The Pratchett Project

In the author’s note to the revised edition Pratchett states that, “this book had two authors, and they were both the same person.” It is interesting to see the interplay between the two versions of the story and how the older writer chose to adapt some of the material while still trying to remain faithful the essence of the original. The plots remains essentially the same with the principal characters all retained though altered in various ways. One of the main differences in the text is the addition of more humour. Notably the characters of Brocando and Glurk have undergone significant changes in personality and presentation which creates a lighter tone and opens up more space for laughter. The 1992 version tends to move away from classical fantasy espoused in the original. The characters’ motivations are not so clear cut and Pratchett introduces an element of ambivalence in their presentation. Pratchett’s trademark style of subverting traditional fantasy narratives can be also be seen at work.

Though the texts vary in size and structure there are still many common themes running through the stories. The serialized stories revolve around a group of Carpet-dwellers which include early versions of Snibril, Glurk, Pismire and  Bane. The premise of the original stories is a journey across the carpet in search of a new home while trying to avoid the conflict between two competing empires. The 1971 edition of The Carpet People relates the journey of the Munrungs,who are driven from their home by the devastation wreaked by Fray and his servants, the mouls. They must attempt to save Dumii Empire from the same threat whereby winning the right to return home. The 1992 edition modifies this plot to include a potential  re-imagining of the Empire by replacing it with something fairer and more inclusive which can be of benefit  all the peoples of the Carpet.

The original publication of The Carpet People has not been reprinted and has only been translated into one other language, a German translation published in 1972. The translation also features original artwork by Jörg Müller which includes a unique illustration of the map of the Carpet. This edition also features supplemental material including The Bucks Free Press stories published in 1965 and it also contains the follow-up story Another Tale of the Carpet People featuring the characters of Snibril and Bane which was originally published in The Bucks Free Press in 1967. This story appears in English along with the original Tales of the Carpet People in a collection of Pratchett's work entitled Dragons at Crumbling Castle and other Stories. It is a sequel to the original serialized stories and as such has little in common with the later novels except for the main characters.

There have been various reprinting of the  1992 edition. There are two different English versions; one catering to the American market which contains the original Bucks Free Press stories as an addendum.  The Carpet People has been translated into 14 different languages: Chinese, Estonian, Czech, Greek, German, Italian, Bulgarian, Danish, French, Slovak, Russian, Serbian, Polish and Hebrew. The most recent English edition celebrates the 50th anniversary of the original book and includes an extract from a letter from Terry to Colin Smythe outlining plans for a sequel to The Carpet People. Unfortunately the plans for a sequel never came to fruition.

The Dumii are the civilising force of the Carpet. They started as a small tribe that grew from the capital city of Ware and brought trade and peace to the Carpet. They built roads and made innovations in trade with introduction of money. The original text is mostly complimentary of the Empire with Snibril in particular showing a devotion to it which has been heavily revised in the later edition. The Munrungs encounter the main character of Bane early on in the novels. He is a wanderer and an exiled general of the Dumii Empire. Bane's attitude towards the Empire is vastly different within each iteration of the story. In the original text he plays the loyal soldier of the Empire but in the revised version he is openly critical of the decline of the Empire and in particular he shows disdain for the Emperor and the mechanisms by which power is transferred in the Empire. In the revised text the Dumii are portrayed as unimaginative and almost robotic in nature yet the value of the Empire is still held in high regard if not its current governance.

The Deftmenes are a diminuitive tribe of the Carpet who love to fight and have a thirst for life and adventure. They harbour a deep resentment for the Dumii on the basis that they attempt to impose too much order on life and as a consequence drain the fun out of it. By contrast the Deftmenes revel in chaos. Their capital city of Jeopard sits within the territory of the Empire but is not part of it and they have engaged in various battles with the Dumii because they have refused to join the Empire. The Deftmenes act as a foil to the Dumii, they are portrayed in a light-hearted manner compared to the almost robotic depiction of the Dumii. Though it is acknowledged the Deftmenes wouldn't be able to hold such carefree attitudes without being surrounded by the Dumii Empire and inadvertently benefitting from its protection.

The Pones are large creatures described as the size of a house with long slender necks and small heads. They have small thin wings which enable them to float. They are a benevolent race found in the High Gate Land. In the original text they are described as beasts of the Vortgorns but in the revised version this link is omitted. They are curious creatures capable of rudimentary communication. They help the heroes escape from the High Gate Land and in the revised version they act as cavalry and fight alongside the combined forces of the Carpet in the final battle at Ware.

