How old is Prince Caspian?

[MTMFan]

How old is Prince Caspian supposed to be in this book? (I'm still reading it, so if it's mentioned later in the book, forgive me.) But when Caspian set out on his adventure in the woods, it says he took wine with him. Now, I know Narnia probably doesn't have a legal drinking age, but it still made me wonder. I had always imagined him to be pretty young, about the same age as the Pevensie kids at this point, and they're not old enough to drink! So does anybody have an idea on this?

Kristen

[Corin Thunder-Fist]

How old is Prince Caspian supposed to be in this book? (I'm still reading it, so if it's mentioned later in the book, forgive me.) But when Caspian set out on his adventure in the woods, it says he took wine with him. Now, I know Narnia probably doesn't have a legal drinking age, but it still made me wonder. I had always imagined him to be pretty young, about the same age as the Pevensie kids at this point, and they're not old enough to drink! So does anybody have an idea on this?

Kristen


In the following book (Dawn Treader), he's described as looking "slightly" older than Edmund by Lucy. That book takes place 3 Narnian years after Caspian's coronation (at the end of Prince Caspian).

Basically, in PC he's either Edmund's age or a little younger. I would subscribe to the idea of him being younger than Edmund. As you'll find out later in that book, Miraz's lords seem impressed with the lordliness of Edmund. I don't think they would've pointed that out had he not been older than Caspian whom they seemed to regard as a "boy".

I can't give you an age, only estimate his age when compared to the children. I would say he's a little younger than Edmund in PC, maybe even Lucy's age.

[DeplorableWord]

Also, wine in those days was considered kind of like water; they didn't have friges like we do know to keep things fresh. Things would go bad too quickly, like milk, etc. People probably got bored of only drinking water all the time, so another alternative was wine.

Even the Pevensie kids had wine, at least when they were in Narnia.

[truenarnian7]

well sence he was growing up with the tuter and it said a few years later so i think he was probibly 13 or 14 at that time but remember he was royalty so he was probibly drinking wine like when he was 10! :)

[Aslan's Beloved Daughter]

Wow, that's so interesting. LOL, I wonder if he ever got drunk!

[MTMFan]

Thanks for the replies. I figured he was around Peter's age. As for the wine, I know I'm thinking of it from my modern POV, but it still made me think. Even in Narnia, I assumed they'd know better than to give alcohol to children, lol.

Kristen

[LadyAnneH]

I can offer some insight on the wine thing. Until fairly recent history water wasn't considered all that safe. (It wasn't treated and carried waterborn parasites and such). So people would often drink beer/ale and wine instead because the process to make it killed most of the nasty stuff in the water. Given Lewis' background he would have known this, and might have taken it for granted that his readers knew this too. Plus a "drinking age" is a relatively new concept--still in some cultures children start drinking quite young and it isn't really seen a a big deal.

[MTMFan]

I have another question about PC, and I don't feel like starting a new thread, so I'll just ask it here, lol. How many years (in Narnian time) are supposed to have passed between LWW/HHB and this story? I know it seems like quite a few (over a hundred), but I'm just curious if anybody can pinpoint it any more than that.

[lions mane]

How old is Prince Caspian supposed to be in this book? (I'm still reading it, so if it's mentioned later in the book, forgive me.) But when Caspian set out on his adventure in the woods, it says he took wine with him. Now, I know Narnia probably doesn't have a legal drinking age, but it still made me wonder. I had always imagined him to be pretty young, about the same age as the Pevensie kids at this point, and they're not old enough to drink! So does anybody have an idea on this?

Kristen

seriously. dude, some of you guys think that you are real fans caspian is not slighty older than edmund. he's older than peter on the voage of the dawn treader, and he's as old as peter in prince caspian. you think next time you guys can read the darn books.

[Corin Thunder-Fist]

seriously. dude, some of you guys think that you are real fans caspian is not slighty older than edmund. he's older than peter on the voage of the dawn treader, and he's as old as peter in prince caspian. you think next time you guys can read the darn books.


Actually, that's just about impossible. If he's Peter's age in PC then alot of things that follow don't make sense, like:

"About as good a friend as a chap could have. And last time he was only a few years older than me."-Eustace in Silver Chair.

