- "At the moment this boy was not particularly like anyone for he had the finest black eye you ever saw, and a tooth missing, and his clothes (which must have been splendid ones when he put them on) were torn and dirty, and there was both blood and mud on his face."
- ―[src]
Corin, also known as Thunder-Fist, was the Prince of Archenland, and the son of King Lune. He was also the Crown Prince for thirteen years, before the return of his twin brother, the first born Prince, Cor.
Corin later became a well-known, and even legendary, boxer.
Biography[]
The twins are blessed at birth.
Corin was born around 1000 NY, close to the time of the ascension of the High King Peter and his siblings to the thrones of the Kingdom of Narnia. He was born approximately twenty minutes after his twin brother, Cor.
Shortly after they were born, their parents brought them to Narnia, where they were blessed by an old Centaur, who foresaw that one day Cor would save Archenland from danger.
After this prophecy was foretold, the twins were separated when Cor was kidnapped by one of his father's formerly trusted Lords, who had turned traitor and stole him away to Calormen. Because of his brother's absence, Corin was titled the Crown Prince, and became the sole heir to the throne. He grew up at the palace of Anvard, in Archenland with his father, where his mother presumably died while he was still a child.
During his childhood, he became familiar with his father's allies to the north, the four kings and queens of Narnia. High King Peter at one point even promised King Lune that he would knight Corin when he was old enough. When Corin was around the age of thirteen, he accompanied King Edmund, Queen Susan and the Narnian embassy on an ambassadorial visit to the southern land of Calormen, and the capital city of Tashbaan.
While in Tashbaan, Corin fought a Calormene boy, who had insulted Queen Susan, and narrowly avoided being jailed by Calormene law enforcers. This adventure took him about a day, and when he returned to the house where the Narnians were staying as guests, he discovered another boy (who was actually his long-lost twin brother) whom the Narnians had mistaken for him. Cor (then known as Shasta) explained that he was trying to escape the palace and run away to Archenland. The two switched back into their proper places, and Corin told Shasta how best to escape.
That very night, the Narnian company were forced to escape from Tashbaan in fear of their lives, due to Queen Susan's rejection of the Calormen Prince Rabadash's proposal of marriage.
The Narnian Army on the way to Anvard.
They sailed away from the city successfully, and docked at the Narnian port of Cair Paravel the next day. Upon making shore, they were informed that the enraged Prince Rabadash was attacking Anvard, the capital of Corin's homeland, in retaliation for their escape.
After summoning the Narnian army, King Edmund, Queen Lucy and Corin rode south again to rescue the city of Anvard from the Carlomenes. On the way, they met again with young Prince Cor. After unintentionally handicapping one of King Edmund's soldiers, Corin persuaded Cor to fight with him in the battle, in direct disobedience to King Edmund's instructions.
Corin fought well, despite his age and inexperience, and after the battle he brought Cor to his father, King Lune. The king recognised his long-lost son immediately, and shortly afterward, the king declared Cor the rightful Crown Prince, a prospect which pleased Corin, as he claimed that "it's princes have all the fun".
In later life, Corin became a famous boxer, earning the nickname Thunder-Fist by defeating the Lapsed Bear of Stormness (a talking bear who had gone bad). He climbed up to its lair on the Narnian side of Stormness one snowy winter day, and boxed it without a time-keeper for thirty-three rounds. At the end of the match, the poor bear couldn't see out of its eyes, and became a reformed character.
Corin may have also been the first ruler of Narnia during its Dark Age, since the Pevensies left no heirs. After his death, he was remembered in many songs and tales, and travelled to Aslan's Country.
He was among those who met the Seven Friends of Narnia in Aslan's Country, after Aslan ended the Narnian Shadowlands.
Appearance[]
Corin was identical to his twin brother. Both were fair-haired and fair-skinned, like most Northerners. Corin, however, often sported bruises or scrapes, due to his constant habit of picking fights. He also had one tooth missing that he had lost in a fight.
Character[]
Corin was a brash and impulsive youth, who was always eager to display his competence in a fight, which was usually with his fists. His knack for adventures taught him to be resourceful and self-reliant.
He could be known to be quite disobedient, even recklessly running into dangerous situations or harming others when he did not get what he wanted. However, he had a strong sense of honor, as evidenced in his willingness to stand up for the honor of Queen Susan.
He was also generous and very outgoing, and was a freedom-loving youth, as demonstrated in his rejoicing that his brother could take the throne from him.
Appearances[]
- The Horse and His Boy (book, appearance)
- The Silver Chair (book, mentioned)
- The Last Battle (book, mentioned)
Trivia[]
- The name Corin comes from a legendary Cornish hero, who was a slayer of giants, probably derived from the first element of the Old English tribal name, Cornwealas, from the ethnic term Kernow, meaning "Cornish" or "horned".
- In Archenland, one of their kings in the past was called Olvin, who slew a 2-headed giant called Pire. Presumably, this is partly why Lewis chose the name Corin.