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Ankh-Morpork
(Modern Morporkian)

Ankhius et Morporkia
(Latatian, the Old Language)
Coat of arms of Ankh-Morpork

Coat of arms: A shield, quartered by a river (the Ankh) and tower (the Tower of Art). This article details minor Discworld concepts: concepts and ideas from the Discworld of novels by Terry Pratchett which only appear in the background or A coat of arms or armorial bearings (often just arms for short in European tradition is a design belonging to a particular person (or group of people Geography Ankh-Morpork lies on the River Ankh (the most polluted waterway on the Discworld and reputedly solid enough to walk on where the fertile loam of the Sto Plains The quarters bear two moneybags, a field of cabbages and the unmarked black field of the Vetinaris. The cabbage ( Brassica oleracea var capitata) is a leafy garden plant of the Family Brassicaceae (or Cruciferae used as a Lord Havelock Vetinari is the Patrician of Ankh-Morpork, the head of the fictional City state of Ankh-Morpork in Terry Pratchett 's
The shield is supported by two hippopotamuses and crested with a morepork holding an ankh. The southern boobook ( Ninox novaeseelandiae) also called the mopoke or morepork, is a small brown Owl found mainly in New Zealand

mottos: Quanti canicula ille in fenestra
(Latatian: How much is that small dog in the window)

Merus in pectum et in aquam
(Latatian: Pure in heart and water)
Official language Morporkian is de facto
Patrician Lord Havelock Vetinari
Area Approx 50 miles² (130 km²) including surrounding fiefdom
Population Approx. A motto (from the Italian word motto, meaning witticism sentence is a phrase meant to formally describe the general motivation or intention of a social group A language is a dynamic set of visual auditory or tactile Symbols of Communication and the elements used to manipulate them Lord Havelock Vetinari is the Patrician of Ankh-Morpork, the head of the fictional City state of Ankh-Morpork in Terry Pratchett 's Area is a Quantity expressing the two- Dimensional size of a defined part of a Surface, typically a region bounded by a closed Curve. In Biology a population is the collection of inter-breeding organisms of a particular Species; in Sociology 1,000,000 (including surrounding fiefdom)

including approx. 50,000 Dwarfs (Discworld's largest dwarf population outside of Uberwald)
Establishment Founded 2564 years before AM dating
Modern city-state established 4th Grune 1688 AM
Currency Ankh-Morpork Dollar (AM$)
National anthem We can rule you wholesale

Ankh-Morpork is a fictional city-state which prominently features in Terry Pratchett's Discworld series of fantasy novels. A currency is a unit of exchange, facilitating the transfer of Goods and/or services It is one form of Money, where money is Geography Ankh-Morpork lies on the River Ankh (the most polluted waterway on the Discworld and reputedly solid enough to walk on where the fertile loam of the Sto Plains A national anthem is a generally patriotic musical composition that evokes and eulogizes the history traditions and struggles of its people recognized either by a nation's Geography Ankh-Morpork lies on the River Ankh (the most polluted waterway on the Discworld and reputedly solid enough to walk on where the fertile loam of the Sto Plains Fiction is the telling of stories which are not real More specifically fiction is an imaginative form of Narrative, one of the four basic Rhetorical modes. A city-state is a Region controlled exclusively by a City, usually having Sovereignty. Terence David John Pratchett, OBE (born 28 April 1948 is an English fantasy, Science fiction, and children's author. Discworld is a comedic Fantasy Book series by the British author Terry Pratchett, set on the Discworld, a flat As cities go, it is on the far side of corrupt and polluted, and is subject to outbreaks of comedic violence and brou-ha-ha on a fairly regular basis. It is home to the Unseen University, a centre of magical learning. Unseen University (UU is a school of wizardry in Terry Pratchett's fictional Discworld city of Ankh-Morpork, staffed by a faculty

Ankh-Morpork is also the mercantile capital of the Discworld, and the books give a flavour of a "working" quasi-medieval city. The Discworld is the fictional setting for all of Terry Pratchett 's Discworld fantasy novels Even when it is under attack from a dragon, the vegetable carts still have to come in. European dragons are Legendary creatures in Folklore and Mythology among the overlapping cultures of Europe.

In The Art of Discworld Pratchett explains that the city is similar to Tallinn and central Prague, but adds that it has elements of 18th century London, 19th century Seattle and modern New York City. The Art of Discworld is a descriptive book of the world of the Discworld as portrayed in Terry Pratchett 's Discworld series Tallinn (historically known by the German, Swedish and Danish name Reval or the Polish name Rewal, among other names Prague (ˈprɑːg Praha (ˈpraɦa see also other names) is the Capital and Largest city of the Czech Republic. London ( ˈlʌndən is the capital and largest urban area in the United Kingdom. The City of New York He also states that since the creation of The Streets of Ankh-Morpork, he has tried to ensure that the descriptions of character movements and locations in the books match the Ankh-Morpork map; this has allowed him, and fans of the series, to visualise the story more clearly. Ankh-Morpork is also referred to as "The Great [or Big] Wahoonie" on occasions, alluding to "The Great Wen" (London), or to "The Big Apple" (New York). This article details minor Discworld concepts: concepts and ideas from the Discworld of novels by Terry Pratchett which only appear in the background or The Great Wen is a disparaging nickname for London. The term was coined in the 1820s by William Cobbett, the radical pamphleteer and champion of Rural The Big Apple is a nickname or Moniker for New York City. It was first popularized in the 1920s by John J There are also strong parallels with the political structure, economy, social structure, topography and history of the city-state Florence during the Renaissance. Florence ( Italian: Firenze Florentia and Fiorenza) is the Capital City of the Italian region of Tuscany

Contents

Geography

Ankh-Morpork lies on the River Ankh (the most polluted waterway on the Discworld and reputedly solid enough to walk on), where the fertile loam of the Sto Plains (similar to Western Europe) meets the Circle Sea (the Discworld's version of the Mediterranean). See also Discworld (world This article concerns the fictional geography of Terry Pratchett 's Discworld, featured in the long running series of Western Europe at its most general meaning means 'all the countries in the West of Europe ' See also Discworld (world This article concerns the fictional geography of Terry Pratchett 's Discworld, featured in the long running series of This, naturally, puts it in an excellent trading position.

