Tumnus

Mr. Tumnus is a fictional character from C.S. Lewis’s The Chronicles of Narnia, first appearing in The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (1950). He is a faun, a creature with the upper body of a human and the lower body of a goat, who lives in a wooded area near the lamppost that marks the boundary between the human world and Narnia. In the story he is depicted as courteous, thoughtful, and gentle, with a fondness for poetry, music, and tea.

In the narrative, Lucy Pevensie encounters Tumnus when she first enters Narnia. He invites her to tea and explains that the land is under the rule of the White Witch. Bound by the Witch’s decree to betray any human who travels through the forest, Tumnus faces a moral dilemma. He ultimately shows kindness to Lucy and chooses not to reveal her location, though the Witch’s agents later arrest him for aiding a human. The encounter with Tumnus highlights the themes of mercy, fear, and moral choice that run through the book.

Tumnus remains a sympathetic figure within the series’ early portrayal of Narnians, illustrating both the dangers of tyranny and the potential for individual courage. In adaptations, he is typically portrayed as a witty, troubled, and empathetic character; notably, James McAvoy portrayed him in the 2005 feature film adaptation.