Eustace is younger than Edmund for sure, and more likely he's younger than Lucy because of this:

"For deep down inside he liked bossing and bullying; and, though he was a puny little person who couldn't have stood up even to Lucy, let alone Edmund, in a fight, he knew that there are dozens of ways to give people a bad time if you are in your own home and they are only visitors."- Dawn Treader

So, Caspian is "a few years older" than Eustace in Dawn Treader. That doesn't give us a number, but given the fact that Eustace is more than likely younger than Lucy...that makes it extremely unlikely that Caspian is anywhere near the age of Peter in PC (which takes place 3 narnian years before VDT).

[LowKing_Skandar]

well i no in the BBC movie, he is like 13 to14 or a little younger, but in the book(which iam reading this very moment) he might supposed to be like ???15? or younger.

[GoatyLegs]

i`ve heard he`s about the same age as edmund

[shmeepie]

I have another question about PC, and I don't feel like starting a new thread, so I'll just ask it here, lol. How many years (in Narnian time) are supposed to have passed between LWW/HHB and this story? I know it seems like quite a few (over a hundred), but I'm just curious if anybody can pinpoint it any more than that.

actually it appears tome that they happen around the same time...maybe 5-10 years after the penvensie's coronation, because in HHB the calormene prince/tisroc (i can't remember what they called him) wants to marry susan.

i also found this passage, which is the first paragraph of the book - "this is the story of an adventure that happened in narnia and calomen and the lands between, in the golden age when king peter was high king in narnia and his brother and his two sisters were king and queens under him."

so there you go, that settles it

[MTMFan]

actually it appears tome that they happen around the same time...maybe 5-10 years after the penvensie's coronation, because in HHB the calormene prince/tisroc (i can't remember what they called him) wants to marry susan.

i also found this passage, which is the first paragraph of the book - "this is the story of an adventure that happened in narnia and calomen and the lands between, in the golden age when king peter was high king in narnia and his brother and his two sisters were king and queens under him."

so there you go, that settles it

Isn't that quote from HHB? I meant, how long is it after the kids leave Narnia in LWW that they come back in PC (In Narnian time)? Does that make more sense?

[Corin Thunder-Fist]

Isn't that quote from HHB? I meant, how long is it after the kids leave Narnia in LWW that they come back in PC (In Narnian time)? Does that make more sense?


I can't recall any reference to the time passed between LWW and PC other than between Peter and DLF in the woods:

"Your Majesty says is," replied the Dwarf, but oughtn't you to say was? You knew this country hundreds--it may be a thousand--years ago. Mayn't it have changed?"...- Trumpkin in PC


If anyone else finds a better reference, go for it, this is the only quote I can remember on the subject.

Caspian is the 9th descendant from the Telmarine conqueror that invaded Narnia, but we have no idea how long it was between the Golden Age and the invasion of the Telmarines.

[sailndwntrder]

as to caspians age... he would be around edmunds age in pc, probably about 13 or 14 and i always imagined him about peters age in VDT

and as for the time between llw and pc, i remember reading somewhere that it is about a year in our time and a little over a thousand in narnian time.
i have a book called "companion to narnia" and there is a map tracing out the two different times and where they connect, apparently the guy who wrote this one got it from another book called "past watchful dragons"

it also estimates that the four pevensies where ruling narnia for about 15 years so i would guess that HHB takes place less than 10 years after they defeated the witch because prince rabadash wants to marry susan... so in less than 10 years i would guess susan to be under 25, probably a good age to get married in narnia.

[LadyAnneH]

it also estimates that the four pevensies where ruling narnia for about 15 years so i would guess that HHB takes place less than 10 years after they defeated the witch because prince rabadash wants to marry susan... so in less than 10 years i would guess susan to be under 25, probably a good age to get married in narnia.

I cannot remember where I heard it now, but for some reason I have it in my head that Pevensies ruled Narnia for about 20 years. In Medieval Europe princesses and queens were married (for the first time) usually anywhere from their early teens into their twenties. I am actually a little surprised that the bit in HHB is the only time they even mention marriage relating to the Pevensie monarchs.

[LowKing_Skandar]

i know how old he is suposed to be!! get this he is supposed to be 10!
in the book, and 16 in the dawn tredor!!!!!!!!!

