Marsh-wiggle

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In the fictional series The Chronicles of Narnia by C. S. Lewis, Marsh-wiggles are a race of frog-like humanoids that inhabit the marshes of Ettinsmoor surrounding the River Shribble, in the northern parts of Narnia.

They are described as having large ears and green-grey dreadlocks. They have strong leathery skin and very long limbs attached to short torsos. Both their hands and their feet are webbed, like a frog's. Internally, they are evidently significantly different from humans, although the difference is not specified. For instance, when Puddleglum's hand was chewed by Golg the Earthman, it is not nearly as damaged as it would have been if Puddleglum had been a human. Their feet are cold-blooded and webbed, "like a duck's", as it says in The Silver Chair. This statement is in actuality false, as ducks are warm-blooded. However, marsh-wiggles' feet may very well be cold-blooded, this constituting one of their biological differences from humans. Marsh-wiggles are known for their pessimistic and depressed views on life.

These creatures live in large wigwams, possibly an abbreviation of "wiggle-wam", usually set apart from one another, as Marsh-wiggles like their privacy. They are not a very technologically-advanced race, but they do possess both bows and swords.

Marsh-wiggles fish for food. They usually catch and consume a creature known as a mudfish, but are very fond of eels when they can get them. The tobacco that they use gives off smoke that is heavier than air. It is said that they mix the tobacco with mud. They also consume a strong alcoholic beverage, which is not named. Marsh-wiggles do most of the work relating to water and fish in Narnia. Jill Pole and Eustace Scrubb are ferried across the Fords of Beruna by a marsh-wiggle. Marsh-wiggles also help dock ships at Cair Paravel.

The most notable Marsh-wiggle was Puddleglum (The Silver Chair), who helped Eustace Scrubb and Jill Pole rescue Prince Rilian.

It is unknown whether or not Wiggle is just a shortening for Marsh-wiggle, or if it applies to a general collection of peoples related to the Marsh-wiggles. If so, the Marsh-wiggles are the only known denomination of this group.

In American and British editions of The Silver Chair, marsh wiggle is hyphenated, but in The Last Battle, it is not hyphenated.

The now defunct American folk-rock band, The Marshwiggles (of whom David Wolfenberger was a founding member) took their name from this Narnian character.