Sto Lat

Sto Lat is a fictional town in Terry Pratchett's Discworld novels. Its name is taken from "Sto lat", a cheerful Polish song traditionally sung at birthdays and other celebrations, equivalent to English Happy Birthday to You. Sto lat literally translates from Polish as 'a hundred years' and is used in the song to wish someone one hundred years of life.

Geography

According to the books, Sto Lat is a sizable walled town in the Sto Plains, although eclipsed enormously both in size and influence by the neighbouring city of Ankh-Morpork. Sto Lat is located about 20 miles from the city of Ankh-Morpork, to which it is connected by two clacks towers. It encompasses a large boulder emerging out of the Sto Plains like 'a geological pimple', left there by the retreating Ice Giants. The castle is built into this rock. (This may be inspired by Edinburgh Castle.)

Locations and features of Sto Lat mentioned in the chronicles include:

• Wall Street, Castle View: Named streets in Sto Lat, mentioned in Mort and Hogfather. Presumably, they are as they say; one follows the walls, the other overlooks the castle.
• Town Hall: Mentioned in Going Postal. Next door to an inn.
• Cabbage Growers' Co-Operative Bank: A bank where Adora Belle Dearheart worked. Lost thousands of dollars to a scam by Moist von Lipwig.
• Sto Lat Castle: Residence of the Royal Family. Built into the boulder at the centre of town, and containing many turrets and fortifications. Locations inside the castle itself include:
  • North Turret
  • The Small Hexagonal Room (in the North Turret)
  • The Great Hall, location of King Olerve's death, Keli's coronation, and daily banquets.

History and Politics

There has been no talk of Sto Lat's history in the chronicles; however, Latatian, the 'old language' of Ankh Morpork, may have some relation to Sto Lat, as may the Empress of Sto mentioned in The Discworld Companion.

Its most recent king before the present monarch was King Olerve, who was shot with a crossbow by an assassin hired by the Duke of Sto Helit, a thoroughly nasty man who staged a bid for the succession, thwarted only by Mort in Mort. At the end of Mort, Princess Keli became Queen.

Politically Sto Lat is the capital of a kingdom ruled by Queen Kelirehenna, which includes Sto Helit, Sto Kerrig and the Eight Protectorates. Her authority is exercised through a Mayor. The kingdom was one of the first places outside Ankh-Morpork to adopt its own stampings for the post.

References

• Pratchett, Terry (1987). Mort. Gollancz.
• Pratchett, Terry (1994). Soul Music. Gollancz.
• Pratchett, Terry. (2004). Going Postal. Gollancz.
• Pratchett, Terry & Briggs, Stephen (2003). The Discworld Companion (3rd ed.). Gollancz.

External links

• Discworld & Pratchett Wiki