web site.

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Table of Contents

Introduction Terry Pratchett 9

Introduction Jacqueline Simpson 13

1 The Cosmos: Gods, Demons and Things 19

2 Dwarfs 63

3 The Elves 81

4 The Nac Mac Feegle 103

5 Trolls 119

6 Other Significant Races 133

7 Beasties 173

8 The Witches of Lancre 209

9 The Land of Lancre 249

10 The Witches of the Chalk 285

11 The Chalk 317

12 Heroes! 355

13 Lore, Legends and Truth 381

14 More Customs, Nautical Lore and Military Matters 421

15 Kids' Stuff … You know, about 'Orrid Murder and Blood 443

16 Death 477

Bibliography and Suggestions for Further Reading 497

Index 501

Editorial Reviews

Sir Terry Pratchett, the wizard of Discworld, has joined with folklore scholar Jacqueline Simpson (A Dictionary of English Folklore; Green Men & White Swans) to create a one-of-a-kind walk through the winding mythic paths of his creation, a realm in which witches, giants, trolls, vampires, and perhaps even gods roam and intermingle. This new revised edition synchronizes it to Discworld's ever-expanding world.

Beautiful analysis of the overlapping myth and legends in both Discworld and ours. You'll learn a lot about each.” —The Bookseller

Praise for Terry Pratchett

"Like all great creators of imaginary worlds, Terry Pratchett writes like an enthralled and driven reader. He creates a brilliant excess of delectable detail, he respects his own creation and his readers."
     —A. S. Byatt

"It is [his] closeness to reality—within a fantasy context—that makes Pratchett's books so popular with a wider readership than merely the goblin junkies and interplanetary nargs."
     —The Sunday Times (London)

“One of the most interesting and critically underrated novelists we have. . . . The Folklore of Discworld—co-authored with the eminent folklorist Jacqueline Simpson—emphasizes his irreverence and drollery.”
     — The Times

“Pratchett is, like Mark Twain or Jonathan Swift, not just a great writer but also an original thinker . . . Funny, exciting, lighthearted and, like all the best comedy, very serious.”
     —The Guardian

From the Publisher

The Discworld universe is composed of a vast array of magical creatures, but what was the inspiration for them? Michael Fenton Stevens delivers this compendium with a charming English accent and clear enunciation that engages the listener even throughout the drier parts of the book. While fans will appreciate the vignettes about the inspiration for the world's species, even more entertaining are the varied voices Stevens creates for them: deep bass tones for the dim-witted trolls, high-pitched cackling for the witches, and an aristocratic lilt for the vampires. He successfully distinguishes between the main text and quotes from referenced Discworld novels with effective pauses and changes in tone. A solid addition to any Pratchett fan’s listening library. E.E. © AudioFile 2014, Portland, Maine

JUNE 2014 - AudioFile

The Discworld universe is composed of a vast array of magical creatures, but what was the inspiration for them? Michael Fenton Stevens delivers this compendium with a charming English accent and clear enunciation that engages the listener even throughout the drier parts of the book. While fans will appreciate the vignettes about the inspiration for the world's species, even more entertaining are the varied voices Stevens creates for them: deep bass tones for the dim-witted trolls, high-pitched cackling for the witches, and an aristocratic lilt for the vampires. He successfully distinguishes between the main text and quotes from referenced Discworld novels with effective pauses and changes in tone. A solid addition to any Pratchett fan’s listening library. E.E. © AudioFile 2014, Portland, Maine

JUNE 2014 - AudioFile