Lying approximately equidistant from the cold Hub and tropical Rim, Ankh-Morpork is in the Discworld's equivalent of the temperate zone.

The name "Ankh-Morpork" refers to both the city itself, a walled city about a mile (1. See also List of cities with defensive walls A defensive wall is a Fortification used to defend a city or settlement from potential aggressors 6 km) across, and the surrounding suburbs and farms of its fiefdom. Under the system of Feudalism, a fiefdom, fief, feud, feoff, or fee, often consisted of inheritable lands or revenue-producing

The central city divides more or less into Ankh (the posh part) and Morpork (the humble part, which includes the slum area known as "the Shades"), which are separated by the River Ankh.

Ankh-Morpork is built on black loam, broadly, but mostly what it is built on is more Ankh-Morpork. Because of the nature of the Ankh-Morpork citizenry and the flooding of the River Ankh, they figured it was simply easier to build on top of the existing buildings when the sediment grew too high, rather than excavate them out. This has resulted in two things: First, many people own basements and have no idea they do. Second, there is a "cave network" below Ankh-Morpork made up of old streets and abandoned sewers – these "unknown basements" allow people to get around relatively unimpeded. The city's dwarf population have extended this into a complex network of tunnels, which has recently been made municipal property. DWARF is a widely used standardized Debugging data format. DWARF was originally designed along with ELF, although it is independent of Object file A township (or Municipality) is a settlement which has the status and powers of a unit of local government

Ankh-Morpork is also the city with most dwarfs on the whole disc outside of Uberwald and has over 50,000 dwarfs living there (The Truth, The Fifth Elephant). The Truth is the twenty-fifth Discworld novel by Terry Pratchett, published in 2000. The Fifth Elephant is the 24th Discworld novel by Terry Pratchett.

The River Ankh

The Ankh is basically a parody of the Thames during the 18th and 19th century, as both were unhealthy and polluted. Such parody is also evident in maps of Ankh-Morpork, which clearly show the River Ankh with the famous Thames meander around London's Isle Of Dogs. London ( ˈlʌndən is the capital and largest urban area in the United Kingdom. The Isle of Dogs is a former island in the East End of London that is surrounded on three sides (east south and west by one of the largest Meanders in The naming of the river is an ironic pun, as the word 'Ankh' (☥) is the Ancient Egyptian symbol for life - therefore it is the River of Life, the antithesis of its actual appearance.

Even before it enters Ankh-Morpork, the River Ankh is full of silt from the plains; by the time it gets to the seaward side of the city, "even an agnostic could walk across it" (although in The Truth, Arnold Sideways plays it safe by distributing his weight over boards). Silt is Soil or rock derived Granular material of a Grain size between sand and clay Agnosticism ( Greek: α- a-, without + γνώσις gnōsis, knowledge after Gnosticism) is the philosophical view that the The Truth is the twenty-fifth Discworld novel by Terry Pratchett, published in 2000. The Canting Crew is an informal name for a group of Ankh-Morpork beggars in Terry Pratchett 's Discworld series

The citizens of the city are strangely proud of this fact, even going so far as to say that "it is easier to suffocate than drown in the Ankh. " They also claim it to be the purest water on the Disc, as "Anything that's passed through so many kidneys has to be very pure indeed. " (A reference to the saying that London tap-water is allegedly filtered by seven sets of kidneys). Owing to the build-up of centuries, the bed of the river is higher than some parts of the city. When winter snows swell the flow, the low-rent areas of Morpork flood. In spring some parts of the river catch fire, others sprout small trees and also the spray of the Ankh turns into a shade of green. Wading birds are apparently uncommon, as their legs would be eaten away by the pollution. Such fish as are known to exist are described as looking like vacuum cleaners, and explode when brought to clean water. There are a lot of microorganisms living in the river, which Mustrum Ridcully believed was proof that the water was safe to drink - as anything capable of supporting that much life had to be healthy. A microorganism (also spelled micro organism or micro-organism and also called a microbe) is an Organism that is Microscopic (usually Mustrum Ridcully is a Fictional character in the Discworld novels of Terry Pratchett.

Although some cities have been invaded by barbarians approaching by river, there is small danger of this with the Ankh, since any invasion fleet would have to be preceded by a gang of men wielding shovels. If this does happen, there is a magic horn in the Patrician's Palace which is said to blow itself.

In the times when the city catches fire, the river gates are closed, and the river rises and smothers the flames. This also has the unfortunate side effect of destroying any remaining buildings that the fire missed.

In both Men At Arms and the computer game Discworld Noir, the Ankh is described as "the only river in the world on which you could draw a chalk outline". Men at Arms is the 15th Discworld Novel by Terry Pratchett first published in 1993 Discworld Noir is a Computer game based on Terry Pratchett 's Discworld comic Fantasy novels and unlike the previous

History

According to legend, the first city of Ankh-Morpork was founded thousands of years ago by twin brothers who were raised by a hippopotamus (an allusion to the myth of Romulus and Remus, albeit with a hippo replacing the original wolf). The hippopotamus ( Hippopotamus amphibius) from the Greek ἱπποπόταμος ( hippopotamos, ιππος hippos meaning "horse" Romulus (c 771 BC– c 717 BC and Remus (c 771 BC–c 753 BC are the traditional founders of Rome, appearing in Roman mythology It is in memory of this that the hippo is the royal animal of Ankh. One legend has it that if danger ever threatens the city, the eight stone hippopotami guarding the Brass Bridge will come to life and run away. Another legend claims that many centuries ago, the Disc flooded. An ark was constructed, containing two of every animal. Noah (or Noe, Noach;; Nūḥ; Arabic: نوح; "Rest") was according to the Bible, the tenth and last of When the accumulated dung of forty days and nights was dropped over the side, they called it Ankh-Morpork.

