Beasts

**Beasts**, also known as **wild folk**, were any animals native to the Whispy Woods who lived within nature and lacked any human-like social structure.

While the sentient animals known as "talking beasts" lived in social structures somewhat comparable to humans, most of animals were non-sentient beings called "dumb beasts" or "simple beasts". Generally, these beasts were always ruled over by humans.

A

* **Albatross**- Large white seabirds that mainly serve as messengers. Merlin is mentioned to have transformed into one.
* **Ape**- Apes are among the most clever of talking beasts in the land. Like in the real world, their diet seems to consist primarily of fruit and nuts. At least three species of apes exist in the Whispy Woods; gorillas, orangutans and chimpanzees.

B

* **Badger**- A striped, weasel-like carnivorous mammal. Talking badgers are intelligent, kind, and loyal. They side with Merlin and his followers whenever battle erupts.
* **Bat**- Giant bats are present in the emperor's army.
* **Bear**- Talking bears are large, kind, and almost childlike creatures. They are depicted as strong but gentle, who pass their time napping and eating honey, but are also very wise, intelligent, and are very loyal to Merlin.
* **Beaver**- A plump, semiaquatic rodent with a paddle-shaped tail and buck teeth. Beavers are hardworking, strong-hearted beasts who loyally follow Merlin.
* **Boar**- Talking boars are fierce fighters, and use their tusks to gash enemies. They are among the most loyal, the bravest and the most clever beasts in the Whispy Woods.

C

* **Cat**- Cats are aloof, cunning, and graceful creatures. Most do not speak and are considered pets to humans, though some have limited vocabulary.
* **Centaur**- The centaurs of the Whispy Woods are noble beings and are one of the most loyal creatures to Merlin. They have the head, torso, and arms of a human but have the lower body of a horse joining at the waist. Their horse-halves are generally chestnut colored, with their human hair and beards being of various colors. They are highly skilled in astronomy and divination, being able to read the stars and tell of future events. They are also proficient warriors and healers. They wear several different forms of armor and use a variety of swords and lances in battle. It is said that no one ever laughs at a Centaur, and that no one who values his life would ever try to put a saddle on one.
* **Cheetah**- Felines that can run over 70 miles an hour and attack their enemies very quickly, making them ideal soldiers.
* **Cow**- Dumb beasts that were a major product and resource in the Whispy Woods. They were a prized source of meat, milk and leather and a symbol of aristocratic prestige.
* **Chicken**- Chickens were dumb beasts that were hunted by many beasts and creatures for them to eat for breakfast, lunch, or dinner.
* **Crane-** Cranes werelarge, long-legged, and long-necked birds that lived mainly near rivers and lakes in the Whispy Woods.
* **Cyclops**- Cyclopes are a race of gigantic one-eyed creatures that loyally served the Emperor. Their heights range from eight to at least ten feet tall.

D

* **Dog**- A domesticated carnivorous canine mammal; the talking dogs of the Whispy Woods were intelligent, although they retained stereotypical dog-like behaviour and appearance. One group of dogs "put their front paws on the shoulders of the humans and licked their faces". Dogs consider it either an insult or a demeaning punishment to call another dog a "boy" or a "girl". This is considered to be as demeaning as a human calling another human a "dog".
* **Donkey**- A domesticated, medium-sized, horse-like mammal, talking donkeys were kind but foolish beasts. They are commonly used for carrying goods and people over great distances.
* **Dragon**- Dragons are a race of scaly fire-breathing creatures with bat-like wings. They can breathe fire and smoke, and love to hoard treasure within their caves. They exist throughout various regions of the Whispy Woods, and are generally considered sapient beings even though they cannot talk, for it is possible for a human to communicate with them.
* **Dryad**- Dryads were tree spirits that were capable of leaving their trees and assuming a physical body resembling human form. Each individual dryad is spiritually bound to one tree and if that tree dies or is cut down, its dryad will die as well. They were fond of dancing and often danced with fauns. They were capable of marrying human men and women, and raise human children.

E

* **Eagle**- Eagles were quick, keen hunters that lived all over the Whispy Woods.
* **Elephant**- Elephants are one of the largest talking beasts in the Whispy Woods, and were chiefly used by the Haledrians as beasts of war.
* **Elk**- Elks were loyal and noble animals. They have brown hair and great antlers, though not as great as those of a stag.

