Mr. Tumnus

Mr. Tumnus

Lesserwell-documentedNarnian fiction (C. S. Lewis)Narnia (fictional)
Origin

In-universe, Mr. Tumnus is an established faun living near the lamp-post in the woods of Narnia. During the White Witch's reign he is subject to her decrees and lives as a social, civic creature within Narnia's ordered society: he entertains guests in his cave, is susceptible to arrest by the Witch's agents for fraternizing with humans, can be petrified by the Witch's magic, and is later restored when Aslan returns. Authorial/originary note: C. S. Lewis described the initial image that inspired the story as a faun carrying an umbrella and parcels through a snowy wood; this is the out-of-universe origin of the character's conception as recorded in the sources.

Appearance

Lewis's text describes Tumnus as a half-human, half-goat figure with reddish skin, curly hair, brown eyes, a short pointed beard, horns on his forehead, cloven hooves, goat legs with glossy black hair, a tail, and as only a little taller than Lucy. He is first seen carrying an umbrella and parcels. Adaptations (film/TV) vary in coloration and small features (for example, the 2005 film depicts a shorter, stubbly tail and different coloration), but these are explicitly presented in the sources as variant portrayals of the core textual description.

Abilities

Tumnus speaks, plays a flute, entertains and shelters guests in his cave, and shows complex moral agency: he confesses to Lucy that he is under order from the White Witch to hand over humans but cannot bring himself to do so and guides Lucy back to the lamp-post. He can be arrested (by Maugrim, the Witch's chief agent) and charged with high treason for harbouring humans, can be petrified by the White Witch's magic, and is later restored by Aslan. The sources do not attribute any individual magical powers to him beyond the capacities documented above and his status as an anthropomorphic Narnian creature.

Weaknesses & Wards

Weaknesses

  • condition
    Subject to the White Witch's law and magic (vulnerable to arrest and petrifaction)

Wards

None recorded.

Entity Network
FFaunPPuckMTMr. Tumnus
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Sources
  1. [1]
    Mr. Tumnus - Wikipedia. Wikipedia article 'Mr. Tumnus' (accessed as provided in research notes)wiki
  2. [2]
    The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe - Project Gutenberg Canada text. C. S. Lewis, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (Project Gutenberg Canada text as cited in research notes)literary
  3. [3]
    The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (1988 TV serial) - Wikipedia. Wikipedia entry on 1988 TV serial adaptation (noting media portrayals cited in research notes)wiki
  4. [4]
    Mr Tumnus Plays Piano | ruk.ca. Adaptation/derivative references to musical portrayals of Mr. Tumnus as cited in the research notesother
well-documented