- "That is old Father Time, who was once a King in Overland. Now he has sunk down into the Deep Realm and lies dreaming of all the things that are done in the upper world. Many sink down and few return to the sunlit lands. They say he will wake at the end of the world."
- ―Mullugutherum[src]
Father Time was the "giant of giants" who once ruled a kingdom in Overland, who slept throughout most of Narnia's history in an enchanted sleep in Underland, and who helped bring about the end of Narnia.
Biography[]
Assumingly, he once ruled a kingdom somewhere in the surface world of Narnia, but at some point, he sank down into Underland and was put to sleep there in a cavern, along with Birds, Bats, Lizards, and Dragons. When Eustace Scrubb, Jill Pole and Puddleglum were on their quest to find Prince Rilian, the Gnomes told them that they believed he dreamed of the going-ons of the overworld.
It is unknown what happened to him when Underland fell apart, although he presumably carried on sleeping.
When the end of the world came, Aslan called "Time" several times, which woke him up.
- "Then the great giant raised a horn to his mouth. They could see this by the change of the black shape he made against the stars. After that — quite a bit later, because sound travels so slowly — they heard the sound of the horn: high and terrible, yet of a strange, deadly beauty. Immediately the sky became full of shooting stars. Even one shooting star is a fine thing to see; but these were dozens, and then scores, and then hundreds, till it was like silver rain: and it went on and on."
- ―The Last Battle[src]
At the sound of his horn, all the creatures of the Narnian world raced for dear life to the Stable to join (or reject) Aslan. Father Time then destroyed Narnia's massive, dying red sun by squeezing it like an orange in his hand, bringing instant darkness. What became of him afterwards is unknown.
Father Time in The Silver Chair BBC, 1990
Description[]
While he was far bigger than any of the giants, "his face was not like a giant's, but noble and beautiful." He also had a large snowy beard, which covered him to his waist, and it is said that "a pure, silver light rested upon him", though "no one saw where it came from."
Behind the Scenes[]
- Father Time is based on the personification of time and supergiant stars.
- He was directly responsible for ending the world of Narnia.
- His role in ending Narnia and putting out the sun mirrors how supergiant stars are massive stars near the end of their lifespan.