Brother Methuselah, also known as Old Methuselah, was a bespectacled wise old mouse and the Gatekeeper at Redwall Abbey. He was a scholar, well-known for Abbey record-keeping and chronicling, and spent most of his time in solitude. He was known for being able to understand almost any creature, as he had the gift of tongues. Methuselah was said to be the oldest mouse ever to live in Redwall Abbey.
During the Winter of the Early Snowdrop, Constance and Methuselah repeatedly attempted to locate the Redwall Warrior's Code, however they were unsuccessful.
In his old age, he befriended Matthias, a young mouse destined to follow in Martin the Warrior's footsteps. Together, they located an ancient riddle carved behind the tapestry in Great Hall which named Matthias as Martin's successor. The riddle also led to the discovery of the Martin's underground sepulcher, as well as his shield, armor, and later his Sword.
After a stolen piece of the tapestry was recovered from Cluny the Scourge, Methuselah repaired the damage, sewing the tapestry back together so skillfully it looked as though it had never been torn. It was just as he was finishing this task that the fox thief Chickenhound ran through the Hall with a bag of stolen goods, looking for a means of escape. Methuselah bravely confronted Chickenhound and tried to stop him, however, the fox slew the old mouse by hitting him over the head with the heavy sack harder than he had intended. Matthias later had a dream in which he encountered the Late Rose. On questioning it, the rose opened up, revealing the face of Methuselah, telling Matthias to continue his quest to find the sword on his own.
Methuselah's Legacy[]
When the Joseph Bell was recast into a set of twin bells, one of them was named after him. Matthias' son Mattimeo was also named after Methuselah, with his full name being Matthias Methuselah Mortimer.
Methuselah was later mentioned as having the ability to read Loamscript, a skill only John Churchmouse possessed after his death, and that he and Abbot Mortimer called the ants "the little folk". This fact helped to solve a riddle which in turn led to the discovery of the statue of Abbess Germaine.
Nelvana Redwall TV Series[]
In the Nelvana TV series, Methuselah's role was primarily the same as in Redwall. However, after he was fatally injured by Chickenhound, he conveniently lingered for a few days before dying to help Matthias solve the riddle, whereas in the book, he passed away almost instantaneously. Also, in the TV series, Methuselah was killed before the recovery of the tapestry piece, and not after Saffron and Jennie sew Martin back onto the tapestry.
Additionally, Chickenhound hits Methuselah over the head with a candelabra in the TV series. In Redwall, he uses a sack of loot.
Lost Legends of Redwall[]
Methuselah appears as a non-playable character in the final level of The Lost Legends of Redwall: The Scout Act III, where he welcomes Sophia Ryemaid and Liam Rivermouse to Redwall Abbey, prior to the events of Redwall. He is provided the following in-game biography:
Methuselah is the current Gatekeeper at Redwall Abbey and a skilled chronicler of its histories. Known to voraciously study languages, Methuselah is able to speak many forgotten tongues and can easily read long lost scripts.
Methuselah is a caring father figure to many of Redwall's young apprentices, careful to take the time to know their hearts and counsel their woes. His age has made him a wise mouse with recomendations for any scenario. But don't let the age fool you, Methuselah retained much of his dibbun-like spunk and is known to indulge in a bit of tomfoolery from time to time.
Trivia[]
- In the Bible, Methuselah was a wise man who lived far beyond an average lifetime.
- Methuselah was the author of the text Old Methuselah's Index of Bird Ailments and Remedies.