Don't Say Their Name Trivia Quiz

Answer: Magrat Garlick

Magrat is the youngest, and most 'New Age', of the three witches who lead the fight to keep the elves from returning to Lancre and ruling it. At the start of the book, she has just returned from a journey to Genua (see "Witches Abroad", the previous book in the series, for details) and discovers that her vague understanding of an interest in a possible relationship with Verence has been accelerated into an impending marriage. She eventually discovers that this has been caused by a letter from Granny Weatherwax advising Verence to push the matter so that Magrat cannot be her own worst enemy by hesitating in the matter.

Esmerelda Weatherwax, more often called Esme by her friends and Granny by the rest of the world, and Gytha "Nanny" Ogg are the senior witches in the Lancre coven. Because Magrat is preoccupied with her impending marriage, it is they who are at the centre of the action for most of the book. Galinda is from another series entirely, hailing from the land of the Gillikins in Gregory Maguire's revisionist series of Oz novels.

Answer: Cats

There are repeated comparisons, both directly and in the choice of an adjective or adverb to describe the appearance and behavior of the elves, to their playing with humans much as cats play with mice. Scenes in which Magrat is trapped inside the castle and they are trying to lure her out bring images of a cartoon cat peering in at a mousehole irresistibly to mind.

As Nanny Ogg reflects, "We remember the elves for their beauty and the way they move, and forget what they were. We're like mice saying, 'Say what you like, cats have got real style.'"

Answer: Crop circles appear

Granny Weatherwax finds a crop circle in her herb garden. Nanny Ogg's grandson Pewsey is distressed when one forms in the tray of sprouts he is proudly displaying to her. Magrat can't help but notice that a large circle forms in the crop of beans that Verence has grown in the palace rose garden to introduce the farmers to modern farming techniques.

The three witches immediately meet to discuss the problem. Magrat is too young to remember why crop circles are dangerous, but knows they are. This is the first time that the older witches avoid naming the precise danger they face, as naming it gives it increased power. Nanny Ogg just refers to the need to stop Them. Magrat is so irritated at being treated like a child that she flounces back to the castle to get ready to be queen, leaving Granny and Nanny to organize the defense of the kingdom.

Answer: The Dancers

'The Dancers' are a circle of stones (imagine Stonehenge, if you will) made of a material that is described as 'iron-loving' (magnetic). Because they attract iron so strongly, nothing made of or containing iron can pass through the circle they form. The circle also acts as a barrier between Discworld and the world of the elves, but it is a barrier that is weakened when the distance between the two worlds is thinner than usual, which is when crop circles form.

It is implied that if a crop circle were to form so that it intersected the circle formed by the Dancers, their power would disappear completely, and the path between the worlds would be open. Granny and Nanny are determined to avoid this.

Answer: Borrowing

Granny Weatherwax often sends her mind to reside within the body of a nearby useful animal so that she can explore the region quickly. Early in this book, Nanny Ogg finds her looking dead, but with a sign reading "I ATE'NT DEAD" clutched in her hands to reassure visitors.

She returns from exploring the kingdom inside the body of a bat (chosen in preference to her usual nighttime owl because the owl's constant neck turning always leaves her with a stiff neck) with a strong taste of moth in her mouth, and the news that some local girls have been dancing near the standing stones. Nanny Ogg, uncomfortable with the uncanny practice of borrowing, obtained the same information by grilling her son Jason, who also provided the names of two of the girls.

Answer: Diamanda Tockley

The aspiring witches accept the leadership of Lucy Tockley, who prefers to be called Diamanda, and who seems (in their eyes) to know everything necessary about becoming witches. It is she who takes on Granny Weatherwax in a staring contest, and loses only because she keeps staring at the sun (the challenge) when Granny stops to rescue young Pewsey, who 'accidentally' enters the magic circle during the duel. Agnes Nitt, witch-name Perdita, will be an important witch in future books. Magenta Frottidge was named Violet by her parents. Amanita Muscaria is a poisonous (reputedly psychogenic) fungus which has a red cap with white spots. Think of the 'toadstools' you have seen fairies dancing around in cartoons for a clear image.

There is no witch with this name, but one of Diamanda's followers is Muscara (born Susan), and another is Amanita.

Answer: A Midsummer Night's Dream

Actually, the entire book pays homage to Shakespeare's classic comedy, what with the King and Queen of the Elves messing about with mortals, various sets of lovers finding and losing each other, a lot of wandering around in the dark, the background being an impending royal wedding, the fact that events take place on Midsummer Night, and more.

In Shakespeare's play, six workers rehearse a planned performance of a play about Pyramus and Thisbe in the forest, getting involved in the magical events of the night.

In Pratchett's story, Jason Ogg and seven other members of the Lancre Morris Men prepare and perform a play which sounds remarkably similar, based on what we can gather from their unhappy comments about the script. Their performance of the play near the stone circle causes sufficient belief in elves for the weakened barrier between the worlds to crumble, allowing a full-scale invasion of elves into Discworld.

The players rescue themselves by dancing away performing the Stick and Bucket Dance that Jason had insisted was never to be mentioned again.

Answer: Casanova

Giamo Casanunda first makes himself known in this book (we have met him before, in "Witches Abroad") as he delivers the immortal line "Kneel and deliver!", attempting to rob Mustrum Ridcully, Ponder Stibbons, the Bursar of Unseen University and the Librarian as they are travelling from Ankh-Morpork to Lancre.

His business card proclaims him 'World's Second Greatest Lover', 'Finest Swordsman', 'Soldier of Fortune' and 'Outrageous Liar', some or all of which may be true. Certainly he appeals to Nanny Ogg - their attempt at a romantic dinner is what keeps her from attending the Entertainment, so that she is on the spot when the elves start rampaging through town. Meanwhile, Ridcully has transported Granny Weatherwax to Lancre Bridge in an attempt to revive their youthful romance.

Answer: Bees

All the bees from Granny Weatherwax's garden respond to her call, and swarm to the stone circle, where they cover her body. Esme then performs the astonishing feat of Borrowing (entering the mind of another creature) with the entire hive, so that her mind is spread across the minds of thousands of bees as they fly away.

Her apparently dead body is left behind, and carried back to the castle by a forlorn Ridcully. While going through Esme's belongings, Nanny Ogg realizes what has happened, races to the Great Hall and opens the windows to let the bees back in, so that Esme's mind can be restored to her own body.

Answer: He can shoe anything, and has shod all of these

Very early we learn that Jason Ogg, like previous Ogg farriers, has been granted the ability to shoe anything, in return for which he must shoe anything that he is asked to shoe. As he is shoeing Death's horse, he reflects on the deal, and we learn that he can still occasionally hear the ant tramping around in the shoes he provided after he was challenged to do so for a joke.

At the end of the book, Granny Weatherwax brings him the unicorn so he can give it silver shoes, which will keep it from returning to the Elf Queen whose pet it was.