The original city was little more than a walled keep, surrounding the Tower of Art, a building of mysterious origin which may even predate the Disc itself. Unseen University (UU is a school of wizardry in Terry Pratchett's fictional Discworld city of Ankh-Morpork, staffed by a faculty

At one point it had an empire, similar to the Roman Empire, that covered half the continent including the neighbouring country of Klatch. The Roman Empire was the post-Republican phase of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial This article is about the fictional country of Klatch For the fictional continent also called Klatch see Discworld geography Klatch is a fictional country in These were the days of the "Pax Morporkia," another reference to Rome and their Pax Romana. Pax Romana ( Latin for " Roman Peace " was the long period of relative peace and minimal expansion by military force

The empire was largely the creation of General Tacticus (an obvious pun on both "tactics" and the name of the real-world historian Tacitus), the greatest military mind in history. General Callus Tacticus is a legendary soldier and military leader in Terry Pratchett 's Discworld fantasy series A pun (or paronomasia) is a Phrase that deliberately exploits confusion between similar-sounding Words for humorous or Rhetorical Publius (or Gaius) Cornelius Tacitus (ca 56 &ndash ca 117 was a senator and a Historian of the Roman Empire. Tacticus refused to accept that the Empire was growing too big to control, and was finally shipped off to be king of Genua. Genua is a fictional city from Terry Pratchett 's Discworld novels As king he decided that the greatest threat to Genua was the Empire, and declared war on it (a probable reference to Jean Baptiste Jules Bernadotte, who served under the Emperor Napoleon but later, as King of Sweden, allied with France's enemies). A declaration of war is a formal performative Speech act or signing of a document by an authorised party of a government in order to initate a state of War Charles XIV John ( Karl XIV Johan) born Jean-Baptiste Bernadotte, later renamed Jean-Baptiste Jules Bernadotte (26 January 1763 &ndash 8 March 1844 Napoleon Bonaparte (15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821 was a French military and political leader who had a significant impact on the History of Europe. "Sverige" redirects here For other uses see Sweden (disambiguation and Sverige (disambiguation.

This was a Golden Age, ruled by the Kings of Ankh, who are recalled in legend as wise, noble and fair. The term Golden age is best known from Greek mythology and legend but can also be found in other ancient cultures (see below The line died out approximately 2000 years before the present, giving way to real kings who were realistically corrupt and perverse and ultimately leading to the collapse of the empire. (This could be seen as a parody of the fictional city of Minas Tirith, which also had a "Golden Age" many years before, with Kings who were remembered as being noble and wise. This article is about the city in the Third Age. For the First Age tower of the same name see Minas Tirith (First Age. )

Shortly before this, however, the mage Alberto Malich had founded Unseen University (UU) in the Tower of Art, and Ankh-Morpork continued as a service town for the wizards. Albert (known as Alberto Malich when he founded the Unseen University) is a character from Terry Pratchett 's Discworld series Unseen University (UU is a school of wizardry in Terry Pratchett's fictional Discworld city of Ankh-Morpork, staffed by a faculty

Royalty became extremely debased and the later kings of Ankh-Morpork are recalled in history as power-mad and corrupt, or just mad; some are mentioned by name in Men at Arms:

The last and worst - the euphemistically-remembered Lorenzo the Kind (the full extent of whose infamy is not revealed, save that he was said to be "very fond of children" and had in his dungeons "machines for . The Discworld Companion is an Encyclopedia of all things Discworldian created by Terry Pratchett and Stephen Briggs. The Discworld Companion is an Encyclopedia of all things Discworldian created by Terry Pratchett and Stephen Briggs. The term pedophilia or paedophilia has a range of definitions as found in Psychology, law enforcement and the popular vernacular . . ") - was overthrown in the Ankh-Morpork Civil War of 1688 (dating from the founding of UU). The question of what to do with the deposed king (no judge would try him) was settled when he was executed by the then Commander of the City Watch, Suffer-Not-Injustice Vimes. Known as "Old Stoneface," his regicide resulted in his being banned from bearing arms (These events parallel the English Civil War of the 1640s, and the execution of Charles I by Oliver Cromwell). The English Civil War (1642-1651 was a series of armed conflicts and political machinations between Parliamentarians and Royalists. Charles I, (19 November 1600 &ndash 30 January 1649 was King of England, Scotland and Ireland from 27 March 1625 until his execution. Oliver Cromwell (25 April 1599 Old Style &ndash 3 September 1658 Old Style) was an English military and political leader best known Afterwards "Old Stoneface" (an ancestor of the current City Watch Commander Samuel Vimes and a play on Cromwell's nickname "Old Ironside") and his Ironheads (a play on "Ironsides" and "Roundheads") attempted to introduce democracy, but the people voted against it. Ironside was the name given to a trooper in the Parliamentarian cavalry formed by English political leader Oliver Cromwell in the 17th century during " Roundheads " was the Nickname given to the Puritan supporters of Parliament during the English Civil War. Democracy is a form of government in which the supreme power is held completely by the people under a free electoral system After "Old Stoneface" himself was overthrown, Ankh-Morpork reverted to a non-hereditary oligarchic system, where the leaders are still ruthless tyrants, but don't have the audacity to invoke divine right. Oligarchy' ( Greek, Oligarkhía) is a Form of government where Political power effectively rests with a small elite segment It is, however, rumoured that the royal blood line of the Kings of Ankh has not in fact died out but instead continued, and that the true king, Carrot Ironfoundersson, walks the streets of the city on a nightly basis. Carrot Ironfoundersson is a Fictional character in Terry Pratchett 's Discworld novels The Patrician rules the city, and operates a specialised form of "One Man, One Vote" democracy: the Patrician is the Man, and he has the Vote. Lord Havelock Vetinari is the Patrician of Ankh-Morpork, the head of the fictional City state of Ankh-Morpork in Terry Pratchett 's

