We Know

As we have discussed previously, Aslan’s declaration of Narnia consists of three parts: a call awakening Narnia, a series of four commands, and a descriptive fulfillment of Narnia’s awakening with the proclamation to be walking trees, talking beasts, and divine waters.

The response of Narnia’s sentient creatures (talking beasts, dwarfs, dryads, river gods) appears to parallel Aslan’s opening declaration. They salute Aslan and acknowledge and pledge to fulfill his four commands.

The creatures then make one additional assertion, “We know.” 

From the perspective of formulation, this statement is consistent with the creature’s acknowledgements of Aslan’s commands, “We love, we think…” But Aslan does not command the creatures to “Know” as he does to love and think. So, to what end is the creature’s assertion that they know?

Structurally, “We know,” is then in response to the third and final part of Aslan’s declaration, “Be walking trees. Be talking beasts. Be divine waters.” To the creatures to “Be” is to “Know.” The creatures may be reassuring Aslan that they know who and what they are. They know they are walking trees, they know they are talking beasts, and they know they are divine waters. The creatures even know that they love, think, and speak and perhaps even that they do so for Aslan’s command has instilled those capabilities within them.

Is such knowledge enough? 

Is knowing one’s origin and one’s capabilities (as instilled by Aslan) sufficient to fulfill Aslan’s purpose in your creation? 

Is that all that Aslan means when he calls for Narnia to awaken?

It is Strawberry who meekly raises some doubt. Though only as a dream, he has a dim recollection of another world. A world where there seem to be other things to know, but less capability to do so. He faintly remembers work, social interactions, punishments, but also rewards. The work is hard, the social rules mysterious, the punishments painful, but the sweet rewards wonderful.

So he humbly adds, “But please, we don't know very much yet.”

In this new country is there more to know?