Calormen

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In C. S. Lewis's Chronicles of Narnia series of novels, Calormen (pron. "CAH-lor-men" [ˈkaːlɔ(r)ˌmen]) is a large country to the south and east 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 (e.g. a Calormene (pron. "CAH-lor-meen" [ˈkaːlɔ(r)ˌmiːn]) soldier). Narnia and Calormen are separated by a large desert and the country of Archenland. In The Horse and His Boy Calormen is described as being many times the size of its northern neighbours, and it is implied that its army is always either conquering more land or keeping down rebellions, in wars with which neither Narnia or Archenland are involved. The border of the Calormene Empire extends from the Western Mountains to the Great Eastern Ocean. The Calormene capital city is Tashbaan, a vast walled metropolis near the northern desert separating Calormen from its northern neighbors, located near the mouth of the Calormen River.

The origins of Calormen and the Calormenes are not made clear during the Chronicles (unlike the human inhabitants of Narnia who are identified as the descendents of pirates or outlaws from our world). According to the Narnian timeline published by Walter Hooper, Calormen was founded by Archenlander outlaws, who traveled over the Great Desert to the south some 24 years after Archenland's founding; however, some have disputed the authenticity of that timeline. The Calormenes speak a flowery version of the standard English favoured by both human and animal Narnians, which might support this argument; however, it should be noted that Jadis also speaks English. The reason for the ancient Persian or Mughal aspects of Carlomene culture, or the origin of their religion, has not been satisfactorily explained; this might be seen as supporting an argument that Calormen was founded, at least partially, by an independent group of travelers from Earth.

Throughout the times covered by the Chronicles of Narnia, Calormen and Narnia maintain an uneasy, albeit generally peaceable, coexistence. The Horse and His Boy and The Last Battle contain plot lines that focus on Calormen, while some of the other books have peripheral references. In The Horse and His Boy the main characters (one a young member of the Calormene nobility) escape from Calormen to Archenland and Narnia whilst the Calormene cavalry under Prince Rabadash attempts to invade Narnia and capture the Narnian Queen Susan for his bride. The rather small (200 horse) Carlomene invasion force is rebuffed at the gates of the Kingdom of Archenland. In The Last Battle, some level of trade and travel exist between Narnia and Calormen, and a successful invasion by the Calormene military precipitates the end of the Narnian universe.

Calormenes are described as dark-skinned, with the men mostly bearded. Flowing robes, turbans and wooden shoes with an upturned point at the toe are common items of clothing, and the preferred weapon is the scimitar. Lavish palaces are present in the Calormene capital Tashbaan. The overall leitmotif of Calormene culture is portrayed as ornate to the point of ostentation. The people of Calormen are concerned with maintaining honour and precedent, often speaking in maxims and quoting their ancient poets. Veneration of elders and absolute deference to power are marks of Calormene society. Power and wealth determine class and social standing, and slavery is commonplace. Narnians hold Calormenes in disdain for their treatment of animals and slaves.

The ruler of Calormen is called the Tisroc and is believed by the Calormene people to have descended in a direct line from the god Tash, whom the people worship in addition to other gods and goddesses. The Calormenes express a conventional desire for the current Tisroc to be immortal. Below the Tisroc are his sons (princes), a Grand Vizier, and the nobled class, who are addressed as Tarkaans and Tarkheenas. Beneath them are soldiers of the empire's vast army, merchants, and the peasantry, with slaves being the lowest rung on the social ladder. The Calormene leaders are portrayed as quite war-like, and the Tisrocs all seem to have a wish to conquer the "barbarian" lands to their north.

[edit] Calormene Poetry

The poetry of Calormen is prolix, sententious, and moralizing, "full of choice apophthegms and useful maxims". It includes such pithy sentiments as the following, which doubtless lose something in the translation:

Application to business

is the root of prosperity

but those who ask questions

that do not concern them

are steering the ship of folly

towards the rock of indigence.

Natural affection is stronger than soup

and offspring more precious than carbuncles.

He who attempts to deceive the judicious

is already baring his back for the scourge.

Swords can be kept off with shields

but the Eye of Wisdom pierces through every defence.

Deep draughts from the fountain of reason are desirable

in order to extinguish the fire of youthful love.