Under the Patricians the city has become the mercantile and political capital of the Discworld, so much so that the Sto Plains operates under a new Pax Morporkia, which operates not on the principle of "If you fight, we will kill you," but on the principle of "If you fight, we will call in your mortgages. This article is about capital as an analogy to financial wealth for the seat of government see Capital city. " The current Patrician has opened the city to dwarfs, trolls, gnomes, humans from across the Disc and even the undead, making a truly multicultural society, with both the advantages and problems that suggests. Dwarfs in Terry Pratchett 's Discworld novels are similar to the Dwarves of J Trolls in Terry Pratchett 's Discworld novels unlike the monstrous Trolls of Folklore and J Gnomes are the smallest humanoid species on the Discworld (a fictional flat world created by Terry Pratchett) ranging from four inches (10cm to 2 feet (61cm in height In Terry Pratchett 's Discworld novels the undead are seen less as monsters and more as characters with unusual cultural quirks The term multiculturalism generally refers to a state of racial, cultural and ethnic diversity within the Demographics of a specified (The current Patrician's own, typically pragmatic, view on multiculturalism is "Alloys are stronger. An alloy is a Solid solution or Homogeneous mixture of two or more elements, at least one of which is a Metal, which itself has ") Mimes are strictly forbidden. Anyone caught practising the art is hung upside-down in a scorpion pit, upon the walls of which is written: "Learn the words. "

Civic symbols include Morporkia, a woman in a cabbage-spangled cloak and an old-fashioned helmet, carrying a shield with the civic coat of arms and a toasting-fork symbolising "something or other" (compare Britannia, Columbia). Heraldry in its most general sense encompasses all matters relating to the duties and responsibilities of officers of arms. Britannia was the term originally used by the Romans to refer first to the British Isles, and later to the island of Great Britain. Columbia (kəˈlʌmbiə is the first popular and poetic name for the United States of America; it is also the origin of the name for the District

Ankh-Morpork has evolved in the series. At the beginning of the series in The Colour of Magic, it was a corrupt, crumbling medieval city. The Colour of Magic is a 1983 Comic fantasy novel by Terry Pratchett, and is the first book of the Discworld series It still has corruption (mostly organised in guilds) but is far from crumbling by Going Postal and has become a high-tech (for the Disc) city-state bordering on almost steampunk levels of technology. In Terry Pratchett 's Discworld series of fantasy novels there are almost 300 Guilds in the city of Ankh-Morpork. Going postal is an American English Slang term used as a verb meaning to suddenly become extremely and uncontrollably angry possibly to the point of violence Steampunk is a subgenre of fantasy and Speculative fiction that came into prominence in the 1980s and early 1990s The city is indeed the 2nd most developed nation of the disc after the Agatean Empire. The Agatean Empire is a fictitious country that occupies the equally fictitious Counterweight Continent of Terry Pratchett 's Discworld. Ankh-Morpork has seen the appearance of

Crime is kept in check by the Watch and the guilds, mainly the Thieves' Guild; in the novel Jingo a character casually notes the Thieves' Guild weathervane is an actual unofficial and currently deceased thief. Jingo is the twenty-first novel by Terry Pratchett, one of his Discworld series Lord Vetinari has a firm grip on the city (or seems to). Lord Havelock Vetinari is the Patrician of Ankh-Morpork, the head of the fictional City state of Ankh-Morpork in Terry Pratchett 's The wizards of UU no longer murder each other intentionally. The city is now a highly-advanced metropolis rather than the fading, broken-down city of The Colour of Magic. The Colour of Magic is a 1983 Comic fantasy novel by Terry Pratchett, and is the first book of the Discworld series It is implied that the Axle discovered in Thud! will revolutionise both municipal transportation (with many references which parallel the London Underground including the minesign symbol for a mine) and machinery, and Moist von Lipwig's invention of the banknote in Making Money. Thud! is Terry Pratchett 's 34th Discworld novel released in the United States of America on September 13 2005 The London Underground is a Metro system serving a large part of Greater London and neighbouring areas of Essex, Hertfordshire and Buckinghamshire Moist von Lipwig is a Fictional character from Terry Pratchett 's Discworld series A banknote (often known as a bill, paper money or simply a note) is a kind of Negotiable instrument, a Promissory note made by a Making Money is a Terry Pratchett novel in the Discworld series published in the UK on 20 September, 2007.

Politics

City Leadership

The succession of the Patrician occurs normally by either assassination or revolution. Patricians have been known to resign, but this is very much the exception.

Power is, to some degree, shared with the many Guilds (see above) and the surviving nobility. They form a sort of advisory city council, but the Patrician has the only vote at meetings. This may be the same as the "council of aldermen" referred to briefly in Sourcery, and never mentioned since. An alderman is a member of a municipal assembly or council in many jurisdictions Sourcery is the fifth Discworld novel by Terry Pratchett, published in 1988

The current office-holder is the Medici-inspired Lord Havelock Vetinari, a former student at the Assassin's Guild. Lord Havelock Vetinari is the Patrician of Ankh-Morpork, the head of the fictional City state of Ankh-Morpork in Terry Pratchett 's AssassiNation is the sixth album by Krisiun, released in 2006 on Century Media.

The nearest surviving relative of the former royal family seems to be Captain Carrot Ironfoundersson, technically a human, but fundamentally a dwarf (or vice-versa depending on point-of-view). A royal family is the extended family of a monarch. Generally the head of a royal family is a king or queen regnant Carrot Ironfoundersson is a Fictional character in Terry Pratchett 's Discworld novels However, he has gone to some effort to keep his royal connections as quiet as possible. The origin of Corporal Cecil Wormsborough St. John (Nobby) Nobbs remains shrouded in mystery. Cecil Wormsborough St John "Nobby" Nobbs is a Fictional character in the Discworld novels of Terry Pratchett. At one point he was identified as being a descendant of de Nobbes, the Earl of Ankh (and therefore the next in line), but this was (probably) a deliberate deception.

