Discworld Annotations - HOGFATHER - part 1 [dedication] "To the guerilla bookshop manager known to friends as 'ppint' [...]" The bookshop in question is _Interstellar Master Traders_ in Lancaster. ppint is a longtime contributor to alt.fan.pratchett, well-known for, amongst many other things, maintaining a number of that group's "Frequently Asked Questions" documents. [dedication] "[...] the question Susan asks in this book." Many people have found it difficult to determine just what this question is. Perhaps this is because the Oh God of Hangovers asks it first, on p. 153, after which Susan turns to the Death of Raths and relays the question to him: "'Actually... where *do* [the Tooth Fairies] take the teeth?'" When _Hogfather_ was being written, Terry answered the question what it was going to be about as follows: "Let's see, now...in _Hogfather_ there are a number of stabbings, someone's killed by a man made of knives, someone's killed by the dark, and someone just been killed by a wardrobe. It's a book about the magic of childhood. You can tell." [p. 7] "Everything starts somewhere, although many physicists disagree." Most physicists believe the universe started with a 'big bang.' The contrary view is that the universe is essentially a 'steady state' system, though this is difficult to reconcile with the available evidence. See also the annotation for p. 8/8 of _The Colour of Magic_. [p. 8] "[...] the Verruca Gnome is running around [...]" A verruca is a large wart that appears on the sole of the foot, also called a planter wart. Apparently the word is not commonly used in America. [p. 13] "'[...] a stiff brandy before bedtime quite does away with the need for the Sandman.'" The Sandman supposedly sends children to sleep by throwing sand in their eyes, although we have found out (in _Soul Music_) that, on the Discworld, he doesn't bother to take the sand out of the sack first. [p. 13] "'And, since I can carry a tune quite well, I suspect I'm not likely to attract the attention of Old Man Trouble.'" A character from the Gerschwin song 'I've Got Rhythm'. See also the annotation for p. 86 of _Feet of Clay_. [p. 16] "'Let us call him the Fat Man.'" This nickname has an honourable history, dating back at least as far as the 1941 classic film _The Maltese Falcon_. It was also the codename of the second (and, so far, the last) atomic bomb ever used in war, which was dropped on Nagasaki in August 1945. [p. 24] "She'd got Gawain on the military campaigns of General Tacticus, [...]" We learn a lot more about this character in _Jingo_. The name seems to be a conflation of the word 'tactics' with the Roman historian Tacitus. [p. 25] "[...] if she did indeed ever find herself dancing on rooftops with chimney sweeps [...]" A famous scene from the 1964 film _Mary Poppins_. Miss Poppins used her umbrella as a sort of magic wand to grant wishes for the children in her charge. See also the annotation for p. 56. [p. 26] "[...] the hope that some god or other would take their soul if they died while they were asleep [...]" Susan is thinking of an 18th-century prayer still popular in parts of America: Now I lay me down to sleep, I pray the Lord my soul to keep. If I should die before I wake, I pray the Lord my soul to take. [p. 26] "'[...] *yes*, Twyla: there *is* a Hogfather.'" Susan's response to Twyla's question loosely parodies a delightfully sentimental editorial that first appeared in _The New York Sun_ in December 1897. The editorial _Yes, Virginia, There Is a Santa Claus_, appropriately enough, uses the ideas of 'deeper truths' and 'values' to demonstrate that Santa *must* exist. [p. 28] Medium Dave and Banjo Lilywhite. From the Trad. song 'Green grow the rushes, O': "Two, two the Lilywhite boys, clothed all in green, O". [p. 34] "Deaths's destination was a slight rise in the trench floor." The environment Death visits is called "Black Smokes". It is a lifeform that is not based on photosynthesis in any way. [p. 35] "The omnipotent eyesight of various supernatural entities is often remarked upon. It is said they can see the fall of every sparrow." Matthew 10:29, for instance: "Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? and