User blog comment:Martin2/Essay:Unanswered Questions of Redwall (Rebuttal)/@comment-1479469-20100130074816

1. It's not just the fact that there's no mention of wheat fields: it's that there is basically no place on the map where they could exist. There aren't any areas large enough for the wheat fields that would be required to produce that much bread. Even if we assume they're off the map, such an explanation runs into the "how is trade performed" issue.

And besides; the "not mentioned/taken for granted" defence is invalid: these problems arise precisely because they are unanswered or left to the reader to figure out.

2. I'll grant the points on Salamandastron and Southsward, but where do they get the iron and steel? Come to think of it, where do they get the feathers for fletching without killing birds for them? As for the hordes...there's no mention of the forges, so we can't just assume a priori that they're there. Leaving aside the huge logistical issues inherent in keeping a portable blacksmith and his requisite supplies in a horde, they're never mentioned at any point in the novels, so it's impossible to simply assume that without it being simple conjecture rather than a cohesive answer....