--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Sybil's female forebears had valiantly…" description: "\"Sybil's female forebears had valiantly backed up their husbands as distant embassies were besieged, had given birth on a camel or in the shade of a str..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/487/terry-pratchett-19_birth_sybil-s-female-forebears-had-valiantly-b_149129.jpg" --- # Sybil's female forebears had valiantly backed up their… ![“Sybil's female forebears had valiantly backed up their husbands as distant embassies were besieged, had given birth on a camel or in the shade of a stricken elephant, had handed around the little gold chocolates while trolls were trying to break into the compound, or had merely stayed at home and…” quote by Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/487/terry-pratchett-19_birth_sybil-s-female-forebears-had-valiantly-b_149129.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/487/terry-pratchett-19_birth_sybil-s-female-forebears-had-valiantly-b_149129.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/487/terry-pratchett-19_birth_sybil-s-female-forebears-had-valiantly-b_149129.jpg) > “Sybil's female forebears had valiantly backed up their husbands as distant embassies were besieged, had given birth on a camel or in the shade of a stricken elephant, had handed around the little gold chocolates while trolls were trying to break into the compound, or had merely stayed at home and nursed such bits of husbands and sons as made it back from endless little wars. The result was a species of woman who, when duty called, turned into solid steel.” [Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Women historically endured hardship, emerging as resilient, steel‑like figures when duty called. **In simple terms:** Women become steel under duty. Key Takeaway Honor resilience in adversity. Themes history gender resilience Mood heroic reflective Type narrative philosophical When to use this quote - war histories - family narratives - social movements Key Concepts strength sacrifice leadership Questions to Reflect On - What defines true resilience? - How does duty shape identity? A Different Perspective Not all experiences are heroic. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Birth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/birth/) [Camels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/camels/) [Duty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/duty/) [Elephants](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/elephants/) [Female](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/female/) [Gold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gold/) [Home](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/home/) [Husband](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/husband/) [Marriage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/marriage/) [Nurse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nurse/) [Shade](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/shade/) [Son](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/son/) [Troll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/troll/) [War](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/war/) ## Related quotes > [My passion is writing, but it is also a fight because I still see home as a woman's duty.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ngeles-mastretta/my-passion-is-writing-but-it-is-also-a-fight-because-i-still-see-home/) [Angeles Mastretta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ngeles-mastretta/) > [I believe that in the course of the next century the notion that it's a woman's duty to have children will change and make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-frank/i-believe-that-in-the-course-of-the-next-century-the-notion-that-it-s/) [Anne Frank](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-frank/) > [A woman’s duty: To look the whole world in the face with a go-to-hell look in the eyes… to speak and act in defiance…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-sanger/a-woman-s-duty-to-look-the-whole-world-in-the-face-with-a-go-to-hell/) [Margaret Sanger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-sanger/) > [“A man's duty is to soar in the heavens. A woman's duty is to bind him to earth.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-taylor/a-man-s-duty-is-to-soar-in-the-heavens-a-woman-s-duty-is-to-bind-him/) [Tony Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-taylor/) > [There are as many kinds of modesty as there are races. To the English woman it is a duty; to the French woman a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hippolyte-taine/there-are-as-many-kinds-of-modesty-as-there-are-races-to-the-english/) [Hippolyte Taine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hippolyte-taine/) > [I think it is every woman's duty to make herself as attractive as her time and means permit. After all, there you are, in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ilka-chase/i-think-it-is-every-woman-s-duty-to-make-herself-as-attractive-as-her/) [Ilka Chase](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ilka-chase/) > [“The fact is that camels are far more intelligent than dolphins. They are so much brighter that they soon realised that the most prudent…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/the-fact-is-that-camels-are-far-more-intelligent-than-dolphins-they/) [Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/) > [It is a mistake trying to cheer up camels. You may as well drop meringues into a black hole.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/it-is-a-mistake-trying-to-cheer-up-camels-you-may-as-well-drop/) [Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/) > [“The fact is that camels are far more intelligent than dolphins.\* \* Never trust a species that grins all the time. It's up to something.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/the-fact-is-that-camels-are-far-more-intelligent-than-dolphins-never/) [Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/) > [“A camel in distress isn’t a shy creature. It doesn’t hang around in bars, nursing a solitary drink. It doesn’t phone up old friends…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/a-camel-in-distress-isn-t-a-shy-creature-it-doesn-t-hang-around-in/) [Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/) > [Death is a black camel, which kneels at the gates of all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abdelkader-el-djezairi/death-is-a-black-camel-which-kneels-at-the-gates-of-all/) [Abdelkader El Djezairi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abdelkader-el-djezairi/) > [Rich folks may ride on camels, but it ain't so easy for 'em to see out of a needle's eye.