On Spring Between Blizzards

After several weeks of snow cover, yesterday I was able to see the grass in our yard. I wouldn't say it was warm, but you could almost believe that Spring was on its way. Today we have a blizzard. 

OK, reality check, thank God, I live in a modern country and a wonderful community. While we always pray to Him for our sustenance and safety, another 18 inches of snow, even with high winds, is unlikely to do much damage. And as long as there's power I can even work (thanks to modern technology). So, the last thing I should do is complain about the weather.   

Nonetheless, I was motivated to write as I was thinking about Narnia. As we know, in The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, the Witch's winter transforms to Spring in a matter of hours, bringing hope and even confidence to the beleagured Narnians. But what if turned around? What if the transformation had started, but then the Winter returned?  

Actually, that seems to be what happened to the Children of Israel while slaves in Egypt. Moses and Aaron came promising freedom and dazzling the people with God's signs. They marched into Pharoah's palace to the cheering crowds, but when they came out, Pharoah made things harder and Moses and Aaron's credibility tanked.

Is this dampening of hopes part of every redemption? The Children of Israel, after a stunning victory in Jericho, lost the first battle in Ai. The Maccabees, even after recapturing the Temple, continued to lose battles to the Romans (in one of which Judah himself was killed) before gaining independence. Even Esther seemed to have partied with Haman rather then being immediately activated by Mordechai to block Haman's decree. 

Anyway, a bit of a rant but please do keep in your prayers all those who have already lost power and may need help. 

Peter's Sword and Shield

Of Magic he learned only the theory, for Doctor Cornelius said the practical part was not proper study for princes...

I was thinking of King Peter's sword... You see when it comes to the gifts Father Christmas gave the three Pevensie children, we discussed at length Susan's horn, how it serves as a wordless prayer with a guaranteed but unknown answer. Then there's Lucy cordial which magically heals. And then, there's Peter's sword and shield... which are just a normal sword and shield! 

Why?

Wouldn't we expect there to be something special or magical about them?

And then I realized that Lewis already answered the question when describing Prince Caspian's studies under his tutor Dr. Cornelius. Practical magic is improper study for princes. But why? Susan and Lucy can have magical items, but Peter cannot? 

Presumably the difference is that Peter will be the High King and he, and perhaps only he, cannot use magic. I think there are a number of possible reasons why not: 

(1) Peter's sword, despite not being magical, does garner some attention in the Chronicles of Narnia. He forgets to clean it after killing the wolf, he draws it and pronounces its name when discovering it in the ruins of Cair Paravel. But Peter's shield is kind of ignored. Maybe it shouldn't be, because the shield has upon it an image of a red lion. So red they are "as bright as ripe strawberries at the moment when you pick it." 

Hold on, strawberries? That's a strange way to describe red. I would have thought the natural (and certainly Christian) description would be red as blood, after all this is Aslan's image we're talking about here. And, in fact, when Prince Rilian's shield goes from "without device" to silver color with an image of a red lion (exactly like Peter's shield) the red is described as, "redder than blood or cherries." That makes sense... but strawberries?

Do we have strawberries elsewhere in the Chronicles? 

Of course, the answer is yes. Strawberry, the horse of the cabby who was to become King Frank, and who was renamed Fledge the father of all flying horses. Interesting, as both Peter and Strawberry came from our world, where there is no magic, were given quests in Narnia and were given no magic. What did they rely on instead of magic? They relied on the word of Aslan. 

So... where does that leave us? 

I guess we'll see next time...

The 9th of Av

My apologies for lack of recent posts as I've been writing thoughts for the 9th of Av which ended this evening. Given the trials and tribulations of Jews throughout the world, the tragedies recalled on the 9th of Av (the destruction of the Temples, the Crusades, the Holocaust, etc.) are more relevant and meaningful as we put our current troubles into historical perspective.

I've noted in the past of Narnia's lack of holidays (besides Christmas). I should also note a lack of fast days. Nonetheless, Lewis understands what happens when we have none. Moving to the beginning, we know that the curse of the White Witch not only kept Christmas away but also disrupted the ebb and flow of the calendar. Of course, people (and presumably talking animals) are naturally drawn to the days of happiness and joy, but they are rendered less meaningful without the sorrow of days of fasting and mourning. The curse of the White Witch was to remove both, causing unending repetitive days taking away the highs and lows, forcing all of life to conform to her time. 

So too on the historical level. The White Witch's freezing of time, while felt immediately on the yearly cycle aimed to steady all of history. No longer should there be victories or defeats. No longer should there be years of blessing or years of cursing. All should remain bland and constant under her rule. 

The victory of Aslan opens the door for a return to history. And while the past year and half have been painful ones for the Jewish people, we already know that the end of the story is one of victory and celebration. The only mystery is how we will get there. But even the tragedies are a step in the path of redemption rendered all the more meaningful by the pain of the journey. 

What Does Susan's Horn Do?

And when you put this horn to your lips; and blow it, then, wherever you are, I think help of some kind will come to you.