F

* **Falcon**- Falcons are large, intelligent, and wise birds that inhabit the Whispy Woods. They are good friends to eagles and they are loyal to Merlin. These birds are often used for hunting parties where they search for food.
* **Faun**- Fauns are woodland creatures with the legs of a goat and the upper body of a human. They characteristically have curly hair, glossy black hair and fur, small horns resembling those of a goat, and long tails. They enjoy dancing and playing music.
* **Fish**- The fish that inhabit the waterways of the woods are wide and varied, but are known to include earthly fish including trout as well species indigenous to the land, such as the fire-scaled skreet.
* **Fox**- Foxes are sly, intelligent creatures who spend their days eating and keeping to themselves. They often remain neutral when war breaks out, though a few are seen fighting for Merlin.

G

* **Giant**- Giants are very large humanoid creatures which generally grow between fifteen to twenty feet tall. They are strong and vicious, but generally dim-witted and stupid at best. Many giants fought on the side of the Emperor.
* **Goat**- Grazing beasts that enjoyed to graze in the fields of the Whispy Woods.
* **Gryphon**- Gryphons are winged creatures that are brown in appearance. They have head and wings of an eagle (with curved beaks) and the body of a lion. They are seen as followers of Merlin and assist him in battle.
* **Gull**- A species of water birds that often inhabit beaches and the land surrounding them. It is unknown if they can talk.

H

* **Hare**- A fast-running, long-eared mammal that resembles a large rabbit, and one of the beasts living in the lands beyond the Wall. No doubt the hares, like most creatures in the Whispy Woods, were similar in appearance to hares on earth, but were a great deal bigger.
* **Hawk**- Hawks are fast, intelligent, and peaceful birds in relation to Falcons and Eagles. They were seen flying with eagles, falcons, and gryphons during battle.
* **Horse**- Both speechless and talking horses exist in the Whispy Woods. While the speechless variety are often used as mounts and pack animals, a talking horse will only allow itself to be ridden during desperate times. Both are used for transportation, in combat, as a patrimonial resource, and as a symbol of status.
* **Hyena**- Hyenas are vicious dog-like creatures related to Jackals.

I

* **Insects**- Bees, grasshoppers, mosquitoes, and butterflies are each mentioned throughout the book.

J

* **Jackal**- Jackals are a variety of wild dogs. They are mentioned as living in the warmer climates of the Whispy Woods.
* **Jaguar-** Fast, strong, and loyal creatures that fight for Merlin.

L

* **Leopard**- Leopards are ferocious though honourable creatures. They often serve the king along with the lions, jaguars and cheetahs.
* **Lion**- Talking lions are among the most respected creatures in all of the Whispy Woods. Symbolically, the symbol of the king is a roaring golden lion’s head (representing his love for the animal). It is mentioned that some human hunters seek out non-talking lions, presumably for sport.

M

* **Mammoth**- Mammoths are large, elephant-like animals, with great tusks and long, woolly fur. They are large enough to be ridden by giants. They leave huge footprints, and although they have enormous strength, their huge size makes them an easy target in battle.
* **Minotaurs-** Minotaurs have the head, tail, and rear hooves of a bull, but the body and erect posture of a human. While they are wild and aggressive beings by nature, minotaurs are surprisingly gentle creatures. They are also powerful warriors in battle. In the novel, the adviser and war general for Lord Tirian is a minotaur named Targus. Minotaurs are closely related to Satyrs.

* **Mole**- The talking moles of the Whispy Woods are excellent tunnelers and gardeners. They are very kind creatures, and choose not to fight on either side during battle.
* **Moose**- Dumb beasts that mainly lived in the lands in the north.

N

* **Naiad**- River Nymphs or Water Spirits were the gods and goddesses who lived in the rivers and streams of the Whispy Woods. They are human-like in appearance, and are spiritually tied to the waters of Narnia. No physical description is given, but are depicted as pretty women dressed in gowns of aquatic colors, most commonly in blue, and sometimes wearing crowns of rushes around their heads.

