Was Mr Tumnus thick?

[Narnian_Badger]

Hm. Well I have to admit, I'd never really thought of this as anything more than a fun joke, but I suppose you all have a point. However--and perhaps this is an unusual opinion--I've always thought that yes, Tumnus is a bit thick. I'm not really sure why I've thought as much, but perhaps it's a result of this dialogue... ahem. Either way, it is easy to misunderstand things when they're going in a direction one doesn't expect. Tumnus was expecting Lucy to tell where she came from, and therefore that was what he heard. Lady Rosalia's point about different accents and phrases is worth a thought, too--most Americans don't know what brollies are anymore than an Englishman might know the word busboy, despite speaking roughly the same language.

Also, in his defense, a city called War Drobe (or even Wardrobe) isn't that unbelievable. After all, we have Bacon, Indiana or Tombstone, Arizona.

[Varnafinde]

To me it seems that Tumnus was unfamiliar with those words - or at least that he didn't expect to hear them in this connection. He listens for geographical names and tries to interpret them as such, but doesn't hear names he knows (and due to the long winter, there might not have much contact with nearby countries for a few decades).

So he makes his own new names from the sounds that he hears.

[wild rose]

Maybe wardrobes didn't exist in Narnia, I don't know, it would be kinda strange in a way, but then, perhaps they had cupboards in Narnia, but no wardrobes, so Tumnus was unfamiliar with the term, or maybe they called them differently, I don't know, but it's just a thought

Also, in his defense, a city called War Drobe (or even Wardrobe) isn't that unbelievable. After all, we have Bacon, Indiana or Tombstone, Arizona.

good point NB, perhaps Tumnus thought that Lucy was telling him the name of her city and country. One has to admit that some cities/towns/villages can have strange names. Recently when I was traveling by car with my family going to another city, we passed plenty of towns with unbelievably funny names. Maybe it didn't cross Tumnus' mind that she was talking about a piece of furniture

To me it seems that Tumnus was unfamiliar with those words - or at least that he didn't expect to hear them in this connection. He listens for geographical names and tries to interpret them as such, but doesn't hear names he knows (and due to the long winter, there might not have much contact with nearby countries for a few decades).

another good point Varnafinde since he asked her where she was from and she repiles with Wardrobe and Spare Room he tries to put that as some sort of geographical place

[Narnian_Badger]

Maybe wardrobes didn't exist in Narnia, I don't know, it would be kinda strange in a way, but then, perhaps they had cupboards in Narnia, but no wardrobes, so Tumnus was unfamiliar with the term, or maybe they called them differently, I don't know, but it's just a thought

Oh. I think you just solved the problem, wild. Think about it--there haven't been humans in Narnia for over a hundred years, and the Narnians wouldn't have had contact with the humans in Archenland. That means the only beings left in Narnia would be animals and creatures like fauns and centaurs. As such, besides the odd scarf or two, they don't wear clothes. With the possible exception of The White Witch, absolutely no one in Narnia would have need of a Wardrobe. And, seeing as how I doubt Tumnus would be invited to see the Witch's closet, he might never even have heard of a Wardrobe.

[Ithilwen]

Think about it--there haven't been humans in Narnia for over a hundred years, and the Narnians wouldn't have had contact with the humans in Archenland. That means the only beings left in Narnia would be animals and creatures like fauns and centaurs. As such, besides the odd scarf or two, they don't wear clothes.

Hmm... I'm not too sure about that. What about dwarves? I think dwarves wear clothes...


~Riella

[Narnian_Badger]

...Ah. Forgot about the dwarfs. Still, the dwarfs never struck me as wardrobe and bureau furniture types. More of a basic dresser drawer, if that. I seem to recall that most of the dwarfs either worked for Jadis or were enslaved by her, right? If that were the case, I doubt they'd have much furniture either way...

[Ithilwen]

...Ah. Forgot about the dwarfs. Still, the dwarfs never struck me as wardrobe and bureau furniture types. More of a basic dresser drawer, if that.

True. Plus, weren't their clothes mostly made up of armor? So they would be more likely to have an... armory or something.


~Riella

[Narnian_Badger]

Mining, carpentry, and... forging, I guess would be the word, are their main trades. And the Last Battle says they're good at archery (take from that what you will). So I wouldn't say that their clothes would have to be armour, but more basic tunics, leather jerkins, etc.