Ramandu's daughter facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Ramandu's daughter |
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| Narnia character | |
Laura Brent as Liliandil in the 2010 film The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader.
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| Information | |
| Race | Half-Star |
| Title | Queen of Narnia |
| Family | Ramandu |
| Spouse(s) | Caspian X |
| Children | Rilian |
| Nationality | Ramandu's Island, Narnia |
Ramandu's daughter, also known as Lilliandil in the 2010 movie version, is a special character from The Chronicles of Narnia books by C. S. Lewis. She first appears in the 1952 book The Voyage of the Dawn Treader. In this story, she helps Caspian X and his ship's crew break a magic spell. This spell had put three important Narnian lords to sleep.
Later, she becomes the Queen of Narnia when she marries Caspian X. They have a son named Rilian. In the 1953 book The Silver Chair, a wicked creature in the form of a snake harms her. But she shows up again in the 1956 book The Last Battle. Ramandu's daughter has also appeared in TV shows and movies based on the books. Gabrielle Anwar played her in the TV series, and Laura Brent played her in the 2010 movie.
Some experts believe that C. S. Lewis was inspired by the elves from J. R. R. Tolkien's books when he created Ramandu's daughter. Her goodness and her marriage to Caspian X are often talked about.
Her Role in the Stories
In the Books
"The figure carried a light, and the light was really all that they could see distinctly. It came slowly nearer and nearer till at last it stood right at the table opposite to them. Now they could see that it was a tall girl, dressed in a single long garment of clear blue which left her arms bare. She was bareheaded and her yellow hair hung down her back. And when they looked at her they thought they had never before known what beauty meant."
Ramandu's daughter is first seen in C. S. Lewis's 1952 book The Voyage of the Dawn Treader. In this story, the Pevensie siblings, Edmund and Lucy Pevensie, and their cousin Eustace Scrubb, are magically pulled into the fantasy world of Narnia. They join Caspian X, the King of Narnia. They sail on the ship Dawn Treader to the very edge of the world. Their goal is to find the Seven Great Lords of Narnia.
During their journey, they arrive at Ramandu's Island. This island is home to a "star at rest" named Ramandu, who is her father. Ramandu's daughter greets them there. Lewis never gives her a specific name in the books, only referring to her as Ramandu's daughter. She is shown as a young, beautiful, and immortal woman with long blonde hair. She first appears wearing a blue dress and holding a lit candle. She brings hope to Caspian X and his friends. They had found out that three of the lords, Mavramorn, Revilian, and Argoz, were under a sleeping spell.
Caspian X talks about the "Sleeping Beauty" story with Ramandu's daughter. He suggests that a kiss might break the spell on the lords. She tells him she will only kiss him once the spell is broken. She also proposes marriage to him. Caspian X promises her that he will break the curse. He returns to Ramandu's Island three years after his long voyage ends. There, he marries Ramandu's daughter. They become the rulers of Narnia.
Fifteen years later, Ramandu's daughter and Caspian X have a son named Rilian. In the 1953 book The Silver Chair, a villain called the Lady of the Green Kirtle harms Ramandu's daughter. This happens while she is sleeping in a peaceful glade. Her body is taken back to the city. People remember her as "a gracious and wise lady in whose veins flowed the blood of stars." Rilian tries to get revenge for his mother's death. But he falls under the spell of the Lady of the Green Kirtle. In the 1956 book The Last Battle, Ramandu's daughter appears again. She is with her husband and son as one of the "faithful" characters. They are all brought together in a special reunion.
In TV Shows and Movies
Ramandu's daughter appears in the TV show The Chronicles of Narnia. Her story in the TV show is very similar to the books. Her relationship and marriage to Caspian X are important parts of her role.
For the 2010 movie version, Ramandu's daughter is given the name Lilliandil. In the movie, after Caspian X and his friends eat at Aslan's table, a star falls from the sky. This star then turns into Lilliandil. She helps guide Caspian X and his crew to the Dark Island. They need to go there to find and save one of the Seven Great Lords of Narnia from a curse. Lilliandil explains to Caspian X that the lords were put under a sleeping spell. This happened because they had threatened each other while in Aslan's presence, which is strictly forbidden. After guiding the group to the island, she goes back to the heavens. Caspian X says he hopes to meet her again in the future, and she smiles in response.
How the Character Was Created
According to a Narnia expert named Paul F. Ford, C. S. Lewis chose not to name Ramandu's daughter. This was to show how special and amazing she was. Another fantasy writer, Colin Duriez, said that Lewis was inspired by J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle Earth elves. Specifically, he mentioned Lúthien and Arwen, who both marry humans. Duriez also connected Ramandu's daughter's background, coming from the heavens, to Tolkien's descriptions of angelic beings called Maiar.
For the TV show, English actress Gabrielle Anwar played Ramandu's daughter. This was one of her first acting roles. Australian actress Laura Brent played the character in the 2010 movie. This was her first role in a major film. Lewis's step-son, Douglas Gresham, created the name Lilliandil for the movie. He said the name was meant to remind people of the "sea of lilies" from the book. It also sounds very feminine and magical.
