Lord Drinian facts for kids

Lord Drinian is a brave and loyal character from C. S. Lewis's famous book series, The Chronicles of Narnia. He is the skilled captain of the ship The Voyage of the Dawn Treader and a good friend to King Caspian X. Later, in The Silver Chair, he continues to be a trusted advisor to King Caspian. He also becomes a close friend of Caspian's son, Rilian.

Drinian's Adventures on the Dawn Treader

In The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, we first meet Lord Drinian. He is the captain of the ship Dawn Treader. Drinian is described as a young man with dark hair. He is very loyal to Caspian. He sails with Caspian on his journey to the very edge of the world.

Years before, King Miraz had stopped Narnians from sailing much. But Caspian, as the new king, brought back Narnia's love for the sea. Because of this, Drinian is one of the few Narnians who knows a lot about sailing. With his great skills and friendly humor, Drinian helps Caspian and his crew. They are searching for seven lost lords.

Unexpected Encounters at Sea

Even though Drinian is a very experienced sailor, he sometimes faces surprises. For example, when they reach an island they call Dragon Island, they meet a creature no one has seen before: a dragon! Drinian is careful. He says dragons, like crocodiles, cannot be trusted. He refuses to let his guard down. He only trusts the dragon when he finds out it is actually Eustace!

Drinian's careful nature helps them another time. Later in their journey, Drinian spots something strange. It turns out to be a giant sea serpent! After surviving the serpent's attack, Drinian guides the ship towards a safe harbor. Caspian suggests anchoring in a different part of the harbor. Drinian follows the order patiently, even though he had his own idea for their resting spot.

Merpeople and the World's End

As they get closer to the edge of the world, Lucy sees amazing merpeople. They look different from the merpeople she had seen in Narnia. Drinian realizes this could be dangerous for his crew. Some men might fall in love with a mermaid. Or they might love the underwater world and fall overboard. So, he tells Lucy to ignore the merpeople. She should act as if she had not seen them.

When Reepicheep falls overboard, Drinian scolds him. He is worried about Reepicheep's safety. He also fears the crew might discover the merpeople. After Reepicheep, Lucy, Eustace, and Edmund continue to the very edge of the world, Drinian safely brings Caspian and the rest of the crew back home to Narnia.

Drinian's Role in The Silver Chair

In The Silver Chair, Lord Drinian is still a good friend and trusted advisor to King Caspian X. Caspian is much older in this book, about 66 years old. Drinian is also quite old, likely in his seventies or eighties. But he is still very active and even rides a horse! Drinian has also become a close friend of Caspian's son, Rilian.

The Mystery of Prince Rilian

Caspian's wife is sadly bitten by a serpent and dies. After this, Rilian starts acting strangely. He goes on constant journeys into the forest on horseback. People think he is trying to find and kill the serpent that killed his mother. Drinian talks to Rilian and convinces him to share his secret.

Rilian leads Drinian to the place where his mother died. There, Drinian sees a beautiful woman. Drinian feels she is evil. He is confused by Rilian's strong attraction to this woman. But because of his friendship with Rilian, he lets him keep visiting her. The next day, Rilian rides out alone and never comes back.

Drinian feels terrible about his mistake. He goes to Caspian and tells him everything. He begs Caspian to punish him as a traitor for letting Rilian disappear. Drinian even asks Caspian to kill him. But Caspian cannot. He has already lost his queen and his son. He does not want to lose his friend too. So, the two friends mourn the loss of Rilian together.

The Return of Rilian

The serpent that killed the Queen was actually the Lady of the Green Kirtle. She ruled the underworld beneath Narnia. She wanted to break through and invade Narnia. She had tricked Rilian and lured him into her underworld.

Ten years later, Eustace Scrubb and Jill Pole come to Narnia. With their guide, Puddleglum the marshwiggle, they find their way into the underworld. They rescue Rilian, who then kills the Lady of the Green Kirtle. Rilian finally returns to Narnia.

During this time, Drinian sails with Caspian on a journey. Caspian wanted to see the places from his youth again. Many believed he was going to ask Aslan who should be the next King of Narnia. But Aslan stops their voyage before they reach the end of the world. Aslan tells Caspian he must return home to Narnia.

When Caspian is reunited with his son Rilian, Drinian is there. He rejoices with Eustace and Jill. Drinian is also by Caspian's side when the king dies soon after. He witnesses Rilian being declared the new King of Narnia.

Drinian in Films

In the 1989 BBC TV series of The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, Drinian is played by John Hallam. In the 1990 BBC TV series of The Silver Chair, an older Drinian is played by Roy Boyd. In the 2010 Walden/Fox movie, The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, Drinian is played by Gary Sweet.

How Drinian Was Created

When he was younger, C. S. Lewis studied old Greek stories like the Odyssey. One famous scene from the Odyssey is similar to a part in The Voyage of the Dawn Treader. In the Odyssey, the hero Odysseus fears his crew's safety when they hear Sirens. In Narnia, Drinian worries about his crew when Lucy sees merpeople. (Though Drinian does not use wax to block their ears like Odysseus did!)

Dawn Treader is like a sea adventure story, much like the Odyssey. The crew meets mythical creatures and mysterious islands. Drinian is a very skilled sailor. But he is not shown as someone who only wants glory, like Odysseus. Lewis also loved stories about King Arthur. Lewis also said that his dreams greatly influenced his characters and stories. So, Drinian is a mix of characters like Odysseus and the heroes from Arthurian myths.