Martin the Warrior (Redwall)
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Martin the Warrior is an important mouse character in the Redwall series by Brian Jacques. He is known as the savior of Mossflower Woods and after his death becomes the guiding spirit to many of Redwall's heroes and patron saint of the abbey. Martin's sword, made from a fallen star, is said to give its user great power. The name Martin the Warrior also applies to the grandson of Matthias.
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[edit] History of Martin the First
Martin was born on the northwestern seacoast. He was a member of his father, Luke the Warrior's, tribe, and the future wielder of his father's sword. One winter day, Luke's wife and several others are killed by pirates, led by an evil stoat named Vilu Daskar. Luke swears vengeance on Daskar. He leaves his cave with several warriors from his tribe and takes a ship out to sea, and he leaves little Martin with his sword.
Soon after, the cave is again attacked, this time by a stoat named Badrang the Tyrant. He captures Martin, his grandmother Winifred, and hundreds of other innocent creatures and carries them back to his fortress as slaves. A female mouse named Laterose, or Rose, and a mole named Grumm, both from Noonvale work to help her brother, Brome, and several other slaves escape, and Martin attempt to gain an army of "goodbeasts" to help them fight against Badrang. They do, eventually, and Martin slays Badrang, but Badrang also kills Rose, who Martin had hoped to marry. Grieved by Rose's death, Martin bids farewell to his friends from Badrang's fortress and goes south.
Eventually he reaches Mossflower Woods, which is under the control of a wildcat named Verdauga Greeneyes. Martin is captured and brought to Verdauga's castle, Kotir.
Verdauga and his son, Gingivere, have some compassion on Martin, but Verdauga's daughter, Tsarmina, hates Martin. She breaks the blade of Luke's sword and has Martin put in the castle dungeon. The next morning, Martin discovers that Tsarmina has usurped the throne of Kotir by having her father poisoned. She then blames the crime on Gingivere to keep him from taking the throne and has him imprisoned.
Not long after, one of the creatures of Mossflower, a mouse thief named Gonff, is imprisoned with Martin for stealing food from Kotir. With the help of the woodlanders, Gonff and Martin escape and set off on a mission to free Mossflower from Tsarmina's claws. Gonff, Martin and Dinny, a mole, set off for Salamandastron, a large, extinct volcano on the southeastern coast. There they hope to find Boar the Fighter, a large warrior badger, who they hope will defeat Tsarmina and free Mossflower from her tyranny.
After a long, hard journey, they reach Salamandastron and are greeted by three of Boar's hares. The hares lead them into the mountain, where Boar himself receives them. While they are staying there, Boar refashions the blade of Martin's sword from the metal of a "star that fell from the sky" (probably a meteorite). Boar also reads a disturbing prophecy written on the wall of a secret cave, saying that he will be killed that very night, which is exactly what happens.
A pirate rat invades the shores of Salamandastron and a battle occurs between the searats and the creatures of the mountain. Boar kills the head pirate and is killed in the process. Martin, Gonff, and Dinny escape on the pirate ship Bloodwake, which they rename Wuddshipp. Martin discovers that one of the galley slaves, Timballisto, is an old friend from his days at Luke's cave. The ship returns to Mossflower by river and the three companions are greeted warmly. However, Bella, Boar the Fighter's daughter, takes the news of her father's death heavily.
The woodlanders, with the aid of their new friends, discover that Kotir is actually in a dry riverbed, and they attempt to flood it. The first try fails, but then Martin decides to sink Wuddship in order to block the river, creating a dam on the River Moss. It works, and Kotir is sunk in the resulting flood. Tsarmina, however, escapes on a dinner table and battles Martin on the banks of the new river. She is wounded badly and drowns in her attempt to escape from Martin. However, Martin is badly injured too, so much that he falls into a coma. Fortunately, Abbess Germaine, a local healer of Mossflower, is able to cure Martin, although the injuries almost completely wipe out his memory. This includes his memories of Rose, which are forgotten, allowing him to live happily , as Rose would have wanted, for he now believes his own story of living by the sword in his childhood home until he grew old enough to journey.
With Kotir out of the way, the woodlanders, with the aid of Martin and his old friends, begin to build the famous Redwall Abbey. When the Abbey is almost finished, a young female hedgehog named Trimp arrives at Redwall. As she tells her story to the Redwallers, Martin's memory begins to come back, and he recognizes some of the creatures she is talking about. This memory recall inflicts Martin with depression.
The Redwallers notice Martin's unusual behavior, and they decide to send him on a long journey to his homeland, the cave of the once-was tribe of Luke the Warrior. He will be accompanied by the same woodlanders that traveled with him to Salamandastron, as well as Trimp and some new characters they meet on their way.
After a long, difficult yet pleasantly surprising journey, Martin uncovers what he has been searching for: the story of his father, Luke.
After the journey, Martin hangs up his sword and becomes a creature of peace. When he dies (most likely of old age, although the true cause is never revealed), he appears in dreams and visions of troubled Redwallers to provide advice. This is most often when he chooses the new Abbey Champion, who wields the Sword of Martin.
The voice of Martin is provided in the TV series by Ben Campbell is seasons 1 and 2, and in season 3 by Amos Crawley. In the series of full-cast audiobooks he has been voiced by Greg Longridge (in The Taggerung and High Rhulain), by Paul Braithwaite (in Salamandastron) and by Brian Jacques' son Marc in all the others.
[edit] Genealogy of Martin the First
Martin the Warrior was the son of Luke the Warrior and Sayna. Luke was the grandson of the first Martin. Sayna was the daughter of Winifred.
[edit] History of Martin the Second
Born the son of Mattimeo and Tess Churchmouse, grandson of Matthias the Warrior, Martin the Second was named for the first great warrior of Redwall. A tall, kindly mouse, Martin is a friend to all residents of Redwall Abbey. He spent many years honing his skills by aiding local woodlanders, including helping the Guosim shrews fend off robber foxes.
Martin later journeyed to do battle with Ublaz Mad-Eyes, the pine marten emperor who sought the Tears of All Oceans. Ublaz's troops had made the major mistake of kidnapping Redwall's Abbot, and Martin came hot on their heels with a group of companions. He engaged Ublaz to a mortal duel, and soundly defeated him. Upon returning home, Martin swore fealty to Redwall's new Abbess, Tansy.
Like his namesake, Martin the Second never married or had children. He presumably died of old age, and his position was passed down to Arven the squirrel.
[edit] Genealogy of Martin the Second
Martin was the son of Mattimeo and Tess Churchmouse. Mattimeo was the son of Matthias and Cornflower. Tess Churchmouse was the daughter of John and Mrs. Churchmouse.