The Patrician has almost absolute power over the affairs of the city and works together with the leaders of the city's Guilds, who elect him through the Guild Council, as shown in The Truth. In Terry Pratchett 's Discworld series of fantasy novels there are almost 300 Guilds in the city of Ankh-Morpork. The Truth is the twenty-fifth Discworld novel by Terry Pratchett, published in 2000. In an analogy of Renaissance Florence, Ankh-Morpork is an oligarchy. Florence ( Italian: Firenze Florentia and Fiorenza) is the Capital City of the Italian region of Tuscany Oligarchy' ( Greek, Oligarkhía) is a Form of government where Political power effectively rests with a small elite segment Eligible for election are members of rich and influential families. Almost all of the people who have held the post through the years proved once in office to be little different from a king, except that power did not pass automatically to their descendants. They were despotic, oppressive and fairly often mad. Past Patricians have included:

Vetinari appears rather more permanent than most, largely due to his Machiavellian ("for a given value of Machiavelli", according to Terry Pratchett) machinations. This article contains brief biographies for characters from Terry Pratchett 's Discworld series This article contains brief biographies for characters from Terry Pratchett 's Discworld series This article contains brief biographies for characters from Terry Pratchett 's Discworld series He has arranged the politics of the city in such a way that to remove him from office would cause chaos among the Guilds and nobility. He firmly believes that what people really want is stability, and that is what he provides.

Current "important" city figures

Although Vetinari is the absolute leader of the city, he has been able to give some people the illusion that they have some power:


It should be pointed out that traditionally the relationship between the city and the Unseen University is one of mutual cooperation, in which it is stated that the UU agrees to do anything asked of them and the city promises to never ask, and it is possibly the only place where the Patrician's influence is reduced. For example, the city has never taxed the university ("A Collegiate Casting-Out of Devilish Devices"). A Collegiate Casting-Out of Devilish Devices is a Discworld short story by Terry Pratchett. According to Interesting Times, the Patrician can, in theory, have the Archchancellor summoned and, indeed, have him executed; however, the Archchancellor could turn the Patrician into a small reptile and, indeed, start bouncing around the room on a pogo stick. Interesting Times is the seventeenth Novel in the Discworld series by Terry Pratchett.

Institutions

The primary engines of Ankh-Morpork's economy are the guilds. In Terry Pratchett 's Discworld series of fantasy novels there are almost 300 Guilds in the city of Ankh-Morpork. There are hundreds of guilds, for every conceivable profession, from clowns to butchers, and each has its own strictly maintained laws and trading practices. This article is about the Discworld Fools' Guild For the American organization see Fools Guild In Terry Pratchett 's Discworld series of A butcher is someone who prepares various Meats and other related goods for sale Many guilds have assumed roles which in real-world cities would be assumed by government agencies.

Education

As Ankh-Morpork does not appear to have anything approaching a state education system, the primary means of education is the vocational training imparted by the guilds to their young members. Foundlings are, for instance, often dropped at the doorsteps of guilds in the hopes of their learning a useful trade. The Assassin's Guild is considered the top educational establishment on the Disc and, whether one intends to be an assassin or not, is considered the school of choice for young aristocrats such as the future Lord Vetinari. The Ankh-Morpork Assassins' Guild is a fictional school for professional killers in Terry Pratchett 's long-running Discworld series of fantasy novels Lord Havelock Vetinari is the Patrician of Ankh-Morpork, the head of the fictional City state of Ankh-Morpork in Terry Pratchett 's It is possible to attend the Assassin's Guild simply for the learning and not the slaying; though many of course choose to do both. Many children from poorer backgrounds are educated at dame schools, similar to the institutions in Victorian England of the same name; Sideney (in Hogfather) and Samuel Vimes (in Thud!) were educated at dame schools. A dame school was an early form of a private Elementary school in English-speaking countries Culture The Victorian fascination with novelty resulted in a deep interest in the relationship between modernity and cultural continuities Hogfather is the 20th Discworld novel by Terry Pratchett. The Hogfather is also a character in the book representing something Thud! is Terry Pratchett 's 34th Discworld novel released in the United States of America on September 13 2005 Others attend boarding schools outside Ankh-Morpork, such as the Quirm College for Young Ladies. Quirm is a Fictional City in Terry Pratchett 's Discworld novels A Teachers' Guild exists, but appears to be of low status—in Guards! Guards! Vimes' seating position in the coronation scene is described as "in the lowest tier…between the Master of the Fellowship of Beggars and the head of the Teachers' Guild". Guards! Guards! is the 8th Discworld Novel by Terry Pratchett, first published in 1989

Law Enforcement

The laws and protections offered by the guilds are the city's main form of personal security. The most obvious example of this is the Thieves' Guild, which, by regulating the crime trade, acts as the city's main law enforcement agency; however, many of the guilds also have private enforcers, such as the Agony Aunts for the Seamstresses' Guild and the Bloody Fools for the Fools' Guild. The Guild of Thieves Cutpurses and Allied Trades is a fictional institution on the Discworld created by Terry Pratchett.

