About the Redwall Universe

Is there religion in Redwall?
No. Although the terms "abbey", "abbot" and "abbess" are usually associated with the Roman Catholic Church, Brian Jacques has said repeatedly that there is no religion in Redwall. He chose an abbey with an abbot or abbess instead of a castle with a king or queen because he wanted a friendly, peaceful place, not a fortress for war. The crosses or other religious imagery that may appear in some illustrations is the mistake of the artist(s). Redwall Abbey is simply a place of peace, friendship and good will, open to anyone.

What time period is Redwall set in?
There is no specific year. The world of Redwall isn't like the Earth we know, since there are no people. Some fans try to pin down a time period by studying the weapons and technology, but there is no exact era of Earth history that matches. Redwall is a combination of interesting things from real history.

If there are no cows in Redwall, where do they get the milk and cheese?
This is a good question. There are indeed no cows or goats in Redwall. There are, however, plants that produce milk-like substances. This is what is referred to as "greensap milk". Besides, how could you have an abbeyful of mice with no cheese? ;-)

How do you pronounce...?

Where is Southsward in relation to Redwall Abbey?
Southsward's western border is the same ocean that is next to Salamandastron. It is located well to the south-west of Redwall Abbey, and is probably the southernmost point in the books.

Where is Loamhedge in relation to Redwall Abbey?
Loamhedge is (or was) a large distance pretty much due south of Redwall Abbey, on the other side of a gigantic cliff.

Is Mossflower based on a real place?
Not exactly. Jacques took bits and pieces of locations around Liverpool and England. He was especially inspired by a red wall (of course! ;-) in a park near his home, and a Liverpool church, for the look of the abbey.

In Pearls of Lutra, how could they sail north-west to the tropical island of Sampetra?
Okay, so maybe this isn't a Frequently Asked Question, but it's something that bugs Snowfur! Mossflower's climate is supposed to be roughly equivalent to Liverpool's. Sailing north-west from Liverpool (assuming you don't run into Ireland) the next land mass is Iceland! Not exactly the lush tropical jewel of Sampetra! Three theories come to mind: 1.) Sampetra is located in the middle of a very strong, Gulf-stream-like current that brings warm waters up from the tropics. 2.) The characters sailed so far north-east that they ended up going around the curve of the planet, so they were actually going south-east. 3.)  Mossflower is in the southern hemisphere.   Or, the fourth theory, 4.) It's really not worth obsessing over and Snowfur needs to get a life! :-)

Are Mariel and Dandin in love?
This one is anyone's guess. Brian Jacques has neither confirmed nor denied the possibility. It's been the speculation of many fans, though!

How are Bryony, Dandin and Gonff related?
Brian Jacques has said that Bryony and Dandin are both descendants of Gonff, but are only distantly related to each other. It is Snowfur's theory that they are each the descendants of two different children Gonff and Columbine had.

Is Killconey the ferret male or female?
In some editions of Redwall, there are inconsistencies regarding Killconey the ferret. In most places, the character is referred to as "he", but in a few spots it's "she"! (Incidentally, this question was the one that Snowfur had answered in redwall.org's Ask Brian, to gain admittance to the official club!) Mr. Jacques says Killconey was intended to be male, and that the feminine pronouns were the publisher's mistake.

What kind of animal is the Wearet? Shadow? The Deepcoiler?
The species of some of the animals is purposely left as a mystery, to enhance their scary reputation. The Wearet in Mattimeo is one such character. Redwall's Shadow is described as a weasel-like rat. The Deepcoiler is another example of a character without a definite species. It was meant as a typical "Loch Ness Monster" style creature of the deep.

Is Veil evil?
Ooh boy, you had to ask, didn't you? Brian Jacques has purposely left this open to interpretation, and as such there is no real answer.

What does the word "Dibbun" mean?
"Dibbun" is the term used in all but the first few books to refer to the Abbey young ones. It's roughly equivalent to "toddlers" or even "rugrats", in a very fond sense. "Dibbun" isn't a real word outside of the books; Jacques made it up because it sounded cute and little.

What's the story behind all those crazy accents, like molespeech?
The stranger accents in the books are based on actual ones that Jacques has heard in his travels. In particular, the moles are based on the residents of Somerset, England. Rocangus and some other characters from the Far North have Scottish accents. Jacques has said that he does not intend to have "American-accented" characters in his stories.

Are any of the characters based on real people?
Yes. Basil Stag Hare is based upon a teacher Jacques knows, and Gonff is based on himself, in his younger days! A few characters, like Samkim, are named for real people. In Samkin's case, a fan named Samantha. The dedication at the beginning of Loamhedge says that Martha Braebuck was inspired by Martha Buckley, a friend of Mr. Jacques', and also says that Nolan Wallace became Lonna Bowstripe.   There are others, as well, who were based at least in part on people Jacques has met during his very diverse lifetime.

What does "Eulalia" mean?
"Eulalia", the Salamandastron war cry, is also an ancient Celtic war cry. In addition, it is sometimes used as a name in certain cultures, among them Spanish.

Why are all the rats, ferrets, foxes, weasels, and other vermin animals evil?  Isn't it prejudiced to say every member of a species is evil?  I have a pet rat or a pet ferret, and they're cuddly and nice!

Contrary to some conspiracy theories floating around, the Redwall "vermin" species are not the victim of some great plot to make them all seem like evil incarnate.  Brian Jacques chose certain species to represent the "baddies" in his books because of folk traditions in Europe.  In the English language we say people can be "sly as a fox," or try to "weasel" their way out of a situation, "ferret" out information, or be a "dirty rat."  These images are called archetypes, and they exist in many cultures.  Europeans are definitely not the only people in the world who think of foxes as sly tricksters.  Does this mean real foxes are bad?  Depends on your point of view.  If you have a chicken coop in your back yard, yes.  If you're a naturalist or a painter, perhaps not.

The absolute best way, in my opinion, to explain the casting of Redwall characters as certain species is this:

"Cluny isn't evil because he's a rat.  He's a rat because he's evil."

Brian Jacques creates a villainous character, with all the cruel, nasty characteristics needed for a "baddie."  Then he picks a traditionally nasty animal from the folk tradition of Europe and uses it to represent the character.

"Matthias is not pure-hearted because he's a mouse.   He's a mouse because he's pure-hearted."

There is no great conspiracy for or against certain species in the Redwall world.  It's simply a matter of symbolism.

And of course, let us not forget that there are exceptions to the vermin/woodlander rule.  Blaggut, Romsca, arguably Veil, and others have crossed into grey areas.

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