Ogham, Innisfallen, and Pratchett

Ogham is the Old Irish alphabet, usually seen carved into stones. The above example of Ogham, however, comes from MS. Rawl. B. 503, The Annals of Innisfallen.

This manuscript dates back to the 11th to 14th Centuries. The page excerpted here features an account of the building of the castle of Brí Uis and then gives a Latin inscription in Ogham letters:

Numus honoratur / sine numo nullus amatur.

This translates to Money is honoured/ without money nobody is loved, which is unfortunately not the most heartwarming of sentiments.

Speaking of which: Ogham formed the basis of Oggham, an ancient language in Terry Pratchett’s Lords and Ladies where it appears above an elven portal and spells out - and there’s no way to break this to you gently - “I’ve got a great big tonker.”

Ogham is one of the ancient scripts featured in the Taylor Institution Library’s current lecture series.

#ogham #irish #language #ancient #discworld

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chamonkee

Who doesn’t love Angua?

#chamonkee #discworld #city watch #ankh-morpork #angua #illustration

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several-large-luxury-sedans

taking-an-apple

#discworld #the hogfather #DEATH #sword #funny

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sator-the-wanderer

‘Mumblemumblemumble,’ said the Dean defiantly, a rebel without a pause.

“Soul Music”

#discworld #soul music #terry pratchett #born to rune #unseen university #wizard

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ofpaintedflowers

mrdingo

This is the best photo ever taken of Terry Pratchett, and indeed one of the best photos ever taken of anybody.

Source: twitter.com

#terry pratchett #pig #champagne #author #discworld

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adhoption

charlesfosterofdensen

Rincewind vs Voldemort

poorlydescribedpterrybooks

hard to be a master of dark magic when you’re unconscious from a half-brick in a sock lbr

lianabrooks

Voldemort couldn’t take over a high school, he failed to kill an infant who would have died if pushed out a window, and even with magic he was - let’s admit - kinda the weakest villain ever.

The reason Voldemort tried to kill everyone? Yeah, it was because all the other villains laughed at him.

The only reason Voldemort had any power is because he was able to make stronger people do things for him. Without them he’s a complete dud.

And then we have Rincewind, failed wizard, kind of a loser, but amazing at being at the right place at the wrong time and saving the world. He has Luck on his side, and he’s friends with Death. Fate hates him, but Rincewind doesn’t need anyone else to be there for him. He’s gotten himself out of trouble more than once.

So, Voldemort either gets eaten by the Luggage, or whacked upside the head by a half-brick in a sock and then kicked to death by a very angry Rincewind who is justified in being furious that Voldemort passed wizarding school.

Of course, none of the Hogwarts crew would have survived old school UU, and Voldemort vs Ridicully would be laughable.

downtroddendeity

I still want to see “Sam Vimes arrests Voldemort.”

kippurbird

I want to see Ridicully vs Voldemort and Sam Vimes arresting Voldemort once he’s done being a newt.

roachpatrol

Sam Vimes would not wait for Voldemort to be done with being a newt. Sam Vimes would take immense pleasure in constructing little newt handcuffs out of two paperclips, and arresting Voldemort while he was still a newt.

shinyrock6498

Wouldn’t it be more likely that Sam Vimes would take immense satisfaction in watching *Carrot* arresting Voldemort with tiny newt handcuffs? That seems a very Carrot thing to do.

#discworld #harry potter #voldemort #rincewind #sam vimes #carrot #half-brick in a sock #funny

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adhoption

How most Ankh-Morpork based books go

Villain of the book: We'll get rid of Vetinari!

Vetinari: *looks into the camera like he's on the office*

Vimes: NOT MY VETINARI YOU BITCH

Colon and Nobby: *Those Two Guys: Level 6000*

Angua: Carrot, we should talk about...

Carrot: I completely accept you!

Angua: Carrot you didn't even listen

Detritus: *is flawless*

Sybil: *adorable and also badass* *when she actually does something*

Dibbler: *obligatory appearance*

Gaspode and his adopted homeless guys: *somehow always important to the mystery*

Villain: No! You cannot defeat me! I'm invincible!

I'M AFRAID NOT.

#discworld #ankh-morpork #terry pratchett #vetinari #colon #nobby #angua #carrot #detritus #sybil #cut me own throat dibbler #gaspode #book #funny

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leda74

Despite his deep distrust of magic, [Vimes] quite liked the wizards. They didn’t cause trouble. At least, they didn’t cause his kind of trouble. True, occasionally they fractured the time/space continuum or took the canoe of reality too close to the white waters of chaos, but they never broke the actual law.

