As I promised, here comes part 2 of Day 2:
The Calormenes
It occurred to me while reading, the VDT is actually the first time Lewis tells us anything in detail about the Calormenes. Since I've usually read the books in chronological order in the past, I usually thought of HHB as introducing them. I decided I'd highlight some of the things we learn about them:
Their currency is called the Crescent (and was worth about a third of a pound - however it is that you can work out cross-world exchange rates
). This is possibly the first hint we get that culturally they might be inspired by some sort of Middle Eastern (I like to think Arabian) culture. This currency has international status as it is "the chief coin in those parts". It might raise questions why the Lone Islanders weren't using Narnian money but this probably had something to do with them being cut off from direct trade with Narnia under Miraz when sea travel was not encouraged.
Next we learn, when Caspian is asking the governor about what they do with the slaves, that Calormen is the chief market for slavers operating in the Lone Isles. Slavery must be a common practice there.
Related, we then learn that Lucy and Edmund had been sold to (apparently two different) Calormene slave traders. It's a little unnerving to think what might have happened had these men not stayed on for further bidding. The voyage of the
Dawn Treader might have ended up being a rescue mission in Calormen rather than a trip to the Utter East. It's also interesting to think what Lucy and Ed were thinking as they remembered back to their encounters with Calormen during their golden age, and especially the incident with Susan and Rabadash (though of course Lucy didn't travel there on that occasion).
We also interestingly get a first description of the Calormen people themselves. They have "dark faces and long beards". They wear "flowing robes and orange-coloured turbans" and "they are a wise, wealthy, courteous and cruel and people". (More hints here of their inspiration from Arabian type culture). We also get a brief hint into their speaking style (which Lewis expresses beautifully in HHB) in the description: "They bowed most politely to Caspian and paid him long compliments, all about the fountains of prosperity irrigating the gardens of prudence and virtue." (I'd love to see someone attempt to write out that speech in the appropriate style).
Finally, the chapter ends with an interesting comment by Lord Bern regarding Calormen. He foresees that the closing of the slave market leading to war with Calormen." It's notable that Caspian brushes off this threat so lightly and that Edmund and Lucy say nothing, considering their experiences with the Southern country.
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I also thought I'd comment on the way Lewis characterises Governor Gumpas as an ineffective and selfish, greedy, bureaucratically-minded leader. Combined with what we've already observed about the Scrubbs, I'd almost say VDT is quite social and political commentary of an almost satirical kind.
"No interviews without 'pointments 'cept 'tween nine 'n ten p.m. second Saturday every month" [I'd never noticed before how late that is]
"Nothing about it in the correspondence...Happy to consider any applications--"
"That would be a question to raise at the Council next month. If anyone moves that a commission of inquiry be set up..."
"I have statistics, I have graphs, I have--" [Nothing has changed in politics in 60 years
]
And then my all-time favourite:
"Have you no idea of progress, of development?" followed by Caspian's response "I've seen both in an egg. We call it Going Bad in Narnia."
