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Book Home  Books Information Equal Rites
Equal Rites
Equal Rites is a comic
fantasy novel by Terry Pratchett. Published in 1987, it is the
third novel in the Discworld series and the first where the main
character is not Rincewind. It introduces the character of Granny
Weatherwax who reappears in several later Discworld novels.
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The wizard Drum Billet knows that he will soon die and
travels to a place where an eighth son of an eighth son is about to
be born. Since such a boy is destined to become a wizard (on the Discworld,
the number eight has many of the magical properties that are ascribed
to seven in the real world), Billet wants to pass his staff on to
him as his successor.
However, the child born is actually a girl, Eskarina.
Since Billet notices his mistake too late, the staff is passed on
to her.
As she grows up, it becomes apparent that she has uncontrollable
powers, and the local witch Granny Weatherwax decides to travel with
her to the Unseen University in Ankh-Morpork - but a female wizard
is something completely unheard of on the Discworld.
Esk is unsuccessful in her first, direct, attempt to
gain entry to the University, but Granny Weatherwax finds another
way in; as a servant. While there she follows the progress of an apprentice
wizard named Simon, who she had met earlier, on her way to Ankh-Morpork.
Simon is a sourceror; a wizard capable of devising new spells. His
magic, however, causes a hole to be opened to the dark regions.
Notes
For reasons never explained, Esk never appeared in the Discworld novels
again. Although she was the main character in the book, the only character
(besides Death) who would appear again after the book was Granny Weatherwax,
but the events of the book were never even mentioned again; the next
'witches' book, Wyrd Sisters, starts off with a virtually clean slate.
The closest thing to mentions of the book that occur later in the
series are in Lords and Ladies, when Granny mentions to Archchancellor
Mustrum Ridcully of Unseen University that she has been there a few
times before and in Maskerade where she surprises Nanny Ogg by revealing
that she has stayed at Rosie Palm's. Another almost-mention is that
Granny learned to fly "late in life" – an event of
Equal Rites.
Trivia
The French translation continues the theme of the number 8 with the
title La Huitième Fille (lit: The Eighth Daughter). The Colour
of Magic is translated as La Huitième Couleur (lit: The Eighth
Colour) and The Light Fantastic as Le Huitième Sortilège
(lit: The Eighth Magic Spell).
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