Hogfather
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| Terry Pratchett The Discworld series 20th novel – 4th Death story  |
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| Outline | |
| Characters: | Death Susan Sto Helit |
| Locations: | Death's Domain |
| Motifs: | Christmas, children's stories, the power of belief |
| Publication details | |
| Year of release: | 1996 |
| Original publisher: | Victor Gollancz |
| Hardback ISBN: | ISBN 0-575-06403-X |
| Paperback ISBN: | ISBN 0-552-14542-4 |
| Other details | |
| Awards: | |
| Notes: | Came 137th in the Big Read |
- For the Sky One adaptation of the novel, see Hogfather (TV series).
Hogfather is the 20th Discworld novel by Terry Pratchett.
The Hogfather is additionally a character in the book, representing something akin to Father Christmas. He grants children's wishes on Hogswatchnight (32nd of December) and brings them presents. He also figures in other Discworld novels.
The Hogfather wears a red, fur-lined cloak, and rides a sleigh pulled by four wild boars (or, in modern portrayals, cute pink piggies) named Gouger, Rooter, Tusker and Snouter. In earlier times he gave households pork products, and naughty children a bag of bloody bones. Earlier than that, he was a winter god of the death-and-renewal kind. The modern version is a jolly toymaker, with vestiges of the earlier myths (such as his Castle of Bones) still clinging to him.
The Hogfather was first mentioned in Reaper Man.
Contents |
[edit] Plot summary
In the novel The Auditors strike again: They decided to eliminate the Discworld's equivalent to Santa Claus because he does not fit into their view of the universe. They meet with Lord Downey, head of the Assassin's guild, and commission the services of Mr. Teatime (pronounced Te-ah-tim-eh), whose particular brand of insane genius makes him an ideal candidate for the assassination of the Hogfather and other anthropomorphic personifications. Death decides to take over for the Hogfather in order to make people continue to believe in him, wearing a long red cloak and a beard, but things start to become complicated because he is taking the children's wishes too literally. Meanwhile, his granddaughter Susan must find out what's happened to the real Hogfather. She visits his Castle of Bones only to find the hung-over 'oh god of hangovers' whom she rescues before the castle collapses due to the lack of belief. In an attempt to cure the oh god, Susan visits the Unseen University where it is discovered that several of these minor gods and beings are being created. The university's computer, Hex, explains that there is 'spare belief' in the world due to the absence of the Hogfather which is being used to create them. Susan and the Oh God of hangovers then travel to the land of the tooth fairy where they discover that Teatime has 'killed' the Hogfather by collecting millions of children's teeth and using them to control the children, forcing them to stop believing in the hogfather. Upon throwing the Assassin off the tower and apparently killing him, Susan clears the teeth away and brings back the Hogfather by rescuing him from the Auditors, who have taken the forms of dogs. They cannot return to their original state and so cannot stop themselves falling off a cliff.
[edit] TV adaptation
A two-part TV series of Hogfather is scheduled for the 17th and 18th of december (8.00 pm) on Sky One, with Ian Richardson as the voice of Death and David Jason playing Death's manservant Albert. Marc Warren will also play Mr. Teatime.
[edit] Translations
- Дядо Прас (Bulgarian)
- Otec prasátek (Czech)
- Schweinsgalopp (German)
- Berevaar (Dutch)
- Orikavana (Estonian)
- Valkoparta Karjupukki (Finnish)
- Le Père Porcher (French)
- Wiedźmikołaj (Polish)
- Дед Кабан, Санта-Хрякус (Russian)
- Svinvinternatt (Swedish)
