Tisroc
Encyclopedia
In C. S. Lewis's
Chronicles of Narnia, a Tisroc is a ruler of Calormen
. His position is most like that of a Pharaoh
, in that he is an absolute monarch
, and is believed to be descended from the Calormen god Tash
. Whenever a Calormen citizen speaks of the Tisroc, he adds "may he live for ever," and it is considered blasphemy not to say this. For example, in The Horse and His Boy
, Aravis
says, "Now this Ahoshta is of base birth, though in these later years he has won the favor of the Tisroc (may he live for ever) by flattery and evil counsels..." Enemies of the Tisroc take pleasure in not saying this, however, especially while in his domain. Bree
, the talking horse, says, "Why should I say 'may he live for ever'? I don't want him to live forever, and I know he won't whether I say it or not."
Lewis made up a name for the ruler and nobility of Calormen while still referring to the Tisroc's son Rabadash as a prince
. Since elsewhere the sons of Tisrocs are styled Tarkaan (lord), the title "Prince" would appear to be reserved for the heir apparent
. A female counterpart for the Tisroc is never mentioned. It is implied that the Tisroc has many wives.
Other titles for nobility of Calormen are Tarkaan and Tarkheena. A Tarkaan is supposed to be related to the Tisroc and seem to have authority over provinces in Calormen. Tarkheenas are either wives or daughters of Tarkaans.
The practice of saying "may he live forever" after the Tisroc's name is borrowed from Edith Nesbit's description of Babylonian customs in her time-travel story The Story of the Amulet
. It possibly stems from the Aramaic formula "King, live forever" (malkâ, lʻâlmîn heyî) found in the Biblical book of Daniel
.
The word Tisroc may owe something to Nisroch
, the name given in the Bible to a deity of Assyria
, who also appears as a demon in Paradise Lost
.
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, a Tisroc is a ruler 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...
. His position is most like that of a Pharaoh
Pharaoh
Pharaoh is a title used in many modern discussions of the ancient Egyptian rulers of all periods. The title originates in the term "pr-aa" which means "great house" and describes the royal palace...
, in that he is an absolute monarch
Monarch
A monarch is the person who heads a monarchy. This is a form of government in which a state or polity is ruled or controlled by an individual who typically inherits the throne by birth and occasionally rules for life or until abdication...
, and is believed to be descended from the Calormen god Tash
Tash (Narnia)
Tash is a fictional character found in C. S. Lewis' Chronicles of Narnia series. He is an antagonist in the novels The Horse and His Boy and The Last Battle....
. Whenever a Calormen citizen speaks of the Tisroc, he adds "may he live for ever," and it is considered blasphemy not to say this. For example, in 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...
, 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...
says, "Now this Ahoshta is of base birth, though in these later years he has won the favor of the Tisroc (may he live for ever) by flattery and evil counsels..." Enemies of the Tisroc take pleasure in not saying this, however, especially while in his domain. 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...
, the talking horse, says, "Why should I say 'may he live for ever'? I don't want him to live forever, and I know he won't whether I say it or not."
Lewis made up a name for the ruler and nobility of Calormen while still referring to the Tisroc's son Rabadash as a prince
Prince
Prince is a general term for a ruler, monarch or member of a monarch's or former monarch's family, and is a hereditary title in the nobility of some European states. The feminine equivalent is a princess...
. Since elsewhere the sons of Tisrocs are styled Tarkaan (lord), the title "Prince" would appear to be reserved for the heir apparent
Heir apparent
An heir apparent or heiress apparent is a person who is first in line of succession and cannot be displaced from inheriting, except by a change in the rules of succession....
. A female counterpart for the Tisroc is never mentioned. It is implied that the Tisroc has many wives.
Other titles for nobility of Calormen are Tarkaan and Tarkheena. A Tarkaan is supposed to be related to the Tisroc and seem to have authority over provinces in Calormen. Tarkheenas are either wives or daughters of Tarkaans.
The practice of saying "may he live forever" after the Tisroc's name is borrowed from Edith Nesbit's description of Babylonian customs in her time-travel story The Story of the Amulet
The Story of the Amulet
The Story of the Amulet is a novel for children, written in 1906 by English author Edith Nesbit.It is the final part of a trilogy of novels that also includes Five Children and It and The Phoenix and the Carpet . In it the children re-encounter the Psammead—the "it" in Five Children and It...
. It possibly stems from the Aramaic formula "King, live forever" (malkâ, lʻâlmîn heyî) found in the Biblical book of Daniel
Book of Daniel
The Book of Daniel is a book in the Hebrew Bible. The book tells of how Daniel, and his Judean companions, were inducted into Babylon during Jewish exile, and how their positions elevated in the court of Nebuchadnezzar. The court tales span events that occur during the reigns of Nebuchadnezzar,...
.
The word Tisroc may owe something to Nisroch
Nisroch
Nisroch is the Assyrian god of agriculture, in whose temple Sennacherib was worshipping when he was assassinated . Josephus calls him Dagon....
, the name given in the Bible to a deity of Assyria
Assyria
Assyria was a Semitic Akkadian kingdom, extant as a nation state from the mid–23rd century BC to 608 BC centred on the Upper Tigris river, in northern Mesopotamia , that came to rule regional empires a number of times through history. It was named for its original capital, the ancient city of Assur...
, who also appears as a demon in Paradise Lost
Paradise Lost
Paradise Lost is an epic poem in blank verse by the 17th-century English poet John Milton. It was originally published in 1667 in ten books, with a total of over ten thousand individual lines of verse...
.
Known Tisrocs
- Ardeeb Tisroc (late 800s to c.900?- early to mid 900s?) born 9th century
- Ilsombreh Tisroc (c.900s) born late 9th century?
- Name Unknown (likely Rabadash's grandfather) (mid to late 900s- c.1000) born early 10th century
- "The Tisroc" (Rabadash's father) (c.1000- c.1030?) born c. 940s to 960s
- Rabadash the RidiculousPrince RabadashPrince 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...
rule uncertain (after c.1030?) born c.990- c.995