Brutha

Brutha
Name	Brutha
Race	Human
Age
Occupation	Novice, Prophet, Cenobiarch
Physical appearance	Large, heavy-set
Residence	The citadel
Death
Parents
Relatives
Children
Marital Status
Appearances
Books	Small Gods
Cameos	Carpe Jugulum, Thief of Time

Brutha was the Eighth Prophet of Omnianism. He started out as a novice in the Citadel under Brother Nhumrod, and was known to the other novices as "the big dumb ox" (much like St Thomas Aquinas). He might not have advanced any further, were it not for his prodigious memory, which brought him to the attention of Deacon Vorbis. He was chosen to accompany the deacon on a supposedly diplomatic mission to Ephebe, and while there discovered philosophy with the help of Didactylos and Urn.

The other major quality that caused him to stand out from other Omnians was the fact that he was the last true believer in the god Om, and was therefore, by default, the Chosen One. This belief was inherited from his grandmother, a fiercely devout woman. His essentially simple nature meant that he never questioned any of the Church's commandments, until he actually met his god face-to-face and discovered that perhaps the scriptures weren't as accurate as he had once believed. The experiences of man and god alike resulted in a complete reshaping of Omnianism (with less smiting), and a resurgence in faith for the god.

His other achievements included founding the library in the Citadel (the largest non-magical library on the Disc) and crossing the desert with the unconscious Vorbis - despite Om's protestations.

He died on the hundredth anniversary of the crossing of the desert.

He has only featured in the book Small Gods, but is mentioned in Carpe Jugulum and Thief of Time, where his teachings in the book of Om are quoted.

Just like in the "real world", his name has become synonymous with disbelief. Trevor Likely says "Oh Brutha!" in Unseen Academicals, handily combining the 50s American phrase with the vaguely sacrilegious, pseudo-blasphemous usage of the name of the sainted one.

Annotation

Is basically the Disc's equivalent of an amalgam of Roundworld's St Paul and St Peter in that he will endure anything for his faith, ridicule included, and becomes pope of an enormous religion.