While I'm thinking about an approach to the question with which we ended our previous post, here's something else to consider... 

The above enigmatic words are said by Father Christmas as he gives Susan her presents. Actually, Susan received two presents. The first is a bow and a quiver full of arrows. Father Christmas warns Susan that the bow and arrow are to be used in great need. The bow does not miss easily, but Susan is not meant to fight in battle. The horn, however, does not appear to have any sort of restrictions. Apparently Susan can use it whenever she wants.

Yet, when Dr. Cornelius gives the horn to Caspian he says, "but do not use it except at your greatest need." Why would he say that? Is he worried the horn will be used up or break? 

Another question, why is Father Christmas unclear as to what will happen if the horn is blown? He seems pretty confident about all of the other gifts, why is this one different? 

To address the first question, I wonder if, over time, the words of Father Christmas were merged or telescoped. The bow was only to be used in great need, but no one had the bow. So, it was assumed that Father Christmas' words about being used only in great need were said about the horn. Though actually that is not the case. 

I think says something about the symbolic role of these two gifts. Let's think about it for a bit and I'll jot down some thoughts soon. 

The Lamp-post and the Burning Bush (Part 2)

There's one more point I wanted to raise with respect to the lamp-post (for now). In fact, it's another parallel to Moses. At the Passover seder (the multistep ritual of the first night(s) of Passover), we say, "In every generation our enemies seek to destroy us. And the Holy One, Blessed be He, saves us from their hands." The truth of this statement is beyond doubt, and even over the past week we have seen God's hand through the brave men and women of the Israeli and United States military. Lewis references this towards the end of The Silver Chair (as discussed here). 

The last phrase of this statement, however, has been cleverly interpreted. "From their hands," does not just mean that God saves us from the enemy's evil plans, but that the salvation comes from the enemies themselves. Thus, it is not simply that God saved the Children of Israel from the Egyptians, but that God's emissary was Moses who was raised by the Pharoah himself. It is the hand of Pharoah that unleashed the salvation.

The Narnian lamp-post was planted, albeit unknowingly, by the White Witch. It stood for generations, a relic of an evil that had entered the world, a sign that evil may materialize but that the light of goodness would continue to shine. Generations passed, the evil did not materialize and the lesson of the lamp-post was forgotten. Then one day, the evil reared its head, but no one paid any attention to the lamp-post, until a young girl stopped and wondered. Why would you plant a lamp-post in the middle of the wood, in a place of darkness? 

The answer (though unknown to her at the time) came immediately, "a very strange person stepped out from among the trees into the light of the lamp-post." The light of the lamp-post wasn't useless, it enabled Lucy to recognize the faun Tumnus, to make a friend, eventually to save Narnia. That same lamp-post, planted in Narnia as a weapon used to kill Aslan, was eventually overcome at the hands of a young girl who used the lamp-post to find a friend. From the hands of the White Witch there arose salvation. 

Actually, writing this got me thinking about the following contrast. The stone knife was used to kill Aslan and was brought to the island of Ramandu to rest in honor. The lamp-post was used in an attempt to kill Aslan, but it stayed in Narnia. Why?

I guess we need another post on this... 

Photo by Sarah Sheedy on Unsplash

The Lamp-post and the Burning Bush (Part 1)

The redemption of Narnia began with Lucy discovering the lamp-post.  

But this is not the only such story in our world too redemption began with seeing a strange, unnatural light. 

In both cases, the light attracted a great leader, who needed to be thrust into leadership, to be convinced they would be a redeemer. 

In Narnia it is Lucy, a seemingly normal young girl who wonders about the lamp-post and, though never told of its origin, seemingly by coincidence and loyalty becomes a beloved Queen. In our world, that figure is Moses, who perceives God in a burning bush and is commanded to go to Egypt to demand the freedom of the Children of Israel.

Let us reassess Moses' story. Moses has escaped from Egypt, and we find him peacefully settled in Midian. He spends his days shepherding his father-in-law's sheep. One day, he heads for the wilderness and finds himself at the Mountain of God, Horeb. Now, there is no Mountain of God mentioned in Genesis (though Isaac's binding did take place on a mountain) so the midrash tells us that the moniker is future oriented, namely that it is Mount Sinai upon which God will reveal Himself and present the Torah to the Children of Israel. But, of course, Moses doesn't know this. 

So, Moses finds himself on a random mountain and sees a burning bush. He turns to it to assess how it is that the bush is on fire but not being consumed. The text is careful to point out the active decision Moses made and that it was noticed by God (Exodus 3:3-4): 

Moses said, “I must turn aside to look at this marvelous sight; why doesn’t the bush burn up?” And God saw that he had turned aside to look, God called to him out of the bush: “Moses! Moses!” He answered, “Here I am.”  

Moses contemplates the bush, and God notices. Only then does God call out. 

Is there anyone with Moses who ignored the bush? From the story it doesn't seem so (though one midrash says there were others present, but they could not see the burning bush), but it doesn't particularly matter.

