Delphine Angua von Überwald | |
Name | Delphine Angua von Überwald |
Race | Werewolf |
Age | unknown |
Occupation | Sergeant, Ankh-Morpork City Watch In I Shall Wear Midnight, has been promoted to Captain |
Physical appearance | Blonde, attractive |
Residence | As of "I shall wear Midnight", shares a Lodge with Capt. Carrot as stated by Mrs. Proust Previously lodged with Mrs. Cake) |
Death | - |
Parents | Baron Guye von Überwald (Silvertail)(Father)
|
Relatives | *Andrei and Wolfgang von Überwald (deceased), brothers
|
Children | - |
Marital Status | Long-term relationship with Captain Carrot |
Appearances | |
Books | *Men at Arms
|
Cameos | *The Truth
|
Delphine Angua von Überwald is a character from the Discworld novels of Terry Pratchett. She first appeared in Men at Arms. Angua is a member of the Ankh-Morpork City Watch, originally hired as part of an affirmative action plan by Havelock Vetinari. Her physical beauty led co-workers to predict that criminals would be lining up to be arrested by her, but Angua's surprising strength and tough attitude soon made her one of the most feared officers on the Watch.
In the 1999 computer game Discworld Noir, and the 2001 books-on-tape version of Men at Arms, her name is pronounced "An-gyoo-uh" with a hard "g".
Fictional character biography[]
Angua comes from a family of werewolves. She is the daughter of a Baron and Baroness of Überwald, and has two brothers, Wolfgang and Andrei. Her sister, Elsa, is deceased, killed by Wolfgang who disguised it as an accident. Both Andrei and Elsa were "Yennorks", werewolves that are stuck in one form (Andrei always appeared to be a wolf, and Elsa a human). Angua and Wolfgang are the only children in their family with shapeshifting ability. Wolfgang is extremely violent and enjoys killing, even eating, "inferior" humans. Angua rebels against the traditional werewolf lifestyle of her parents and brother and leaves Überwald. Andrei manages to slip away as well and enjoys a career as a champion sheepdog.
After moving to Ankh-Morpork, Angua soon became both the first woman and the first undead creature to join the ranks of the Ankh-Morpork City Watch. She met Corporal Carrot Ironfoundersson in the Watch, and the two soon fell in love. Since recovering from his initial surprise (which involved drawing his sword), Carrot has not seemed bothered by the fact that Angua is a werewolf. However, Angua often worries that their different backgrounds and needs will eventually doom the relationship.
One of Angua's closest friends in the Watch is Cheery Littlebottom the dwarf. In Feet of Clay, Angua helps encourage Cheery to "come out" as a woman (dwarf society expects both male and female dwarves to behave in an indistinguishable way), even lending her dresses and make-up. At the same time, Angua conceals her true nature as a werewolf from Cheery because she knows her new friend hates and fears werewolves (mainly because a relative of hers was killed by one). Angua eventually reveals her secret after saving Cheery, who quickly learns that she has never killed anyone before. Throughout the book Angua debates with herself over whether it would be best to just return to Überwald and live among other werewolves. In the end, she decides to stay in Ankh-Morpork.
Angua has also made friends with Gaspode, a matty, hairy canine who gained and lost the talent of human speech in Moving Pictures. He then regains it by the time of Men at Arms by sleeping too near the Unseen University's High-Energy Magic building. Gaspode attempts to flirt with Angua constantly, despite her consistent rejection of his advances, and has helped her out on missions many times.
In The Fifth Elephant, Watch Commander Sam Vimes is sent to Überwald on a diplomatic mission. Lord Vetinari chooses Angua to be a member of the Watch team that will accompany him, but Angua has already left for Überwald on business of her own. Carrot, assisted by Gaspode the dog, sets out after her. This is the first Discworld book to reveal much about Angua's background, and her parents and brother Wolfgang all figure in the story. Angua's relationship with actual wolves also provides much tension. Wolfgang plays a significant role as the leader of a violent werewolf movement in Überwald. Ultimately, Vimes kills Wolfgang in a violent confrontation in the city square. Angua had previously urged Vimes not to hold back and to kill Wolfgang in combat if he got the chance, as Wolfgang would not hesitate to kill Vimes and would certainly not repay any mercy he was shown.
The fact that the Watch now has a werewolf has become common knowledge throughout Ankh-Morpork, but that hasn't affected Angua's privacy substantially, as, for obvious reasons, everyone assumes it to be Nobby Nobbs; Carrot, Vimes, Vetinari and Angua herself all play along, mostly rather amused. Also aiding this misconception is the fact that Angua's wolf form is considered as beautiful as her human form and most who sight it don't even realize that it is a wolf, mistaking it for some kind of purebred dog.
As of Making Money, the only person in Anhk-Morpork outside of the Watch to have figured out the secret is Moist von Lipwig, seeing Angua in her werewolf form with Nobby standing beside her and recognizing her hair. In Feet of Clay, several others know of her nature including the vampire Dragon King of Arms. Dragon claims that Angua and Carrot might have puppies to claim the throne, but since Vampires and Werewolves hate each other, it could be interpreted as him hating the idea that the offspring of a werewolf might one day rule Ankh-Morpork.
Though the widespread recognition of the werewolf presence in the Watch has not inconvenienced Angua on a human level, it has led to a growing sophistication within the city's criminal underworld in evading capture. In Night Watch, the psychopathic murderer Carcer Dun employs a bomb made from concentrated aniseed to confuse her sense of smell. William de Worde employs a similar tactic in The Truth, but includes oil of scallatine, briefly incapacitating Angua with the overwhelming strength of the stench.
Angua assists Vimes in another diplomatic mission in Monstrous Regiment, and is mentioned in Going Postal as being difficult for criminals in Ankh-Morpork to avoid. Angua also appears in a supporting role in Thud!, where she gains a rival in the form of the Watch's first vampire officer, Sally.
Angua is an extremely practical and level-headed person. While not as cynical as Commander Samuel Vimes, she balances out Carrot's naïveté (although she occasionally contemplates he's not as innocent as he appears). In human form, Angua is a strict vegetarian. In wolf form, she sometimes goes after chickens during the full moon, but she is always careful to go back and slip some money under the door the next day, aware that an unrestrained werewolf would not stop at chickens but would become a 'humanitarian'.
Though she is deeply committed to Carrot, even likening herself to being his dog in Jingo, it hasn't stopped others with romantic interest; before he died, there was tension with a wolf named Gavin in The Fifth Elephant; Gaspode the talking dog habitually attempts to make advances towards her; she also received a marriage proposal from the small mutt and technical bank chairman Mr. Fusspot in Making Money.
See also[]
- All Ankh-Morpork City Watch members
- Corporal Angua von Uberwald (The Watch) - a version of the character seen on the BBC America series The Watch