Battles in the Chronicles of Narnia

In C. S. Lewis' fantasy series The Chronicles of Narnia includes several battles set in Narnia, Archenland, and other places in the Narnian World. These are given below in an in-universe, fictional chronology.

First Battle of Beruna

The First Battle of Beruna is a fictional battle in The Chronicles of Narnia. It is fought in Narnia at the edges of the Great River near the Fords of Beruna,[1][2] in the year 1000 according to Lewis' Narnian timeline.[3] It is the climactic battle of The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe.[4]

The Battle is not named in The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe. It is first called the "Battle of Beruna" in Prince Caspian.[5] The word "first" has been added by Narnia scholars to distinguish from a later battle fought at Beruna in Prince Caspian, first called the Second Battle of Beruna in The Voyage of the Dawn Treader.[6][7]

Battle of Anvard

Battle of Anvard
Part of The Chronicles of Narnia
Date1014 Narnian timeline
LocationAnvard, Archenland
Result Allied Narnian-Archenlander victory
Belligerents

Army of Narnia

Archenlander Army

The Calormene Army

Commanders and leaders
Queen Lucy Pevensie
King Edmund Pevensie
King Lune
Prince Corin
Lord Peridan		 Prince Rabadash
Anradin †
Strength
500 approx (300 Narnians, 100 Archenlanders on Horse back, Six giants, other creatures) 400 (200 Horse riders, each one on a Horse)
Casualties and losses
Unknown Almost all

The Battle of Anvard was started as a surprise attack on the Archenlander forces at Anvard by Prince Rabadash. The Prince wanted to take over Archenland quickly, send a force into Narnian territory, capture Queen Susan, and then ride back to Calormen.[8] However, due to the early warning of Prince Cor, going by the name of Shasta, King Lune was able to establish moderate defenses on the castle. Prince Cor was then guided over the mountanins into Narnia by Aslan and sent word to the Narnians at Cair Paravel via a stag.[9] King Edmund, Queen Lucy and Lord Peridan rode at the head of a relief column to Anvard's aid. The relief column included men on horses, men on talking horses, centaurs, bears, dogs, leopards, panthers, dwarves, and six giants.[10] They marched over the mountains, taking Cor and Corin, his brother, with them.

Rabadash assaulted the castle just after dark on the first day of the battle. However, with the gates closed and archers on the battlements, he withdrew by early morning. He then built a battering ram from a tree and began an assault on the main gate.[11]

By mid-morning, the Narnian relief column arrived over the pass and fell on Rabadash's rear. The large cats attacked on the left flank, quickly killing most of the Calormene mounts. However, Rabadash reformed a line of about one hundred cavalry and charged the Narnian line. By leaving the gate, he exposed his rear to attack from the castle. Lune and Archenlander mounted knights rode out from Anvard. Meanwhile, the giants fell on Rabadash's right flank as the cats closed in on his left. Hemmed in, Rabadash had no chance. Within minutes the entire force was either killed or had surrendered.[12]

Rabadash was one of the few Calormenes not killed in the attack. He was tried by the Allied commanders, cursed by Aslan (by being turned into a donkey) and shipped back to Tashbaan. Being forbidden to stray more than ten miles from the Temple of Tash, he became a very peaceful Tisroc, leading to a long peace with Narnia and Archenland. People call him "Rabadash the Peacemaker" but in reality they consider him "Rabadash the Ridiculous", as they never forget his donkey transformation. His name becomes a synonym for a stupid person over future generations in Calormen.[13]

Second Battle of Beruna

In Prince Caspian, Caspian was fighting against his Uncle, King Miraz, who had killed his father. He managed to summon the four Pevensie children using Queen Susan's Horn. Edmund Pevensie then was sent to Miraz's camp to give Miraz a challenge by Peter Pevensie to fight to the death in single combat.[14] Two disgruntled lords, Glozelle and Sopespian, manage to goad Miraz into accepting Edmund's offer. Miraz names Glozelle, Sopespian, and an unnamed Telmarine baron as his marshals, while Peter names Glenstorm the Centaur, Giant Wimbleweather, and the eldest Bulgy Bear as his. The fight goes well for Peter until Miraz slips on a tussock. Sopespian declares treachery stating that Peter slashed Miraz in the back while he was on the ground, thus beginning the battle.

The Battle

After the supposed "illegal move" from Peter during the duel, Lord Sopespian and an unnamed Telmarine Baron led the Telmarine charge at the Old Narnians. During the stampede and the confusion, Lord Glozelle stabbed Miraz in the back killing him (stating "that's for your insult, this morning"[15]) unnoticed by any others. During the battle, Reepicheep runs off and is seriously wounded. As the Telmarines appear to take the upper hand, Aslan and an army of awakened Dryads return and help turn the table, causing the Telmarine army to quickly breaks ranks and flee to Beruna. However, the remaining Telmarines were unable to escape as Bacchus had destroyed the bridge that "trapped" the River God.