Notice how redemption starts. Not with a grand revelation, not with a holy declaration but with seemingly ordinary people willing to accept that light can come from an unnatural source. 

Edmond also sees the light, but he doesn't see the lamp-post. To him light comes from elsewhere - from Turkish delight and magical power. But to Lucy, light comes from a friendly faun and willingness to forgive, she can bring redemption.  

And for Moses light comes from a people who, though enslaved and embittered, under constant attack and abandoned by the world, are not willing to give up. For they know that God's redemption will come. 

Photo by Sarah Sheedy on Unsplash

The Forgotten Lamp-post

 

The lamp-post unknowingly planted by the White Witch seems pretty well known to the creatures of Narnia. Mr. Tumnus tells Lucy that the boundaries of Narnia are from the lamp-post to Cair Paravel. At the end of  "The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe" we are told that the area around the lamp-post became known as the Lantern Waste. So how could it be that the children, as they grew up in Narnia, forgot about the lamp-post? It would seem almost unnatural to forget such a clear landmark!

I actually don't have a good answer for this one. But I had to ask the question before going on to considering our two final points in the previous post. 

Photo by Naoki Suzuki on Unsplash

The Lamp-post: the Way to the World of Men

In our last, we asked how the White Witch knew that the door back to the 'World of Men' was past the lamp-post. The truth is, we could have asked the opposite question, why, of all possible places in the Narnian world, does the wardrobe open to the area of the lamp-post? 

But I think the answer is clear (like Michael commented on the last post). The lamp-post is the object in Narnia most belonging to our world (the World of Men), while the wardrobe is the object in our world, most belonging to Narnia. The connection between the wardrobe and Narnia is made explicit at the end of The Magician's Nephew. Digory takes the core of the apple he received from Aslan, plants it, and eventually uses the wood from the tree that grows from the core to construct a wardrobe. Lewis proves that the tree never forgot its Narnian roots by the fact that Lucy goes through the wardrobe back to Narnia.

The connection between the lamp-post and our world is just as explicit. The White Witch had ripped off part of a lamp-post in our world and, during the creation of Narnia, threw it at Aslan. The piece of lamp-post hit Aslan, fell to the ground and grew into a fully mature lamp-post. However, unlike the wardrobe, Lewis does not explicitly tell us that it retains any connection to our world. But it seems to - because when Lucy comes through the wardrobe the first thing she sees is the light of the lamp-post which she follows until she reaches the lamp-post itself. 

It seems that there is a resonance between the wardrobe and the lamp-post that between the two is the link between the worlds. Does this matter? Well, maybe, let's think about two more things and see if that helps.

1) The seed of the wardrobe was brought from Narnia to our world for the purposes of good - healing a dying woman. After that good was accomplished, the seed was honorably buried and even when the tree that grew from the seed was knocked down, it was cared for and built into something that would always be cared for. 

The seed of the lamp-post was plucked for evil, as a weapon for the White Witch. In Narnia it was used to attack an innocent being - who happened to be the creator of Narnia. It fell unceremoniously and no one took notice of it until it actually became a fully grown lamp-post. A forest grew around it (except for the small patch where it stood), and it remained, lit, apparently forgotten until a young girl from our world rediscovered it.

2) Edmund comes through the wardrobe and also sees the light. He too follows it until stepping out into an open place in the woods. But Lewis never says that Edmund saw the lamp-post! It may be that Edmund assumed the light was from the open area, but the lamp-post itself he never even notices - not at least until the White Witch points it out to him. 

I think it's worth pondering over this one and perhaps thinking of another strange light that appeared to a wandering individual on the cusp of a great redemption.    

Photo by Spencer Bergen on Unsplash

The Lamp-post: the Way to the World of Men?

Edmund's first visit to Narnia is, as we know, when he becomes entrapped by the promises and delights of the White Witch. Though, by the end of their meeting, Edmund is ready to follow the Witch anywhere, she insists that he go back and bring his brother and sisters. Edmund claims not to know the way back, to which the Witch replies:

"That's easy," answered the Queen. "Do you see that lamp?" She pointed with her wand and Edmund turned and saw the same lamp-post under which Lucy had met the Faun. "Straight on, beyond that, is the way to the World of Men..." 

It is not stated that Edmund ever noticed the lamp-post and he certainly said nothing about it to the White Witch. Neither Lucy nor Tumnus had spoken to the Witch at this point, so how does the Witch know the way to the World of Men? 

How is it so easy? 

Photo by Spencer Bergen on Unsplash

Killing Aslan?

Why does the White Witch think she can kill Aslan?

In the Christian Bible Pontius Pilate killed Jesus because he did not recognize Jesus' divinity. However, the White Witch saw Aslan create Narnia. She understood that Aslan is the Creator. So why does she think that he could die?  

I think the answer has to do with the asymmetry between Creation and Destruction. 

But let's think about it a bit more before we go on... 

Are You a Daughter of Eve?

