The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe - Always Winter in Narnia - explorefaith The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe Shadowlands , the story of the relationship between C.S. Lewis and Joy Davidman Gresham SIGNPOSTS The latest books on Lewis OUTSIDE LINKS commentary by Emilie Griffin You will remember that the White Witch cast her spell on Narnia, decreeing that it must be always winter and never Christmas. So when the children in The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe first arrive in this amazing place, the fields are covered with snow. A simple enough device for a good fairy tale, don’t you agree? But Aslan, the true king, who is a royal lion, has returned to save the Narnia kingdom from the White Witch. When the spell of the White Witch is broken, the melting begins. C.S. Lewis reveals this change in a scene with the children and those jolly Narnians, Mr. and Mrs. Beaver. Father Christmas arrives with sleigh bells jingling. At once the children and Mr. and Mrs. Beaver suspect that the White Witch is losing her powers.

He was a huge man in a bright red robe (bright as holly berries) with a hood that had fur inside it and a great white beard that fell like a foamy waterfall over his chest.… Now that the children actually stood looking at him… he was so big, so glad, and so real, that they all became quite still. They felt very glad, but also solemn. “I’ve come at last,” said he. “She has kept me out for a long time, but I have got in at last. Aslan is on the move. The witch’s magic is weakening.” And Lucy felt that deep shiver of gladness that you only get if you are being solemn and still. Father Christmas has brought presents for everyone. He intends to deliver to Mrs. Beaver a new and better sewing machine, and says he will drop it off at her house. When Mrs. Beaver mentions that her house is locked up, Father Christmas says, “Locks and bolts make no difference to me.” Mr. Beaver’s Christmas gift also will be found when he gets home.

“You will find your dam finished and mended and all the leaks stopped and a new sluice gate fitted.” The children receive presents as well—"tools, not toys," Father Christmas explains, saying “Bear them well"—the time to use them may be near at hand. For Peter: a shield and a sword. “The shield was the color of silver and on it was a red lion, as bright as a ripe strawberry when you pick it ...also…a sword belt and a sheath...it was just the right size and weight for Peter to use." For Eve's daughter Susan: a quiver full of arrows and a little ivory horn. “When you put this horn to your lips and blow it, wherever you are, some kind of help will come to you,” he tells her. For Lucy, Eve’s daughter: a little glass bottle of healing cordial and a small dagger. “In this bottle is a cordial...," Father Christmas explains. "If any of your friends are hurt, a few drops of this will restore you. And the dagger is to defend yourself.” Then from his bag Father Christmas brings out a large tray with five cups and saucers, and cream, and sugar, and a teapot sizzling and piping hot!

Not at all what one of our American Santas might do at the mall. When departing, Father Christmas calls out, “A Merry Christmas! Long live the true King!” He cracks his whip and the reindeer and sledge are soon out of sight. Not long ago, while leading a discussion of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe at a nearby Episcopal church, I realized the source of the winter spell in Narnia, and its ending. This figure of snow melting is one way that Lewis describes the last stage of his own experience of religious conversion. He describes his own conversion, with all its fits and starts, in Surprised by Joy: the Shape of My Early Life. For Lewis, conversion was a long, slow process—first an acceptance of Theism and later, belief in and surrender to Jesus Christ. There was one special moment “before God closed in on me,” Lewis writes. At a given time in a bus at the top of Headington Hill it seemed to Lewis he was offered a moment of “wholly free choice.” Lewis became aware that he was holding something at bay or shutting something out. He felt as though he was tightly dressed up in stiff clothing like a lobster.

There was a door he could open or keep shut. But there were no bribes, no rewards or punishments either way. Lewis made the choice for God. He insists his conversion was not dramatic, but quiet. After accepting God there was, however, “repercussion on the imaginative level.” Lewis suggests it all happened without words and images, but he uses vivid words and images to describe his inner change of heart. “I felt as if I were a man of snow at long last beginning to melt. The melting was starting in my back—drip-drip and presently trickle-trickle. I rather disliked the feeling.” A few pages later, he insists that his conversion was almost without consolation. “There was no strain of music from within, no smell of eternal orchards at the threshold, when I was dragged through the doorway. No kind of desire was present at all.” Lewis’s figure of snow melting is a good one, I think, to suggest how a person’s long coldness of heart may be changed, bit by bit, into a warmer, living heart for God. Small wonder that Lewis later used this figure of snow, enlarging it to a whole snowy kingdom under the White Witch’s spell.

