Book:Equal Rites

Equal Rites
Cover art by Josh Kirby
Co-author(s)
Illustrator(s)
Publisher	Victor Gollancz
Publication date	January 1987
ISBN	0552131059X
Pages	336
RRP
Main characters	Granny Weatherwax, Eskarina Smith
Series	Witches Series
Annotations	View
Notes	Book #03
All data relates to the first UK edition.

Blurb

The last thing the wizard Drum Billet did, before Death laid a bony hand on his shoulder, was to pass on his staff of power to the eighth son of an eighth son. Unfortunately for his colleagues in the chauvinistic (not to say misogynistic) world of magic, he failed to check on the new-born baby's sex...

Cover

On the back cover, illustrator Josh Kirby painted himself as a wizard.

Characters

Granny Weatherwax
Eskarina Smith
Simon
Drum Billet, dying wizard, bloody-minded apple tree and reincarnated ant
Archchancellor Cutangle

Minor characters

The Librarian
Gordo Smith, Eskarina's father
Hilta Goatfounder, witch and friend of Granny's
Amschat B'hal Zoon, a diplomat among his people

Cameos

Death
Jaims Smith, Eskarina's oldest brother
Cern Smith, Eskarina's brother
Gulta Smith, Eskarina's brother, briefly turned into a pig
Hoki (mentioned), god
Skiller, landlord of the Fiddler's Riddle, and his wife Mrs Skiller
Zoons, a tribe of gypsy-like sailors
Master Treatle, a wizard of the Ancient and Truly Original Brothers of the Silver Star order, and Vice-Chancellor of Unseen University
Adab Gander, trail boss for caravan setting off to Ankh-Morpork
Creatures from the Dungeon Dimensions, including:
- Bel-Shamharoth
- C'hulagen
- the Insider
thieves from the Guild of Thieves, Cutpurses, Housebreakers and Allied Trades
Mrs Palm (mentioned)
Great A'Tuin and the Giant elephants (mentioned)
Mrs Whitlow
Granpone the White, a wizard (mentioned)
Ksandra
Mr Herapath, a glassblower, and his wife (mentioned)
Nanny Annaple (mentioned several times)
Jeophal the Spry, a wizard who teaches Beginners' Dematerialisation
Lecturer in Applied Astrology
Ice Giants (mentioned)
Acktur Cutangle (mentioned), Cutangle's father

Locations

Ramtop Mountains
- Bad Ass
- Crack Peak (mentioned)
- Ohulan Cutash
  - Fiddler's Riddle, tavern
- Brass Neck, Cutangle's birthplace
  - Leaping Mountain, where Cutangle's family lived
Circle Sea
- Ankh-Morpork
  - Unseen University
    - Great Hall
  - The Shades
Rim Ocean (mentioned)
River Ankh
- Zemphis, a walled town
  - Pine Street, where the assayer's office is
Sto Lat (mentioned)
Pseudopolis (mentioned)
Paps of Scilla (mentioned), mountains named after the presumably 8-breasted Scilla
Cori Celesti (mentioned)
Rimfall (mentioned)

Sentient Species

Supernatural Entities

Things and Concepts

Applejack, possibly another name for scumble.
Old Man's Trousers, herb that's good for the bowels.
Bloodwater Lily, herb that's good for the bowels.
Greater Peahane, herb whose flowering tops are good for the bowels.
Headology
Borrowing
Swarm, all bees are a part of this creature.
Warlocks, male witches who are not wizards.
Tiger Oil, Maiden's Prayer, Husband's Helper, and Stay Long Ointment, medicines used to treat erectile dysfunction.
Madame Goatfounder's Pennyroyal Preventives, a contraceptive.
ShoNuff Ointment, a medicine for adults.
Eighty Marvellous Herbs, a list of useful herbs.
Ultramarines, a valuable gem.
Spircles, a chameleon gem that can mimic ultramarines.
Hypactic fluid, dissolves spricles, but not ultramarines.
Zat, unit of measure in Zemphis.
Necrotelicomnicon, phone book of the dead.
Demonylogie Malyfycorum of Henchanse thee Unsatyfactory, a book.
P'ch'zarni'chiwkov, a K'tumi word that, similar to the Cumhoolie word squemt, defines a feeling of considerable unpleasantness.

Adaptations

Radio

The novel was serialised in ten parts and broadcast on the BBC Radio 4 show 'Women's Hour' the same year as its release, 1987. Adapted by Pat McLoughlin and read by Sarah Badel.