Why, Daughter of Eve, that's what I brought you here for.
I'm to lead you where you shall meet him...

The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe

The creatures of Narnia look at their foreign visitors and ask what to the creatures is the most important of questions, "Are you a daughter of Eve?" It is the first question Tumnus asks Lucy, it is the musing of Trumpkin when presented with Eustace and Jill, it is moniker Mr. Beaver gives to Susan in the above quote. And perhaps what is most confusing, the children do not realize what it means.  

Well, what does it mean? 

On its surface the question of Tumnus is simply one of species identification. Are you really that species descended from Adam and Eve who I supposed to be looking out for. Perhaps instead you are a small giant or one of the jinn? Lucy, unsure why anyone would confuse a human for anything else, is understandably not able to process the question. 

But, as we see with Tumnus, there is more to the question, though perhaps at this point himself does not realize. Are you a Daughter of Eve? A descendant of the woman who, on the one hand, brought sin to the world, but is yet, "Little less than divine. (Psalms 8:5)" Are you of the kind that tore creation asunder, but is still a creator yourself, "the mother of all life (Genesis 3:20)"? Do you understand that coming from the Lord Adam and the Lady Eve, "That is both honor enough to erect the head of the poorest beggar, and shame enough to bow the shoulders of the greatest emperor on earth."

For only when you do, can you face the one God, the Divine Presence, the Creator of All.

Aslan brings the children to Narnia to get to know him, but to do that they first need to know themselves and where they come from.   

The Song of Spring

The coming of Spring is an essential element in The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. Its arrival indicates the coming of Aslan into Narnia and the breaking of the White Witch's power manifest by the unending Winter.  Spring thus indicates the coming of God, defeat of evil, and redemption of God's chosen. No doubt Lewis' model for this is the bible itself in which the Children of Israel are redeemed from Egypt in the month of Spring (Exodus 23:15 and Exodus 34:18). 

Interestingly, Passover, the Spring Festival, is graced by the reading of Song of Songs. Superficially, this may be because the context of that work which, beyond its ample use of metaphorical flora and fauna, is Springtime (Song of Songs 7:13), "Let us go early to the vineyards, let us see if the vine has flowered, if its blossoms have opened, if the pomegranates are in bloom." More so, Spring is an appropriate context for the budding relationship between the beloved (guy) and darling (girl), representing God and Israel, is Song of Songs. That relationship blossomed with Israel's exodus from Egypt. The verse, (Song of Songs 1:9), "I have likened you, my darling, to a mare in Pharaoh’s chariots," hints to said exodus, and the midrashic literature then likens ups and downs of the relationship described in Song of Songs to the events surrounding the Exodus. 

The Narnian creation story is thus at odds with the biblical saga. In Narnia, Aslan creates the world through song, but does not appear to sing again. In the bible God creates the world via speech, and the song, or the Song of Songs, is initiated and employed when a relationship is formed between God and His chosen people. 

I think this is worth some contemplation. The evolution from creation to God's people, capable of bringing His presence down to earth, is the process that goes from prose to poetry. What is the difference between prose and poetry? Well, prose is much more free form and mirrors the way we talk colloquially. We use prose to convey information, stories, or ideas and when we want to do so precisely. 

Poetry, is much more constricted as it requires rhythm and perhaps rhyme. However, that constriction demonstrates that there is more to the words than meets the eye. There is an emotion, a tune, that the words alone are unable to convey. Thus, poetry and song are used for joy and sadness, to communicate love and convey emotion. 

God creates the world with speech, the placement of the spheres, the growing of the trees, the exactness of the sciences. Love, however, requires a response. It must be humanity that will grow from just another facet of mundane earth into beings capable of relating to and loving God. When that has been fulfilled, when humanity recognizes God, not only as Creator, but as the engine of history and as Being with whom to form a relationship, then, and only then, can there be song. This threshold was reached at the time of the Exodus and its subsequent events through the giving of the Torah at Sinai. 

Thus, on Passover, the time of freedom, at the beginning of Spring, we read the poetry of Song of Songs. On the one hand this commemorates the miracles of the past and relationship between God and Israel that first produced song.  On the other, reading the Song of Songs demonstrates our commitment to and desire for a continued relationship with God. The relationship is ongoing, God is still singing, and so are we. 

On Revealing and Unrevealing Disguises (Part 1)

Our sages tell us that you can learn of someone's true nature if you observe them in three contexts: their wallet (their business dealings), when they are angry, and when they drink. On Purim, which for non-Jerusalmites falls out on Friday (March 14), two of these factors come into play: money, where there is an extra emphasis and command to give money to the poor, and wine, which is traditionally drunk due to the centrailty of wine in the commemorated story of Queen Esther. 

