Archenland
Encyclopedia
In C. S. Lewis
's fantasy novels the Chronicles of Narnia, Archenland is a nation to the south of Narnia, and to the north of both nations' occasional (and final) enemy, Calormen
. Its borders are formed by mountains to the north and by the River Winding Arrow to the south. Its capital appears to be the castle located below the Anvard pass, which allows passage to Narnia.
is the moatless castle where King Lune of Archenland resides. It is made of red-brown stones and sits on a green lawn in front of a high woody ridge. In The Horse and His Boy, the wicked Prince Rabadash
led a force of two hundred horsemen in a siege against its occupants but was defeated by King Edmund
. Castle Anvard would stay the home of the kings and queens of Archenland long after the reign of King Lune thanks to King Edmund.
, which is set fourteen Narnian years after the main events of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
, during the reign of High King Peter
and his siblings (and one year before the end of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe), Archenland is allied with Narnia, and is inhabited by humans. Narnia by contrast is at that time populated almost entirely by talking animals. Prince Rabadash
of Calormen
unsuccessfully attempts to conquer this land as the prelude to a planned invasion of Narnia.
It is said in The Magician's Nephew
that the second son of King Frank
, the first king of Narnia, became the first king of Archenland; Aslan
himself had decreed Archenland's existence to Frank before he took the throne. However, in Lewis's Narnian timeline, King Col of Archenland is said to be the son of King Frank V of Narnia, and he settles Archenland 180 years after Narnia's creation. Unlike Narnia, Archenland keeps its line of rulers unbroken at least as late as the time of The Horse and His Boy, and the main character of The Horse and His Boy, Shasta
, is of this line. Archenland still exists at the time of The Last Battle
.
C. S. Lewis
Clive Staples Lewis , commonly referred to as C. S. Lewis and known to his friends and family as "Jack", was a novelist, academic, medievalist, literary critic, essayist, lay theologian and Christian apologist from Belfast, Ireland...
's fantasy novels the Chronicles of Narnia, Archenland is a nation to the south of Narnia, and to the north of both nations' occasional (and final) enemy, Calormen
Calormen
In C. S. Lewis's Chronicles of Narnia series of novels, Calormen is a large country to the southeast of Narnia. Lewis derived its name from the Latin calor, meaning "heat". When used as an adjective Lewis spelled the name with an 'e' at the end . Narnia and Calormen are separated by a large desert...
. Its borders are formed by mountains to the north and by the River Winding Arrow to the south. Its capital appears to be the castle located below the Anvard pass, which allows passage to Narnia.
Geography
Archenland is described as a hilly nation constituting largely open parkland, with many different species of trees, but the trees are not spaced close enough together to form forests. Despite a large desert being situated immediately to the south, Archenland does not have an arid climate. The mountain range to the north which divides Archenland from Narnia includes Stormness Head and the double-peaked Mount Pire.Castle Anvard
AnvardAnvard
Anvard the moatless castle is where King Lune of Archenland resides. It is made of red-brown stones and sits on a green lawn in front of a high woody ridge...
is the moatless castle where King Lune of Archenland resides. It is made of red-brown stones and sits on a green lawn in front of a high woody ridge. In The Horse and His Boy, the wicked Prince Rabadash
Prince Rabadash
Prince Rabadash is a human character and the main antagonist in C. S. Lewis's fantasy novel The Horse and His Boy. Rabadash is the heir to the throne of Calormen, being the eldest son of the Tisroc...
led a force of two hundred horsemen in a siege against its occupants but was defeated by King Edmund
Edmund Pevensie
Edmund "Ed" Pevensie is a major fictional character in C. S. Lewis's Chronicles of Narnia. He is a principal character in three of the seven books , and a lesser character in two others .In the live-action films, The...
. Castle Anvard would stay the home of the kings and queens of Archenland long after the reign of King Lune thanks to King Edmund.
History
In The Horse and His BoyThe Horse and His Boy
The Horse and His Boy is a novel by C. S. Lewis. It was published in 1954, making it the fifth of seven books published in Lewis' series The Chronicles of Narnia. The books in this series are sometimes ordered chronologically in relation to the events in the books as opposed to the dates of their...
