Great Cats

The Great Cats are a Narnian force whose swift, coordinated action helps break the Calormene assault on Anvard. In the battle’s turning movement, they first disrupt the enemy’s horses and then return to the main fight, contributing to the defeat of Rabadash’s army and the opening of the castle gates.

Identity and Deployment

The Great Cats include leopards, panthers, and other large cats. As the Narnian army prepares to engage the besiegers, this detachment takes position on the left of the line, distinct from the Giants assigned to the right. Their placement gives them a role on the flank rather than in the central confrontation between the opposing forces.

Action at Anvard

The Great Cats attack the Calormene horses after the enemy’s main body remounts to meet the descending Narnian force. Their attack sends the horses into panic; the Hermit observes that the Cats have done their work when the riderless horses are dead or have escaped. With the Calormenes deprived of those mounts, retreat on horseback is no longer available.

The Cats then turn back toward the main battle and leap upon the men working the battering ram. The ram is put out of action, removing the immediate means of breaking Anvard’s gate. Soon afterward, the gates open from within and King Lune leads a sortie, while the Narnian and Archenland forces press the Calormenes from other directions.

Military Role and Significance

The Great Cats’ contribution is defined by sequence and position: they disrupt the enemy’s mobility, return to the fight against the siege crew, and help shift the battle from an assault on the closed gate to a conflict in which the besieged defenders can join the attack. Their work supports the wider encirclement, with the Giants closing from the right and King Lune’s force emerging from the castle. The battle ends in a decisive defeat for the Calormenes. The Great Cats are not presented as the sole cause of victory, but their flank action helps make the enemy’s retreat and siege effort untenable.