Shasta (Narnia)
Encyclopedia
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. He also appears briefly at the end of The Last Battle
, the seventh and final book in the series.
Born as the eldest son and heir of King Lune of Archenland, and elder twin of Prince Corin, Cor was kidnapped as an infant and raised as a fisherman's son in the country of Calormen
. In The Horse and his Boy, (the events of which all occur during the reign of the four Pevensie
children in Narnia, an era which begins and ends in the last chapter of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
), Shasta escapes to freedom, saves Archenland and Narnia from invasion, learns his true identity, and is restored to his heritage. Shasta's companions on his journey are the talking horses, Bree
, and Hwin
, and the Calormene Tarkheena, Aravis
. Shasta grows up to become King of Archenland, marries Aravis
, and fathers the next (and "most famous") king of Archenland, Ram the Great.
which is a semi-arid land to the south of Narnia
, beyond Archenland and the Great Desert. Shasta believes that Arsheesh is his father until he overhears Arsheesh negotiating to sell him to a Tarkaan (a Calormene nobleman) as a slave. He discovers when he overhears their conversation that Arsheesh actually found him as a baby in a rowboat on the beach. Shasta goes to the stable and starts talking to the Tarkaan's horse there. To his surprise, the horse talks back, warns him that his new master is cruel, and suggests that they escape together to Narnia, a land of freedom, where nearly all the animals talk.
Shasta agrees to escape with the horse, nicknamed Bree
, and they start off that night. Through further adventures, Shasta and Bree encounter another two more fugitives, a Tarkheena named Aravis
and another talking horse, Hwin
. During his travels, Shasta meets an exact look-alike, named Prince Corin of Archenland, for whom he is briefly mistaken when he is encountered by King Edmund.
Shasta and his traveling companions learn that Calormen is planning to attack Archenland as a step to conquering Narnia, and so they set off on a race to warn Archenland. After a grueling journey, a tired and barefoot Shasta successfully warns the Archenlanders. Riding with the Archenlanders, Shasta becomes lost in dense fog, but is guided by the great lion Aslan
through a mountain pass into Narnia, where his warning musters a force of Narnians to come to the aid of their allies. He participates in the battle against the Calormenes (in which Archenland reigns victorious), convinced to do so by Prince Corin.
Shasta then discovers who he really is: Prince Cor of Archenland, elder son of King Lune, heir apparent to the throne, and twin brother to Prince Corin. He learns that there was a prophecy made about him when he was only an infant, that he would save Archenland from a great evil. This prophecy led the enemies of Archenland to kidnap him, and they managed to get him onto their warship at sea. When his father pursued his son's kidnappers, the enemies put the baby prince on a rowboat with a knight. This was the boat in which Arsheesh found him. The knight died, but during an encounter with Aslan himself, Aslan reveals that he intervened and pushed the boat to shore so Shasta could survive. Shasta is welcomed into the royal family and eventually marries Aravis, who comes and lives with them in Anvard (King Lune's castle). Their son, Ram the Great, becomes (we are told) the greatest king of Archenland.
Shasta and Aravis are both mentioned as being in the second Narnia at the end of The Last Battle.
Archenland
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 enemy, Calormen. Its borders are formed by mountains to the north and by the River Winding Arrow to the south...
, is a fictional character in C. S. Lewis
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. He is the principal character in the fifth book published in the series, The Horse and His Boy
The 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 the third book chronologically. He also appears briefly at the end 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...
, the seventh and final book in the series.
Born as the eldest son and heir of King Lune of Archenland, and elder twin of Prince Corin, Cor was kidnapped as an infant and raised as a fisherman's son in the country 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...
. In The Horse and his Boy, (the events of which all occur during the reign of the four Pevensie
Pevensie
Pevensie is the surname of some of the primary characters in some of C.S. Lewis' The Chronicles of Narnia books:*Edmund Pevensie*Lucy Pevensie*Peter Pevensie*Susan Pevensie...
children in Narnia, an era which begins and ends in the last chapter 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'...
), Shasta escapes to freedom, saves Archenland and Narnia from invasion, learns his true identity, and is restored to his heritage. Shasta's companions on his journey are the talking horses, Bree
Bree (Narnia)
Bree is a fictional character in C. S. Lewis's The Chronicles of Narnia. He is one of the title characters, and is featured prominently in the fifth book, The Horse and His Boy, Bree was born as a free talking beast in the Land of Narnia, but was captured as a colt by the Calormenes, and has lived...