The Wights are an ancient race of Carpet Dwellers who are skilled in many different crafts. They used to travel around the Carpet offering services to the various tribes, they were responsible for building the cities in the Carpet. Their presence has diminished within the Carpet in recent times.They travel in various groups of seven and each group has a varnish boiler which the use to smelt weapons and tools. They feature more prominently in the original text with Bane overtly linked to them. With the character of Shenda removed in the revised version this link is severed. In the revised version they have perfect memories and can see the past and the future. They generally do not concern themselves with the affairs of the tribes of the Carpet but are drawn in the conflict when they are attacked by mouls.

The thunorgs share the same heritage as the wights but their paths deviated from the wights some time in the past. In the original text, they chose to study the ways of the Carpet and seem to have some level of control over it and the creatures that inhabit it. An army of thunorgs are assembled by Culain and they intervene in the final battle to save Ware. In the revised version Culaina is the only thunorg in the story, She has abilities that Culain does not have in the original text. Culaina does not view time in a linear way and has the ability to see all possible futures and by focusing on one can subtly influence the course of time.

The mouls are the principal antagonists in The Carpet People, they are a wolf-lke race who worship Fray. They are able to sense when Fray will strike and use tactics which take advantage of the ensuing chaos. They are manipulative and use deception to infiltrate the various tribes of the Carpet. This is usually accomplished by overstating their connection to Fray and by targeting the leaders of the tribes - The Dumii Emperor, the false Deftmene king, Antiroc and the Vortgorn king, Stagbat. In the original text it is alluded to that they come from Underlay though this is changed in the revised version with their origin attributed to the Unswept regions of the Carpet. Underlay is the space which exists beneath the Carpet; it is an unknown place rumoured to be populated by many monstrous creatures. By changing the origin of both the mouls and black snargs to an area within the bounds of the Carpet rather than beneath it Pratchett reduces the sense of "otherness" and achieves a more inclusive presentation. This is highlighted by the fact that it is stated that the Munrungs and the mouls both conceptualise themselves as "true human beings".

The snargs are creatures that exist all over the Carpet, the brown snargs are hunted by the Munrungs for food and their bones are used for weapons. They come in variety of colours. The black snargs are much larger than the brown snargs and act as combatants and cavalry for the mouls. They hail from Underlay in the original text and the Unswept regions in the revised version. The snargs are not credited with anything beyond an animal intelligence. There are only two named snargs in the stories both in the original text - Snarfgorm who is described as the king of the snargs and Fang, the snarg Glurk uses to follow his compatriots to the High Gate Land. Both snargs are present in the revised version but neither are not named.

The Vortgorns are a  tribe that come from the High Gate Land (a threepence piece). They, like many of the tribes have been duped into believing that the mouls can control Fray. The mouls have been sending the prisoners to the High Gate Land as forced labour for the bronze mines. The Vortgorns are largely confined to a single section of the revised text when Bane, Brocando and Pismire are captured by the mouls and brought to the High Gate Land as  prisoners destined for the mines. In the original text they feature more prominently in the final battle at Ware and Stagbat, the king of the Vortgorns  has an expanded role.

Pismire is the wise counsellor, teacher and philosopher of the Munrung tribe. In both texts he acts as confidant to Snibril and advisor to Glurk, the tribe's chieftain. Much of the lore regarding the Carpet and the history and traditions of the Dumii Empire are disseminated through Pismire. Pismire’s backstory is expanded in the revised version to include a friendship with fellow philosopher Owlglass and a falling out with the Emperor. He was exiled from the Dumii capital of Ware for berating the Emperor over his decision not to support the preservation of the city library. He, like Bane is openly critical of the Emperor in the revised version.

Bane , like Snibril is the only character to feature in every iteration of The Carpet People. Bane’s character is also largely unchanged between the two versions of the text. He is a wanderer of the Carpet and exiled general of the Dumii Empire. He is portrayed as a skilled warrior, knowledgeable leader and is quite austere in nature. His role in the revised version is expanded particularly in the later stages of the book. Bane is injured before the decisive battle for the imperial capital of Ware in the original text and does not actively feature in the action. The city's defence is organized by general Carus. By contrast, in the revised version Carus is recast as a sergeant and Bane becomes the sole military leader tasked with the defence of Ware. He also takes responsibility for the rebuilding of society in the wake of the battle. His relationship to the Emperor is altered significantly, whereas the original text presents a neutral portrayal of their relationship, in the revised version Bane is openly critical of the Emperor and the manner in which power is transferred in the Empire.