When the snow of Narnia melts, Lewis is suggesting how winter in our hearts gives way to a springtime of faith. Another passage in The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe heightens the drama of snow melting. It is when Edmund (who has been captured by the White Witch) realizes that her powers are declining. Now they were steadily racing on again. And soon Edmund noticed that the snow which splashed against them as they rushed through it was much wetter than it had been last night.... After a few moments Edmund realizes that the White Witch’s spell has been broken. All around them, though out of sight, there were streams chattering, bubbling, splashing and even (in the distance) roaring. And his heart gave a great leap (though he hardly knew why) when he realised that the frost was over. Patches of green grass and green tree-branches were beginning to appear throughout the forest. Aslan had broken the White Witch’s power. And much nearer there was a drip-drip-drip from the branches of all the trees. (It’s a clear parallel to the language in Surprised by Joy.) Though the Witch fights it every step, Edmund can see more clearly than she.

Her slave the Dwarf holds Edmund hostage and keeps yanking on the rope that binds him. But Lewis writes: This didn’t prevent Edmund from seeing. Only five minutes later he noticed a dozen crocuses growing around the foot of an old tree—gold and purple and white. It’s a simple but powerful metaphor: winter cold suggesting the deathblow of evil in human lives; and springtime to suggest personal transformation and the redemption of the whole human race. Because his cold heart had been warmed by the love of God, C.S. Lewis extended the metaphor to Narnia, and thus we see the melting snow when Aslan is on the move. copyright ©2005 Emilie Griffin Always Winter But Never Christmas - Christmas and Advent Read Christian news headlines from around the world. Conservative commentary, persecution headlines, Religion Today, and breaking Christian news . Find news stories that matter to Christians here at Crosswalk.com special news coverage! In addition you can find great articles and news stories about marriage , parenting , homeschool , jobs , personal finance and much more. Intersection of Life and Faith Always Winter But Never Christmas In Touch with Dr.

Charles Stanley Encouragement for Today Daily Hope with Rick Warren SEE ALL DEVOTIONALS Always Winter But Never Christmas Everett Piper President, Oklahoma Wesleyan University 2011 1 Dec Tweet Editor's note: For a 90-second radio broadcast of the text below, click here . In C.S. Lewis' The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, there is a scene where we find the children standing fearful and confused in a land that is frozen and nearly lifeless. A lamppost stands somberly in a windless forest that is blanketed with snow and the few creatures the children do encounter are frightened and paranoid. By way of explanation, the beavers tell the kids that Narnia is under the spell of an evil witch. Every day is as if it is "always winter but never Christmas." This is the dreadful description of life under the White Witch's rule. Then the children hear sleigh bells. At first, they are sure this is the sound of the witch's return and they hide. But no its not the witch. The driver of the sleigh is a giant of a man dressed all in red and white. It is Father Christmas! "I have broken through at last," he says.

"She has kept me out for a long time, but her magic is weakening. Aslan is on the move! A merry Christmas! Long live the true King!" Today, do you shiver as you try to shelter yourself from the freezing winds of nightly news? Palestine, Israel: Always winter but never Christmas. Iraq, Iran, North Korea: Always winter but never Christmas. "Stimulus" spending and National debt: Always winter and never Christmas. Remember there's better news! News of long ago when light shined on the hills of Bethlehem and Christmas arrived in a stable under the stars. "Do not be afraid," cries Christmas. "Winter has begun to melt away, I have broken through at last -- long live the true King." Visit Crosswalk's Christmas Facebook page at . The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (2005) - Quotes - IMDb The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (2005) Susan Pevensie : [about Lucy] She thinks she's found a magical land... In the upstairs wardrobe. Professor Kirke : [eyes widening, he rushes to the children] What did you say?

