Magrat Garlick

Magrat Garlick
Magrat Garlick by Kit Cox
Name	Magrat Garlick
Race	Human
Age	30ish?
Occupation	former Witch, currently Queen of Lancre
Physical appearance	thin, with a frequently red nose and an unruly mass of frizz and split ends that still awaits a Good Hair Day
Residence	Lancre Castle, Lancre Town, Lancre
Death
Parents	Simplicity Garlick
Relatives	Aunt Yolande Garlick
Children	Esmerelda Margaret Note Spelling of Lancre
Marital Status	married to Verence II
Appearances
Books	Wyrd Sisters, Witches Abroad, Lords and Ladies, Carpe Jugulum
Cameos	Guards! Guards!, I Shall Wear Midnight

Magrat Garlick is the Queen Of Lancre, consort of H.M. King Verence II. Previously, however, she was the junior witch in the Lancre coven with Granny Weatherwax and Nanny Ogg. She isn't much good at witching magic, despite her large collection of magical jewellery, charms, and such ordered from Ankh-Morpork. However she has shown some impressive skill, such as in Wyrd Sisters. She is a better herb-woman and pharmacist than the others (because she believes in it), and unusually literate for a Lancrastian. Her mother was Simplicity Garlick, whose mother was Araminta Garlick. Witches aren't very interested in their male forebears. Magrat is thin, with a frequently red nose and an unruly mass of frizz and split ends that still awaits a Good Hair Day.

As a witch, she tends toward research, particularly into herbs and potions, following her mentor Goodie Whemper. She inherited Goodie's cottage and practice in the village of Mad Stoat, bringing a New Age attitude to an age-old society. Magrat is a doer of good deeds and a worrier, a believer in the goodness of Nature and the psychic benefits of aromas and colors. She nurses fallen baby birds until they die and never gives up hope...but, when her husband and her country are attacked, she channels Warrior-Queen Ynci and goes out in vintage armor to commit mayhem as necessary. As the Queen, she tries to support Verence's ambition to modernise and democratise Lancre although she knows that the citizens have little appetite for change and less for democracy; she is a buffer between the eager King and his lackadaisical country.

The other witches sometimes refer to her as a "wet hen". Her insecurity may stem from her mother's poor spelling. (She was, of course, supposed to be Margaret.) Unfortunately, when her daughter Esmerelda was to be named she wrote very careful instructions which resulted in the proclamation of "Esmerelda Margaret Note Spelling of Lancre".

Agnes Nitt took over the cottage after Magrat moved into Lancre Castle, continuing the succession of bookish, academic witches in Mad Stoat, as opposed to Granny Weatherwax, who distrusts "book-learning" and even words.

Character Annotations

The story of "witch" Elizabeth Garlick can be read here. As most witches' names in Pratchett's books, the name is based on a real world "witch".

Also See

• Magrat Garlick's Entry on Wikipedia