Glurk is the chieftain of the Munrung tribe and Snibril’s older brother. He is an accomplished hunter, brave warrior and a practical leader largely unconcerned about matters beyond his own purview. Glurk’s character arc runs roughly parallel in both texts but the major difference occurs in his characterisation. Glurk is one of the main sources of humour in the revised text. Pratchett highlights his physical prowess while caricaturing his intellect. There is also more comic interplay between Glurk as the chieftain of the Munrungs and Pismire as his trusted advisor. Glurk has an uncomplicated perspective on life and does not ponder the larger questions of existence which occupy his younger brother’s thoughts.

Brocando is the King of the Deftmenes, a race of carpet dwellers generally at odds with the Dumii Empire.  Snibril frees Brocando from the Termagant's enchantment. He returns to the Deftmene city of Jeopard to reclaim the throne from his usurper cousin/brother Antiroc and free the city from the scourge of the mouls. Brocando, like Glurk in the revised version is a primary source of humour in the text. He is portrayed in more serious terms in the original whereas his mischievous revised counterpart plays as a good foil to Bane's more austere character.

Snarfgorm is the chief snarg that attacks the Munrung village at the beginning of the novels. This section of both texts is similar where Snibril fights the snarg but the name is omitted in the revised text because the mouls and black snargs are unknown to the Munrungs.

Lycas is a minor character that features only in a single chapter of the original text. He is a Dumii soldier encountered by Snibril and Carus at the borders of the territory of Ware. His main function is to relate the story of the desperate defence of the outpost. He is saved when several thunorgs arrive and the moul forces flee. Pratchett potentially pays homage to Tolkien where Lycas’ opening challenge to the approaching troop is “you shall not pass” reminiscent of Gandalf’s encounter with the Balrog in The Lord of the Rings. As there is no thunorg army in the revised version, the episode does not take place and Lycas' character is removed.

Kerash is another minor character completely excised from the revision. He is the leader of a moul pack that attacks Athan's wight troop. Snibril and his band of Deftmenes and Munrungs arrive and give battle to the moul pack saving the wights. A similar scene occurs in the revised version though the chief moul is not named. The battle is over in a couple of sentences as the number of Deftmene and Munrung combatants has been markedly increased.

Kausomena is a Vortgorn guard in the High Gate Land. Glurk encounters Kausomena while attempting to free Bane, Pismire and Brocando from the dungeons of the High Gate Land. Kausomena tells Glurk about the pones and how to help his friends escape. He also informs Glurk that the Vortgorns are being forced into an alliance with the mouls. Kausomena is completely removed in the revised text and his role is amalgamated with that of Culaina.

Stagbat is the king of the Vortgorn people from the High Gate Land. He is coerced into an alliance with the mouls under the false pretense that the mouls can control Fray. He features significantly in the original text, in particular in the final battle for Ware where he is taken captive by Snibril. He eventually changes sides in the final battle. By contrast his character is all but absent in the revision. He is mentioned once in passing in reference to a dream Brocando has where sees a vision of the forlorn Vortgorn king between two mouls. The scene is a direct allusion to an actual episode from the original text which happens during the final battle. The final battle in the revised version is vastly different and Stagbat and the Vortgorns do not feature at all.

Strephon is an older Deftmene in the original version encountered when the group arrive at Jeopard. He recounts the story of the mouls infiltration of Jeopard, offers advice to Snibril and attends the peace council with Brocando at the end of the book. In the revised text Strephon is a child who features solely to relate the recent events in Jeopard.

Noral is the leader of the wight band encountered early on in both books. Chapter four features some of the most significant changes which relate to this encounter. In the original text he acts as the wise counsellor and offers advice to the main protagonists. Noral is Shenda’s father and the scene in the original is far longer and much more elaborate. As Shenda has been completely removed from the revision this also reduces Noral’s significance as well. In the revised text Noral's mentor type role is removed and he only appears in chapter four, whereas he attends the peace council at the end of the original book and gives Bane his blessing to marry his daughter Shenda.

Acretongue is the leader of the pones, a race of large creatures with long necks, small heads and small wings. Acretongue and his band of pones help our heroes escape from the High Gate Land and feature throughout the rest of the book as a type of cavalry.

The Termagant is an ancient creature once worshipped as a god by early settlers of the Carpet. He appears in both editions of the text and is portrayed in similar fashion. He is a lonely figure who evokes a certain level of pathos. He is the last of his kind in the Carpet. Snibril encounters him at the temple at Brechame in the original text (the temple is not named in the revised edition). Anyone who makes eye contact with the termagant is frozen solid though the creature does not seem to understand this. The scene in the temple is where Brocando is introduced as he has been frozen by the termagant for a year. Snibril frees Brocando by using the tears of termgant which he notices can undo the spell. The termagant dies after seeing his reflection in a polished shield, though not from being frozen but from the comfort of seeing what he thinks is another of his own kind.

