How old are Granny and Nanny?

[Willem]

Since someone mentioned it just now, how old are Nanny and Granny?
I've always pictured them as in their late seventies.


NOTE: I've split this topic from the Carpe Jugulum discussion as I think it deserves a thread of its own and I suspect that lots of members will join in.

Tony
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[Jan Van Quirm]

Don't know about Granny, but Nanny started breeding very young and Jason's not that old I think - she doesn't have great grandchildren that we know of (Pewsey's the only grandkid we've seen I think).

Not sure at all but I get the impression Granny and Nanny knew each other as girls but I can't say that as gospel. Miss Treason (111 or 113 depending on boffo) called Granny the 'girl' Weatherwax which doesn't really help us too much

 

[Tonyblack]

Since someone mentioned it just now, how old are Nanny and Granny?
I've always pictured them as in their late seventies.

According to the New Discworld Companion entry for Nanny Ogg:

Age: uncertain, even to her. Probably in her seventies, which means she was still capable of bearing children in her early fifties.

She has fifteen living children: Jason, Grame, Tracie, Shirl, Daff, Dreen, Nev, Trev, Kev, Wane, Sharleen, Darron, Karen, Reet and Shawn.

The Companion doesn't (dare to) guess at Granny's age.

 

[Ponder Stibbons]

Don't know about Granny, but Nanny started breeding very young and Jason's not that old I think - she doesn't have great grandchildren that we know of (Pewsey's the only grandkid we've seen I think).

Not sure at all but I get the impression Granny and Nanny knew each other as girls but I can't say that as gospel. Miss Treason (111 or 113 depending on boffo) called Granny the 'girl' Weatherwax which doesn't really help us too much

Nanny and Granny knew each other a bit. Granny knew nanny wore red toe-nail varnish, anyway
That's odd; my granny on my mum's side had 13 children at the legal age and now has a few great-grandchildren which results in me having more couisins and nephews-once-removed than i can count if i had 8 hands
Id have thought Nanny would have greatgrandchildren by then

 

[Jan Van Quirm]

In the Thief of Time Wen was trying to find Nanny when she was 'the best' midwife there was for Lady Time. I think one of the times he looked she was 15 and already in full strumpet mode (although the last time I read it there were some undertones that she may have been molested into that a little to start with... ) - anyway she certainly started collecting notches on her bedpost early so having babies pretty quick too would have been a consequence.

The absence of great-grandchildren, so far as we know, could mean that she's certainly not as old as 80 and if her own children also 'started' early then she might be as young as 40 - don't forget in early industrial eras people aged much quicker, so at 40 by our standards you could look pretty ancient. The 3rd picture in this post by one of my friends on DreamWorlds - that chap was 42 at the time that photo was taken.

As for Granny - well Terry's sketchy descriptions of her all say she has beautiful, smooth, wart-free skin so given that she's an unmarried witch this doesn't necessarily mean she's that old through magical means. Her skin certainly doesn't match her temperament (and if she was married it would be a whole lot worse I can tell you! :twisted: ). On balance I wouldn't put either of them as too much over 60 years old.

 

[Tonyblack]

The absence of great-grandchildren could be as simple as the fact that they've not been mentioned in the books. A lot of the Ogg family live away from home - some of them in A-M. I think it's highly likely that she does indeed have great-grandchildren as well as a lot more grandchildren than the two who are mentioned by name in the books.

 

[Ponder Stibbons]

Good point. a year after marriage and they look 10 years after marriage

 

[Doughnut Jimmy]

Is Shawn the youngest of Nanny's children? He's presumably at least 18 and was probably born at least 20 years after the oldest which would put Nanny at least in her mid fifties - I would think mid fifties to mid sixties for both of them.

Does Terry say anywhere that the use of magic tends to preserve people well, or am I thinking of some other series?

 

[Jan Van Quirm]

Good idea Tony!

Wizards seem to last quite well if they're not all trying to kill their way up to the seventh plus one level. Windle Poons was 130 and Miss Treason's 111/113 depending on Boffo so at mid 50's-60's (as current potential age-range) Granny and Nanny are more or less in their prime still

 

[Ponder Stibbons]

Good idea Tony!

Wizards seem to last quite well if they're not all trying to kill their way up to the seventh plus one level.

That makes sense. But dont wizards and witces tend to live longer; or is that only 7ath sons of 7ath sons? And non-leguminous witches

 

[lyn]

In Witches Abroad when they are about to embark on their journey to Genua it says: 'And will you look at your hat', she mumbled. Nanny who had known Esme Weatherwax for seventy years merely grinned. p44

going by that Granny and Nanny must be in their seventies.

 

[Doughnut Jimmy]

Wow good work Lyn, I'd forgotten that bit

 

[theoldlibrarian]

I imagine Granny is a bit older than Nanny. Maybe about 70 for Granny and Nanny about 60. Just a guess.

 

[mystmoon]

Well, Nanny doesn't remember Lilith because she was too young, so she probably is quite a bit younger

 

[Tonyblack]

Of course we have to remember that everyone inside Lancre during the spell cast in Wyrd Sisters is 15 years younger than those outside. I have no idea how old that makes Lilith.

 

[Tonyblack]

In Witches Abroad when they are about to embark on their journey to Genua it says: 'And will you look at your hat', she mumbled. Nanny who had known Esme Weatherwax for seventy years merely grinned. p44

going by that Granny and Nanny must be in their seventies.

Page 46 in the Harper Collins paperback.

 

[Hesadevil]

Granny Weatherwax

Does anyone know why Esme Weatherwax is known as 'Granny' Weatherwax? There are is mention of her having had any children.

 

[Tonyblack]

Welcome to the site, Hesadevil!

The title 'granny' is an honorific. It's a bit like the way that all the women neighbours when I was growing up were known as 'auntie' even though they weren't related to me.

You'll notice however, that in Equel Rites, everyone calls her Granny whereas in the later ones, it's only certain people who are allowed to call her that (Tiffany for ewxample). Everyone else calls her Misstress Weatherwax - at least to her face.