Interestingly Calormenes disparage Narnian poetry, contending that it is all about things like love and war and not about useful maxims; however, when the Calormen-raised Shasta and Aravis first hear Narnian (or Archenlandish) poetry, they find it much more exciting. It should also be noted that Calormen does prize the art of story-telling, which, according to Lewis, was taught to the nobility in school.

[edit] Commentary

Calormene culture, as portrayed by C.S. Lewis in The Horse and His Boy (the only book in the Chronicles set partially in Calormen), is an amalgam of Ottoman Turk, Persian, and Indian culture and civilization, styled somewhat in the manner of the mediæval Arabian Nights (which supposedly, Lewis read as a child and didn't like). The Calormene style of speech is akin to that of the people in the ancient epic Shahnama by the poet Ferdowsi, and anonymous Calormene poets are quoted whose moralizing style resembles that of the Persian poet Saadi. The Narnians (and Lewis) are not above mocking the dichotomy between the words and the sentiments behind them. That the Calormenes are portrayed so negatively, when their civilization is so similar (excluding religious matters) to the cultures of the Middle East, has been taken by many to be racism on the part of Lewis. Thus, the Calormene story arc represents one of the most controversial aspects of the Chronicles.

The overall presentation suggests an ancient and proud civilization, noble in its own way, but antithetical to the values and precepts of Narnia. Narnians wear light clothes with bright colors, they are relaxed and open whereas the Calormenes are "grave and mysterious." Lewis portrays only a few main character Calormenes in a favorable light, such as Aravis, who flees to Archenland, and (at the end of the series) a devout young soldier named Emeth, whom Aslan reveals has served him in deed if not in name all his life.

The Calormene god Tash is presented as a monstrous demon of a most terrible aspect, inspiring fear and loathing among the Narnians and, in his physical incarnation, even amongst the Calormenes. The polytheistic Calormene religion represent the notion of the "pagan" religions in general, as opposed to the Christianity represented by Aslan (who Calormenes believe to be a demon). It should be noted that in a number of his books (such as Mere Christianity), Lewis referred to Islam as a "Christian heresy", rather than describing it as pagan or polytheistic (in the way that Calormen is). Presumably, if Lewis had meant the Calormen religion to be analogous to Islam, he would have depicted them worshipping a debased or confused understanding of Aslan, rather than worshipping an entirely separate, demonic entity.

Many of the details of Calormene life are borrowed from E. Nesbit's portrayal of ancient Babylon in her time-travel story The Story of the Amulet. Tash in particular resembles a deity whom Nesbit calls Nisroch, a name whose resemblance to Tisroc may not be coincidental.

Through the Calormenes, Lewis illustrates the flaws of materialism and an obsession with philosophy at the expense of the simple beauty of life and faith, while contrasting the willing service of Narnians to the will of Aslan to the society of Calormen, often held in place by slavery and threat of force.

A further point of interest lies in Lewis's portrayal of Calormene faith (and in what stead it will stand the believer at the End-Times), which serves to underscore the complex theology of the author of Mere Christianity. It is the story of the soldier Emeth, from The Last Battle. Emeth is pure of heart (even though he has worshipped the “false” god Tash), and Aslan appears before him and speaks to him as the kingdom of Narnia comes to its end, saying “Therefore, if any man swear by Tash and keeps his oath for the oath’s sake, it is by me that he has truly sworn, though he know it not, and it is I who reward him.” Emeth replies, “Yet I have been seeking Tash all of my days.” “Beloved,” Aslan replied, “unless thy desire had been for me thou wouldst not have sought so long and so truly. For all find what they truly seek.” The message here is taken by some to mean as follows: salvation derives from the sincerity of the believer, and their innate sense of moral righteousness, not from the details of the belief structure. Some argue that by this, Lewis does not contradict basic Christian theology (salvation through Christ), but suggests that Christ saves the faithful, regardless of the specifics of their faith orientation. Thus, to Lewis, Christ saves all those who are truly faithful and righteous; this is, in their view, not to be taken as an endorsement by Lewis of universal salvation, a rather different matter. Others, however, question whether it is such a different matter at all, since a distinction between unbelievers who are saved by their own natural virtue and others who are lost for lack of it would necessarily involve a denial of the necessity of grace, and imply an innate moral capacity which traditional Christianity denies fallen human nature. It would be hard, in that case, to find a role for Christ in their salvation at all.

[edit] External links

• NarniaPoetry An article on the poetry of Calormen