In place of anger, however, I have often suggested that the Jewish people have developed another method of demonstrating their true nature, which is the custom of dressing up. How this custom arose is not the goal of this post, but I nonetheless think that how someone dresses up may provide insight into their nature. I think people inherently realize this when in English they will colloquially say, "I am going to be ______ for Purim?" And of course, that's silly. People are who they are and do not become a princess, Batman, or Aaron Judge on Purim. But perhaps there's more than just a shortening of language in this formulation, when someone says they "want to be," rather than saying they "want to dress up as." Because, to some degree, the person really would like to be Queen Esther, a soldier, or a fireman - why else would they want to dress up as that person or object?

This is true dressing up - in fact we might say it's a revealing disguise, because while the disguise may make someone look like someone or something else, in fact, it reveals an aspect of who they really are. 

Before tying this into Narnia, I'll just note that personally I do not dress up (or drink) on Purim because I am perfectly happy being myself (not that there isn't much to criticize in that). However, this year, I will wear my math tie in honor of Pi Day.   

Anyway... on to Narnia...

There is quite a bit of dressing up in Narnia and I think what we'll see is that there are good ways and bad ways to dress up. When Lucy first enters Narnia she meets the faun Tumnus who is unknowingly dressed up look "just as if he had been doing his Christmas shopping." Of course, as we've discussed elsewhere, if there was one thing Tumnus was NOT doing it was Christmas shopping. But Tumnus, perhaps still unconsciously, yearned for the time that he would be able to, and I have no doubt that less than 12 months later he was in fact Christmas shopping. This "disguise" was revealing. It showed us the true nature of Tumnus' soul - he was yearning for redemption. He knew there would be redemption, and he disguised himself to reveal the coming of redemption. 

Next, when the Pevensie children enter Narnia for the first time together they don fur coats leading Lucy to exclaim, "We can pretend we are Arctic explorers," and she's in some senses correct, but it is an unrevealing disguise. It does not truly demonstrate who they are or what they want. Peter responds correctly, "This is going to be exciting enough without pretending." This adventure cannot be pretend, it must be them, themselves, not disguised as somone else. 

The same thing happens shortly afterwards. Peter suggests thinking of a stratagem to save Tumnus from the White Witch. He says, "I mean couldn't we dress up as something, or pretend to be - oh, pedlars or anything." These are unrevealing disguises. Peter has desire to be a pedlar. And here, Mr Beaver has the proper reply. No, you cannot pretend to be someone or something else. True hope, true redemption will not occur through you on your own no matter what you do - only through Aslan can you participate in the redemptive process, "No good your trying, of all people. But now that Aslan is on the move..." Peter, like Lucy earlier, was trying to hide. Redemption comes through truth. 

Several years later, future Narnian heroes do dress up in an effort to hide their true nature. It fails miserably. Shasta, Aravis, Hwin, and Bree are attempting to get safely past Tashban on their journey to Narnia and decide that Aravis, Hwin, and Bree must disguise themselves. Bree cannot be seen as a warhorse being used as a packhorse by a grubby child and Aravis, hiding from her family, certainly cannot be noticed as a royal Takheena. They go through great pains to make unrevealing disguises, ones that would hide their true nature and destiny. And the disguised almost immediately fail. Bree is instantly recognized as a warhorse, and Aravis can't make it halfway through Tashbaan without being noticed by a (not very close) friend. Of course, this works out for the best, but it shows once again, that redemption does not come about by hiding and sneakiness, it must be quested after in truth, honesty, and determination to do what is right.

This now takes us to The Last Battle, where we have a number of characters who again disguise themselves and the disastrous results. 

We will explore that in our next.  

Lucy Won't Grow Up?

A while ago we asked what would have happened to the Pevensie children had they not been killed in the railway accident. For now I'm going to concentrate on Lucy before going off on some other topic (yet again)... 

We've mentioned previously that Lucy is unique amongst the Pevensie children in that she is the only one who does not grow up. At the end of The Lion the Witch and Wardrobe Lewis describes how the children, "grew and changed as the years passed over them." Lucy is described last, and Lewis writes about her, "But as for Lucy, she was always gay and golden-haired..." She did not change, she kept her childlike traits of curiosity, passion, adventurous, and the like as we've discussed before. 

But what would have happened had she grown up in our world? 

Of course, we don't know, she was killed at age 17, still very much a friend of Narnia. Still, we have heroines in Lewis' oeuvre and maybe some of them can serve as models. The most obvious parallel would be Sarah Smith from The Great Divorce. Sarah had "unbearable beauty" no doubt beyond that of all mortals. She is not the only Lewis heroine to have such beauty stemming from the inner spiritual manifesting outward, Psyche (and eventually Orual) do as well. Lucy too sought beauty beyond the lot of mortals and achieves it (almost) upon seeing Aslan.

But what next? Does Lucy join a convent and dedicate her life to Jesus? Does she go to university and give up on spirituality altogether, favoring physical beauty over spiritual? Our Sages suggest this is what happened to Noah's great-grandfather Hanoch, who God killed young before he could go off the proper path. Or does Lucy lead a "normal" Christian life, marrying, having children and grandchildren follow her ways, before her eventual passing?