, and Hwin
Hwin
Hwin is a fictional character from C. S. Lewis's fantasy series The Chronicles of Narnia. She is prominent in the book The Horse and His Boy...
, and the Calormene Tarkheena, Aravis
Aravis
Aravis is a fictional character in the children's fantasy series The Chronicles of Narnia by C. S. Lewis. She is a main character in The Horse and His Boy.Aravis is a young Tarkheena, a female member of the ruling nobility of Calormen...
. Shasta grows up to become King of Archenland, marries Aravis
Aravis
Aravis is a fictional character in the children's fantasy series The Chronicles of Narnia by C. S. Lewis. She is a main character in The Horse and His Boy.Aravis is a young Tarkheena, a female member of the ruling nobility of Calormen...
, and fathers the next (and "most famous") king of Archenland, Ram the Great.
Biographical Summary
Shasta is raised by a stern fisherman named Arsheesh, who lives on the coast of CalormenCalormen
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...
which is a semi-arid land to the south of Narnia
Narnia (world)
Narnia is a fantasy world created by C. S. Lewis as the primary location for his series of seven fantasy novels for children, The Chronicles of Narnia. The world is so called after the country of Narnia, in which much of the action of the Chronicles takes place.In Narnia, some animals can talk,...
, beyond Archenland and the Great Desert. Shasta believes that Arsheesh is his father until he overhears Arsheesh negotiating to sell him to a Tarkaan (a Calormene nobleman) as a slave. He discovers when he overhears their conversation that Arsheesh actually found him as a baby in a rowboat on the beach. Shasta goes to the stable and starts talking to the Tarkaan's horse there. To his surprise, the horse talks back, warns him that his new master is cruel, and suggests that they escape together to Narnia, a land of freedom, where nearly all the animals talk.
Shasta agrees to escape with the horse, nicknamed Bree
Bree (Narnia)
Bree is a fictional character in C. S. Lewis's The Chronicles of Narnia. He is one of the title characters, and is featured prominently in the fifth book, The Horse and His Boy, Bree was born as a free talking beast in the Land of Narnia, but was captured as a colt by the Calormenes, and has lived...
, and they start off that night. Through further adventures, Shasta and Bree encounter another two more fugitives, a Tarkheena named Aravis
Aravis
Aravis is a fictional character in the children's fantasy series The Chronicles of Narnia by C. S. Lewis. She is a main character in The Horse and His Boy.Aravis is a young Tarkheena, a female member of the ruling nobility of Calormen...
and another talking horse, Hwin
Hwin
Hwin is a fictional character from C. S. Lewis's fantasy series The Chronicles of Narnia. She is prominent in the book The Horse and His Boy...
. During his travels, Shasta meets an exact look-alike, named Prince Corin of Archenland, for whom he is briefly mistaken when he is encountered by King Edmund.
Shasta and his traveling companions learn that Calormen is planning to attack Archenland as a step to conquering Narnia, and so they set off on a race to warn Archenland. After a grueling journey, a tired and barefoot Shasta successfully warns the Archenlanders. Riding with the Archenlanders, Shasta becomes lost in dense fog, but is guided by the great lion 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...
through a mountain pass into Narnia, where his warning musters a force of Narnians to come to the aid of their allies. He participates in the battle against the Calormenes (in which Archenland reigns victorious), convinced to do so by Prince Corin.
Shasta then discovers who he really is: Prince Cor of Archenland, elder son of King Lune, heir apparent to the throne, and twin brother to Prince Corin. He learns that there was a prophecy made about him when he was only an infant, that he would save Archenland from a great evil. This prophecy led the enemies of Archenland to kidnap him, and they managed to get him onto their warship at sea. When his father pursued his son's kidnappers, the enemies put the baby prince on a rowboat with a knight. This was the boat in which Arsheesh found him. The knight died, but during an encounter with Aslan himself, Aslan reveals that he intervened and pushed the boat to shore so Shasta could survive. Shasta is welcomed into the royal family and eventually marries Aravis, who comes and lives with them in Anvard (King Lune's castle). Their son, Ram the Great, becomes (we are told) the greatest king of Archenland.
Shasta and Aravis are both mentioned as being in the second Narnia at the end of The Last Battle.