Rilian
Encyclopedia
In C. S. Lewis
' Chronicles of Narnia
fictional series, Rilian (2325-?) is the son of King Caspian
and the grandson of Ramandu
the star. Rilian appears in two of the seven books, The Silver Chair
and The Last Battle
.
and Jill Pole
arrive in Narnia in The Silver Chair, Prince Rilian has been missing for ten years. After his mother
was bitten and killed by a green serpent, the prince had become obsessed with killing it to avenge his mother; but whilst searching, he encountered the Lady of the Green Kirtle
and was bewitched. As a result he no longer remembers anything from before his imprisonment.
Eustace, Jill and Puddleglum first meet Rilian on the road north, as the silent companion of the Lady of the Green Kirtle, who advises them to visit Harfang. They eventually find the enchanted Rilian again underground in the Shallow Lands, where the Lady of the Green Kirtle rules. Though he is revealed to be the silent black knight who rode with the Lady on the road to Harfang, they do not at first realise that he is the missing prince. He tells the three that he suffers from nightly psychotic episodes and therefore must be bound every night to a silver chair. If he is released, he warns, he will kill everyone within sight, and immediately turn into a deadly green serpent.
Once Rilian is tied to the enchanted chair, he regains his memory and sanity. He orders the companions to untie him and makes increasingly violent threats. Eventually he begs them to release him in the name of Aslan. The children recognise this as the sign: they had promised to obey the request of one who asks in Aslan's name; and so reluctantly they release him. Rilian then reveals his true identity and relates how the Lady had kept him prisoner underground, enchanted by day and only returning to sanity at night. He hacks the silver chair to pieces.
When the Lady returns and fails in her attempt to bewitch the companions, she transforms into a green serpent. Rilian realizes that he has been enslaved for all these years by his mother's murderer. They kill the serpent and return to Narnia, where Rilian meets his father just before the old king dies.
, which follows next chronologically, Rilian had been dead for more than 200 years. Eustace and Jill help his descendant Tirian
, the last king of Narnia. Rilian appears briefly alongside his father and mother at the great reunion at the end of the book.
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...
' Chronicles of Narnia
The Chronicles of Narnia
The Chronicles of Narnia is a series of seven fantasy novels for children by C. S. Lewis. It is considered a classic of children's literature and is the author's best-known work, having sold over 100 million copies in 47 languages...
fictional series, Rilian (2325-?) is the son of King Caspian
Caspian X
Caspian X, King of Narnia, Lord of Cair Paravel and Emperor of The Lone Islands, also called Caspian the Seafarer and Caspian the Navigator, is a fictional character in The Chronicles of Narnia by C. S. Lewis. He is featured in three books in the series: Prince Caspian, The Voyage of the Dawn...
and the grandson of Ramandu
Ramandu
Ramandu is a fictional character in C. S. Lewis's The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, part of the series The Chronicles of Narnia.- About :...
the star. Rilian appears in two of the seven books, The Silver Chair
The Silver Chair
The Silver Chair is part of The Chronicles of Narnia, a series of seven fantasy novels written by C. S. Lewis. It was the fourth book published and is the sixth book chronologically. It is the first book published in the series in which the Pevensie children do not appear. The main characters are...
and 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...
.
In The Silver Chair
When Eustace ScrubbEustace Scrubb
Eustace Clarence Scrubb is a fictional character in C. S. Lewis' Chronicles of Narnia. He appears in The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, The Silver Chair, and The Last Battle. In The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, he is accompanied by Edmund and Lucy Pevensie, his cousins...
and Jill Pole
Jill Pole
Jill Pole is a major character from C. S. Lewis' Chronicles of Narnia series. She appears in The Silver Chair and The Last Battle.-Prior story:Very little is known about Jill's family or her life before she becomes friends with Eustace...
arrive in Narnia in The Silver Chair, Prince Rilian has been missing for ten years. After his mother
Ramandu's Daughter
Ramandu's daughter is a fictional character in C. S. Lewis' The Chronicles of Narnia. She appears principally in The Voyage of the Dawn Treader...
was bitten and killed by a green serpent, the prince had become obsessed with killing it to avenge his mother; but whilst searching, he encountered the Lady of the Green Kirtle
Lady of the Green Kirtle
The Lady of the Green Kirtle, also called Queen of Underland and Queen of the Deep Realm, is the main villain in The Silver Chair by C. S. Lewis. She is sometimes called briefly the Green Lady , and she is known also as the Emerald Witch; neither name, however, appears in Lewis's text...
and was bewitched. As a result he no longer remembers anything from before his imprisonment.
Eustace, Jill and Puddleglum first meet Rilian on the road north, as the silent companion of the Lady of the Green Kirtle, who advises them to visit Harfang. They eventually find the enchanted Rilian again underground in the Shallow Lands, where the Lady of the Green Kirtle rules. Though he is revealed to be the silent black knight who rode with the Lady on the road to Harfang, they do not at first realise that he is the missing prince. He tells the three that he suffers from nightly psychotic episodes and therefore must be bound every night to a silver chair. If he is released, he warns, he will kill everyone within sight, and immediately turn into a deadly green serpent.
Once Rilian is tied to the enchanted chair, he regains his memory and sanity. He orders the companions to untie him and makes increasingly violent threats. Eventually he begs them to release him in the name of Aslan. The children recognise this as the sign: they had promised to obey the request of one who asks in Aslan's name; and so reluctantly they release him. Rilian then reveals his true identity and relates how the Lady had kept him prisoner underground, enchanted by day and only returning to sanity at night. He hacks the silver chair to pieces.
When the Lady returns and fails in her attempt to bewitch the companions, she transforms into a green serpent. Rilian realizes that he has been enslaved for all these years by his mother's murderer. They kill the serpent and return to Narnia, where Rilian meets his father just before the old king dies.
In The Last Battle
At the beginning of The Last BattleThe 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...
, which follows next chronologically, Rilian had been dead for more than 200 years. Eustace and Jill help his descendant Tirian
Tirian
King Tirian is a fictional character from C. S. Lewis's fantasy series The Chronicles of Narnia. He is the protagonist of The Last Battle, in which he is the last King of Narnia, who has to defend his kingdom against subversion and invasion. He is well respected by the Narnians, and a skilled...
, the last king of Narnia. Rilian appears briefly alongside his father and mother at the great reunion at the end of the book.
Portrayals
- In the 1990 television serialThe Chronicles of Narnia (TV miniseries)The Chronicles of Narnia is a BBC-produced television serial that was aired from 13 November 1988 to 23 December 1990 and is based on four books of C. S. Lewis's The Chronicles of Narnia series...
produced by the BBCBBCThe British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
, The Silver Chair, Prince Rilian was played by Richard HendersRichard HendersRichard Henders is a British actor.He is best known for his portrayal as Prince Rilian in the 1990 BBC adaptation of The Silver Chair. He has also appeared in dramas such as Pie in the Sky, Foyle's War and The Inspector Lynley Mysteries Henders played the role of Merry in the 2006 musical...
. Since he is shown in a flashback early in the story when the owls tell Eustace and Jill his story, he appears wearing a silver mask when the children encounter him underground, in order to conceal his identity from the viewer. His excuse for wearing the mask is that the Green Lady told him he was enchanted to look hideous and must hide his "ugly" face with a mask. After he regains his sanity, he takes off the mask to reveal his identity.