At its most basic level, law in Ankh-Morpork operates on the principle that a grocer is free to mix soil in his coffee, and also to be vivisected by any customer who happens to find out. Other than that, options are slim. In cases of personal grievance, one might make an appeal to the Guild of Lawyers, providing, of course, one is wealthy enough to pay (The Lawyers' Guild consider this a very reasonable arrangement, as the poor are inveterately criminal anyway). Barring that, the only course of action in criminal cases is a direct appeal to the Patrician, which frequently works, as he sees such a result as highly instructive. Lord Havelock Vetinari is the Patrician of Ankh-Morpork, the head of the fictional City state of Ankh-Morpork in Terry Pratchett 's

Outside the guilds, most law enforcement is undertaken by the Watch, under the leadership of Sam Vimes. The Ankh-Morpork City Watch (originally the Night Watch commonly referred to as "The Watch" is a Fictional Police force within the Discworld

Government revival

Recently, Lord Vetinari has begun to reassert the power of the state by reintroducing formerly decrepit government agencies such as the City Watch, the Post Office, and most recently, the Royal Mint. Lord Havelock Vetinari is the Patrician of Ankh-Morpork, the head of the fictional City state of Ankh-Morpork in Terry Pratchett 's The Ankh-Morpork City Watch (originally the Night Watch commonly referred to as "The Watch" is a Fictional Police force within the Discworld The Ankh-Morpork Post Office is featured in Going Postal, one of Terry Pratchett 's Discworld series of books and the 2007 Discworld Making Money is a Terry Pratchett novel in the Discworld series published in the UK on 20 September, 2007.

The City Watch is one of the greatest success stories, having grown under the leadership of Captain Vimes from three unemployable men to the most modern police force on the Disc. Which still employs the three men in question.

Currency

The AM$ (Ankh-Morpork dollar) is equal to 100 pennies (pence). Under Ankh-Morporkian tradition, ten pence can be referred to as a shilling, twenty-five pence as half a ton, and fifty pence as a nob/a ton/half a bar/a knocker.

The AM$ is reputedly the 'hardest' currency outside of the Agatean Empire. The Agatean Empire is a fictitious country that occupies the equally fictitious Counterweight Continent of Terry Pratchett 's Discworld. A dollar coin is Sequin (coin) sized, and although theoretically made of gold the metal has been adulterated so many times that, according to The Discworld Companion:

"There is more gold in an equivalent weight of seawater. Sequin ( zecchino in Italian) is a Gold coin weighed 35 grams of. The Discworld Companion is an Encyclopedia of all things Discworldian created by Terry Pratchett and Stephen Briggs. In a sense, then, Ankh-Morpork is on the gold standard in all respects except the one of actually having any gold to speak of"

Being an extremely rich city state, the AM$ is the currency of choice amongst the lands around the Circle Sea; although other city states have their own currencies they maintain strong links with the dollar, as Ankh-Morpork is the only place where it is worth buying anything. The gold standard is a monetary system in which a region's common media of exchange are paper notes that are normally freely convertible into pre-set fixed quantities of Gold A city-state is a Region controlled exclusively by a City, usually having Sovereignty. See also Discworld (world This article concerns the fictional geography of Terry Pratchett 's Discworld, featured in the long running series of

In Making Money, Moist von Lipwig introduces paper currency and puts the city on the golem standard. Making Money is a Terry Pratchett novel in the Discworld series published in the UK on 20 September, 2007. Moist von Lipwig is a Fictional character from Terry Pratchett 's Discworld series Golems in Terry Pratchett 's Discworld series are derived from Golems in Jewish mythology; early forms of a clay Robot, supposedly

Notable locations

Biers is a pub frequented by creatures of the night, usually lumped together as "undead", though they can include werewolves and bogeymen. Difficult to find, unless you happen to be "the right sort. " It is often compared to Cheers but with the tagline "Where everybody knows your shape". Cheers is an American Situation comedy television series that ran eleven seasons from 1982 to 1993 Susan Sto Helit is a noted frequenter of Biers. Susan Sto Helit (also spelled Sto-Helit) once referred to as Susan Death, is a Fictional character who has featured in three of Terry Pratchett The more typical clientele occasionally loudly demand to know what she thinks she's doing there. They seldom do so twice. The barman of Biers is named Igor, though he doesn't appear to be an Igor. The Igors are a recurring set of characters in Terry Pratchett 's Discworld series of novels It's best to eye what he serves carefully; as Pratchett noted in Hogfather, "When Igor the barman was asked for a Bloody Mary, he didn't mix a metaphor. Hogfather is the 20th Discworld novel by Terry Pratchett. The Hogfather is also a character in the book representing something "

The Dwarf Bread Museum which, as its name suggests, is a building where certain articles of the (in)famous dwarf bread are kept; usually specimens of a cultural or historical importance. Dwarfs in Terry Pratchett 's Discworld novels are similar to the Dwarves of J First mentioned in Men at Arms; more prominently featured in The Fifth Elephant as the building from which the Scone of Stone (a reference to the Stone of Scone) is stolen. Men at Arms is the 15th Discworld Novel by Terry Pratchett first published in 1993 The Fifth Elephant is the 24th Discworld novel by Terry Pratchett. The Stone of Scone (ˈskuːn also commonly known as the Stone of Destiny or the Coronation Stone is an oblong block of red Sandstone, about by by in

The Dysk, a theatre staging "usurper-killing-a-king dramas". A reference to the Globe Theatre. The Globe Theatre was a Theatre in London associated with William Shakespeare.