Aftermath

Following this victory, the Telmarine Throne was now Caspian's for the claiming. Aslan offers the Telmarines who do not wish to stay in Narnia a chance to travel to a new land in the world of High King Peter. Peter and his siblings, along with General Glozelle, Miraz's widow Prunaprismia, her newborn son, and many other Telmarines, travel through a door summoned by Aslan and return to their world. Caspian stayed in Narnia, building a new nation of Narnians and Telmarines, and ruling well until his death.

Battle of Stable Hill

Battle of Stable Hill
Part of The Chronicles of Narnia
LocationStable Hill, Narnia
Result
Belligerents

Land of Narnia

Calormene Empire

Disloyal Narnians:

 Independent Dwarves
Commanders and leaders
King Tirian
Jewel the unicorn  †
Jill Pole
Eustace Scrubb
Farsight, the eagle
Poggin, the dwarf
Puzzle the donkey		 Shift the Ape  †
Rishda Tarkaan  †
Ginger, the cat		 Griffle
Strength
  • 15 Talking Dogs
  • Several small animals
  • 1 Bear
  • 1 Boar
  • Other loyal Narnians
  • About 15 Calormenes, then many Calormene Reinforcements
  • Disloyal Narnians
  • About 30 Dwarves
See also: The Last Battle

In The Last Battle, Shift the Ape persuades a donkey named Puzzle to pretend to be Aslan. Then Shift invites the Calormenes to take over Narnia. Tirian, the last King of Narnia, attacks the Calormenes at the stable where Puzzle was pretending to be Aslan, but is now haunted by the Calormen god Tash. Tiran throws Shift the ape into the stable and Tash swallows him whole. Then the Calormenes attack.[16] As the battle progresses, all of the talking animals are killed (many by the dwarfs, who attack both sides) and Eustace, Jill and Poggin are thrown into the stable where the false Aslan was kept. Tirian, left alone and fighting for his life, drags Rishda Tarkaan, the leader of the Calormenes, into the stable. However, inside the stable is an environment much like Narnia's. Much to the Calormen leader's surprise and terror, Tash appears, and snatches him up under an arm. Peter, Edmund, Eustace, Lucy, Jill, Polly, and Digory appear before them. Peter orders Tash to leave.[17] Aslan appears, and as they watch at the stable door, all of the people and animals, including those who had previously died, gather outside the barn and are judged by Aslan. Those who have been faithful to Aslan join Aslan in Aslan's Country. Those who have opposed or deserted him become ordinary animals and vanish to an unmentioned place.[18]

Notes

  1. ↑ Lewis [1950], 145.
  2. ↑ Lewis, C. S. (July 1994) [1951]. Prince Caspian. New York: HarperTrophy. p. 139. ISBN 0-06-447105-5.
  3. ↑ Hooper, Walter (1979). Past Watchful Dragons: The Narnian Chronicles of C. S. Lewis. New York: Macmillan Pub Co. ISBN 0-02-051970-2.
  4. ↑ Lewis [1950], 176-178.
  5. ↑ Lewis [1951], 139.
  6. ↑ Lewis, C. S. (July 1994) [1952]. The Voyage of the Dawn Treader. New York: HarperTrophy. p. 15. ISBN 0-06-447107-1.
  7. ↑ Ford, Paul F. (2005). Companion to Narnia (rev. and expanded ed.). San Francisco: HarperCollins. p. 114. ISBN 0-06-079127-6.
  8. ↑ Lewis, C.S. (1970) [1954]. The Horse and His Boy. New York: Macmillan Publishing Company. p. 110. ISBN 0020442009.
  9. ↑ Lewis, C.S. (1970) [1954]. The Horse and His Boy. New York: Macmillan Publishing Company. p. 165. ISBN 0020442009.
  10. ↑ Lewis, C.S. (1970) [1954]. The Horse and His Boy. New York: Macmillan Publishing Company. pp. 169–170. ISBN 0020442009.
  11. ↑ Lewis, C.S. (1970) [1954]. The Horse and His Boy. New York: Macmillan Publishing Company. pp. 180–181. ISBN 0020442009.
  12. ↑ Lewis, C.S. (1970) [1954]. The Horse and His Boy. New York: Macmillan Publishing Company. pp. 181–184. ISBN 0020442009.
  13. ↑ Lewis, C.S. (1970) [1954]. The Horse and His Boy. New York: Macmillan Publishing Company. pp. 210–213. ISBN 0020442009.
  14. ↑ Lewis, Clive Staples (1970) [1951]. Prince Caspian. New York, NY: Macmillan Publishing Company. pp. 171–174. ISBN 0020442408.
  15. ↑ Lewis, Clive Staples (1970) [1951]. Prince Caspian. New York, NY: Macmillan Publishing Company. p. 189. ISBN 0020442408.
  16. ↑ Lewis, C.S. (1970) [1956]. The Last Battle. New York: Macmillan Publishing Company. pp. 115–117. ISBN 0020442106.
  17. ↑ Lewis, C.S. (1970) [1956]. The Last Battle. New York: Macmillan Publishing Company. pp. 132–133. ISBN 0020442106.
  18. ↑ Lewis, C.S. (1970) [1956]. The Last Battle. New York: Macmillan Publishing Company. pp. 153–154. ISBN 0020442106.
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