Peter Pevensie : Um, the wardrobe. Upstairs. Lucy thinks she's found a forest inside. Susan Pevensie : She won't stop going on about it. Professor Kirke : What was it like? Susan Pevensie : Like talking to a lunatic. Professor Kirke : No, no, no. Not her, the forest! Susan Pevensie : [stares] You're not saying you believe her? Susan Pevensie : But, of course not. I mean, logically it's impossible. Professor Kirke : What do they teach in schools these days? Mr. Beaver : When Adam's Flesh and Adam's bone sits at Cair Paravel in throne, the evil time will be over and done. Susan Pevensie : You know that doesn't really rhyme. Share this: Facebook | Twitter | Permalink Hide options Aslan : If the Witch knew the true meaning of sacrifice, she might have interpreted the deep magic differently. That when a willing victim who has committed no treachery, is killed in a traitor's stead, the stone table will crack, and even death itself would turn backwards.

Share this: Facebook | Twitter | Permalink Hide options Aslan : To the glistening eastern sea, I give you Queen Lucy the Valiant. To the great western wood, King Edmund the Just. To the radiant southern sun, Queen Susan the Gentle. And to the clear northern sky, I give you King Peter the Magnificent. Jadis The White Witch : Oh, don't waste my time with flattery. Fox : Not to seem rude, but I wasn't actually talking to you. [looks at Edmund] Professor Kirke : What were you all doing in the wardrobe? Peter Pevensie : You wouldn't believe us if we told you, sir. Professor Kirke : [tosses the cricket ball that had been hit through the window, to Peter] Professor Kirke : Try me. [later, alone with Lucy, who is trying to use the wardrobe to enter Narnia] Professor Kirke : I don't think you'll get back in that way. You see... I've already tried. Lucy Pevensie : Will we ever go back? Professor Kirke : Oh, I expect so. But it'll probably happen when you're not looking for it. All the same...

best to keep your eyes open. [Aslan roars] Edmund Pevensie : Is it Latin for "worst game ever invented"? [Susan shuts her dictionary] Lucy Pevensie : We could play hide and seek? Peter Pevensie : But, we're already having so much fun. [looks at Susan] [about to charge into battle] Peter Pevensie : For Narnia and for Aslan! Peter Pevensie : She's right. He's gone. Edmund Pevensie : Then you'll have to lead us. [pause] Peter Pevensie : [to Oreius right before battle] Are you with me? Oreius : To the death. Jadis The White Witch : I can make anything you like. Edmund Pevensie : Can you make me taller? Mr. Tumnus, the Faun : And what about you? You must be some kind of beardless dwarf? Lucy Pevensie : I'm not a dwarf! I'm a girl. And actually, I'm tallest in my class. Mr. Tumnus, the Faun : You mean to say that you're a daughter of Eve?

Lucy Pevensie : [confused] Well, my mum's name is Helen... Jadis The White Witch : And your brother, is he unintelligent? Edmund Pevensie : Well, I think so. But Mum says... Share this: Facebook | Twitter | Permalink Hide options Jadis The White Witch : You know, Aslan, I'm a little disappointed in you. Did you honestly think by all this that you could save the human traitor? You are giving me your life and saving no one. So much for love. Tonight, the Deep Magic will be appeased, but tomorrow, we will take Narnia forever! In that knowledge, despair... and die! Susan Pevensie : Why are they all staring at us? Lucy Pevensie : Maybe they think you look funny. Older Edmund : You all right, Phillip? Philip the Horse : [panting] I'm not as young as I once was. Professor Kirke : You seem to have upset the delicate internal balance of my housekeeper. Peter Pevensie : We're very sorry, sir, it won't happen again. Susan Pevensie : It's our sister, sir. Lucy.

[Mr Beaver is carefully testing the strength of the ice. It starts to crack beneath him] Mrs. Beaver : You've been sneaking second helpings, haven't you? Mr. Beaver : Well, you never know which meal's gonna be your last. Especially with your cooking. Mr. Tumnus : [of Aslan] He's not a tame lion. Lucy Pevensie : No... but he is good. Lucy Pevensie : [holds out her hand] Pleased to meet you Mr. Tumnus, I'm Lucy Pevensie. [Mr. Tumnus looks at her hand curiously] Share this: Facebook | Twitter | Permalink Hide options Lucy Pevensie : Are you all right? You look awful. Edmund Pevensie : Well, what do you expect? I mean, it's freezing! How do we get out of here? Share this: Facebook | Twitter | Permalink Hide options Mr. Beaver : Come on, humans. While we're still young! Peter Pevensie : If he tells us to hurry one more time, I'm gonna turn him into a big, fluffy hat.