- Terry Pratchett, Men at Arms

(Artwork by Guillaume Bonnet)

#guillaume bonnet #vimes #discworld #terry pratchett #city watch #ankh-morpork city watch #illustration #samuel vimes

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adhoption

downtroddendeity

I woke up this morning with the urge to post a brief and thoroughly non-exhaustive list of Discworld pun/reference names of varying levels of obscurity that people may or may not have gotten, and HERE IT IS.

Vetinari is a play on “Medici,” the extremely powerful Italian political family who sponsored and inspired Macchiavelli’s “The Prince.”
The philosopher Didactylos’s name literally means “two fingers,” which refers to a rude British gesture roughly equivalent to flipping someone off.
Death’s manservant Alberto Malich is named after Albertus Magnus.
The feuding Ankh-Morpork Selachii and Venturi noble families are named, respectively, for the scientific name for sharks and a part found in jet engines. This is a reference to the feuding Sharks and Jets street gangs in the musical West Side Story, which is itself a retelling of Romeo and Juliet.
“Nobby” is a slang term for a policeman. Nobby’s dad, Sconner, gets his name from- well, you know how the Nac Mac Feegle call people “ya wee scunner”? Same word.
The guide to nobility Twurp’s Peerage is named after the Roundworld equivalent, Burke’s Peerage.
Mrs. Rosemary “Rosie” Palm, head of the Guild of Seamstresses, is named for. Um. Something a bit… rude.
All the golems mentioned in Feet of Clay have Yiddish names, and mostly uncomplimentary ones. “Dorfl” means “idiot” and “Meshugah” means “crazy.”
The head of the dwarves running the printing press in The Truth is Gunilla Goodmountain, whose surname is a literal translation of “Gutenberg,” the inventor of movable type.
The Smoking GNU is a reference to the GNU operating system.
Ridcully was introduced in Moving Pictures as “Ridcully the Brown,” as an extended parody of Radagast the Brown from Lord of the Rings.
Black Aliss is named for Black Annis, and the god Herne the Hunted is a play on Herne the Hunter.
“Greebo” means… well, I’ll quote the Annotated Pratchett File: “'Greebo’ is a word that was widely used in the early seventies to describe the sort of man who wanders around in oil-covered denim and leather (with similar long hair) and who settles disagreements with a motorcycle chain – the sort who would like to be a Hell’s Angel but doesn’t have enough style.”
Nanny Ogg’s house is called “Tir Nanny Ogg,” a play on “Tír na nÓg,” the otherworld in Irish mythology.
Miss Treason’s given name, Eumenides, is another name for the Erinyes, Greek goddess of vengeance.
Erzulie Gogol’s first name is shared with a Vodou goddess, and “Baron Saturday” is a play on “Baron Samedi.”
Desiderata Hollow, good fairy godmother, has a first name derived from the Latin word for “to wish.”
“Lilith de Tempscire”‘s surname is just a French translation of “Weatherwax.”
The terrible pun in Casanunda’s name (he’s a dwarf, so he’s UNDA, not OVA) is probably obvious to a lot of people, but it took YEARS for me to notice it, so I’m including it on this list.
The old Count de Magpyr’s name is Bela de Magpyr, after, of course, Bela Lugosi. (And Vlad also mentions an aunt Carmilla.)
“Djelibeybi,” for those unfamiliar with British sweets or classic Doctor Who, is pronounced identically to “jelly baby.” The country of Hersheba was introduced after many, many Americans failed to get the joke- with limited success, because it’s less immediately recognizable as a play on “Hershey bar.”
“Omnian” is a multilingual play on “Catholic.” Omni- is a root meaning “everything,” and “Catholic” originally meant “universal.”
Lu-Tze’s name is a play on Laozi/Lao-Tzu/Lao-Tze, founder of Taoism.
Dr. Follett, head of the Assassin’s Guild thirty years ago in Night Watch, is named for… author Ken Follett, in exchange for a significant monetary donation to charity.

#terry pratchett #discworld #puns #funny

hermajestyschimera reblogged

But ok here’s a question

Which discworld character would go for a cheeky nandos? What *is* the equivalent of cheeky nandos on the Disc?

quinzelade

nobby…and ridcully. and nanny ogg. :D

and something to do with cutmeownthroat dibbler’s suspect food items being turned into a restaurant.

poorpoorpitifulme

Carrot would totally go for a cheeky nandos but only because it’s a fine morporkian tradition and engaging in banter with the lads is good for team morale.

adhoption

Nobby and Fred would definitely go for a cheeky Dibbler! I love that suggestion though. Now give me a plot where Death feels the need to embrace Ankh-Morporkian lad culture as one of his existential crises…

#maybe the Drum tries chicken? or what it claims is chicken?#discworld #cheeky #cheeky nandos #nandos #whats the name for this meme?

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borderlinecat-deactivated201503

milesedgworth

28/04/1948 - 12/03/2015

#sir terry pratchett #terry pratchett #author #discworld #DEATH