The Folklore of Discworld

Terry Pratchett joins up with a leading folklorist to reveal the legends, myths and customs of Discworld, with helpful hints from Planet Earth.

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

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

Simpson provides depth to the real-world analogues of the Discworld characters, and the text becomes a neatly integrated discussion of folklore, belief systems and the like in both worlds... well written and will raise a smile... a fine Hogswatch present.

Terry Pratchett is the acclaimed creator of the bestselling Discworld series, the latest of which is Making Money. He was knighted for services to literature in 2009. 
 
Dr Jacqueline Simpson is a long-standing member and office-holder on the committee of the Folklore Society. Her publications include British Dragons, Folklore of Sussex, Scandinavian Folktales, and (with Jennifer Westwood) The Lore of the Land: A Guide to England's Legends.

NOW UPDATED to include material on the Discworld books up to Raising Steam. 
 
Most of us grow up having always known to touch wood or cross our fingers, and what happens when a princess kisses a frog or a boy pulls a sword from a stone, yet sadly some of these things are now beginning to be forgotten. Legends, myths, fairytales: our world is made up of the stories we told ourselves about where we came from and how we got there. It is the same on Discworld, except that beings which on Earth are creatures of the imagination - like vampires, trolls, witches and, possibly, gods - are real, alive and in some cases kicking on the Disc. 
 
In The Folklore of Discworld, Terry Pratchett teams up with leading British folklorist Jacqueline Simpson to take an irreverent yet illuminating look at the living myths and folklore that are reflected, celebrated and affectionately libelled in the uniquely imaginative universe of Discworld.

Jacqueline Simpson

If you've ever wondered how pubs got their often esoteric names then dipping into Green Men &amp; White Swans should provide enlightenment

An engaging and inquisitive narrative voice ... As well as being an enjoyable account of local English folklore and history, the book provides an insight into the more esoteric behaviour that characterises English eccentricity

In this enjoyable compendium, Simpson, a folklore expert, elucidates hundreds of mysterious pub names

This book is both an intriguing insight into the history of the British pub and a captivating journey through the country's dramatic past

The Folklore of British Pub Names

Why do British pubs have such curious names? What tales lie behind the Moonrakers, the Hooden Horse, the Derby Tup? And why does the Green Man come in different shapes and sizes? 
 
In Green Men &amp; White Swans, leading folklorist Jacqueline Simpson explores the fascinating stories behind pub names, uncovering the myths and legends, euphemisms and wordplays, heroes and even ghosts that have inspired pub landlords over the centuries. Spanning beloved locals from the Three Witches to the Three Nuns, from the Ashen Faggot to the Twa Corbies, this book is both an intriguing insight into the history of the British pub and a captivating journey through the country's dramatic past.

Jacqueline Simpson

Praise for Green Men & White Swans

If you've ever wondered how pubs got their often esoteric names then dipping into Green Men & White Swans should provide enlightenment

An engaging and inquisitive narrative voice ... As well as being an enjoyable account of local English folklore and history, the book provides an insight into the more esoteric behaviour that characterises English e ...

In this enjoyable compendium, Simpson, a folklore expert, elucidates hundreds of mysterious pub names

If you've ever wondered how pubs got their often esoteric names then dipping into Green Men & White Swans should provide enlightenment

An engaging and inquisitive narrative voice ... As well as being an enjoyable account of local English folklore and history, the book provides an insight into the more esoteric behaviour that characterises English e ...

In this enjoyable compendium, Simpson, a folklore expert, elucidates hundreds of mysterious pub names

If you've ever wondered how pubs got their often esoteric names then dipping into Green Men & White Swans should provide enlightenment

An engaging and inquisitive narrative voice ... As well as being an enjoyable account of local English folklore and history, the book provides an insight into the more esoteric behaviour that characterises English e ...

In this enjoyable compendium, Simpson, a folklore expert, elucidates hundreds of mysterious pub names

Books by Jacqueline Simpson

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