Worldbuilding Wednesday 6/24/20: Narnia IV

narnia talking fox

A charming anthropomorphized fox from the first movie.

As written by Lewis, the Talking Beasts of Narnia cover a wide range of species. The Magician’s Nephew, which was the third book Lewis wrote (but the 6th published) gives a good depiction of their genesis: they bubble up from the earth itself like bubbles of gas through hot lava. There’s an elephant, big cats, deer. Yet, there are gaps in the worldbuilding. Mice, according to Aslan in Prince Caspian, were created later, after Aslan’s ordeal on the stone table. And the more exotic species don’t enter the story at all, as characters that is. There’s a Talking Lion who plays a bit part in the first book, and an elephant in Nephew, but that’s it. Where did they all reside? How did warm climate creatures like elephants and cheetahs withstand Narnia’s winters? And speaking of those elephants, there’s a Hall of Ivory in Cair Paravel. Did they donate their tusks? Were they killed for them?

The animals that do get the most screen time are the ones Lewis would have been the most familiar with as denizens of the British countryside: foxes, bears, deer, beavers, hares, ravens. Well, bears and beavers were in short supply in England in the 20th century, but they would have been there, but for man; that’s their biome.

It is also worth reflecting on the fate of wolves. They are the only species which had given itself over to evil, during the Long Winter; but were all of them thus turned? Were they exterminated after that, or did they repent? (Someone write a fanfic about this please.)

Anyway, more talking beasts that might have existed had the series gone on.

 

More Narnian Creatures

Rabbits / Hares

Springlegs

Weedwinter

Quickblossom

Hollyharp

Dawndash

Moles

Chunkstep

Popcollar

Spadebrood

Plumpling

Earthness

Hedgehogs

Cricklehitch

Mossmouth

Wormsniggle

Pennypop

Spinebrow

Eagles

Trueseek

Windjoy

Highcrest

Stormwing

Quillfrost

Foxes

Slypath

Bluffhunter

Redthatch

Moonglade the Vixen

Vulpina

Wolves

Graykin

Longpace

Bruteflank

Blackfrost

Vandalpaw

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