Fray's identity is not revealed in The Carpet People and it can only be guessed. "He" is capable of causing mass destruction in the Carpet. Fray's attack on the Munrung village becomes the catalyst for the ensuing adventures across the Carpet. The mouls worship "him" as a god and proclaim to be his servants, Pismire asserts that it is a "natural phenomenon". Fray is interpreted throughout both texts by the tribes of the Carpet. The most obvious allusion to his identity is contained in the original text where the wights are said to have travelled to the Hearthlands and stolen fire from Fray. In the revised version he is primarily portrayed as a neutral entity much like the weather and can't be reckoned with but in the original, the thunorgs magically reinforce the carpet hairs to protect the city of Ware against him. The mouls have a connection to Fray in each text, the connection is stronger in the original where they carry the banner of Fray.  They are able to sense Fray's coming and attack in the aftermath. they use this ability to manipulate some of the tribes into believing that they can control Fray.

Athan is the leader of a wight group. His role in both versions of The Carpet People is relatively unchanged. His group are saved by Snibril and Carus/Careus and they aid in the final battle. In the revised version he is killed in the conflict.

Gormaleesh is the principal antagonist in the original version. In both versions he takes control of the Deftmene city of Jeopard, captures Bane, Pismire and Brocando and brings them to the High Gate Land. In the original version he is killed by Snibril at the end of the climactic battle whereas in the revision his role is partially usurped by Jornarileesh. In the revised version Gormaleesh is portrayed as a parody of the stereotypical villian with no redeeming features and comically evil.

Culain/ Culaina is a thunorg, a race with the same heritage as the wights but their paths deviated some time in the ancient past. The character of Culain is replaced by a female version with a similar backstory called Culaina. Culaina serves a similar function in the revised version as did Culain though she has a more expanded role and adds the more ethereal elements of being able to see potential futures. Culain summons an army of thunorgs in the original version and they decide the outcome of the final battle. Culaina by contrast is the only thunorg in the revised version. Her role in the conflict is not as overt as Culain. She does not intervene directly in the conflict but seems to orchestrate things from the periphery.

Her role in the revised text also encompasses the function of Kausomena by guiding Glurk through the High Gate Land and showing him how to rescue his friends. There are very few female characters in The Carpet People, by removing the character of Shenda, Pratchett was obviously aware that he had taken out the only significant female character in the original text. Changing the gender of Culain may have been an attempt to redress the balance.

Owlglass is a doctor in Ware, his role is relatively straight forward in the original, he looks after Snibril and Bane when they are injured. He has an expanded and altered role in the revised edition. He is an old school friend of Pismire and helps Pismire and company infiltrate the palace. His other role is primarily comic relief where he has a penchant for meticulously explaining figurative language or stating the obvious.

Targon is the Emperor of the Dumii Empire. Some of the most significant changes could be said to revolve around his portrayal. He fulfills two very different roles in each text. His character is inextricably linked to the idea of empire and each book treats it quite differently. He does not feature much in the original story but is referred to several times. He is killed when the mouls attack Ware. There is a dignified passage describing his funeral procession. By contrast the character is actively involved in the main story of the revision. There is a similar situation to Antiroc and the mouls at Jeopard. The mouls have infiltrated the imperial palace and have the Emperor under their control. They have also convinced him that they can control the power of Fray. The Emperor is portrayed in a very unflattering light, he behaves like a spoilt child. When the Emperor is mentioned in the original it is generally in a positive or neutral way but throughout the revision the Emperor is consistently portrayed negatively. This appears to be a deliberate shift in Pratchett’s perspective. He questions the idea of hereditary succession and at the end of the1992 edition, the suggestion is made that perhaps there should no longer be an empire but something else in its place. By the end of the revised edition the fate of the Emperor in unknown, “No one could find the Emperor. No one looked very hard.”

Lady Vortex is a new character who plays the role of leader of the women who fight in the battle for Ware. She also acts as an informal spokeswoman for women rights and insists that women must have a place in whatever shape the future of the Dumii Empire takes. The addition of Lady Vortex in the revised text may also be an indication that Pratchett was cognizant of the under representation of female characters in the original text.

Mealy is a new character created for the revised version of The Carpet People. The 1992 version deviates heavily from the original. Mealy is a cook in the palace at Ware. He is an old war buddy of sergeant Careus. He and his fellow workers are former sergeants in the Dumii army and are all carry battle scars and are missing limbs. Mealy represents a more light-hearted approach to the Dumii soldier which complements the portrayal of sergeant Careus. In the revised version the Emperor does not die but is “imprisoned” by the mouls in the palace. Snibril rescues the Emperor with the help of Mealy and his men.