The Mended Drum, formerly the Broken Drum (old motto: "You can't beat it") until it burned down in the city's first attempt at insurance fraud, is the city's principal inn. Inns are establishments where travellers can procure Food, Drink, and Lodging. Located on Filigree Street, it is a rowdy, cloudy, crowded, smelly and utterly disreputable establishment, and therefore the ideal haunt for the Disc's plethora of heroes. A hero (from Greek grc ἥρως hērōs) in Greek mythology and Folklore, was originally a Demigod, the offspring of a mortal and It is a favourite watering hole for the students of Unseen University, and regular haunt of the Librarian. Unseen University (UU is a school of wizardry in Terry Pratchett's fictional Discworld city of Ankh-Morpork, staffed by a faculty The Librarian of Unseen University is a character in Terry Pratchett 's Discworld series of fantasy novels It is also a favoured locale for those wishing to discuss business of a clandestine nature. The Broken Drum is the setting for the first meeting between the central characters Rincewind and Twoflower in the first Discworld novel, Colour of Magic. Rincewind the Wizzard is a Fictional character Twoflower is a Fictional character featured in Terry Pratchett 's Discworld novels The Colour of Magic is a 1983 Comic fantasy novel by Terry Pratchett, and is the first book of the Discworld series When Ankh-Morpork became more civilized in the later books, The Mended Drum was the last bastion of lawlessness although the bar fights have become a team sport, with teams getting points for performing classic brawling techniques. Limbs are still chopped off, but they are tattooed to ensure that Igor sews them back correctly. Curiously, this romantic disreputable place is what Twoflower sought naively in Colour of Magic. The Colour of Magic is a 1983 Comic fantasy novel by Terry Pratchett, and is the first book of the Discworld series

The Shades, Ankh-Morpork's slum district, comprise the oldest region of the city. The moral equivalent of a black hole. A pretty nasty place, all told (a horse in the Shades is often called "lunch", and nothing is seen as more suspicious than fresh paint).

Cockbill Street, located in the Shades, is the poorest area of the city. Despite this, people on Cockbill Street are so proud that they refuse to acknowledge this, believing eating comes second to keeping up appearances and leading to the saying that what you mostly ate on Cockbill Street "was your pride". Samuel Vimes was raised here.

The Isle of Gods, a residential area almost encircled by the river Ankh. A reference to the Isle of Dogs area of London. The Isle of Dogs is a former island in the East End of London that is surrounded on three sides (east south and west by one of the largest Meanders in

Pseudopolis Yard, the headquarters of the City Watch. The Ankh-Morpork City Watch (originally the Night Watch commonly referred to as "The Watch" is a Fictional Police force within the Discworld A reference to Scotland Yard. New Scotland Yard or Scotland Yard, informally known as The Yard and NSY, is the headquarters of the Metropolitan Police Service, responsible

Unseen University (UU) is in many ways the city's core. Unseen University (UU is a school of wizardry in Terry Pratchett's fictional Discworld city of Ankh-Morpork, staffed by a faculty Centred around the 800-foot Tower of Art, the tallest building on the Disc, it serves as the Sto Plains' (and possibly the entire Discworld's) premier magic academy. Unseen University (UU is a school of wizardry in Terry Pratchett's fictional Discworld city of Ankh-Morpork, staffed by a faculty The city originally grew out of the need to service and maintain the University. The Shades technically fall under its dominion, and much of its income is derived from rents there.

Anthem

We Can Rule You Wholesale is the national anthem of Ankh-Morpork; it is a parody of the song 'Rule, Britannia!'. A national anthem is a generally patriotic musical composition that evokes and eulogizes the history traditions and struggles of its people recognized either by a nation's Rule Britannia! is a British Patriotic song, originating from the Poem "Rule Britannia" by James Thomson and set to music The use of 'ner ner ner' as official lyrics (see below) is also heavily reminiscent of the British football anthem, 'Vindaloo'. " Vindaloo " is a song by Fat Les, released as a single in 1998 and recorded for the 1998 FIFA World Cup.

It was not written by a native Ankh-Morporkian, but by the visiting vampire Count Henrik Shline von Überwald (born 1703, died 1782, also died 1784, 1788, 1791, 1802, 1804, 1807, 1808, 1821, 1830, 1861, finally staked 1872). In Terry Pratchett 's Discworld novels the undead are seen less as monsters and more as characters with unusual cultural quirks A count is a Nobleman in European countries The word count comes from French comte, itself from Latin In Terry Pratchett 's fictional Discworld universe Überwald is a region located in near the foot of the Ramtops, farther from Ankh-Morpork His inspiration came from his observations that Ankh-Morpork's chief means of defence was not warfare but corruption, bribery and mercantile tactics, since most of the weapons used against the city were actually made there in the first place.

The anthem is particularly noteworthy for being the only one that has a second verse officially consisting of incoherent muttering. Count von Überwald had also observed that any group of people singing their country's national anthem never remembers how the second verse goes anyway, so he decided to make things easier for Ankh-Morpork. The anthem's sentiments are of course summarised in the new Pax Morporkia: "If you fight, we'll call in your mortgages. And incidentally that's my pike you're pointing at me. I paid for that shield you're holding. And take my helmet off when you speak to me, you horrible little debtor. "

In formal occasions, the anthem is supposed to be performed by a large soprano singer wearing a sheet and holding a torch in one hand and a fork in the other. This article is related to a series of articles under the main article Voice type.

The lyrics of the anthem are as follows:

"When dragons belch and hippos flee
My thoughts, Ankh-Morpork, are of thee
Let others boast of martial dash
For we have boldly fought with cash
We own all your helmets, we own all your shoes
We own all your generals - touch us and you'll lose. Terry Pratchett 's Fictional Discworld has a large number of creatures and plants unique to it or its parasite universes (such as Fairyland or Death's Domain The hippopotamus ( Hippopotamus amphibius) from the Greek ἱπποπόταμος ( hippopotamos, ιππος hippos meaning "horse" A helmet is a form of Protective gear worn on the head to protect it from injuries a variation of the hat A shoe is an item of Footwear. Shoes may vary from a simple Flip-flop to a complex Boot.
Morporkia! Morporkia!
Morporkia owns the day!
We can rule you wholesale
Touch us and you'll pay.