one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father." [p. 39-40] "'"Oh, there might be some temp'ry inconvenience now, my good man, but just come back in fifty thousand years."'" There is very often a clear parallel between Discworld magic and our world's nuclear power. This is the sort of timescale it takes for plutonium waste to decay to a 'harmless' state. Given Terry's background in the nuclear industry, and his comments since, there's no doubt that these parallels are intended. [p. 42] "'Give me a child until he seven and he is mine for life.'" A Jesuit maxim. See the annotation for p. 12/10 of _Small Gods_. [p. 44] "It was the night before Hogwatch. All through the house... ...one creature stirred. It was a mouse." In Clement Clarke Moore's poem _The Night Before Christmas_, "not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse". [p. 47] "[...] the Quirmian philosopher Ventre, who said, 'Possibly the gods exist and possibly they do not. So why not believe in them in any case? If it's all true you'll go to a lovely place when you die, and if it isn't then you've lost nothing, right?'" This is a rephrasing of Pascal's Wager: "If you believe in God and turn out to be incorrect, you have lost nothing -- but if you don't believe in God and turn out to be incorrect, you will go to hell. Therefore it is foolish to be an atheist." (Formulation quoted from the alt.atheism "Common Arguments" webpage, ) [p. 47] "'You could try "Pig-hooey!"'" In P. G. Wodehouse's _Blandings Castle_, this cry was recommended to Clarence, Earl of Emsworth, as an all-purpose call to food, and used in the enforced absence of his pig man to get the mighty Empress back to the trough. As such it is perhaps not surprising that Gouger, Rooter, Tusker and Snouter did not accelerate away at the sound -- they were presumably waiting for Albert to produce the nosebags. [p. 48] "'Look at robins, now. [...] all they got to do is go bob-bob-bobbing along [...]'" From the song "When the red, red robin comes bob-bob- bobbing along..." [p. 49] "In Biers no one took any notice." The bar "Cheers", from the TV show of the same name, has often been parodied as "Beers". See also the annotation for p. 84 of _Feet of Clay_. [p. 50] "'Now then, Shlimazel'" "Shlimazel" is a Yiddish word meaning someone who always has bad luck, a sad sack, a terminally unsuccessful person. (From German "schlimm", meaning "bad", and the Hebrew "mazal", meaning "luck" -- or "constellation", as in "ill-starred".) [p. 54] "'Did you check the list?' YES, TWICE. ARE YOU SURE THAT'S ENOUGH?" This is the first of many references to the song 'Santa Claus is coming to town'. "He's making a list, he's checking it twice, he's gonna find out who's naughty and nice..." Other references are on p. 60 and p. 84. [p. 54] "Here we are, here we are," said Albert. "James Riddle, aged eight." Jimmy Riddle is rhyming slang for "piddle". [p. 56] "the window opened into the branches of a cherry tree." Possibly another echo of _Mary Poppins_ (see the annotation for p. 25), who lived at 10 Cherry Tree Road. The raven's constant harping on about robins also echoes the movie. [p. 60] "'The rat says: you'd better watch out...'" The song "Santa Claus is coming to town" takes on a whole new meaning on the Discworld. See also the annottion for p. 69/52 of _Soul Music_. [p. 66] "She'd never looked for eggs laid by the Soul Cake Duck." The Soul Cake Duck appears to be the Discworld equivalent of the Easter Bunny. [p. 67] "'I happen to like fern patterns,' said Jack Frost coldly." A Tom Swiftie, followed by another one on the next page: "'I don't sleep,' said Frost icily, [...]". See the annotation for p. 26/26 of _The Light Fantastic_. [p. 73] "In general outline, at least. But with more of a PG rating." PG = Parental Guidance suggested -- a film classification from the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) meaning that "some material may not be suitable for children". [p. 74] "Between every rational moment were a billion irrational ones." In mathematics, between every rational number there are an infinite number of irrational numbers. A rational number is a number that can be expressed in the form of _p/q_ where _p_ and _q_ are integers. Irrational