[mrstumnus99]

Actually I think it's 13 in the Dawn Treader, Hannah!

[lions mane]

Actually, that's just about impossible. If he's Peter's age in PC then alot of things that follow don't make sense, like:

"About as good a friend as a chap could have. And last time he was only a few years older than me."-Eustace in Silver Chair.

Eustace is younger than Edmund for sure, and more likely he's younger than Lucy because of this:

"For deep down inside he liked bossing and bullying; and, though he was a puny little person who couldn't have stood up even to Lucy, let alone Edmund, in a fight, he knew that there are dozens of ways to give people a bad time if you are in your own home and they are only visitors."- Dawn Treader

So, Caspian is "a few years older" than Eustace in Dawn Treader. That doesn't give us a number, but given the fact that Eustace is more than likely younger than Lucy...that makes it extremely unlikely that Caspian is anywhere near the age of Peter in PC (which takes place 3 narnian years before VDT).



o.k.. did any of u actually read p.c., because if u haven't(it sort of sounds like no one has) i highly suggest it. in p.c. go to chapter 12 and read wher it says:
"the next minute or so was very confused.there was an animal roaring, a clash of steel; the boys and trumpkin rushed in; peter had a glimpse of a horrible gray, gaunt creature, half man and half wolf in the very act of leaping upon a boy about his own age."

so that should settel all the confusion about caspians age. sorry to the narnia fans confused by such crap(he's ed's age)

[Corin Thunder-Fist]

o.k.. did any of u actually read p.c., because if u haven't(it sort of sounds like no one has) i highly suggest it. in p.c. go to chapter 12 and read wher it says:
"the next minute or so was very confused.there was an animal roaring, a clash of steel; the boys and trumpkin rushed in; peter had a glimpse of a horrible gray, gaunt creature, half man and half wolf in the very act of leaping upon a boy about his own age."

so that should settel all the confusion about caspians age. sorry to the narnia fans confused by such crap(he's ed's age)


So I supply 3 quotes, and you supply 1 that says "about" his own age and say that that should end the discussion?

You're trying to say that an 18 year old boy needs a Nanny?

[lions mane]

So I supply 3 quotes, and you supply 1 that says "about" his own age and say that that should end the discussion?

You're trying to say that an 18 year old boy needs a Nanny?

seriously. seriously. he didn't need a nanny he needed a nurse. please dont froget that the narnian time is way different then ours. so we could not know how many years go by in just one of our years.

[LadyAnneH]

I think maybe we are getting hung up on the word "nurse," it isn't exactly a nanny. Even back in Shakespeare's time a nurse was someone who looked after the young person, and may have ran the young rulers household, and even may have been in charge of some of their education. Perhaps because Caspian's mother was dead his nurse took on that extra maternal role.

From the textual clues I have found I am not sure I think Caspian is an upper teen, but I think given the quote supplied by Lions Mane, and this discussions we've had in the LWW book forum about the Pevensie kids' ages,I think that 11-14 seems plausable.

[lions mane]

Ladyanneh. that's one of the smartest things that i've heard on this thread. thanks for basically proving my point. but i'd say in P.C. he's about 15y/o.

[PrinceOfTheWest]

I think maybe we are getting hung up on the word "nurse," it isn't exactly a nanny. Even back in Shakespeare's time a nurse was someone who looked after the young person, and may have ran the young rulers household, and even may have been in charge of some of their education. Perhaps because Caspian's mother was dead his nurse took on that extra maternal role. Right you are, and don't forget that he was under Dr. Cornelius' tutelage for an indeterminate period of time as well. My guess would be more than a year but probably less than three, though it could have been as much as five.

My guess, based on the account of Caspian's fateful interview with Miraz that ended with his nurse being sent away, was that he was about 7 or 8 at that time. A few years under Dr. Cornelius would put him right in the 11-13 range, just as you guess.

[Sky's The Limit]

It's the character, Peter that needs the nanny not william! :rolleyes:

[lions mane]

It's the character, Peter that needs the nanny not william! :rolleyes:

Sky's the limit. what the heak r u talking about. were not talking about peter we're talking about Caspian.

