does the existence of redwall abbey imply that there is a mouse pope? more at 11
i want to address the point that the redwall creatures seemed like protestants with the fact that this further implies a Mouse Reformation, featuring a mouse dissident and indeed.. a mouse pope
While it is indeed possible that the theology of Redwall had deviated from the dicta of the Mouse Pope (Pope Mus IV), Protestants don’t, as far as I or the internet knows, have much of a monastic tradition, thus proving that they are Catholic and fall under the jurisdiction of the Holy (Mouse) See. In this essay, I will show that Martin the Warrior should have been excommunicated for his heresies
flagrantly disregarding the possibility that the Redwall animals could be Orthodox
Guys they are Anglican, this means not only is there a mouse pope there was a mouse king who really wanted a divorce
At mouse scale, that would be Henry the 1/8th.
this is the only valid speculation thread my post has created
but why did that mouse king not dissolve the monasteries in order to expropriate land for the crown?
No, you know what, let’s get into this, LET’S FUCKING GO *rolls up sleeves* BUCKLE UP I’M INFODUMPING
Okay, I’ve slept since I’ve read these books, but you get Abbots and Abbesses, right? And I think I remember Brother such-and-such, and Sister such-and-such, and these animals were invariably unmarried. As opposed to the official Abbey Warrior, who COULD be married if they wanted to.
There were definitely official roles within the abbey that let you marry and have children, like cellar master, cook, maybe gate-keeper? (Librarians don’t seem to have kids but I’ve never met a Redwall librarian who wasn’t really gay so jot that down).
Redwall Abbey seems to derive its monastic tradition from the abbey of Loamhedge, which suffered heavy losses during a great plague; the survivors moved into Mossflower Forest and became involved in the historic rebellion surrounding Martin the Warrior.
(There’s also a derelict church in the woods, called ‘Saint Ninian’s’, but this is revealed to be a misunderstanding involving a sign that originally said “This Ain’t Ninian’s.”)
Redwall Abbey functions as a cultural center for Mossflower, providing shelter, education, and historical documentation via their scribes and library. Interestingly, the abbots, abbesses, brothers, and sisters all seem to keep to a code of non-violence, with very few exceptions. Redwall Abbey may defend itself against direct attacks, but the brunt of the actual fighting is left to lay-beasts (I can’t believe I just typed that with my real hands) and the abbey warrior.
Politically and socially speaking, the abbey is a …. socialist commune? There’s food and drink and medical care for everyone, as long as you’re willing to pitch in. Children are raised communally.
There must be SOME concept of saints, because of the whole misunderstanding surrounding St. Ninian’s. Notable abbots and abbesses may be given the saint treatment, becoming revered and maybe getting their deeds put into a tapestry. We see this with abbey warriors all the time.
Unfortunately, with the origins of Loamhedge obscured, it’s impossible to know where this whole monastic tradition comes from! We have no evidence of a wide-spread organized religion (I’m not counting the cults of enemy hordes, which are invariably one-offs). It could be that there once WERE more religious components to the way the abbey works, we get hints of them: the concept of the ‘Dark Forest’ where people go when they die, asking the spirit of Martin the Warrior for guidance, having celibate members of the monastery hierarchy, the devotion to non-violence … Did this originate in Loamhedge itself? Was there once a network of abbeys with a central authority? What I wouldn’t give to know.
(As for the author’s inspiration, he’s definitely pulling from medieval European monasteries, particularly the more service-and-community-oriented orders).
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Loki is the Philosopher King 