Trumpkin
Encyclopedia
Trumpkin is a fictional character
in C.S. Lewis' fantasy novel series The Chronicles of Narnia
. Trumpkin is a loyal, but skeptical, dwarf who lives during the reigns of King Miraz and King Caspian X. He is a major character in Prince Caspian
, briefly mentioned in The Voyage of the Dawn Treader
, and is a minor character in The Silver Chair
.
, Prince Caspian. When he enters the story, he is a leader of the "True Narnian" underground, a group hiding from the Telmar
ine King Miraz, whose ancestors had invaded Narnia centuries earlier and defeated the "Old Narnians".
Trumpkin is intensely loyal to the underground king, King Caspian X, but does not believe in Aslan
, white magic, or the "fairy tale" of the two kings and two queens from Narnia's Golden Age.
When the underground's army is being badly beaten in a siege on Aslan's How, Caspian sounds Queen Susan's magical horn, with hope that it will bring magical help. Trumpkin is sent to the ruins of Cair Paravel
to meet any help, should it arrive there. At the ruins he meets ancient kings and queens Peter
, Edmund
, Susan, and Lucy. He journeys with them to Aslan's How, the military base of the underground. There he meets Aslan, and believes in the "fairy tales" from ages past.
After the war, King Caspian names him Lord Regent of Narnia. He is mentioned in The Voyage of the Dawn Treader as the one who is ruling the country during Caspian's voyage. About sixty years after, in The Silver Chair, Trumpkin is an old, deaf dwarf who is again running the country while Caspian is away. Glimfeather the owl
brings Eustace Scrubb
and Jill Pole
to Trumpkin, who gives them lodging in the castle of Cair Paravel
.
Trumpkin is known for using alliterative exclamations such as "Tubs and tortoise-shells!", "Beards and bedsteads!", and "Crows and crockery!"
Fictional character
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
in C.S. Lewis' fantasy novel series The 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...
. Trumpkin is a loyal, but skeptical, dwarf who lives during the reigns of King Miraz and King Caspian X. He is a major character in Prince Caspian
Prince Caspian
Prince Caspian: The Return to Narnia is a novel for children by C. S. Lewis, written in late 1949 and first published in 1951. It is the second-published book in the Chronicles of Narnia series, although in the overall chronological sequence it comes fourth.-Plot summary:While standing on a...
, briefly mentioned in The Voyage of the Dawn Treader
The Voyage of the Dawn Treader
The Voyage of the Dawn Treader is a fantasy novel for children by C. S. Lewis. Written in 1950, it was published in 1952 as the third book of The Chronicles of Narnia...
, and is a minor character in 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...
.
Fictional biography
Trumpkin the dwarf is first introduced in the second published book of The Chronicles of NarniaThe 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...
, Prince Caspian. When he enters the story, he is a leader of the "True Narnian" underground, a group hiding from the Telmar
Telmar
Telmar is a country in the fictional world of Narnia created by the British author C. S. Lewis for his series of books which compose The Chronicles of Narnia. The Telmarines are prominent in the book Prince Caspian, the second book published in the series...
ine King Miraz, whose ancestors had invaded Narnia centuries earlier and defeated the "Old Narnians".
Trumpkin is intensely loyal to the underground king, King Caspian X, but does not believe in 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...
, white magic, or the "fairy tale" of the two kings and two queens from Narnia's Golden Age.
When the underground's army is being badly beaten in a siege on Aslan's How, Caspian sounds Queen Susan's magical horn, with hope that it will bring magical help. Trumpkin is sent to the ruins of Cair Paravel
Cair Paravel
Cair Paravel is the fictional castle where the Kings and Queens of Narnia rule in The Chronicles of Narnia. It is the location of the four thrones of High King Peter the Magnificent, Queen Susan the Gentle, King Edmund the Just, and Queen Lucy The Valiant....
to meet any help, should it arrive there. At the ruins he meets ancient kings and queens 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...
, 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...
, Susan, and Lucy. He journeys with them to Aslan's How, the military base of the underground. There he meets Aslan, and believes in the "fairy tales" from ages past.
After the war, King Caspian names him Lord Regent of Narnia. He is mentioned in The Voyage of the Dawn Treader as the one who is ruling the country during Caspian's voyage. About sixty years after, in The Silver Chair, Trumpkin is an old, deaf dwarf who is again running the country while Caspian is away. Glimfeather the owl
Owl
Owls are a group of birds that belong to the order Strigiformes, constituting 200 bird of prey species. Most are solitary and nocturnal, with some exceptions . Owls hunt mostly small mammals, insects, and other birds, although a few species specialize in hunting fish...
brings Eustace Scrubb
Eustace 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...
to Trumpkin, who gives them lodging in the castle of Cair Paravel
Cair Paravel
Cair Paravel is the fictional castle where the Kings and Queens of Narnia rule in The Chronicles of Narnia. It is the location of the four thrones of High King Peter the Magnificent, Queen Susan the Gentle, King Edmund the Just, and Queen Lucy The Valiant....
.
Trumpkin is known for using alliterative exclamations such as "Tubs and tortoise-shells!", "Beards and bedsteads!", and "Crows and crockery!"
Portrayals
| Actor | Year | Medium |
|---|---|---|
| Big Mick Big Mick (actor) Mick Walter , often referred to by the stage name Big Mick, is a British actor, noted for his dwarfism. He is known for appearing on television comedies, first appearing as Jack Large in Blackadder... |
1989 & 1990 | BBC BBC The 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... television miniseries |
| Richard Griffiths Richard Griffiths Richard Griffiths, OBE is an English actor of stage, film and television. He has received the Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actor, the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Actor in a Play, the Outer Critics Circle Award for Best Featured Actor and a Tony Award for Best Performance by a Leading Actor... |
1994 | BBC Radio BBC Radio BBC Radio is a service of the British Broadcasting Corporation which has operated in the United Kingdom under the terms of a Royal Charter since 1927. For a history of BBC radio prior to 1927 see British Broadcasting Company... broadcast |
| Chris Emmett Chris Emmett Chris Emmett is a British actor and comedian best known for his work in the late 1970s on the BBC Radio 4 comedy The Burkiss Way. He was a regular on various series starring Roy Hudd, including The News Huddlines, The Newly Discovered Casebook of Sherlock Holmes, Huddwinks and Crowned Hudds... |
2000 | Focus on the Family Focus on the Family Focus on the Family is an American evangelical Christian tax-exempt non-profit organization founded in 1977 by psychologist James Dobson, and is based in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Focus on the Family is one of a number of evangelical parachurch organizations that rose to prominence in the 1980s... Radio Theater production |
| Peter Dinklage Peter Dinklage Peter Dinklage is an American film, television and theater actor. Since his breakout role in the 2003 film The Station Agent, he has acted in Elf, Underdog, Find Me Guilty, the 2007 film Death at a Funeral and its 2010 remake, and The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian... |
2008 | Theatrical feature film The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian is a 2008 epic fantasy film based on Prince Caspian, the second published, fourth chronological novel in C. S. Lewis's epic fantasy series, The Chronicles of Narnia. It is the second in The Chronicles of Narnia film series from Walden Media, following The... |