Hwin

Biographical summary

Hwin was born in Narnia but was captured as a foal and sold into slavery in Calormen, becoming the property of Aravis Tarkheena. During her years in slavery, she did not speak to hide her Narnian origin. Not long before the events of The Horse and His Boy, Hwin revealed her nature as a talking horse to Aravis while intervening to prevent Aravis from killing herself to avoid an arranged marriage, and persuaded her to escape together to Narnia. In the story, Hwin and Aravis first appear driven together with Bree and Shasta by roaring lions.

Hwin looked up to Bree as a noble war horse and preferred his assistance and protection. Although Aravis was the acknowledged leader of their pair, Hwin defended her right to compare escape stories with Bree. Hwin and Bree discovered they knew the same places in Narnia and were possibly distantly related. Hwin played a vital role in their escape through Tashbaan, but her plan of disguising themselves failed when King Edmund mistook Shasta for Prince Corin and Aravis was recognised by a friend.

The group eventually reunited and headed to Archenland. Hwin remained friends with Bree, Shasta (later revealed to be Prince Cor of Archenland) and Aravis throughout her life, and it is mentioned that she later married, though not to Bree.

Personality

Hwin's logical thinking and humility serve as a counter to Bree. She is generally clear-thinking and reasonable, and though she seems shy at times, her advice is usually the smartest of the group's; she devised the best plan for getting through Tashbaan, though it did not work well for reasons beyond their control. Her wisdom contrasts with Bree, who is less sensible and more concerned with what others think of him, while Hwin enjoys rolling in the grass and does not care what others think.

Did You Know?

• Hwin's name brings to mind the word 'whinny', a sound that horses make.
• Primarily, 'Hwin' is a contraction of 'Hwinhynym', which, spelled 'Houyhnhnm', is the name of the race of noble horses from Jonathan Swift's Gulliver's Travels.