# I keep kosher. Can I eat Mr. Tumnus? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [September 16, 2010, 4:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-keep-kosher-can-i-eat-mr-tumnus/553977 "2010-09-16T16:16:50Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Malthus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/85f322/32.png) [@Malthus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malthus)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2010, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-keep-kosher-can-i-eat-mr-tumnus/553977/41 "2010-09-17T18:22:12Z")
> [@j\_sum1](#): > > I think you could eat his legs… > > And you could probably do that without killing him. Which raises the question … if Mr. Tumnus were a _Jewish_ fawn - could he eat his own legs, and keep kosher? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![sciurophobic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/cab0a1/32.png) [@sciurophobic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sciurophobic)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2010, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-keep-kosher-can-i-eat-mr-tumnus/553977/42 "2010-09-17T19:06:37Z")
But the hindquarters aren’t kosher, so you could only eat his top half. ---
**Author:** ![Gedd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gedd/32/4938_2.png) [@Gedd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gedd)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2010, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-keep-kosher-can-i-eat-mr-tumnus/553977/43 "2010-09-17T20:16:18Z")
This brought a few more questions to mind. What kind of digestive system do centaurs have and do they chew their cud? ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2010, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-keep-kosher-can-i-eat-mr-tumnus/553977/44 "2010-09-17T21:31:05Z")
Given that horses have no cud, and thus do not chew cud, and centaurs are supposed to be half-horse, centaurs likewise would not have cud nor chew cud. As for digestion - that varies from source to source. In the Narnia books at one point it is explained that their centaurs have _two_ digestive systems, a horse one and a human one, and they eat food for both, which accounts for them getting up very early in the morning to start breakfast as they require both a horse breakfast of things like hay and oats and a human breakfast of whatever humans normally eat in the Narnia books. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2010, 9:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-keep-kosher-can-i-eat-mr-tumnus/553977/45 "2010-09-17T21:50:58Z")
> [@Malthus](#): > > if Mr. Tumnus were a _Jewish_ fawn Nitpick: He’s a [faun](http://listsoplenty.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/Faun.jpg), not a [fawn.](http://www.labountyphoto.com/sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderpictures/.pond/fawn.jpg.w560h373.jpg) As cloven-hoofed cud-chewers, I would think fawns are kosher. ---
**Author:** ![AndrewL](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3d9bf3/32.png) [@AndrewL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AndrewL)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2010, 10:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-keep-kosher-can-i-eat-mr-tumnus/553977/46 "2010-09-17T22:05:59Z")
> [@Broomstick](#): > > As for digestion - that varies from source to source. In the Narnia books at one point it is explained that their centaurs have _two_ digestive systems, a horse one and a human one, and they eat food for both, which accounts for them getting up very early in the morning to start breakfast as they require both a horse breakfast of things like hay and oats and a human breakfast of whatever humans normally eat in the Narnia books. Given that, despite what the rest of the digestive system may be, they still have only a human mouth with which to chew and ingest both meals, I suspect the horse breakfast is even more difficult and time-consuming for the centaur than it would have been for the horse to eat. I also have to wonder how the plumbing hooks up - is the system in series or parallel? ---
**Author:** ![DocCathode](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doccathode/32/18773_2.png) [@DocCathode](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DocCathode)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2010, 10:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-keep-kosher-can-i-eat-mr-tumnus/553977/47 "2010-09-17T22:17:19Z")
Donna Barr explores the issues of centaur anatomy in her wonderful comic books series Stinz. An excerpt Human doctor “Don’t you do autopsies? Cut up the dead?” Centaur “Maybe you do such things, but we’re Catholic!” ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2010, 11:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-keep-kosher-can-i-eat-mr-tumnus/553977/48 "2010-09-17T23:01:37Z")