It's hard to tell since Lewis does not provide us with too many happily married couples. Sarah Smith is married, but her husband is quite the tragedian as we see in the Great Divorce. How they could have gotten along is anyone's guess. And that marriage was probably more successful than that of poor Robert to his overbearing wife. In Narnia, Aravis and Cor marry and seem happy, though we don't know much about their married life besides that they argue and make up. Psyche marries, but, with Orual's help, that doesn't go very well. There are some couples in the Space trilogy: Mark and Jane are married, but that seems more of a convenience than a marriage until the end. Nor do we see methods of having (and raising) children - Lewis speaks positively about family, but we don't see too many.    

Nonetheless, I'm going to assert that Lucy does not grow up. She keeps her valiance, hopefully finds someone appropriate and lives happily ever after. 

Holiday Gifts: Tools Not Toys

These are your presents, and they are tools not toys

The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe

This Monday morning, millions of children and adults will wake up to presents given to them from relatives, friends, and, of course, Santa Claus. In the Jewish world, we've also adopted the custom of giving presents and have attached it to Chanukkah. I in no way am decrying this adaptation. Quite the opposite, I think this is one reason so many Jews continue to celebrate Chanukkah despite, perhaps, not always being engaged in religious practice. 

The topic for this post is on what is given as presents or what we want as presents. The media, of course, happily informs us what are the most popular toys and the "must haves" for the season. In "The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe," however, Lewis presents a nuanced and dual approach towards Christmas presents. 

Only in Narnia is one able to meet Father Christmas himself, and three Pevensie children were fortunate enough to receive presents directly from him. He warns them, however, that the presents are "tools, not toys," and the time to use them may be near at hand. In other words, Father Christmas, no doubt as a messenger of Aslan, provides the children what they need to face an uncertain and trying future. Peter is given the tool of war and eventually leads his troops into battle against the White Witch. Lucy is given the tool of medicine and provides healing to those wounded in the battle against evil. Susan is given the tool of prayer, calling out to Aslan, and uses it when attacked by the wolf. War, prayer, and the ability to heal are the tools needed to face difficult times in Narnia and in our world as well.  

And perhaps those are the types of presents we should hope for ourselves and to give to others. What do our children, our relatives, and our friends need in a world set against our morals and values? What tools can we give that will strengthen their stand for truth and their independence from the crowd dragging them down to the lowest common denominator? Those are presents worth giving! 

At least, those are one type of present worth giving. For Father Christmas presents something else to the children, "A large tray containing five cups and saucers, a bowl of lump sugar, a jug of cream, and a great big teapot all sizzling and piping hot." To some extent this present too helps them along their journey to greet Aslan. But mainly this present is so that they can enjoy the holiday, and that's also OK. 

In "Reflections on the Psalms," Lewis speaks of the role of chocolate eggs on Easter, noting that, "If he [the young boy who for the time has conflated the chocolate eggs with the spiritual aspects of the holiday] puts the spiritual first he can still taste something of Easter in the chocolate eggs. The command of Gods holiday comes first, but its holiness can spread to the mundane if recognized as such. 

Similarly here, the invitation to give presents is a means to teach our children, and even other relatives and friends, the importance of the holidays: that God rules the world, and that values such as kindness and charity flow from Him. But once those are established, the holiness of the holiday can extend to the presents that are toys as well.  

The sword, horn, and cordial given to the Pevensie children were indeed tools. But because they were given first, the spiritual celebration of Aslan's return extended to the tea as well.  

Susan's Horn

Much ink has been spilled on Susan Pevensie and her betrayal of Narnia. I think there's more that has to be said but that's not the goal for today. Instead, I'd like to think about not Susan herself, but Susan's horn. 

Susan's horn was given to her by Father Christmas in The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. However, even Father Christmas seemed unsure of the extent of its powers, "And when you put this horn to your lips; and blow it, then, wherever you are, I think help of some kind will come to you." 

The horn is first blown soon after it was gifted when Susan was being chased by the Wolf. Nothing magical seemed to have happened at that time. Aslan and Peter hear the horn and Peter saves Susan by killing the Wolf. Afterwards, it seems that Susan regularly kept the horn at her side, since she had it during the fateful hunting of the White Stag which brought the Pevensies back to England (though it seems she did not have it in Calormen in The Horse and His Boy). 

At that point the horn was lost for several centuries until it was discovered by Dr. Cornelius. He, in turn, gave the horn to Caspian before the latter's flight from the castle of his usurping Uncle Miraz. It was Caspian who then blew the horn for a second time and, this time, we see its remarkable magical ability. Trumpkin the Dwarf was already many hours journey away from Caspian and, nonetheless, described what he heard, "there came a sound that I'd never heard the like of in my born days. Eh, I won't forget that. The whole air was full of it, loud as thunder but far longer, cool and sweet as music over water, but strong enough to shake the woods. And I said to myself, `If that's not the Horn, call me a rabbit.' " And, of course, the horn dragged the Pevensie children out of England and back into Narnia. 

After Caspian's victory he offers the horn back to Susan, who refuses to accept, but at this point (and not in The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe) Susan is cheered as Queen Susan of the Horn. 

