Psychoanalysis of Cluny the Scourge (by Ratty)

Translation by Heretic al-Taneli

Cluny the Scourge...Inhabitants of peaceful Redwall abbey frightened each oter by his name, even in Mossflower knew him. They thought about him as a real winner. Fantastic monster, the horror - some beasts didn't know that actually he's a rat. We can't imagine Cluny as a cub, or young, or old - even if we try harder. But we can Cluny as a conqueror in a shine armor leading a huge army and giving orders to them. But Cluny is an alive beast and our relation to him, in my opinion, is a result of his own work. So, let's see!

We can't imagine Cluny's army without its leader. And we can't imagine Cluny without his army. He needs submission. Cluny - the god of war. Everything that he see he adapts to war. Bars from the chirch fence, the st. Ninian's Church itself, cart - everything. For Cluny important all that can help him to win.

Cluny is really cares about intimidation and parade resources. He's got special war dress and standard. He makes his army scand: "Cluny, Cluny, Cluny the Scourge!" While he wal leading his army his appearence terrified peaceful beasts. "Cluny knew that fear is a strong weapon and was able to inspire it. His long black cloak made from bats'wings was stapled by frightening "pin" - mole's scull. Above his helmet was feathers of black ousel and stag beetle's horns. His one eye was shining darkly out of lowered visor."

Every time Cluny sells horror to everybody. It's not his ability, but he works on it. And he accurately watches everyone to beware him. Cluny is an expert in psychological pressure. He likes to pose. Here's Cluny as a general, and here's as a "judje". For the "judjement" his rats making a dais and delivering abbat's armchair.

Cluny's army lining up and expell abbey's inhabitants. Forthcoming in front of his army or Redwall's inhabitants for Cluny is an observance. And he tries to make a great impression. Even when cart with his rats crashts he found a tribune. "He approached the pulpit and looked at his army - as a satan chirch attendant his flock." "At last in silence doors snapped and Cluny with Fangburn and Killconey, who was holdind his standard and burning torch appeared on the doorstep. Rats was welcoming them by cries of joy. Cluny in his armor - from poisoned spike on his tail till the shining helmet was real incarnation of barbaric power. The conqueror! Without looking around he went betweem his warriors who was staying straight. Sprung on the dais, he wrapped in his black cloak and sat into abbat's armchair." Can you see that Cluny is always untouchable and formidable especially when his submissive army surrounds him and scand: "Cluny, Cluny, Cluny The Scourge!"

Cluny tries to sure every beast and himself about his invulnerability. He's not scratched himself when he was bited by wasps. And when he was injured and bleed he tried to choke off Killconey by his tail. Some beasts think that cluny is immortal. Redtooth think that Cluny's wounds not so serious. He just want to see his officers' loyality. Cluny makes impression of rat who afraids nothing. He rakishly rides on a cart and he was the first who got on a dangerous board - not Killconey, but Cluny! He always looks like he's controlling situation at all. Just remember the moment of Cheesethief killing - Cluny turns his bad luck into good one. "What a toad! Yeah, Scourge never miss his own!" And for making his army understand his cunning Cluny speaks with them as with equal: hits Fangburn on his back call him "my friend" and laugh with his usual soldiers! Nobody can trick Cluny.

But we can see that he can make mistakes, too. He often becomes angry and in that moments he can't think clear. "Cluny was a great general exept of cases when he became angry..." Cluny doesn't objects his bad lucks. They're taking a rise out of him. "Cluny vehemently, swaring at his army, lashed by his tail every beast near him. His eyes were mad in a glow of flames.

"Is it a fire?! Retreat, bastards! Kill the mice!" Darkclaw and Fangburn saized Cluny's smoking cloak's edge and dragged warlord outside. "Watch out, it's falling!" In an anger Cluny cares nobody and nothing, even other's lifes. Amok, he killed valuable hostage, Mortimer, he was close to die under the burning siege tower. When Cluny is angry, he can't control himself. He's VERY overconfident. It's two sides of a one medal: from one - Cluny sure in his victory so much that surrounding believe in it, too. The neganive side - he sometimes overestimates himself. It would be beter if Scragg had gone on the board first... And Cluny thinks that his horde without him is nothing. Yes, in some way he's right, but he underestimates his soldiers and officers.
They're not so stupid. Cluny thinks that all his warriors are interchangeable. He doesn't cares who is respected by his rats - he can appoint his alternate himself. But will rats respect him? And what's surprizing: good warrior and spy Shadow died - Cluny said nothing about it, Redtooth, Cluny's alternate died - "Hell with him!", Scragg, promising soldier, died - "Croaked? Well, it's okay"... But no matter how clever is he - he needs army, because without in Cluny wasn't able to do anything. Cluny is clever. In my opinion, his mind - his natural talent. He teachs everything himself. But if he can read and draw his sly plans, it means, that he's educated. Likely he's self-educated. Again this talk about chess remind us about his overconfidence. "If he teachs this game, he'll easily one-up everyone!" Cluny thinks that he can do everything and always be the winner.

But Cluny is a real pirate. He's rude, he theatens his soldiers and his horde's ctructure is too primitive - "general officer", "inferior officer". He's vindictive - his revenge to badgers, who kicked him with his army from their mines... Cluny is used to take trophys. Cluny - the pirate and god of war.

That's what Cluny's like. The legeng about him he created himself...


In quotes there are citations from "Redwall" by Brian Jacques.