Nac Mac Feegle Life and Death

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Jinx

Lance-Corporal
Jul 27, 2008
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Glasgow, UK
#1
Think this board is the best place for this one.

Just wondering if a Nac Mac Feegle returns to the land of the living, does Death come for them? I remember when Tiffany showed the Hiver how to die and Rob Anybody gave Death a headbutt he said "I wasn't expecting a Nac Mac Feegle today".
Does that mean he would return a Feegle to the land of the living or does Death bring them into Discworld when they die in the land of the living?

I think I'd like to come back as a Feegle when I die. A culture where excessive drinking, stealing and fighting is morally acceptable doesn't sound that great off the bat but, when you consider that if you were a feegle you would like that sort of thing, it sounds like heaven.

*edit* - Oh no I had to come back and fix something. I was thinking of Discworld as OUR world... I've gone native :eek:
 

Jinx

Lance-Corporal
Jul 27, 2008
226
2,325
39
Glasgow, UK
#3
But in Discworld beliefs are an important factor in what happens at death. Since Death (among other anthropromorphic[sp?] personifications) depend on belief for form associated with his duty as it is percieved by those who are doing the believing (I'd be getting tongue tied if I wasn't typing this) and the Feegles believe that their birth is really their death, does Death attend their births, or does he still attend their deaths?

<--- Just as confused as anyone
 
Sep 9, 2008
55
1,650
XXXX
#5
I would pity death if he came to take a feegle anywhere he did not wish to go.

A tricky one as I think sometimes death has come for those who do not believe they are dead.

He convinces them otherwise
 
Oct 13, 2008
2,118
2,650
Devon
#6
Jinx said:
But in Discworld beliefs are an important factor in what happens at death. Since Death (among other anthropromorphic[sp?] personifications) depend on belief for form associated with his duty as it is percieved by those who are doing the believing (I'd be getting tongue tied if I wasn't typing this) and the Feegles believe that their birth is really their death, does Death attend their births, or does he still attend their deaths?

<--- Just as confused as anyone
The Mac Feegles believe they are born dead, but Death knows they are really alive, so when they die he does take them.
 

Rikk

New Member
Oct 25, 2008
1
1,650
#7
So the Feegles believe Death escorts them out of the world of the dead (or kicks them out as suggested above) Not sure if thats a question or a statement. Its a first post though!!! :laugh:
 
Jul 25, 2008
720
2,425
Tucson, Arizona, U.S.A.
#10
It seems to me likely that DEATH indeed does come for the Feegles (as he refers to not expecting one that day). But he makes no reference to The Hiver--whom he can hardly have expected either.

And to further complicate matters, according to the Feegles, Discworld is their concept of Heaven, though it could be called the Land of the Dead. And while the Feegles don't seem to mourn the deaths of the average Feegle much, they definitely mourn the death of their Kelda. It gets a bit "chicken-and-egg" ey-- because the Kelda obviously goes to a different place---and it seems to be more like our concept of Heaven.
 

bogieman

Constable
Jul 26, 2008
79
1,650
#11
Some where DEATH talks about his memory and how he remembers everything past and future so he would have expected the hiver who died and not expected the Feegle because he was not dead. It all makes sense to me :laugh:

Even on the round world there have been cultures that think they go to a better place like the Vikings and Valhalla so somewhere nice to go to when killed in the place you are is not that hard to imagine.

We have cultures that believe birth is a reborn after death it's called reincarnation so there is precedence there.

Add it all together and there you have the Feegles :laugh:

Simple (well it is when you look at it with my mind)
 
#12
Er, hi, everyone! I'm Belphegor, I'm French and I'm new, in that order. Incidentally, on the Disc, would that make me from Quirm or Genua? :)

swreader said:
While the Feegles don't seem to mourn the deaths of the average Feegle much, they definitely mourn the death of their Kelda. It gets a bit "chicken-and-egg" ey-- because the Kelda obviously goes to a different place---and it seems to be more like our concept of Heaven.
I always wondered about that - does the kelda share the Feegles' belief that they've died and gone to heaven? Because if she does and they too believe she goes back to the Last World when she dies, it means that...

Well, other than they're an enormous bunch of boys who suddenly find themselves mother-less and that it makes them a little lost and stunned for a while, I don't know. I mean, it's a huge deal to lose your mum, even if you've got hundreds of brothers and you know for certain you'll see her again (whether when you go to the Last World or she comes back in reincarnation).

Just my two centimes, anyway :)
 

Tonyblack

Super Moderator
City Watch
Jul 25, 2008
30,841
3,650
Cardiff, Wales
#13
Welcome to the site Belphegor! :laugh:

It seems to me that as the series of Tiffany/Feegle books progressed the idea of them living backwards seems to have diminished. So maybe Terry decided to drop the idea.

Of course there's no reason the Feegles wouldn't mourn the death of their Kelda or any of their brothers either. They may be going to be reborn, but that means the Feegles won't see them again and they'll miss them. A very good reason for anyone to mourn I'd say.
 

Dotsie

Sergeant-at-Arms
Jul 28, 2008
9,068
2,850
#14
Hi Belphegor :)

Terry seems to let a lot of ideas drop when they seem to complicated to continue. Alternatively, they might get a mention for comedic purposes, without being too detailed (like Death getting attacked by a Feegle - they've obviously met many times before).
 

Jan Van Quirm

Sergeant-at-Arms
Nov 7, 2008
8,524
2,800
Dunheved, Kernow
www.janhawke.me.uk
#15
Hi Belphagor and Rikk.

There're a lot of people in Roundworld who think it's Hell and look forward to leaving it behind for something better - I know which way round I'd rather have it, so it's just a matter of adjusting your attitutude to what's around you in the end.

The Roundworld's the pessimists solution that's all really and, as usual, the optimists (Feegles) have all the fun... ;)
 

Tonyblack

Super Moderator
City Watch
Jul 25, 2008
30,841
3,650
Cardiff, Wales
#17
I think it's very likely that they can see Death at all times. They are creatures who lived in the realm of the Fairy/Elf Queen and so they are used to seeing the supernatural. :laugh:

The question is - is the boatman in Wintersmith Death or someone else? ;)
 
#19
hehehe yes he does. There is a bit in Wintersmith where they take Tiffany's young man to the underworld and the Styx boatman appears to be another version of DEATH. He gets pretty agitated when they come over and when they try to leave and he has tricked the young man about the proper coinage, they decide to stay and he breaks the rules just to get them out of there. LOL I really liked that bit. :laugh: :twisted:
 

Cheery

Sergeant
Jun 22, 2009
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jellymish-art.tumblr.com
#20
Tina a.k.a.SusanSto.Helit said:
hehehe yes he does. There is a bit in Wintersmith where they take Tiffany's young man to the underworld and the Styx boatman appears to be another version of DEATH. He gets pretty agitated when they come over and when they try to leave and he has tricked the young man about the proper coinage, they decide to stay and he breaks the rules just to get them out of there. LOL I really liked that bit. :laugh: :twisted:
me too. :laugh:
 

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