, which is set fourteen Narnian years after the main events of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe is a fantasy novel for children by C. S. Lewis. Published in 1950 and set circa 1940, it is the first-published book of The Chronicles of Narnia and is the best known book of the series. Although it was written and published first, it is second in the series'...
, during the reign of High King Peter
Peter Pevensie
Peter Pevensie is a major fictional character in the children's fantasy series The Chronicles of Narnia by C. S. Lewis. Peter appears in four of the seven books; as a child and a principal character in The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe and Prince Caspian, and as an adult in The Horse and His Boy...
and his siblings (and one year before the end of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe), Archenland is allied with Narnia, and is inhabited by humans. Narnia by contrast is at that time populated almost entirely by talking animals. Prince Rabadash
Prince Rabadash
Prince Rabadash is a human character and the main antagonist in C. S. Lewis's fantasy novel The Horse and His Boy. Rabadash is the heir to the throne of Calormen, being the eldest son of the Tisroc...
of Calormen
Calormen
In C. S. Lewis's Chronicles of Narnia series of novels, Calormen is a large country to the southeast of Narnia. Lewis derived its name from the Latin calor, meaning "heat". When used as an adjective Lewis spelled the name with an 'e' at the end . Narnia and Calormen are separated by a large desert...
unsuccessfully attempts to conquer this land as the prelude to a planned invasion of Narnia.
It is said in The Magician's Nephew
The Magician's Nephew
The Magician's Nephew is a fantasy novel for children written by C. S. Lewis. It was the sixth book published in his The Chronicles of Narnia series, but is the first in the chronology of the Narnia novels' fictional universe. Thus it is an early example of a prequel.The novel is initially set in...
that the second son of King Frank
King Frank
King Frank and Queen Helen also known as the "Cabby" and "Nellie" were the first rulers of Narnia in the Chronicles of Narnia. The Chronicles say little of their history, except that Frank and Helen were both country folk, and lived in London only from economic necessity...
, the first king of Narnia, became the first king of Archenland; Aslan
Aslan
Aslan, the "Great Lion," is the central character in The Chronicles of Narnia, a series of seven fantasy novels for children written by C. S. Lewis. He is the eponymous lion of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, and his role in Narnia is developed throughout the remaining books...
himself had decreed Archenland's existence to Frank before he took the throne. However, in Lewis's Narnian timeline, King Col of Archenland is said to be the son of King Frank V of Narnia, and he settles Archenland 180 years after Narnia's creation. Unlike Narnia, Archenland keeps its line of rulers unbroken at least as late as the time of The Horse and His Boy, and the main character of The Horse and His Boy, Shasta
Shasta (Narnia)
Shasta, later known as Cor of Archenland, is a fictional character in C. S. Lewis' Chronicles of Narnia. He is the principal character in the fifth book published in the series, The Horse and His Boy, which is the third book chronologically...
, is of this line. Archenland still exists at the time of The Last Battle
The Last Battle
The Last Battle is the seventh and final novel in The Chronicles of Narnia series by C. S. Lewis. It won the prestigious Carnegie Medal in Literature in 1956.-Plot summary:In The Last Battle, Lewis brings The Chronicles of Narnia to an end...
.
Kings
The following are known Kings of Archenland; it can be assumed that there were other kings and queens since Archenland history spans 2,335 years.- King Col (son of King Frank V of Narnia), fl. 180
- The warrior Fair Olvin (fl. 407) is sometimes listed as a King of Archenland, but this is not stated by Lewis.
- King Lune, fl. 1014
- King CorShasta (Narnia)Shasta, later known as Cor of Archenland, is a fictional character in C. S. Lewis' Chronicles of Narnia. He is the principal character in the fifth book published in the series, The Horse and His Boy, which is the third book chronologically...
, son of Lune, married to Aravis of Calormen, d. c.1050 - King Ram the Great, son of Cor and Aravis, reigned from 1050
- King Nain, fl. 2303