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dickens/rich-folks-may-ride-on-camels-but-it-ain-t-so-easy-for-em-to-see-out/) [Charles Dickens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dickens/) > [Astride a horse I am not, nor camel-like carry a load, Subjects I have none, nor follow any sultan's code; I worry not for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saadi/astride-a-horse-i-am-not-nor-camel-like-carry-a-load-subjects-i-have/) [Saadi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saadi/) > [Expediency is a law of nature. The camel is a wonderful animal, but the desert made the camel.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-disraeli/expediency-is-a-law-of-nature-the-camel-is-a-wonderful-animal-but-the/) [Benjamin Disraeli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-disraeli/) > [In cities it is useless to look at the stars or to describe them, worship them, or seek direction from them. When lost, one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rawi-hage/in-cities-it-is-useless-to-look-at-the-stars-or-to-describe-them/) [Rawi Hage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rawi-hage/) ## More by Terry Pratchett > [“This one’s mental.’ ‘Eccentric.’ ‘What’s the difference?’ ‘A bag of cash.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/this-one-s-mental-eccentric-what-s-the-difference-a-bag-of-cash/) [Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/) > [“But I did not return until half past four this morning and I distinctly remember stubbing my toe on the stairs. I am as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/but-i-did-not-return-until-half-past-four-this-morning-and-i/) [Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/) > [“The universe contains any amount of horrible ways to be woken up, such as the noise of the mob breaking down the front door,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/the-universe-contains-any-amount-of-horrible-ways-to-be-woken-up-such/) [Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/) > [“Someone broke from the scrum and, punching and kicking, staggered towards the Klatchian goal. "Isn't that man your butler?" said Ahmed. "Yes." "One of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/someone-broke-from-the-scrum-and-punching-and-kicking-staggered/) [Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/) > [It's an interesting fact that fewer than 17 % of Real cats end their lives with the same name they started with. Much family…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/it-s-an-interesting-fact-that-fewer-than-17-of-real-cats-end-their/) [Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/) > [You can't trust folk songs. They always sneak up on you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/you-can-t-trust-folk-songs-they-always-sneak-up-on-you/) [Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/) > [Either dragons should exist completely or fail to exist at all, he felt. A dragon only half-existing was worse than the extremes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/either-dragons-should-exist-completely-or-fail-to-exist-at-all-he/) [Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/) > [“Magrat wondered what it was like, spending your whole life doing something you didn’t want to do. Like being dead, she considered, only worse,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/magrat-wondered-what-it-was-like-spending-your-whole-life-doing/) [Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/) > [A hardback's harder at Christmas time because that's a good hardback buying time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/a-hardback-s-harder-at-christmas-time-because-that-s-a-good-hardback/) [Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/) > [“There were more old people. The world was full of them,' said the wizard. 'Yes, I know. And now it's full of young people.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/there-were-more-old-people-the-world-was-full-of-them-said-the-wizard/) [Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/) > [“Hobson was big and heavyset, but not exactly fat; he was probably what you’d get if you shaved a bear.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/hobson-was-big-and-heavyset-but-not-exactly-fat-he-was-probably-what/) [Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/) > [“There is a night that never comes to an end… The clock of the world turns under its own shadow. Midnight is a moving…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/there-is-a-night-that-never-comes-to-an-end-the-clock-of-the-world/) [Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/) > [“You'd like Freedom, Truth, and Justice, wouldn't you, Comrade Sergeant?' said Reg encouragingly. 'I'd like a hard-boiled egg,' said Vimes, shaking the match out.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/you-d-like-freedom-truth-and-justice-wouldn-t-you-comrade-sergeant/) [Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/) > [“You are not apprehensive, are you? I can't detect no trace of fear none whatsoever Roomy cranium all possible videos of all possible outcomes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/you-are-not-apprehensive-are-you-i-can-t-detect-no-trace-of-fear-none/) [Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/) > [Imagination, not intelligence, made us human.