Aslan's Inaugural Adress

At first glance it may appear that the comment of Strawberry on which we ended the last post was ignored by Aslan who continues to address his creations. But in fact, a close reading of Aslan’s address demonstrates that he addresses Strawberry directly, Aslan is telling the creatures what they need to know.

Creatures, I give you yourselves. I give to you forever this land of Narnia. I give you the woods, the fruits, the rivers. I give you the stars and I give you myself. The Dumb Beasts whom I have not chosen are yours also. Treat them gently and cherish them but do not go back to their ways lest you cease to be Talking Beasts. For out of them you were taken and into them you can return. Do not do so.

In a few short lines, these inaugural words of Aslan to his creatures synthesize parts of Genesis 1 and Genesis 2. In Genesis 1, God gives Adam, “... every seed-bearing plant that is upon all the earth, and every tree that has seed-bearing fruit…” (Genesis 1:29). All of this is given to man as food. In addition, upon creating man, God declares, “They shall rule the fish of the sea, the birds of the sky, the cattle, the whole earth, and all the creeping things that creep on earth” (Genesis 1:26). Aslan gives the Talking Beasts, the woods, fruits, rivers, the stars, and even himself (in the bible, God does not give Himself to man, instead, in Genesis 2 God gives Adam a helpmate, we’ll have to try to address this later).

In Genesis 2, God commands man, just as Aslan issues commands. God commands man not to eat from the Tree of Knowledge lest man die (Genesis 2:17) and return to the dust from which he came (Genesis 3:19). Aslan commands the Talking Beasts not to return to the ways of Dumb Beasts from which they have been chosen lest they cease to be Talking Beasts.

It is worth noting a comment of Sforno which brings the Narnian creation story even closer to that of the bible. Clarifying the verse (Genesis 1:26), “Let us make man in our image…,” Sforno interprets that God is advising His Heavenly Court concerning the creature man. This creature had been created with all the rest, but now God sees fit to endow it with His “image” and “likeness.” Like the chosen beasts of Narnia, in this reading the bible also endows with godliness creatures that are first created as one of the beasts.

The two-step process towards godliness is apparently fundamental in creation and requires further explanation.

Returning to Aslan’s commands (remembering that there is at least one more coming up in The Magician’s Nephew), they are the response to Strawberry’s self-doubt. Simple knowledge of oneself and one’s capabilities is not sufficient to fulfill Aslan’s purpose in creating Narnia. Aslan’s commands provide that knowledge. They can be used to distinguish right from wrong, what is proper and appropriate and what is slovenly and unacceptable.

Let’s take a closer look at these commands in our next post.