Ligur

‘We want a word with you’, said Ligur (in a tone of voice intended to imply that ‘word’ was synonymous with ‘horrifically painful eternity’). (212)

Ligur, according to the Dramatis Personae, is a Fallen Angel and Duke of Hell (xv). His corporeal form is ‘dark and squat’ (3) and he is an accomplished lurker (5). He also appears to be the constant companion of Hastur, his fellow Fallen Angel and Duke of Hell. Like most demons, Ligur has a limited grasp of technology (5) and an antiquated approach to tempting humans (7). He seems to enjoy his work.

Ligur is sent with Hastur to ‘collect’ Crowley when the Infernal Authorities belatedly realize that the baby switch at the hospital in Tadfield had not gone as planned, and that Warlock Dowling isn’t the Antichrist (210). Crashing through the door of Crowley’s building, Ligur and Hastur head to Crowley’s flat, terrifying at least one of the other inhabitants on the way. (211) Ligur pushes open the door to Crowley’s office and is destroyed when a bucket of Holy water, placed on top of the door a few minutes earlier by Crowley, falls on his head. Ligur ‘peeled and flared and flickered’ (212) and ‘what was left lay glistening on the burnt and blackened circle of carpet, looking like a handful of mashed bugs’ (213).

It was the sort of thing a demon like Ligur might have done himself. As he’d reflected back in the graveyard, “It’d be a funny old world…if demons went round trusting one another” (9).

The name Ligur is not recorded among the Fallen Angels in any of the standard references. However, there are references to an entity or a race of beings called Lloigor in tales of the Cthulhu mythos. Since the names Dagon and Hastur are documented for demons and are also entities in the Cthulhu mythos, the choice of the name Ligur may have been a joke by Gaiman and Pratchett.

Other sources:
“Lloigor”. Wikipedia. Accessed 25 Oct 2012. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lloigor_(Cthulhu_Mythos_race)>.

Edition referenced in this article: UK Gollancz hardcover (2007)
Written by Lynette