[DeplorableWord]

Wow lions mane, you don't have to be so rude and mean to everyone you're writing to on this forum besides the people that agree with you. I mean, we're having a discusson, not a heated debate! Cool down!

[lions mane]

Wow lions mane, you don't have to be so rude and mean to everyone you're writing to on this forum besides the people that agree with you. I mean, we're having a discusson, not a heated debate! Cool down!

i'm not being so rude. I just tell it how it is. And another thing that ticks me off is when people think they know so much about narnia, when it's very obvious that they don't.

[lions mane]

u know i just realized that i am being rude. I'm sorry about that. i think i won't come back to this forum.

[FVD]

Well according to some of the timelines out there, in PC Caspian is 13. In VDT he's 16. I've always stuck with that formula.

Prince Caspian:

Peter: 14
Susan: 13
Edmund: 11
Lucy: 9
Caspian: 13

The Voyage Of The Dawn Treader:

Lucy: 10
Edmund: 12
Caspian: 16
Eustace: 9

http://www.angelfire.com/realm2/lotrmn/timeline.html

FVD.

[Phinix]

Actuly ano that i think of my won poste Lu is 9 Ed 10 Su is 12 peter 13in LWW
It says one year ni PC so Lu 10 Ed 11 Su 13 Peter 14
and Peter say a boy slightly younger than himself so...Id say Caspian is 13 in PC
VDT
Lu 11 Ed 12 Su 14 Peter 15 Eustice(SP?) is 12 and Caspian is 16

[Phinix]

I think maybe we are getting hung up on the word "nurse," it isn't exactly a nanny. Even back in Shakespeare's time a nurse was someone who looked after the young person, and may have ran the young rulers household, and even may have been in charge of some of their education. Perhaps because Caspian's mother was dead his nurse took on that extra maternal role.

From the textual clues I have found I am not sure I think Caspian is an upper teen, but I think given the quote supplied by Lions Mane, and this discussions we've had in the LWW book forum about the Pevensie kids' ages,I think that 11-14 seems plausable.
I quite agree. An upper teen would not just be begning lessons of this sort.

[Midnight Rider]

I didn't think of that, but didn't in Prince C. it say that C. was a around P.'s age?

[Midnight Rider]

Well according to some of the timelines out there, in PC Caspian is 13. In VDT he's 16. I've always stuck with that formula.

Prince Caspian:

Peter: 14
Susan: 13
Edmund: 11
Lucy: 9
Caspian: 13

The Voyage Of The Dawn Treader:

Lucy: 10
Edmund: 12
Caspian: 16
Eustace: 9

http://www.angelfire.com/realm2/lotrmn/timeline.html

FVD.
Lucy was SO not that old! Probably around 7 or 8 In Prince C.

[lions mane]

Lucy was SO not that old! Probably around 7 or 8 In Prince C.
actually lucy was about that old.

[queen_aravis]

hmmm...I always had the idea that Caspian was about Peter's age...maybe a little younger.

[lions mane]

o.k. everyone i've been thinking (wow. that's dangerious), a lot on this subject. i think that this is the somewhat time line of caspian:
i think that caspian, when he had his nanny was the age of 4-7. and i think that when dr. cornelius taught caspian that he was between the ages of 7-11. and i think that when caspian went on the run from his uncle and hid (getting ready for the war, and gathering an army) he was between the ages of 12-14. and i think that since the war seems to have been going on for a while before they called back the kids that they were fighting for sometime.
so with all this i must conclude that he's somewhere between ed and peter's(somewhere about susans age) age.

and then 3 years later in t.V.o.D.T. he was about 17 or 18.

[Knight of Narnia]

I agree. Caspian would have had the nurse when he was a young boy (4-7) and was tutored as a youth by Dr. Corneilius (7-11). Also given the amount of time that it took him to flee from Miras and gather up his army (about a year or two) that would put him at 12-13 years old, about the same age as Peter, but maybe a little younger, since Peter is about 14 (estimating) in PC.