On the other hand, though, unicorns are sometimes described as having goat-like hooves, and it’s at least plausible that they might chew cud, too. ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2010, 2:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-keep-kosher-can-i-eat-mr-tumnus/553977/49 "2010-09-19T14:00:41Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > On the other hand, though, unicorns are sometimes described as having goat-like hooves, and it’s at least plausible that they might chew cud, too. Unicorns are frequently considered avatars of Christ, so presumably everybody celebrating Mass this morning can be considered to be drinking unicorn blood and eating 'corn steak. ---
**Author:** ![Oakminster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/77aa72/32.png) [@Oakminster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oakminster)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2010, 2:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-keep-kosher-can-i-eat-mr-tumnus/553977/50 "2010-09-19T14:05:14Z")
> [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](#): > > Unicorns are frequently considered avatars of Christ, so presumably everybody celebrating Mass this morning can be considered to be drinking unicorn blood and eating 'corn steak. Hmmmm…that kinda adds a new dimension to the thing about how only female virgins can ride a unicorn… ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2010, 2:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-keep-kosher-can-i-eat-mr-tumnus/553977/51 "2010-09-19T14:05:59Z")
> [@Oakminster](#): > > > [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](#): > > > > Unicorns are frequently considered avatars of Christ, so presumably everybody celebrating Mass this morning can be considered to be drinking unicorn blood and eating 'corn steak. > > Hmmmm…that kinda adds a new dimension to the thing about how only virgin females can ride a unicorn… Discussed in a thread of mine from a while back. There’s a couple of ways to look at it, but I don’t wish to hijack this thread further. ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2010, 2:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-keep-kosher-can-i-eat-mr-tumnus/553977/52 "2010-09-19T14:14:12Z")
> [@AndrewL](#): > > > [@Broomstick](#): > > > > As for digestion - that varies from source to source. In the Narnia books at one point it is explained that their centaurs have _two_ digestive systems, a horse one and a human one, and they eat food for both, which accounts for them getting up very early in the morning to start breakfast as they require both a horse breakfast of things like hay and oats and a human breakfast of whatever humans normally eat in the Narnia books. > > Given that, despite what the rest of the digestive system may be, they still have only a human mouth with which to chew and ingest both meals, I suspect the horse breakfast is even more difficult and time-consuming for the centaur than it would have been for the horse to eat. I also have to wonder how the plumbing hooks up - is the system in series or parallel? The book in question, by the way, is the best of the Chronicles, _The Silver Chair_. Someone is explaining to Jill why Centaurs take so long to eat breakfast and why asking one to stay the weekend is such a major thing. As the whole thing is a set-up for a joke, I’m not sure if even the character is serious. ---
**Author:** ![foolsguinea](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foolsguinea/32/14751_2.png) [@foolsguinea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/foolsguinea)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2010, 2:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-keep-kosher-can-i-eat-mr-tumnus/553977/53 "2010-09-19T14:47:41Z")
> [@Oakminster](#): > > > [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](#): > > > > Unicorns are frequently considered avatars of Christ, so presumably everybody celebrating Mass this morning can be considered to be drinking unicorn blood and eating 'corn steak. > > Hmmmm…that kinda adds a new dimension to the thing about how only female virgins can ride a unicorn… Maybe that’s where unicorn as avatar of Christ comes from? I don’t know, I get the lion, pelican, & lamb analogies, but the unicorn analogy is unfamiliar & strange to me. ---
**Author:** ![FuzzyOgre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/a587f6/32.png) [@FuzzyOgre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FuzzyOgre)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2010, 3:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-keep-kosher-can-i-eat-mr-tumnus/553977/54 "2010-09-19T15:39:48Z")
Tell you what. If you really want to eat Mr. Tumnus, do it. I wont tell. ---
**Author:** ![RedWood](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f08c70/32.png) [@RedWood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RedWood)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2010, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-keep-kosher-can-i-eat-mr-tumnus/553977/55 "2010-09-19T16:35:59Z")
It’s not polite to eat persons without their permission! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-keep-kosher-can-i-eat-mr-tumnus/553977.md?page=2)