What Happened To Martin's Tomb?

[HeadInAnotherGalaxy]

Vote'er 'appened tae Martin'z Tomb after tvaz found in ze original Redwall book? Tiz ne'er mentioned again az far az ah can remember, und ah zink zere are partz in ze zeriez takin' place after ze firzt book vhere it lookz like zey dinnae 'ave it zhovin'. Did zey zeal it back up again, or zummat elze? Ah vid zink zat tvid be loike an 'oly place fer ze Abbey or zummat. If zey did zeal it back up, zen vhy did zey?

[The Skarzs]

My best guess would be that they sealed it back up to respect the dead. However, why it was never mentioned does seem odd, because such an important figure in the Redwall history shouldn't be forgotten, and they would keep every part of him and the memory of him present, which would logically include his tomb.
Even a mention of it in later books would have been nice.

[Ashleg]

What if they forgot about it...and its door is still open, just waiting for the unlucky explorer to venture inside...
DUN DUN DUN!

[Luftwaffles]

Early writing was pretty weak.

I can easily see this detail as being forgotten about.

[James Gryphon]

I totally disagree about the early writing being 'weak', but it's fair that it might have been a detail that was lost.

That said, I think the main reason why it didn't come up again was because it wasn't needed for anything.

[Luftwaffles]

I totally disagree about the early writing being 'weak', but it's fair that it might have been a detail that was lost.

"Redwall" was a chore to read and I think many of us would agree on that, though.

[321tumbler]

Yeah I would agree on that. I generally don't consider most of those little details in the first book solid enough to be supported in the world of Redwall.

[The Skarzs]

It seems a bit of a loose end, still.
Like I said, a brief mention of the tomb would have sufficed to end wonderment about it.

[Ashleg]

I actually loved the first book, minus the cat/horse/potential "human" things, which irritated me because they were out of place.

The rest of the book was awesome and is the single reason for my being here in the first place.
As for a serious answer to that Tomb thing...
I agree with James.

[MeadowR]

Redwall was no chore for me, and was certainly not 'weak' writing! Lots happened and it kept me interested throughout.

But to the question... I don't remember much about the tomb. I suppose it being mentioned - and explored - was enough; it didn't really need to be explored again. We can assume that it was still there. Another little mention might have been nice later on, about some character in need, or a warrior, going to view it and getting some 'feeling' from being around there, a little different to the usual Martin visions, or something like that.

(I hope this post doesn't post a zillion times... got signed out during writing it.)

[Grond]

On the topic of toms/graves- one thing that came up to me was that by the time of the Rogue Crew or later books Redwall's graveyard must have gotten pretty huge since virtually all the abbeybeasts were buried on Abbey grounds (provided they died inside the Abbey or close to it). Even if they dug up old graves after a while and reburied the newly dead in them that must have taken up a significant portion of Redwall's courtyard, yet the graveyard is never outright mentioned just that so and so creature was buried...

[MeadowR]

I was rather surprised that more wasn't mentioned of the graveyard. (I think there was even a thread about this previously?) A few characters had their special resting places mentioned, but yeah - what of the rest? There could have been any time a character/s had to go through the graveyard: a scenario being a few dibbuns have run off and they have to search everywhere, and maybe find them in the graveyard. It could have been spoken of in a way to make it sound like a non-foreboding place; a character could have gone to the grave of a past loved one asking for advice and so on. Or, it could even be a place where the badbeasts hide and camp out whilst trying to take over the abbey. I can envision the characters getting frightened about being there at night. If Brian wasn't afraid of taking us down into these caves and rooms and things to find a tomb (Brocktree in his armour one was pretty creepy), then I can't see why the graveyard area couldn't have been mentioned.

[Ashleg]

He might not have thought about it.
I'm going to admit that as obsessed with Redwall as I am, the thought of a graveyard never once actually occurred to me.
Of course they have one.
They have to.

Meanwhile in my writings everybeast just is assumed to be cleaned up after a battle and it's not mentioned again.

* Ashleg cringes.

[Jetthebinturong]

I actually don't think Redwall has a specific graveyard, I think they just bury people wherever. A sort of returning them to nature type deal.

[MeadowR]

I thought that as well, but there have been so many abbeydwellers over the years I thought they might run out of places to bury them (same with graveyard, but then they could expand in a concentrated area). I suppose there could still be a kind of graveyard area which is not obviously a graveyard, but perhaps has some markings on the ground where they've been buried underneath, and the living can still walk over, like in old cathedrals.