[lions mane]

I agree. Caspian would have had the nurse when he was a young boy (4-7) and was tutored as a youth by Dr. Corneilius (7-11). Also given the amount of time that it took him to flee from Miras and gather up his army (about a year or two) that would put him at 12-13 years old, about the same age as Peter, but maybe a little younger, since Peter is about 14 (estimating) in PC.
actually i think that in p.c. peters about 15 but i do think that caspians around the age of 13-14

[Andershulthen]

Prince Caspian takes place in English time one year after the Lion,the Witch and the Wardrobe .
In Narnian time the Pevensies left Narnia in 1015 and Prince Caspian takes place year 2303 when Prince Caspian is 13 years old.
Here is a link with info on narnian history:http://members.lycos.co.uk/Jonathan_Gregory76/history.htm

[lions mane]

Prince Caspian takes place in English time one year after the Lion,the Witch and the Wardrobe .
In Narnian time the Pevensies left Narnia in 1015 and Prince Caspian takes place year 2303 when Prince Caspian is 13 years old.
Here is a link with info on narnian history:http://members.lycos.co.uk/Jonathan_Gregory76/history.htm
that's cool and almost everything that i calculated is almost right! :D

but i was off on rilians age when he vanished! :(

[Soli_Deo_Gloria]

Check in the Last Battle Threads on "Past Watchful Dragons." There appears to be some question about how accurate it is compared to Lewis's vision. I have also noticed that Lewis is dreadfully inaccurate about time, history, geneologies, ect. (can you imagine some of the conversion's Lewis and Tolkien had? Tolkien exactness v. Lewis allegory (sp)). He did put in some congruity, but keep this in mind however old Caspian is in PC or VDT he does get married at the end of VDT, or so I believe. (Gosh I need to reread these things)

[Miss.tumnus.faun]

oh thats tru

[Emperor of the Lone Isles]

I believe that Prince Caspian will be older than is generally thought here on this thread. Quite a few years pass between the Nurse being sent away in PC (where Caspian is described as "only a very little boy at the time") and the birth of Miraz's son. Between these times:

"He learned sword-fighting and riding, swimming and diving, how to shoot with the bow and play ont he recorder adn the theorbo, how to hunt the stag and cut him up when he was dead, besides Cosmogrpahy, Rhetoric, Heraldry, Versification, and of course History, with a little Law, Physics, Alchemy, and Astronomy."

"After some years there came a time when the Queen seemed to be ill ... etc. etc"QUOTE]

You must remember that Caspian has been raised under false pretenses. He seems rather innocent, young, and naive but this is only because he has been shielded from the truth his entire life by Miraz. This accounts not only for his naivety but also his position in the Telmarine's eyes as "just a boy".

Although the Telmarines consider Caspian to be "just a boy" lacking any warrior capabilities, the facts say otherwise. Not only does PC say,

[QUOTE]"Peter had a glimpse of a {werewolf} in the very act of leaping upon a boy about his own age."

which would seem to indicate that at this point Caspian looks a year older than Peter looked in 2006, but also this dialogue would indicate that the Telmarine view of Caspian is warped:

"Please," said Caspian, "could it not be me {to challenge Miraz}? I want to avenge my father."

"You're wounded," said Peter. "And anyway, wouldn't he just laugh at a challenge from you? I mean, we have seen that you are a king and a warrior but he thinks of you as a kid."

A boy of 13, regardless of his bravery, is not going to volunteer to challenge Miraz to "avenge his father". A year after Peter left he looks about the same age as Caspian. Caspian is unquestionably in the range of 15 to 17.

The making of The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian will require two actors for Caspian X; one to play his short role during part of Trumpkin's flashback and another to play his role in the actual film. I would like to think that I could do the latter role excellent justice, though I have no idea who would play the younger part.

Does anyone know how a person might audition for the part of Caspian X? Email address, telephone, or whatever. If anyone has any idea, send me an email: dsmak3{at}gmail{dot}com.

Until later,

"I call all times soon."

David S. MacMillan III
Caspian X, 2008
Emperor of the Lone Isles

[LifeMaiden]

I'd say about age 16-18, more on the older end of that scale. When we see Prince Caspian again in the Silver Chair, he's an old, old man, and you figure that about 70 years have gone by ( according to Eustace), making Caspian about in his late 80's, which seemed appropriate an age considering the way his appearance was described. It seemed odd to me that at such an old age, Caspian's son was still a young man.