Peter Pevensie : He said he knows the faun. Susan Pevensie : He's a beaver, he shouldn't be saying anything! Edmund Pevensie : Shut up! He's coming! Peter Pevensie : You know, I'm not sure you two have quite got the idea of this game. Lucy Pevensie : Weren't you wondering where I was? Edmund Pevensie : That's the point. That was why he was seeking you! Susan Pevensie : Does this mean I win? Peter Pevensie : I don't think Lucy wants to play anymore. [Peter sees Mr. Beaver in the woods and doesn't yet know he can talk] Peter Pevensie : Here, boy, tsk, tsk, tsk. [holds out hand] Share this: Facebook | Twitter | Permalink Hide options Peter Pevensie : [looking out towards Cair Paravel] Aslan, I'm not who you all think I am. Aslan : Peter Pevensie, formerly of Finchley. Beaver also mentioned that you planned on turning him into a hat.

Fox : This is what becomes of those who cross the witch. Mr. Beaver : You take one more step, traitor, and I'll chew you to splinters! Fox : Relax. I'm one of the good guys. Mr. Beaver : Yeah? Well, you look an awful lot like one of the bad ones. Fox : An unfortunate family resemblance. But we can argue breeding later. Right now we've got to move. Share this: Facebook | Twitter | Permalink Hide options Maugrim : Be still, stranger, or you'll never move again. Who are you? Edmund Pevensie : I'm Edmund. I met the Queen in the woods. She told me to come back here. I'm a Son of Adam! Maugrim : Hmmm, my apologies, fortunate favored of the queen. Or else, not so fortunate. Lucy Pevensie : No, it wouldn't. [pelts him with a snowball] Lucy Pevensie : The sheets feel scratchy. Susan Pevensie : Wars don't last forever, Lucy. We'll be home soon. Edmund Pevensie : Yeah.

If home is still there Susan Pevensie : Isn't it time you're in bed? Edmund Pevensie : [to Susan] Yes mum! Peter Pevensie : Ed! You saw the outside. This place is huge. We can do whatever we want here. Tomorrow's gonna be great. Really. [the witch has discovered Edmund has been rescued by Aslan's forces, and Ginarrbrik tied to the tree in Edmund's place] Ginarrbrik : You're not going to kill me? Mr. Tumnus : [sees Lucy looking at picture] Now, that... that is my father. Lucy Pevensie : He has a nice face. He looks a lot like you! Mr. Tumnus : No. No, I'm not very much like him at all, really. Lucy Pevensie : My father's fighting in the war. Mr. Tumnus : My father went away to war too. But that was a long, long time ago. Lucy Pevensie : Don't beavers make dams? Mr. Beaver : I'm not *that* fast, dear. Lucy Pevensie : Oh, I should go.

Mr. Tumnus : It's too late for that, now. I'm such a terrible faun. Lucy Pevensie : Oh, no. You're the nicest faun I've ever met. Mr. Tumnus : Then I'm afraid you've had a very poor sampling. Lucy Pevensie : You can't have done anything that bad. Mr. Tumnus : It's not something I have done, Lucy Pevensie. It's something I am doing. Lucy Pevensie : [suspiciously] What are you doing? Mr. Tumnus : [whispers and in tears] I'm kidnapping you. It was the White Witch. She's the one who makes it always winter, always cold. She gave orders. If any of us ever find a human wondering in the woods, we-we-we-we're supposed to turn it over to her! Lucy Pevensie : But, Mr. Tumnus, you wouldn't. I thought you were my friend. Gryphon : They come, your highness, in numbers and weapons far greater than our own. Oreius : Numbers do not win a battle.

Peter Pevensie : No... but I bet they help. Aslan : She has renounced her claim on the Son of Adam's blood. [Everybody cheers] Jadis The White Witch : How do I know your promise will be kept? [Aslan roars] Susan Pevensie : The professor knew we were coming. Edmund Pevensie : Perhaps we've been incorrectly labeled. Peter Pevensie : When are you gonna learn to grow up? Edmund Pevensie : Shut up! You think you're dad, but you're NOT! Peter Pevensie : What's she doing? Mrs. Beaver : Oh, you'll be thanking me later. It's a long journey, and Beaver gets pretty cranky when he's hungry. Peter Pevensie : I'm gonna kill him. Mr. Beaver : You may not have to. Has Edmund ever been to Narnia before? Susan Pevensie : I'm just trying to be realistic! Peter Pevensie : No, you're trying to be smart, as usual! Jadis The White Witch : How do I know your promise will be kept?

