If Evil King Miraz™ wants to stamp out all recollection and stories of "Old Narnia", why would he replace Caspian's nurse with Dr. Cornelius? I imagine he wasn't aware of Dr. Cornelius' heritage (he wasn't an ape, by the way, he was half-dwarf ), but it would have been so much easier just to give one of his Evil Cronies™ the job, thus ensuring that Caspian's head be full of lies. What a st-oo-pid, evil king!

How many evil croonies would like to babysit a small child? How many would be educated enough to trust with raising a prince according to court manners? Wouldn't they all be out hunting, killing or bothering people, and so on, instead of talking to a small boy? I mean, Miraz himself doesn't care much about caspian, and since caspian isn't his type of boy - the strong, hunting type, not the silent dreamer type - and miraz is hoping for his own son, why should he care what happens to caspian? Caspian is just a last resort, if miraz doesn't succeed producing his own offspring, so the throne stays at least in the family.

Plus, as the manipulation by his adivisors later in the story shows, Miraz isn't exactly the brightest Dryad in the forrest, if you know what I mean... :-)

I don't know if this is better for the movie or book but how does rulership work in this world? I thought Narnia and Talor(?) were two different countries, and if they are why would Caspin be King of both? Also, aren't the Telmarines part of the kingdom of Calor, if I have the phrases right? When Aslan sent some of them back to where they came from wasn't that an island on Earth?

Telmar is a separate country- or was- to the west of Narnia. It originated from the pirates from 'our' world and rose at an unknown time. Blight struck Telmar and they moved east into Narnia, conquering it. Thus Narnia was peopled by Telmar, and all Telmarines lived in Narnia- therefore, whomever ruled as head of the Telmarines also ruled Narnia, and vice-versa. The Telmarines had become the 'new Narnians' whereas the original, conquered inhabitants had become the 'old Narnians'- Caspian, as successor to the King (Caspian the ninth) to the Telmarine throne, and acknowledged king (apppointed by Aslan) of Narnia, merged the two under one role, integrating them all as Narnians- just as they had already shared the same homeland.

The Calormens are a different, Arabian-influenced land to the south. They are ruled by a Tisroc, not a king. Their origin is not specified.

In essence, you have, geographically (please forgive the poorly formatted map):

--------------Northern Lands---------------------
Telmar--------Narnia----------Eastern Sea/Islands
--------------Archenland-------------------------
--------------Calormen---------------------------

Narnia, as our 'center'- peopled by Aslan's creations, ruled intermittently by humans kings from our worlds.

Telmar and the Western Mountains to the west, as well as, presumeably, the garden where Digory got the apple in MN.

To the north is peopled by Giants, native to the Narian world.

To the east has been colonized but largely has only native Narnian inhabitants.

To the south is Archenland, a Narnian ally, peopled by the descendants of King Frank and Queen Helen, first rulers of Narnia (humans from our world.)

Further south is Calormen, also peopled by humans. (Origin unknown to the best of my knowledge.) Sons of Adam and Daughters of Eve certainly grew more numerous- from four to whole nations- as the series progressed.


And yes, Aslan did send the volunteer Telmarines back to the Island on Earth, now unpeopled, as the original pirates there had killed each other off.

Thanks Zarm, that was very specific. Obviously I haven't read all the books but I have been doing a little research on Narnia of late and already answered a lot of the questions I had, just not those. Also, do you have any more info on King Frank and Queen Helen? I've not heard of them.

P.S. your map is easy to understand

For King Frank & Queen Helen, read The Magician's Nephew.

Ok Never mind, Frank was the cab driver that was taken into "The Wood Between the Worlds" by accident with the magic rings of Digory and Polly when trying to get Jadis out of Earth. When his horse drank from a random pool it lead them into Narnia as it was being formed by Aslan. He was made into the first King of Narnia when he brought his wife Helen there. Their decendents became the first rulers of Narnia, and it is said that Frank's second son became king of Archenland.

Yeah, this was the first novel to have humans living in Narnia, descended from a group that came from Earth.