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/imagination-not-intelligence-made-us-human/) [Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/) [Explore all 3,328 Terry Pratchett quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/) ## More Birth quotes > [“Conception is the beginning of human life. From the time that an ovum is fertilized a new life begins that is neither that of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/declaration-on-procured-abortion-congregation-for-the-doctrine-of-the-faith-1974/conception-is-the-beginning-of-human-life-from-the-time-that-an-ovum/) Declaration on Procured Abortion Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith 1974 > [In the entire history of the universe, let alone in your own history, there has never been another day just like today, and there…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-buechner/in-the-entire-history-of-the-universe-let-alone-in-your-own-history/) [Frederick Buechner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-buechner/) > [The greatest mystery in life is not life itself, but death. Death is the culmination of life, the ultimate blossoming of life. In death…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rajneesh/the-greatest-mystery-in-life-is-not-life-itself-but-death-death-is/) [Rajneesh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rajneesh/) > [Guns have little or nothing to do with juvenile violence. The causes of youth violence are working parents who put their kids into daycare,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-delay/guns-have-little-or-nothing-to-do-with-juvenile-violence-the-causes/) [Tom DeLay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-delay/) > [“Every child is born as angel.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lailah-gifty-akita/every-child-is-born-as-angel/) [Lailah Gifty Akita](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lailah-gifty-akita/) > [Nirvana is a word that means enlightenment, being beyond the illusion of birth and death, the illusion of pain, the illusion of love, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/nirvana-is-a-word-that-means-enlightenment-being-beyond-the-illusion/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [It was no accident, no coincidence, that the seasons came round and round year after year. It was the Lord speaking to us all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francine-rivers/it-was-no-accident-no-coincidence-that-the-seasons-came-round-and/) [Francine Rivers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francine-rivers/) > [We do not want to be reminded that it is we, the indigenous people, who are poor and exploited in the land of our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-biko/we-do-not-want-to-be-reminded-that-it-is-we-the-indigenous-people-who/) [Steven Biko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-biko/) > [There are two kinds of beauty; there is a beauty which God gives at birth, and which withers as a flower. And there is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-kuyper/there-are-two-kinds-of-beauty-there-is-a-beauty-which-god-gives-at/) [Abraham Kuyper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-kuyper/) > [Always keep the smile, because the smile is the beginning of love.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-imad/always-keep-the-smile-because-the-smile-is-the-beginning-of-love/) Adam Imad > [The wailing of the newborn infant is mingled with the dirge for the dead.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lucretius/the-wailing-of-the-newborn-infant-is-mingled-with-the-dirge-for-the/) [Lucretius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lucretius/) > [I gave birth to most of them MC's... So when it comes around to the month of May, Send me your royalty check for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roxanne-shante/i-gave-birth-to-most-of-them-mc-s-so-when-it-comes-around-to-the/) Roxanne Shante > [“A Beautiful verse takes birth when "U"n"I" VERSE.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rajesh-walecha/a-beautiful-verse-takes-birth-when-u-n-i-verse/) [Rajesh Walecha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rajesh-walecha/) > [“There is no born evil, only a corruptible canvas darkened by a formidable perpetrator.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yefon-isabelle/there-is-no-born-evil-only-a-corruptible-canvas-darkened-by-a/) [Yefon Isabelle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yefon-isabelle/) > [I've always thought that the most extraordinary special effect you could do is to buy a child at the moment of its birth, sit…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clive-barker/i-ve-always-thought-that-the-most-extraordinary-special-effect-you/) [Clive Barker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clive-barker/) [Browse all 6,183 Birth quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/birth/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Sybil's female forebears had valiantly backed up their husbands as distant embassies were besieged, had given birth on a camel or in the shade of a stricken elephant, had handed around the little gold chocolates while trolls were trying to break into the compound, or had merely stayed at home and nursed such bits of husbands and sons as made it back from endless little wars. The result was a species of woman who, when duty called, turned into solid steel.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Terry Pratchett" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/sybil-s-female-forebears-had-valiantly-backed-up-their-husbands-as/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Birth" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/sybil-s-female-forebears-had-valiantly-backed-up-their-husbands-as/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/487/terry-pratchett-19_birth_sybil-s-female-forebears-had-valiantly-b_149129.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/487/terry-pratchett-19_birth_sybil-s-female-forebears-had-valiantly-b_149129.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/487/terry-pratchett-19_birth_sybil-s-female-forebears-had-valiantly-b_149129.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Sybil's female forebears had valiantly backed up their husbands as distant embassies were besieged, had…” — Terry Pratchett", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Terry Pratchett", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Sybil's female forebears had valiantly backed...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/sybil-s-female-forebears-had-valiantly-backed-up-their-husbands-as/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/sybil-s-female-forebears-had-valiantly-backed-up-their-husbands-as/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```