We bankrupt all invaders, we sell them souvenirs
We ner ner ner ner ner, hner ner hner by the ears
Er hner we ner ner ner ner ner
Ner ner her ner ner ner hner the ner
Er ner ner hner ner, nher hner ner ner (etc. Bankruptcy is a legally declared inability or impairment of ability of an individual or organization to pay their Creditors Creditors may file a bankruptcy petition against A souvenir (from French, for memory) memento or keepsake is an object a traveler brings home for the memories associated with )
Ner hner ner, your gleaming swords
We mortgaged to the hilt
Morporkia! Morporkia!
Hner ner ner ner ner ner
We can rule you wholesale
Credit where it's due. A mortgage is the pledging of a property to a Lender as a security for a Mortgage loan. Credit is the provision of resources (such as granting a Loan) by one party to another party where that second party does not reimburse the first party immediately thereby generating "

The final part of the anthem is usually sung much louder than the rest of the second verse, since the singers want to show they know the words. . .

The anthem was actually written in 1999 by Pratchett (words) and Carl Davis (music), for the BBC Radio 3 programme The Music Machine. Year 1999 ( MCMXCIX) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full 1999 Gregorian calendar) Carl Davis CBE (born October 28, 1936, New York City, United States is an American conductor and Composer who has It was performed by the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra and the soprano was Clare Rutter. The BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra (BBC SSO is the BBC 's classical music Radio orchestra in Scotland. It was also performed at that year's Proms by the Prommers' Orchestra and Chorus. The Proms, more formally known as The BBC Proms, or The Henry Wood Promenade Concerts presented by the BBC, is an eight-week summer season of daily Orchestral

Public holidays

Date Name
1 Ick Hogswatch Day (New Year, Christmas)
28 April The Creator's birthday
1 May May Day (also called May Blossom Day)
25 May The Twenty-Fifth Of May (commemorates the last Ankh-Morpork revolution, but only if you participated)
6 Grune Patrician's Day (in reality Stephen Briggs' birthday)
The first Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday after the last half moon in Sektober Soul Cake Days
31 December Hogswatch Eve
32 December Hogswatchnight

Real-world connections

Ankh-Morpork was twinned with the town of Wincanton in Somerset, in the south-west United Kingdom on the spherical planet Earth (known in the Discworld books as Roundworld) on 7 December 2002 [1]. The New Year is an event that happens when a Culture celebrates the end of one Year and the beginning of the next year Events 1192 - Assassination of Conrad of Montferrat (Conrad I King of Jerusalem, in Tyre, two days after his title Terence David John Pratchett, OBE (born 28 April 1948 is an English fantasy, Science fiction, and children's author. Events 305 - Diocletian and Maximian retire from the office of Roman Emperor. May Day occurs on May 1 and refers to any of several Public holidays In many countries May Day is synonymous with International Workers' Day, or Labour Events 1085 - Alfonso VI of Castile takes Toledo Spain back from the Moors. Stephen Briggs (1951&ndash is in his own words "a civil servant who dabbles in amateur dramatics" Events 406 – Vandals, Alans and Suebians cross the Rhine, beginning an invasion of Gallia. This article details minor Discworld concepts: concepts and ideas from the Discworld of novels by Terry Pratchett which only appear in the background or Wincanton is a small Town in south Somerset, southwest England. Somerset ( or) is a county in south west England The County town is Taunton, which is in the south of the county The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located A planet, as defined by the International Astronomical Union (IAU is a celestial body Orbiting a Star or stellar remnant that is EARTH was a short-lived Japanese vocal trio which released 6 singles and 1 album between 2000 and 2001 This article details minor Discworld concepts: concepts and ideas from the Discworld of novels by Terry Pratchett which only appear in the background or Events 43 BC - Marcus Tullius Cicero assassinated 1696 - Connecticut Route 108, one of the oldest highways See also 2002 (disambiguation Year 2002 ( MMII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. The town is home to a Discworld shop called The Cunning Artificer which is named after a street in Ankh-Morpork. However due to legal reasons, the twinning is not officially displayed on the road sign. Fans however have added stick-on notices to some of the signs [2]. This has now been changed and a new town sign prominently declaring the twinning with Ankh-Morpork and other Roundworld places has been erected. This sign was designed by the Cunning Artificer himself, Bernard Pearson. There are rumours of a footpath to be named the Ankh-Morpork Way coming to pass in due course.

The University of Southern Queensland Roleplaying games club is called The Mended Drum. The University of Southern Queensland (USQ is based in Toowoomba Queensland, Australia. A role-playing game ( RPG; often roleplaying game) is a Game in which the participants assume the roles of Fictional characters.

Many details of Ankh-Morpork appear to have been inspired by Fritz Leiber's fictional city Lankhmar (although Pratchett has said "I didn't -- at least consciously, I suppose I must say -- create Ankh-Morpork as a takeoff of Lankhmar"[3]). This article refers to the science fiction writer For the actor see Fritz Leiber Sr Lankhmar is a Fictional city in the Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser stories by Fritz Leiber.

The most obvious similarities include the names of the two cities, the similar-sounding titles afforded to the respective rulers (a Patrician for Ankh-Morpork, a Patriarch for Lankhmar), the browned-iron equipment that characterises both sets of city guards, some conspicuous buildings (Tower of Art, Rats Tower), the similar names of associated countries (in particular; Klatch and Klesh) and what may be termed a certain general atmosphere. This resemblance is most marked in the earliest Discworld books, and becomes increasing diluted as the series moves away from parody into satire.

Lankhmar's only Patriarch to feature prominently in one of Leiber's stories was Glipkerio Kistomerces. Like Ankh-Morpork's Lord Vetinari, Glipkerio is described as tall, thin ("emaciated" is the word most frequently used), and dressed in black. After which resemblance ceases, as "Glippy" is an inept ruler, a hopeless sadist and an extreme physical and moral coward.

Another real-world similarity is the River Parrett running through Bridgwater in Somerset, which is renowned for its similarity to the River Ankh. The River Parrett has its source in the Thorney Mills springs in the hills around Chedington in Dorset in England and flows west Bridgwater in Somerset, England, is a Market town, the administrative centre of the Sedgemoor district, and the leading industrial Somerset ( or) is a county in south west England The County town is Taunton, which is in the south of the county

External links

References

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