3

In the Good Omens television series, when Aziraphale is reading Agnes Nutter's book of prophecies, some flash up on the screen. Some of them are easy to read, and others are very faint. For instance:

enter image description here

Some of them are clearly references to events in the series, such as the prophecy about the Great Hound, but others aren't so obvious.

Are they all references to some events in the series or book? If so, what? Are any of them references to broader events in the "real world," such as the Apple prophecy?

3
  • This appears to be the list of prophecies in the book which don't match the TV series as the one you have quoted is 4019 but in the book is 3819 and the text is slightly different.
    – TheLethalCarrot
    Commented Jun 14, 2019 at 8:38
  • @TheLethalCarrot, that site missing quite a lot of 3819 even then
    – Separatrix
    Commented Jun 14, 2019 at 9:19
  • 1
    Odd that they used the book version, when in the show they changed it to "Robin's blue chariot".
    – OrangeDog
    Commented Jul 5, 2019 at 22:28

1 Answer 1

6

I've not seen the series but the book does occasionally reference real world events in the past, but only as an aside. All directly addressed prophesies are in the immediate future of the story, some of them are for the reader's understanding only and the characters never work them out.

The one in the image in your question is very specifically a plot point in the story.

From the book it's number 3819 and has quite a lot of plot in it:

When Orient's chariot inverted be, four wheles in the skye, a man with bruises be upon Youre Bedde, achinge his hedd for willow fine, a manne who testeth with a pyn yette his hart be clene yette, seed of myne own undoing, take the means of flame from himme to mayk ryght certain, together ye sharle be, untyl the Ende that is to come.

Translating as:

"Orient's Chariot inverts" A Japanese car, specifically Newt's car overturns near Anathema's house. He gets bruised and ends up in her bed and being given "willow fine" aspirin, which was originally a willow bark derivative. He's a witchfinder, but a nice boy really, descended from the witchfinder who burned Agnes.

10
  • 1
    @Adamant, Pratchett and Gaiman are both very good writers, assume everything is Chekhov's prophesy.
    – Separatrix
    Commented Jun 14, 2019 at 9:22
  • 2
    @Adamant, if there's a gun it has to be fired, if there's a prophesy it has to come true
    – Separatrix
    Commented Jun 14, 2019 at 9:39
  • 2
    "Do Notte Buye Betamacks" In the book some of them are there just for the humour (direct or of the family's attempts to interpret them).
    – DavidW
    Commented Jun 14, 2019 at 12:10
  • 3
    @Lyzvaleska, but the problem there is making it exactly a one in a million chance, nobody said anything about 1 in 999,999 chances
    – Separatrix
    Commented Jun 14, 2019 at 13:01
  • 1
    Also the Reliant Robin was hilariously prone to rolling over for nothing more than attempting to make a turn, so it'd be all the easier to go "three wheels in the air", while a four wheeled vehicle which went wheel up was probably in a far more serious accident. Commented Jun 14, 2019 at 18:08

Your Answer

By clicking “Post Your Answer”, you agree to our terms of service and acknowledge you have read our privacy policy.

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged or ask your own question.