Angua
Created | Updated Jan 30, 2004
ANGUA
Angua is, on first appearance, a well-developed young lady with a mass of ash-blonde hair, and an annoying habit of looking at one's neck. She is also good at her job, even if being a watchman is an unusual occupation for a lady.
When it is full moon, she is a pedigree Ramtop wolfhound with an ash-blonde mane round her shoulders.
Angua is, to quote Nobby, anthromorphically gifted. In plain English, she's a werewolf. This means that she can tear out a man's jugular, give someone a week of abysmal hairdays every month, and very usefully, she can see smells as colours when in her lupine form. This means that she has been very useful for tracking offenders. Several criminals have had reason to curse her presence in the watch.
However, the criminal classes of Ankh Morpork have got wise to her talents, and now no self-respecting criminal goes out without a scent bomb. Dropped in a busy place, there are so many powerfully scented trails that she has to go home with a splitting headache.
Angua has formed a relationship of sorts with Carrot. They are attached to each other but don't hold your breath waiting for a wedding invite! Whether the birth of Vimes' son will change things remains to be seen.
Angua left the Ramtops because she didn't get on with her family. For example, she is vegetarian and if she does end up eating a chicken she will return the next morning and pay for it at the going market rate. Her family, especially her brother Wolfgang, take a different view of the food chain. She is the only person who can beat Wolfgang in a fight, as she proved during the events of Fifth Elephant. Once you've met her relations, you can understand why she left the mountains.
Angua and Wolfgang were the only two classical bi-morphs in the litter. Elsa and Andrei are Yennorks, werewolves who can't change shape. Wolfgang killed Elsa, and Andrei decided to escape and become a champion sheepdog in Borogravia. His insistance on "pure" blood is why she hates Wolfgang so much.
She decided to join the watch because the only other career path available was as a "seamstress". She was taken on by the watch when it started its ethnic minority recruitment programme. She is still the only "undead" member of the watch who lacks a valid death certificate as Vimes refuses to employ vampires.
Angua is a good example of Pratchett's ability to write strong female characters; lets hope we do see more of her and her "sisters".
Profile
Name: Delphine Angua von Überwald (Angua).
Residence: Mrs Cake's house, Elm Street, Ankh Morpork.
Job: Sergeant in Ankh Morpork City Watch.
1st Appearance: Men At Arms (1993) Book 15.
Affiliates: Captain Carrot Ironfoundersson of the Ankh Morpork City Watch, Corporal Cheery Littlebottom (AMCW), the rest of the Watch, Mrs Evadne Cake (Landlady), Gaspode, Gavin (a wolf).
Family members: Father/Sire-Baron Guye von Überwald (Silvertail); Mother-Mme Serafine Soxe Bloonberg of Genua (Yellowfang); Brothers-Wolfgang, Andrei; Sister-Elsa.
Other: Werewolf, estranged from family.