We hear nothing of the horn for the rest of the Chronicles. It was not used again by Caspian even when trying to find his lost son. It was not used by King Erlian before falling in battle against the giants, and it was not used by King Tirian as Narnia came crashing down.  

However, we do find some other significant horns in The Last Battle. There is Father Time's horn which he blows to end the world, and there is King Frank's horn which gathers the Narnian heroes in the Narnian nirvana. What is the purpose of all of these horns?

Perhaps the purpose is to call others home. Father Time's horn unleashes a mass of shooting stars who eventually come down to Narnia, "All the stars were falling: Aslan had called them home." King Frank's horn brings the Narnian heroes further up and further in. 

What of Susan's horn?

Susan's horn brought Peter to knighthood. Susan's horn brought the Pevensies home to Narnia. And, I believe, Susan's horn will one day bring Susan, and all who are like her, home as well. 

In the U'netaneh Tokef prayer on the Days of Awe we are told of the Heavenly judgement. The great horn (the shofar) will be sounded causing even the angels to tremble. All creatures then come single file before God to be judged, "Like a shepherd pasturing his flock." However, this frightening picture is transformed if we look at the prooftext of Ezekiel. In the 34th chapter Ezekiel tells of the shepherds charged with caring for God's sheep - His people, the nation of Israel. The shepherds were irresponsible, even evil, not caring for the sheep, harming them, causing them to scatter to faraway places. 

God will punish the evil shepherds and then lovingly gather the sheep, "like a shepherd pasturing his flock." He will judge their needs and bring them home to the Land of Israel. Once again, the horn calls out to the people, "The day of judgement has arrived, God will seek you for it is time to come home."   

There are horns in this world even not on the Day of Judgement. They take on different forms: some are pleasant, some are excruciatingly painful. But they serve the same purpose, to call out to those who have strayed, it is time to come home. 

Idolatry vs. Physicality

The prophet Jeremiah speaks of two kinds of false prophets: 

In the prophets of Samaria I saw a repulsive thing: they prophesied by Baal and led My people Israel astray. And in the prophets of Jerusalem I saw something horrifying: adultery and false dealing. They encourage evildoers, so that no one turns back from their own wickedness. To Me they are all like Sodom and [all] its inhabitants like Gomorrah. (Jeremiah 23:13-14)

Which is worse? Those who prophesized in the name of idols or those who cheated and encouraged evil? 

Well, it seems pretty clear that the latter are worse. After all, the inhabitants of Samaria are still called "My people" though they have been swayed to idol-worship. However, the inhabitants of Jerusalem are compared to Sodom and Gomorrah, which is pretty bad. 

I'm not convinced this is what Lewis had in mind, but perhaps it helps us differentiate the reign of the White Witch versus the reign of the Telmar. There were Talking Beasts who joined the White Witch. They became the enemies of Aslan but never ceased to be Talking Beasts. But with Telmar rule various ones of the Talking Beasts, Trumpkin explains, "have gone enemy and gone dumb." Why? 

The White Witch was similar to idolatry as she was a demonic figure. Those who joined her thought they were joining the winning side. They recognized magic, a beyond physical existence and even perhaps Aslan as a power but they were mesmerized by the White Witch. Of course, any who fought against Aslan were the enemy, and they were not allowed to live if they refused to repent after Peter's victory. 

Telmar represented purely physical (not spiritual) rule. There was no Aslan and no White Witch, no spirituality even of the corrupt sort. There was simply the ethic of Sodom and Gomorrah, each man for themselves.  Talking Beasts can talk only because of the spiritual sustenance of Aslan. Joining such an ethic and worldview puts them in the same worldview as the instinctive, selfish Dumb Beasts and thus they have lost their right to remain Talking Beasts. 

King of the Wood

Just something that I thought of recently not related to what we've been up to...

When Mr. Beaver describes Aslan to the four Pevensie children he refers to him as "Lord of the whole wood," and "King of the wood." No doubt this is because Narnia is a woodland, even though the rest of the Narnian world (for example Calormen) is not. This is similar to referring to God as the God of Zion, despite the fact that He is clearly not limited to a single city. 

However, Aslan is lord of another wood, the Wood Between the Worlds. Thus, Aslan is ruler of all. 

Gaiety and Valiance

Lucy, though grownup at the end of The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, remains “gay and goldenhaired,” and is thus called Queen Lucy the Valiant. Therefore, if are to understand valiance in the character of Lucy, we must first define “gay.” 

Lewis uses the word “gay” 16 times in the Chronicles (and the word "gaiety" once). Six of those times are in The Silver Chair upon Puddleglum, Eustace, and Jill's discovery that the giants plan to eat them. Puddleglum directs the children to act “gay,” and gives us something of a definition: “Gay. As if we hadn't a care in the world.” Of course, as Lewis notes, Puddleglum, and Marsh-wiggles in general, are absolutely horrid at acting gay. In fact, they may be the exact opposite of "gay" given that Marsh-wiggles always expect the worst and act in direct opposition of carefree. 