numbers are ones that can't, such as _pi_ or the square root of 2. [p. 77] "A man might spend his life peering at the private life of elementary particles and then find he either knew who he was or where he was, but not both." A lovely reference to Heisenberg's Uncertainty Principle (see the annotation for p. 178/171 of _Pyramids_). Also plays on the stereotype of the absent-minded old scientist. [p. 79] "'Archchancellor Weatherwax only used it once [...]'" Archchancellor Weatherwax was in charge of UU in the time of _The Light Fantastic_, estimated (by some deeply contorted calculation) to be set about 25 years before the time of _Hogfather_. See also the annotation for p. 8/8 of _The Light Fantastic_. [p. 82] 'Old Faithful' is the name of the biggest geyser in Yellowstone Park. No wonder Ridcully feels 'clean'. [p. 83] "*On the second day of Hogswatch I... sent my true love back A nasty little letter, hah, yes, indeed, and a partridge in a pear tree.*" Clearly the Discworld version of "The twelve days of Christmas" is rather less, umm, unilateral. [p. 83] "'*-- the rising of the sun, and the running of the deer --*'" The song is 'The Holly and the Ivy': The Holly and the Ivy, when they are both full grown, Of all the trees that are in the wood, the holly bears the crown. Oh, the rising of the sun, and the running of the deer, The playing of the merry organ, sweet singing in the choir. The Holly bears a berry, as red as any blood, And Mary bore sweet Jesus Christ to do poor sinners good... etc. [p. 84] "I KNOW IF THEY ARE PEEPING, Death added proudly." Another echo of 'Santa Claus is coming to town': "He sees you when you're peeping". See the annotations for p. 54 and p. 60. [p. 86] "'I mean, tooth fairies, yes, and them little buggers that live in flowers, [...]'" Flower fairies are a Victorian invention, often illustrated in sickeningly cute pictures and still widely popular in America. See also _Witches Abroad_. [p. 86] "Oh, how the money was coming in." This has been tentatively linked to a famous parody song, to the tune of of 'My Bonnie lies over the ocean': "My father makes counterfeit money, my mother brews synthetic gin, my sister makes loves to the sailors: my God, how the money rolls in!" [p. 92] "Many people are aware of the Weak and Strong Anthropic Principles." Physicists have discovered that there are a large number of 'coincidences' inherent in the fundamental laws and constants of nature, seemingly *designed* or 'tuned' to lead to the development of intelligent life. Every one of these coincidences or specific relationships between fundamental physical parameters is needed, or the evolution of life and consciousness as we know it could not have happened. This set of coincidences is known collectively as the "Anthropic Principle." The 'Weak Anthropic Principle' states, roughly, that "since we are here, the universe must have the properties that make it possible for us to exist, so the coincidences are not surprising". The 'Strong Anthropic Principle' says that "the universe *can* only exist at all because it has these properties -- it would be impossible for it to develop any other way." In some quarters, the idea has re-ignited the old 'argument- from-design' for the existence of God. [p. 94] "'Sufficiently *advanced* magic.'" A perfect inversion of Arthur C. Clarke's dictum that "any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic." [p. 94] "'Interesting. Saves all that punching holes in bits of card and hitting keys you lads are forever doing, then --'" Holes punched in cards were used to input programs and data to computers up until roughly the early 1970s, when keyboards became standard. [p. 95] "++Why Do You Think You Are A Tickler? +++" The conversation between the Bursar and Hex is reminiscent of the _Eliza_ program. _Eliza_ is a program written in the dark ages of computer science by Joseph Weizenbaum to simulate an indirect psychiatrist. It works by transforming whatever the human says into a question using a few very simple rules. To his grave concern, Weizenbaum discovered that people took his simple program for real and demanded to be left alone while 'conversing' with it. [p. 95] "[...] Hex's 'Anthill Inside' sticker [...]" Refers to a marketing campaign launched by semiconductor manufacturer Intel in the 1990s. Intel's problem was that, although it has almost all of the market for personal computer chips, its lawyers couldn't stop rival manufacturers from making chips that were technically identical -- or, very often, better and cheaper. Its response was to launch the 'Intel Inside' sticker, to attach to a computer's case in the hope of persuading end customers that this made it better. [p. 99] "You know there's some people up on the Ramtops who kill a wren at Hogswatch and walk around from house to house singing about it?" There is a folksong about the hunting of the wren: Oh where are you going, says Milder to Maulder Oh we may not tell you, says Festle to Fose We're off to the woods, says John the red nose We're off to the woods, says John the red nose And what will you do there .... We'll hunt the cutty wren ... [p. 100] "Blind Io the Thunder God used to have these myffic ravens that flew anywhere and told him everything that was going on." The main Viking god Odin, although not a thunder god, had two ravens, Hugin and Munin, who did this. He also had only one eye. [p. 100] "'[...] he'd go to the Castle of Bones.'" King Arthur visited this place of horror with a bunch (24? 49? 144?) of his trusted knights and re-emerged with only seven left alive. No one ever told what they had encountered there. I believe it was a faerie castle. [p. 104] "The Aurora Corealis" See the annotation for p. 84/69 of _Mort_. [p. 118] "YES INDEED, HELLO, SMALL CHILD CALLED VERRUCA LUMPY, [...]" Confirms Ridcully's remark on p. 86 that the word can be used as a name. [p. 119] "'Willow bark', said the Bursar." Willow bark contains aspirin. [p. 121] "'[...] that drink, you know, there's a worm in the bottle...'" Mescal. See also the annotation for p. 252/190 for _Soul Music_. [p. 121] "'[...] surrounded by nake maenads.'" Maenads are from Greek mythology and were tied up with Dionysus, God of Wine. They were beautiful, nude and indeed maniacal, possessed of an unfortunate tendency to tear apart anyone they met, especially if it was male. [p. 123] TINKLE. TINKLE. *FIZZ*. An old advertising campaign for Alka-Seltzer, often used as a hangover cure, used the line 'plink-plink fizz' to describe the sound of the pills dropping into water and dissolving. [p. 126] "'*I saw this in _Bows and Ammo_!*'" See the annotation for p. 328/236 of _Lords and Ladies_. [p. 132] "While evidence says that the road to Hell is paved with good intentions, [...]" This is confirmed by the eyewitness testimony of Rincewind and Eric (in _Eric_). [p. 134] "'Sarah the little match girl, [...]'" The little match girl dying of hypothermia on Christmas eve is a traditional fairy tale, best known in the version written by Hans Christian Anderson. [p. 135] "'You're for life, not just for Hogswatch,' prompted Albert." Plays on the old (1970s, I think) advertising slogan intended to discourage giving puppies as Christmas presents without thinking about how they'll be cared for the rest of their lives. [p. 139] "Hex worried Ponder Stibbons." The present incarnation of Hex has a lot of in-jokes about modern (mid-90s) personal computers. The computer business is littered with TLAs (three-letter abbreviations), such as CPU, RAM, VDU, FTP; Hex has its CWL (clothes wringer from the laundry), FTB (fluffy teddy bear), GBL (great big lever). "Small religious pictures" are icons, and they are used with a mouse. Ram skulls are an echo of RAM (random-access memory). The beehive long-term storage is a little more obscure, but in the 1980s some mainframes had a mass storage system that involved data stored on tapes wound onto cylinders. The cylinders of tape were stored in a set of hexagonal pigeon holes, and retrieved automatically by the computer as needed; systems diagrams always depicted this part of the computer as a honeycomb pattern. Interestingly, Douglas R. Hofstader's _Goedel, Escher, Bach: an eternal golden braid_ contains a chapter in which one of the characters (the Anteater) describes how an anthill can be viewed as a brain, in which the movements of ants are the thoughts of the heap. To be concluded next issue - o -