The legend is of a flat world carried through space on the back of four elephants, who stand on a giant turtle. In all his discworld novel he uses stories as the basses of his novel, I can work out most of them but not this one.
2006-12-09 21:38:44 · 10 answers · asked by astovince 1 in Society & Culture ➔ Mythology & Folklore
I'm not sure on this, so don't quote me, but I don't think it's based on any real legend at all. I always got the impression and I think this quote from him best sums it up:
"The world rides through space on the back of a turtle. This is one of the great ancient world myths, found wherever men and turtles are gathered together; the four elephants were an indo-European sophistication. The idea has been lying in the lumber room of legend for centuries. All I had to do was grab it and run away before the alarms went off."
He's basically just saying that people come up with the silliest ideas about how the world was created, and so he latched onto one that's particularly different and has gone with it ever since. I think it's pretty cool!
Long live Terry Pratchett!
2006-12-09 22:01:24 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
There is a story (probably an urban legend) about an astronomer giving a lecture, and at the end an old lady stands up and says "That's nonsense young man, the world sits on the back of a turtle."
"Ah", says the astronomer, "but what does the turtle sit on?"
"You can't get me that way," says the old woman. "It's turtles all the way down."
2006-12-09 22:46:42 · answer #2 · answered by Daniel R 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I recall a Native American storyteller recounting some of his tribe's legends at some function I was at, and their creation myth is that the world is held by a giant turtle.
Wasn't quite Great A'Tuin, though.
2006-12-09 21:45:10 · answer #3 · answered by angk 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Ugh, I've read several Disc world books, but the answer to your question eludes me. Will have to Google Terry Pratchett and Disc world.
2006-12-09 21:43:26 · answer #4 · answered by Sick Puppy 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Long time ago , several hundrad years people (travellers, sailers and so on) thought the world was flat. due to the fact that u can only to the edge (horizon). there are many cultures that has the flat world legend.
2006-12-10 05:52:28 · answer #5 · answered by CrazyMax 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
He did an interview on BBC4 with Mark Lawson about two weeks ago. I'm fairly sure, he said that it's loosely based on a Hindu belief.
2006-12-09 22:16:13 · answer #6 · answered by quartzstar 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
A few cultures had the earth carried through the heavens by something or other, so he just adapted it.
2006-12-09 21:41:43 · answer #7 · answered by Jon B 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It is from India sorry I don't Know for certain, but I think it might be Hindu, brilliant books though.
2006-12-09 21:43:33 · answer #8 · answered by ♣ My Brainhurts ♣ 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
the legend of Zorro
2006-12-09 22:41:54 · answer #9 · answered by Mr Cynical 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
His imagination? Though there is nothing new under the sun.
2006-12-10 21:37:11 · answer #10 · answered by los 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