1

In The Wee Free Men - and other places where the Nac Mac Feegle are mentioned - they are quite obviously depicted as Scottish. The easiest example of that is their speech:

"Crivens! We wanna coo beastie, no' a ship beastie!"
"Ach, one's as goo' as t'other! C'mon, lads, a' grab aholt o' a leg!"
"Aye, all the coos are inna shed, we tak what we can!"
The Wee Free Men, chapter 3: "Hunt the Hag"

They also wear kilts, are red-haired, and get drunk a lot - all of which are associated with the Scots.

Is there any particular reason why the Nac Mag Feegle are Scottish? (In-universe, it doesn't look like anyone else speaks or behaves like them (including the Fairy Queen (or the "Quin")), but I haven't read all of the books yet.) Out of universe, what purpose does them being Scottish serve for the story?

| improve this question | |
  • 5
    I'm not sure what sort of answer you're looking for here. The obvious answer for what them being Scottish adds to the story is humour, just the chance to include some comically caricaturised Caledonians. Are you hoping for some plot relevance, some reason why stereotypical Scots were needed to drive the story? (If you didn't know, even the name "Wee Free" screams Scottishness.) – Rand al'Thor♦ Jul 26 at 20:28
  • I got a bit tired of Pratchett's humour, since he tended to recycle the same old jokes, but now I want to read him again. – Mick Jul 26 at 20:30
  • Anything using "wee" sounds Scottish to me :). I'm looking for how their Scottishness affects the story; humor is certainly one answer (and being obvious doesn't necessarily make it a bad answer), but I'm also looking for any other ways in which specifically the Scottishness actually was relevant or necessary (or affected the story in other ways). – Mithical Jul 26 at 20:30

Your Answer

By clicking “Post Your Answer”, you agree to our terms of service, privacy policy and cookie policy

Browse other questions tagged or ask your own question.