Maugrim
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Narnia character | |
 Maugrim in The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. |
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| Maugrim | |
|---|---|
| Race/Nation | Talking Beast / Narnia |
| Gender | Male |
| Title | Captain of the Secret Police |
| Major character in | |
| The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe | |
| Portrayals in Adaptations | |
| 1988 BBC miniseries: Martin Stone (voice) 2005 Disney film: Michael Madsen (voice) |
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Maugrim is a powerful wolf and one of the White Witch's servants in the book The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by C. S. Lewis. He is captain of the Witch's Secret Police (though only one of his lieutenants is ever seen). His name is derived from the words "maw" (meaning mouth), "morgue", and "Grim" (a foreboding wolf-like figure from English folklore). His name was changed to Fenris Ulf (a figure from Norse mythology) by the author [1] and this change was incorporated into early American editions of the book. More recent American editions have reverted to the original text.
Maugrim features in the 2005 motion picture The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe in which he is voiced by American actor Michael Madsen. While some of the other wolves were real, a lot of Maugrim was created with computer-generated imagery, but there was also a two-year-old wolf, called Ricky, who played the part as well. (Incidentally, his two-year-old brother, Bob, played the part of Vardan.)
Maugrim is first named in Chapter Six, when the Pevensie children find a notice signed by him in the destroyed remains of Mr. Tumnus' cave — it is clear that the Secret Police have captured Mr. Tumnus.
Maugrim is first seen in Chapter Nine, where he is acting as a gateguard and messenger for the White Witch at her castle. He takes Edmund Pevensie's message to the White Witch and bids him come to her presence. In Chapter Eleven, Maugrim (and one of his lieutenants) is sent to the Beaver's house in order to "kill whatever you find there" and then proceed to the Stone Table to wait for the Witch.
Maugrim is nearly killed at the Stone Table in Chapter Twelve by Peter Pevensie, future High King of Narnia. But because Peter actualy did stab Maugrim but only in the leg Maugrim may be out for revenge...
Maugrim is one of the few Talking Animals who side with the Witch during the Hundred Year Winter, although it is a reasonable assumption (based on the words of Nikabrik in Prince Caspian) that a majority of the wolves sided with the Witch at this time. It is, however, clear from the mention of wolves among the former-statues (brought "to life" by Aslan's breath) who go to the aid of Peter's army that the wolves either were not all followers of the Witch, or that she saw fit to punish her own by petrification.
"Maugrim" is only one letter different from Naugrim, the Sindarin term for J. R. R. Tolkien's Dwarves. Since Tolkien and Lewis were close friends, one may have influenced the other here. Maugrim may also be influenced by the giant wolf, Carcharoth, in Tolkien's The Silmarillion.
