Narnians Without Narnia: Exile

I’m on Aslan’s side even if there isn’t any Aslan to lead it. I’m going to live as like a Narnian as I can even if there isn’t any Narnia. 

Thinking further, Puddleglum’s resolve to “live as like a Narnian as I can even if there isn’t any Narnia,” may not be a theological statement but a socio-historical one. Such a view, I believe, speaks more to Judaism than to Christianity. Let me try to explain…

For all that the Chronicles of Narnia are Christian works, Narnia is not a religion, but a state. A citizen of a state may experience a phenomenon that is inapplicable for a religion, exile. People in exile are separated from their homeland, but does this mean they are separated from their religion? Well, perhaps they are geographically kept from the performance of certain rituals, but with respect to the core belief system, the answer is no. Religion is portable. While a religion may designate holy places, theological truths are not bound by geography.

Puddleglum, trapped in a pit which is the witch’s lands, is very much in exile. He is separated from his wigwam, his reeds and rushes, and even from the blessed places of Cair Paravel and Aslan’s How. Nonetheless, Puddleglum rightly declares, “I’m on Aslan’s side even if there isn’t any Aslan to lead it.” Indeed, even though there appears to be no Aslan in the lands ruled by the witch, the theological truth of Aslan is universal and eternal.

Not as obvious is living as a Narnian. Must a Narnian separated from Narnia observe its rituals, adhere to its moral teachings and follow its customs and mores? Perhaps here, in exile, it is sufficient to hold on to the theological truth, without all of the trappings and formality? Puddleglum addresses this as well, “live as like a Narnian as I can even if there isn’t any Narnia.” It may be hard to follow the morals and rituals of Narnia while in exile, but he will nonetheless.

Judaism is a nation-based religion. It has a homeland, Israel. When suggestions were offered to form a Jewish homeland elsewhere, be it Uganda or Ararat, these were rejected, because Judaism is not just a religion but a nation. When Jews were exiled from their homeland, they questioned their role in the Diaspora. Assuming there is a God, does He still desire our service once he has divorced us from our homeland? No less an authority than Nachmanides suggests that adherence to commandments in the Diaspora is simply to ensure continued fidelity to them until such time the exile is over.

Nevertheless, while in exile, Jews did continue to hold on not only to the theological truths of Judaism, but also to the commandments and moral teachings. Adhering to the same declaration of Puddleglum, Jews declared that they will be on God’s side even when the surrounding culture shunned them for doing so and lived like Jews even when there was no Israel.

Narnia is not a model of the Vatican and certainly not of other Christian countries such as England or Spain. Narnia is modeled on Israel, and in that role the exile from Narnia has what to say to the Jew still living in the Diaspora.

Narnians Without Narnia: Theology

I’m on Aslan’s side even if there isn’t any Aslan to lead it. I’m going to live as like a Narnian as I can even if there isn’t any Narnia. 

Puddleglum the Marshwiggle is, I believe, one of the greatest heroes in the Chronicles of Narnia. Lacking the flair of Reepicheep and the positivity of the Beavers, Puddleglum faces all challenges assuming the worst, and then charges forward anyway. Perhaps the most extreme example of this is when he recites the above quoted lines. Puddleglum’s willingness to side with Aslan and live like a Narnian despite the possibility that they may not exist, is more than just his conclusion of a logical deduction based on the Ontological Argument, it is the acceptance of a covenant with God and morality despite the (possible) non-existence of those concepts in reality. The circumstances which give rise to this declaration are as follows.

The Lady of the Green Kirtle, upon witnessing the attempted escape of Prince Rilian from her evil clutches, seeks to re-enchant Rilian and his would-be rescuers: Puddleglum, Eustace, and Jill. She casts a hypnosis spell by burning an incense which gave off a sweet and drowsy smell, and monotonously strumming on a mandolin-like instrument. Despite the efforts of the protagonists to fight against the hypnosis they are slowly overcome, until Puddleglum makes his sacrifice. With his bare feet, Puddleglum extinguishes most of fire burning the incense thus breaking the enchantment. The sharp pain combined with the dispersion of the enchantment, provides him with a moment of extreme clarity, in which he speaks to the barrenness and helplessness of the witch’s world, ending his speech with the above words.

How are we to understand Puddleglum’s declaration? It could mean, that even though the truth of Aslan and Narnian culture are in doubt, he will follow them anyway because perhaps they are, in fact, true. Given that the world would be much more interesting, moral, exciting, and so forth if there were a God (Aslan) and an objective morality (living as a Narnian) Puddleglum declares he will lean on the side that they do exist. 

Another possible explanation is to suggest that though it can be proven that Aslan and Narnia do not exist, Puddleglum refuses to accept the world in such a state and will make them exist despite proofs to the contrary.

This thought process leads us to contemplate some of the following questions. What would we do if it were proven to us that our religious beliefs were fundamentally flawed? What would Christians do if it could be proven conclusively that Jesus was not God but a human? What would traditional Jews do if it could be proven conclusively that God did not give the Torah to Moses at Sinai? Would we question these conclusive proofs saying that they only seem conclusive due to our own lack of intellectual or spiritual capability? Would we say that we will continue on our path irregardless of proof because we have a lifestyle that brings us joy, (perceived) meaning, and makes us better people (whatever that might mean)? Could our belief perpetuate and make true something that is not?

An example of this latter point: as a Jew, I believe that our nation is eternal. No enemy who sets out to destroy us, no religion who attempts to convert us, and no nation that seeks to assimilate us will ever be completely successful. God promised this to us in the bible and though tested, His promise has always allowed us to survive. Of course, Jews are a notoriously stubborn people. So how much of our survival is God's intervention and how much is our own belief that we are eternal? 

Or maybe it really doesn’t matter too much…

To be continued…