The Mystery of the North South Path

[LT Sandpaw]

Where does the path go? Who built it? When was it created?

For those who don't remember Redwall's western wall is built along a dirt footpath that runs seemingly endlessly to both the north and south. Characters from the stories have followed it in both directions at length, but usually they divert into the woodlands before they actually make it anywhere of importance. Now, as we all know, footpaths don't just appear for convenience, (  )  so logically we can deduce that the path leads somewhere.

The earliest version of the path we see, is when it runs past Kotir, and we know that Verduga Greeneyes came along and claimed the abandoned fort as his own, suggesting that the path was built for and/or by whoever held Kotir before the wildcat warlord took it.

We also know that the path was made in a hurry, due to the fact that no bridge was built over the River Moss, instead there is a ford to allow animals to cross. However, at certain points there are ditches dug to protect the path from presumably, winter run offs and heavy rain fall...

It reminds me, somewhat, of how the Romans built key forts and roads in Britain and Germania allowing speedy troop movement throughout their conquered lands!

So maybe there was a Large Imperial Faction in the Redwall world like the Romans that failed to conquer the island, due to the ferocity of the native tribal peoples, thus they were forced to abandon their forts, retreating back to the mainland. If this theory is correct, and a group of Redwallers followed the path for long enough they might just discover another Kotir-like building either in disarray or being held by some other warlord; or maybe I'm ust crazy.

What do ya'll think? Who made it? Why did they make it, and when?

[Ashleg]

Maybe Verdauga built it using slave labor?

[Feles]

No, he found it in disrepair, he never made it.

[alexandre]

I think 'twas humans who built the path

In a conversation on the Redwall facebook group, someone mentioned something from High Rhulian about Riggu Felis talking about cats being previously (A looooong time ago) ruled over by some other species that was wiped from the face of the Earth

That could've the human race, or something similar. So it is an easy possibility that they could've built the path.

It also seems that the path was built to last for a loooooooong time. It never seems to be in a terribly bad shape in the books despite the vast time period the series covers. It would've taken a bunch of woodland creatures a loooooooooong time to build such a path. Even that Abbey they built had some wear and tear, like when they had to replace the south wall. So I think it easily could've been some mysterious human-like species that built the path.

. . .


But to where? 

[Groddil]

I think 'twas humans who built the path

In a conversation on the Redwall facebook group, someone mentioned something from High Rhulian about Riggu Felis talking about cats being previously (A looooong time ago) ruled over by some other species that was wiped from the face of the Earth

That could've the human race, or something similar. So it is an easy possibility that they could've built the path.

It also seems that the path was built to last for a loooooooong time. It never seems to be in a terribly bad shape in the books despite the vast time period the series covers. It would've taken a bunch of woodland creatures a loooooooooong time to build such a path. Even that Abbey they built had some wear and tear, like when they had to replace the south wall. So I think it easily could've been some mysterious human-like species that built the path.

. . .


But to where?

Except the path is scaled to woodlanders. If it was a typical human dirt-road/footpath thing, it would be huge.

And the Abbey's south wall needed to be replaced because it was practically over the top of a sinkhole.

[Ashleg]

I feel like humans never existed--but if they did, they'd be the same size as the characters. If you look at some of the art in the books, there's woodlanders standing by trees and stuff.
They'd have to be relative to human size, or else the trees would be very small but that doesn't make sense.

[Tiria Wildlough]

There needs to be a fanfic where some characters go on a quest to find out where the path leads.

[alexandre]

Well, we know it probably goes up near Noonvale because that is how the travelers came from their to Redwall to tell the story of Martin and Rose(MTW Prologue and Epilogue)

As for south, I always assumed that it lead to Castle Floret and Southsward, but I don't know/think it was mentioned in the books.

[Captain Tammo]

Lol, it's like the Route 66 of the Redwall universe

Well, the Redwall universe started out as having traces of humans in it (Cluny the Portuguese rat, the horse and cart, etc...). Since Mossflower was written early on in the universe before all traces of humans disappeared, I think that Verdauga found a fortress that had formerly belonged to humans. The path a human construction as well. Perhaps the ford is still cross-able because a stone bridge built over it collapsed and creatures can jump from stone to stone? Then as the series went on, these landmarks stayed and their reason for existence disappeared into the background...

There needs to be a fanfic where some characters go on a quest to find out where the path leads.

I think that's an awesome prompt! I gotta make a list of prompts for people one of these days...

[Ashleg]

I just hate the idea of humans being in Redwall, plus the size of the animals to the castle means it definitely wasn't built by humans. Or the castle would be huge.

[Maudie]

I think considering the fact that the animals seem to be of different sizes and proportions than in real life, and the fact that there is never the slightest mention or indication of the existence of humans in all of the 22 books, I'd say that it's reasonable to conclude that the concept of humans in the world of Redwall is both ridiculous and easily dismissed.

[Ashleg]

*applauds*

[Sanddunes]

I do like the Idea of a Redwall vision of the Roman empire who built miles of roads and had military fort all over the empire

[Maudie]

Come to think of it, it would have been really cool to see a book set before Mossflower and Lord Brocktree showing us how it was before Verdauga, when Kotir was built and Brockhall wasn't so little known and sparsely inhabited.

[Ashleg]

It would, but I think the main reason he never went too far in the past was because the series is called Redwall, after all.