O

* **Ogre**- Ogres are monstrous humanoids that serve the Emperor. They were regarded as strong and brutish, but slow and clumsy creatures.
* **Otter**- Otters are semi-aquatic animals that are intelligent, peaceful and loyal. They are also one of the many talking beasts of the Whispy Woods. They are fish-eating creatures that sometimes live in lakes or rivers, and also build homes. They are great swimmers, and they sometimes work together as a pack to hunt for fish, which include trout.
* **Owl**- Owls are often seen inhabiting the forests of the land and are very wise. There were many owls in the Whispy Woods, some of which were talking owls.

P

* **Panther**- Panthers are mentioned as troops in the king’s army. They are described as being black coloured, and are very loyal to the royal family.
* **Pelican**- Pelicans are water birds with long pouched bills for catching prey. They were members of the king’s army.
* **Phoenix**- A Phoenix was a magnificent red firebird that was larger than an eagle, with a crimson chest, a fiery crest on its head, and a golden tail. Phoenixes are allies of the king and aid him by creating fire, which is a magical ability that most phoenixes have.
* **Pig**- Dumb beasts that were hunted by giants and were one of the dishes served at feasts in the great hall of Monterria.

R

* **Rabbit**- Rabbits are a race of docile creatures mentioned throughout the book, mainly as talking beasts.
* **Rat**- Rats were rodents with hairless tails.
* **Reindeer**- Reindeers are intelligent, fast, and excellent talking beasts. They are shown pulling sleds in the snowy climates of the woods.
* **Rhinoceros-**  Rhinos are one among the talking beasts that live in the Whispy Woods. They were regarded as powerful soldiers due to their massive sizes and strength.

S

* **Satyr**- Satyrs are strange creatures who are part human and part goat. They looked more or less like an ordinary goat, but stood upright like a human (similar to minotaurs). They were covered in fur, which ranged to a host of colours, from red to grey to brown, and even white. Because of their goat legs, they were able to leap and jump great distances and heights. Also, similar to minotaurs, satyrs typically wore armor and carried a wide variety of weapons. upon. Some fought in the Whispy War for both Merlin and the Emperor.
* **Sheep**- Another major product and resource in the Whispy Woods.
* **Snake**- It is unknown which exact species of snake lived in the Whispy Woods.
* **Squirrels-** Talking Squirrels, like most talking beasts of the Whispy Woods, were larger than their counterparts on Earth; both red and grey squirrels existed. Typical squirrels were quick climbers, lived in trees, and collected nuts for food.
* **Stags and Deer**- Stags are the names given to male deer, while females are called does. They are docile beasts mainly found in the deciduous and taiga forests of the Whispy Woods. Some stags speak, while most does remain silent.

T

* **Tiger**- Tigers were large, orange and black-striped cats that were among those loyal to the kings of men. Two species of Tigers lived in the Whispy Woods, which was that of the Orange and the White Tiger.
* **Troll**- Evil followers of the Emperor. Like their close relatives, trolls were strong and brutish but slow and clumsy creatures of low intelligence, usually travelling in groups of two or three. Some were described as being able to speak, while others appear to be as irrational as animals. The major weakness of at least some trolls was that they turned to stone in sunlight. Their skin was incredibly thick, providing dermal armor strong enough to withstand swords and spears. Despite their large sizes and strength, they seem to be completely subservient to the Emperor’s military, seeing as they allow themselves to be leashed by chains.

U

* **Unicorn**- Unicorns were noble white horse-like creatures with single silver horns on their foreheads. They used their horns in battle, and could be ridden when necessary.

V

* **Vulture**- Vultures are dumb, unpleasant creatures known to act as spies.

W

* **Weasel**- A type of carnivorous mammal with long and slender bodies and short legs. They were greedy, but loyal and noble beasts who lived in the warm climates of the land.
* **Werewolf**- Werewolves were creatures capable of transforming from a presumed human-like appearance to that similar to a wolf. Because they were considered among the Whispy Woods' darkest creatures, they were some of the Emperor's most valued minions.
* **White Tigers**- A White Tiger is basically the same as an orange one, but is instead white with black stripes, and is a bit bigger.
* **Winged Horse**- Winged Horses, also called Pegasi, are winged horses capable of flight and, in the Whispy Woods, generally a talking beast.
* **Wolf**- Wolves resemble their counterparts in the real world, except they are bigger and more intelligent, but still just as vicious when they want to be.
* **Wraith-** Wraiths are said to be phantoms, which existed in the Whispy Woods.

Z

* **Zebra**- Zebras were intelligent and peaceful animals.