- Cohen the Barbarian (Wikipedia)
Ghenghiz Cohen, known as Cohen the Barbarian, is a hero in the classical sense, i.e., a professional thief, brawler and ravisher of women. Cohen is introduced in the second Discworld novel, The Light Fantastic, with significant returns in Interesting Times and then with his last appearance in The Last Hero. His name and character are an obvious echo of Robert E. Howard’s Conan the Barbarian and Genghis Khan, and of the common Jewish surname Cohen.
- Discworld (Wikipedia)
Discworld is a comic fantasy book series written by the English author Terry Pratchett, set on the Discworld, a flat planet balanced on the backs of four elephants which in turn stand on the back of a giant turtle. The series began in 1983 with The Colour of Magic and continued until the final novel The Shepherd’s Crown, which was published in 2015, following Pratchett’s death. The books frequently parody or take inspiration from classic works, usually fantasy or science fiction, as well as mythology, folklore and fairy tales, and often use them for satirical parallels with cultural, political and scientific issues.
- In the first Discworld novel, The Colour of Magic, Hrun appears as an archetypal fantasy barbarian: hulking and muscle-bound yet slow-witted, battle-prone, alcoholic, and fond of virgins. Hrun stole his magical talking sword, Kring, after a battle, but regrets it due to the sword’s talkativeness.