Three times gay is used in the context of clothes. Perhaps clothes can also be carefree, but it’s difficult to imagine that Aravis, for example, when trying to trick her father into thinking how happy she was being engaged to Ahoshta, put on “her most carefree clothes.” Rather gay in this context presumably means the brightest, fanciest, and most merry clothes. This definition does not contradict the previous one, rather it explains that forces us to redefine carefree. Carefree does not mean not caring, but it means having an affectation of not caring because one is cheerful and optimistic. 

In Prince Caspian, the word gay is twice used with respect to flora: the rowans surrounding Aslan when he awakens the trees are called gay, and the hedges that Bacchus causes to sprout moments before they take down the bridge in Beruna are "gay with hawthorns." Both of these flora are colorful and bright and it would appear that “gay” here is used in the same way as with respect to clothes. 

Lewis also uses the word gay to describe wind (The Voyage of the Dawn Treader) and sound (The Horse and His Boy). The ship in the picture on the wall of Aunt Alberta’s back room (which becomes the Dawn Treader) runs before a “gay wind,” and King Lune’s hunting horn is “gay and merry.” In both of these cases the items in question presumably cause gaiety: the ship appears joyful as it sails along the waves, and the hunt is done with festivities and merriment. 

The final two occasions of the use of the description “gay” are connected with two of Narnia’s most important characters. Reepicheep, the most valiant of all beasts, is introduced as “a gay and martial mouse.” Finally, when Aslan reveals himself to Shasta in the Horse and His Boy he says “Myself,” in a voice that is “loud and clear and gay.” 

As a whole these examples suggest that “gay,” as used by Lewis in the Chronicles, means joyous, optimistic, and ready to face the future. Yet, this should not be conflated with frivolous or without seriousness (though Puddlieglum and the children likely tried to behave that in that way before the giants). After all, one would certainly not characterize Reepicheep, let alone Aslan himself, as frivolous. 

Lucy’s gaiety is what makes her so attractive to princes who value joy over graciousness, and optimism over courtliness. It is what made her so charming in the eyes of the people who saw gold in her hair. And it is what made her so beloved to Aslan in whom she placed the complete faith and devotion of a young child for a parent. 

However, “gay” alone is insufficient to characterize valiant. We see this because the two terms are also contrasted. The sound of the trumpets before King Edmund’s army on their its way to defend King Lune was “not huge and solemn like the horns of Tashbaan nor gay and merry like King Lune's hunting horn, but clear and sharp and valiant.” From this it appears that valiance has an aspect of sharpness, perhaps immediacy, that is lacking in gaiety. 

We will examine this further in our next post. 

Valiance (Part 2)

Valiance is a character trait that appears to be highly regarded by Lewis in the Chronicles of Narnia especially in the person of Reepicheep the Mouse. What is the definition of valiance and why is it important to the religious persona? Quite a while ago, we started to explore this question. Then, we noted that, minimally, one who is valiant is not scared. However, that alone is insufficient to define the term, or to explain the actions of Reepicheep, the most valiant of all beasts in Narnia. 

In this post we seek to further understand valiance by concentrating on another character conferred the title of valiant, Queen Lucy. The passage calling out Lucy’s valiance is from The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe:

But as for Lucy, she was always gay and golden-haired, and all princes in those parts desired her to be their Queen, and her own people called her Queen Lucy the Valiant.

Lucy’s valiance is manifest in that she is “always gay” and was the desire of many princes. This description of Lucy should be immediately contrasted with that of Susan. Susan is described as being, “a tall and gracious woman with black hair that fell almost to her feet and the kings of the countries beyond the sea began to send ambassadors asking for her hand in marriage.” Susan is gracious, while Lucy is gay. Susan is wanted by kings, and Lucy by princes. Why would kings want Susan and princes want Lucy? 

Lewis contrasts the roles of King and prince in the Horse and His Boy. In that story, Corin, surprisingly, rejoices at the appearance of his elder brother Cor exclaiming, “It’s princes that have all the fun.” King Lune agrees, explaining, “For this is what it means to be a king: to be first in every desperate attack and last in every desperate retreat…”

So, princes, who are out having fun and adventures would naturally want the happy and joyful Lucy. While kings, who have more serious jobs to do, would certainly rather be matched with the gracious Susan. Frankly, this comparison doesn’t look too good for Lucy. It’s almost like she’s not capable of being serious.

I think, however, Lewis has something else in mind. Lewis starts the description of the four children many years after the Great War with, “And they themselves grew and changed as the years passed over them.” Continuing with “And Peter…,” and again with “And Susan…” Then finishing with “But as for Lucy…” Why is Lucy “but” while the others are “and”? 

We are forced to say that while the other children grew and changed, Lucy did not. She remained gay and golden haired, she retained childhood. 

However, for Lewis, retaining childhood is not a negative. 

Quite the opposite, it’s valiant! 

More in my next post.