Rakkety Tam MacBurl
(Tam)

Gender: male

Species: squirrel

Appears In: Rakkety Tam




Rakkety Tam - commonly known as Tam - is a brave resident of the Northlands who wields several weapons including a claymore and sgian dhu, and wears a tartan and cap with a feather in it. He is the husband of Armel and father of Melanda. He and his best friend Doogy travel south where they eventually arrive at Araltum's Groves and pledge their allegiance to the King and Queen. They grow bored after several seasons and are thrown in prison when they insult the royal couple, however after Gulo's horde viciously attacks the group participating in the Marking of the Marches they are released in order to investigate. Despite Araltum being more concerned about the stolen Royal Banner than his dead squirrels, an enraged Tam (who almost kills the King) agrees to find the piece on the condition they are given their freedom afterwards. While at the grisly scene they are knocked out by some Long Patrol hares who think they are vermin allies of the ones responsible for slaying eight hares. After Arflow, who had witnessed the event, says Gulo's horde are the real murderers, the two squirrels and Long Patrol team up and decide to travel to Redwall to warn the inhabitants about Gulo's presence in the region. He and Doogy later rescued a captured Armel and Brooky, and it is here where he meets and immediately falls in love with the former. Following numerous scuffles against the vermin soldiers, he duels with Gulo outside the Abbey and manages to defeat his much larger opponent by throwing him onto the sharpened edge of his buckler shield (he later mentions that Martin had told him to sharpen it) and decapitating him. He and his family later travel back to Araltum's Groves with the recovered Royal Banner, stripping the squirrel couple of their crowns and refusing to take over as leader of the area. He then returns to Redwall where he presumably stays for the remainder of his seasons.