Calormenes

Starkist

Starkist

New member
Forgive me if this has been asked and I missed it in my search. I've been waiting a long while to find a Narnia message board in which questions may be discussed as in-depth as LotR questions over at TORc. Anyhow.

If the people of Archenland are descended from Frank and Helen, and the Telmarines from the sailors marooned on the island, where did the Calormenes come from? Did they accidently enter Narnia in ancient times like the Telmarines?

Also, Do you think that the Pevensies, as they grew up in Narnia, married and had children? Lewis never mentions this, but that doesn't necessarily mean it didn't happen. Could some members of the royal family of Archenland, perhaps, be descended from one of the four?
 
Good question, Starkist, but I think you'll search the Chronicles in vain for the answer. Even though the country is the main setting for Horse, and the Calormens play a role in the last days of Narnia, Lewis is silent about their origins. From the culture, I'd guess that he intended them to be of Babylonian (possibly Persian) origin from the pre-Muslim days (Tash is undeniably an idol). Had he written enough, my guess is that Lewis would have had them come from our world via some arcane gateway, but that's only speculation.

If you're hoping for the kind of detailed background on Narnia that you find on Middle-Earth, I think you're in for a disappointment. The issue isn't the scholarship, it's the authors. Tolkien, as we discovered after his death, was essentially a full time "mythologist" (mythologian?) - his life's work was his imaginary world, and he spent it filling in the details with excruciating accuracy and depth. His other work, such as being a professor, was something he did to support his hobby. Lewis, however, was many things - professor, lecturer, writer, amateur theologian - and he just wrote these stories on the side. It's a tribute to his depth and intelligence that these "toss-offs" were better than almost anything else out there, but they simply don't have the background work behind them that you'll find behind Tolkien's work.

Regarding the Kings and Queens - I think you'll have to accept that Lewis not mentioning marriage simply means it didn't happen. He indicates that Susan's hand was especially sought, but the fact that he doesn't mention that is was ever given is a very telling silence. (Perhaps the "Rabadash incident" put her off suitors for good! :)) It may be one of the places where realism breaks down (though not the worst place in Lion,) but I think you'd have a real stretch trying to establish from any of the Chronicles that the Four had any issue that remained behind. (Remember, even if they didn't know that they'd be returning to our world, Aslan did!)
 
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Welcome, Starkist, I didn't see you post before. I like your Avi!

I agree with PoTW on all counts. I don't think the kids ever married, for they were young adults when they chased the stag into Lantern Waste, and I don't think Lewis would have had them leaving children and spouses behind.
 
According to the timeline on the narnia website, outlaws from Archenland escaped to Calormen and founded that kingdom.
 
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