[DEBATE] Matthias's age?

[Dante8002]

In human age about 16 in Redwall and 30 in Mattimeo?

[Booklover]

The important question isn't Matthias, it's how Mattimeo's age fits in.

In Mattimeo, it's eight seasons after the Great War (referring to the events of Redwall), if I remember correctly. Yet Mattimeo was only born four seasons after, so he'd be four seasons. Assuming that 1 season = 1 year (in terms of age), then he'd be four. Although there are inconsistencies when it mentions what he did 'last autumn', when he'd have been one. Tim and Tess were said to be too young to remember the events of Redwall, and I'd have said they'd have been around that age then. However, they begin training as bell ringers quite young (nine? ten? I think it was the end of Mattimeo?). And Mattimeo surely wasn't four when he was allowed to hold the sword of Martin.

What I think is at that time, BJ hadn't worked out the ages. In other books, they seem to be roughly 1 season is equivalent to 1 year, or something like that. Yet in Redwall and Mattimeo, they're less consistent. Even if you assume 1 season = 2 or more years or something like that, then Sam would be equivalent to more than eight years older, and for creatures that age, that's a big gap, when Mattimeo is treated by Sam, Tim and Tess as an equal, or even the leader. If you assume that they're like real animals, then that age gap makes less sense. So for this, then the answer is pretty much the same as many questions regarding Redwall: BJ hadn't planned for a series, so hadn't worked out fine details like that, and changed it for later books.

With ages, there are certainly inconsistencies. Other threads go into some in more detail, so I won't do so here. Things like how badgers have really long lifespans compared to other beasts, but then Swarrt is the same age as Sunflash. And some others. The age where they become adults is also inconsistent, with Mattimeo as explained above. In The Taggerung, the Abbeybeasts who were Dibbuns at the beginning are described as something along the lines of 'the younger element, older than Dibbuns but not yet quite adults' (note: this is not the exact quote, so don't take it to be exactly as I say). Yet in another book (can't remember which), one of the novices is only a few seasons out of Dibbunhood. There isn't really much consistency.