Calormene Poetry: On Love Versus Desire

In the last post, I suggested that Calormene poetic verses, which appear to be maligned by Lewis, both in form (maxims and apophthegms) and content appear to have biblical parallels especially in the books of Proverbs and Ecclesiastes. If so, why does Lewis appear dismissive of it? The answer will depend on the exact verse. In the last post we studied a Calormene verse which correctly proclaimed that wisdom is more important than strength. Presumably Lewis himself would agree with this declaration. However, the context in which the verse was invoked is inappropriate. In that context the verse suggests that business negotiations are a form of competitiveness and war. While this may appear true in some instances, the ideal is to ensure that both parties believe the exchange was fair and walk away happy. Given the disparity in social status between the Tarkaan and Arsheesh, and the technique of bargaining in which both sides attempt to ‘win,’ this is an impossibility. Thus Lewis’ disdain is merited.

Our next Calormene maxim appears later in Shasta’s story. Shasta’s escape from the house of Arsheesh and the clutches of the Tarkaan Anradin is detailed in the chapters of “The Horse and His Boy.” We will not delve into the adventure itself and only provide the background necessary for our next piece of Calormene poetry.

After much adventure, the readers find themselves in the palace of the Tisroc, the Calormene emperor, in the capital city of Tashbaan. The Tisroc (may he live forever?) is in secret council with his eldest son Rabadash, and his Grand Vizier Ahoshta. Rabadash is to present a plan to conquer Archenland from where he can ride into Narnia to kidnap Susan, one of the Pevensie children now grown up, and take her as his wife. Triggered by the escape of Susan from Tashbaan, he first spends time lamenting his fate. In the midst of his rant, Ahoshta pops his head up from the carpet (where he has prostrated himself in honor of the Tisroc) and quotes the poet:

Deep draughts from the fountain of reason are desirable in order to extinguish the fire of youthful love. 

Rabadash does not take well to this observation and rages at Ahoshta, “Dog! Do not dare to quote the poets to me. I have had maxims and verses flung at me all day and I can endure them no more."

We pause here to note a certain irony, Ahoshta references a maxim about love. This apparently contradicts Ahoshta’s later assertion as to the inferiority of Narnian poetry which is all about “love and war” as opposed to Calormene poetry which is “full of choice apophthegms and useful maxims.” The difference, of course, is that presumably Narnian poetry speaks in praise of love, as opposed to the Calormene maxim which coldly advocates the extinguishing love.

More importantly, however, is the mischaracterization of Rabadash’s feelings for Susan as love. Rabadash never claims to love Susan. He wants her, he must have her, and he will die if he does not get her, but he does not say that he loves her! Later in the conversation, when making a contingency plan should Rabadash be captured by the Narnians, Ahoshta advises that the Tisroc say that Rabadash acted out of love for Susan. In reality, however, he does not love Susan. In another context (“The Four Loves”) Lewis might suggest that Rabadash loves himself and the pleasure he would achieve from Susan’s beauty. Like the poetry quoted by Arsheesh in the last post, Ahoshta's maxim is inappropriate for the situation at hand.

However, looking more closely, we see that Ahoshta’s maxim is not only inapplicable, but also incorrect. The maxim advocates for extinguishing the fire's of love. Why would anyone suggest that?! Engagement in "true" love, love that is imbued with God-like charity, imitates God Himself and is a strong positive force in our world. It is not the fires of love that should be extinguished, but the fires of lust! The Calormene substitution of love for lust demonstrates their inability to understand or experience true love, and therefore, the centrality of greed and arrogance in their culture. 

With that in mind, we can identify a proper biblical parallel to our Calormene maxim. In the seventh chapter of Proverbs, King Solomon advises, “Say to wisdom, you are my sister, and call understanding a kinswoman, to guard you from a strange woman, from a foreigner who is smooth-talking.” The verses go on as if the author sees the woman approaching and seducing a man in the marketplace. Most of the commentators explain these verses on their most straightforward level, wisdom and understanding (deep draughts from the fountain of reason) are necessary to combat the lust enflamed by the enticement of the strange woman. Unlike the Calormene poetry, the biblical verse gets it right.