Lancre
Lancre (pronounced Lanker) is a fictional country from Terry Pratchett's Discworld novels. It is situated in the Ramtop mountains, about 100 miles Hubwards of the city of Ankh-Morpork. It is the best-known of hundreds of tiny countries in the Ramtops, occupying a vertiginous shelf looking over the Sto Plains.
Lancre is based mainly on the North of England (as in Lanc(ashi)re), but is reminiscent of many rural areas in Britain and elsewhere. It also contains elements of the Swiss Alps and the Appalachian Mountains. Pratchett has described the tiny country as "solid folklore;" it is the place all the legends of our world's countryside really happened. Ankh-Morpork serves a similar function for urban folklore, but not as blatantly.
Part of the reason for this is that the Ramtops are a major earthing point for the Discworld's magical field. Headless horsemen and walking trees are part of the landscape, as are witches. Lancre is famous for witches, especially since the publication of The Joye of Snacks (an erotic cookbook) by "A Lancre Witch" (Nanny Ogg).
The other thing Lancre is famous for is young people going off and seeking their fortunes (usually in Ankh-Morpork).
Government
The current king of Lancre is Verence II. Most people, himself included, believe he is the illegitmate son of Verence I. He is married to Queen Magrat (née Garlick), a former witch. They have a daughter, Princess Esmerelda Margaret Note Spelling.
Regicide is a common and accepted method of becoming king. Known monarchs of Lancre include:
- King Verence II - (appears in various Discworld novels, esp. Wyrd Sisters)
- King Tomjon (abdicates immediately, appears in Wyrd Sisters)
- King Leonal Felmet (appears in Wyrd Sisters)
- King Verence I (appears in Wyrd Sisters)
- King Thargum (mentioned in Wyrd Sisters)
- King Gruneweld (mentioned in Wyrd Sisters)
- Queen Griminir the Impaler (1514-1553, 1553-1557, 1557-1562, 1562-1567, 1568-1573, (a vampire) mentioned in Wyrd Sisters, Carpe Jugulum)
- King Champot (ruled 1000 years prior to present, had Lancre Castle built, his ghost appears in Wyrd Sisters)
- King Gruneberry the Good (906-967, mentioned in Wyrd Sisters)
- King Murune (709-745, mentioned in Wyrd Sisters)
- Queen Bemery (670-722, mentioned in Wyrd Sisters)
The capital "city" of Lancre is Lancre Town, by dint of being slightly bigger than the other villages, and containing Lancre Castle.
The Lancre coat of arms shows two bears on a black and gold shield.
- Population: 500.
- Size: Geographically, roughly 40 miles by 10 miles. The actual surface area contained therein is impossible to determine. Much like the Unseen University Library, all the magic in the kingdom has warped space, leading to some areas containing more land than there's any room for (this is known as "gnarly ground").
- System of Government: Technically a constitutional monarchy. Verence II has set up a Parliament, but most Lancrastians view this as a way of getting them to do his work for him and aren't having any of it. However they do consider themselves a constitutional monarchy, as the populous spend their entire day working with large heavy and often sharp objects. To Quote Nanny Ogg "Some lessons is so obvious they dont need to be learnt."
- Language: Morporkian, a common language throughout the Discworld, that, by a curious coincidence, happens to be very similar to modern English. Dwarfish and Troll are presumably spoken in the high mountain areas.
- Religion: Nothing in particular. The population is very keen on the idea of religious ceremonies (for births, weddings etc.), but few of them really believe in anything they can't see. Of course, in the Ramtops, you can see a lot of gods, but seldom in situations that encourage worship. They do however have firm opinions on what religion should sound like, which is pretty much like a Latin Roman Catholic service.
- Currency: The Lancre Penny
- Public holidays: Hogswatchnight (the Disc's combined New Year and Christmas), May Day, The Seven Year Flitch, Soul Cake Days, The Scouring of the Long Man, Marling Day, The Ramtops Witch Trials (a magical competition).
More information is available in A Tourist's Guide to Lancre by Pratchett, Stephen Briggs and Paul Kidby.