[Aslan roars] Peter Pevensie : Peter to Edmund [playing cricket] Jadis The White Witch : You have a traitor in your midst, Aslan. Aslan : His offense was not against you. Jadis The White Witch : Have you forgotten the laws upon which Narnia has been built? Aslan : [almost a roar] Do not cite the Deep Magic to me, Witch. I was there when it was written. Jadis The White Witch : Then you'll remember well that every traitor belongs to me. His blood is my property Peter Pevensie : [pulls out his sword] Try and take him then. Jadis The White Witch : Do you really think that mere force will deny me my right little king? Aslan knows that in this, I had blood as the law demands. All of Narnia will be overturned and perish in fire and water. That boy will die on the stone table... as is tradition. You dare not to refuse me. Aslan : Enough. I shall talk with you alone. Always Winter, Never Christmas Always Winter, Never Christmas: Ephesians 1:18-23 The house is old. Full of mystery.

Creaky wooden staircases beckon. Paneled doors invite exploration. At the end of an empty room stands a large intricately carved wardrobe. The handle turns, the door creeks open, and from the interior, a gust of cool air brushes your face and bathes you in a cool distant light. And deep inside you something stirs. ï¿½At the name of Aslan each one of the children feels something jump inside. Edmund feels a sensation of mysterious horror. Peter feels suddenly brave and adventurous. Susan feels as if some delicious smell or some delightful strain of music has just floated by her. And Lucy gets the feeling you have when you wake up in the morning and realize that it is the beginning of the holidays or the beginning of summer.ï¿½ Remember the first time you entered the world of Narnia? And came under the mesmerising spell of the evil White Witch who makes it ï¿½Always winter, never Christmasï¿½ï¿½ But the redemption of Narnia and the end of the White Witchï¿½s reign has been prophesied.

And the arrival of ï¿½sons of Adam and daughters of Eveï¿½, is a sign that the coming of Aslan as the rightful King is near. But how do you feel about Jesus being portrayed by a lion? In fact, Jesus is described as a lion in the first and last book of the Bible. In Genesis, Jacob makes this prophecy about one of his descendents. ï¿½Youï¿½re a lionï¿½s cub, Judah, ï¿½ my son. Look at him, crouched like a lion, king of beasts; who dares mess with him? The sceptre shall not leave Judah; heï¿½ll keep a firm grip on the command staff; Until the ultimate ruler comes and the nations obey him.ï¿½ (Genesis 49: 9-10) And in the Book of Revelation, the Apostle John, is told, "Do not weep! See, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has triumphed." (Revelation 5:5) But why the name Aslan? Simple.

Aslan is Turkish for ï¿½lionï¿½.ï¿½ Perhaps thatï¿½s why Edmund is tempted with Turkish Delight. The abiding message of Narnia, so powerfully re-told in the new film, can be summarised from Ephesians in 3 ways. 1. Jesus has the power to deal with my past ï¿½I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints.ï¿½ (Ephesians 1:18). Even without the newspapers or TV News regaling the trials and tragedies of the day, it does not take long to recognize that our world has gone wrong - badly. But why do we have the idea of ï¿½wrongï¿½ or ï¿½rightï¿½ at all? With no true examples of perfection, why do we experience dissatisfaction with the world as it is? Because, deep down inside we know that the world has gone wrong. So we channel our best scientific minds, artistic talents, social skills, economic sense, and political will to fix it.

But no sooner do we solve one problem than another arises. It feels like we are cursed ï¿½ and so it should be no surprise to find that we are. We are under the curse of sin ï¿½ a condition for which we are responsible, and from which we have no power to ultimately deliver ourselves. First, notice: The Slippery Slope of Sin As the bombs begin falling all about them, Mrs. Pevensie orders her children into their backyard bomb shelter. At the last moment, Edmund disobeys. One of his prized possessions, a photograph of his father has been left behind, and Edmund turns to run into the house to retrieve it. In his zeal to possess a good thing -- this emblem of his father --he unwittingly places himself and his brother Peter, who chases after him, in mortal danger. This small slip previews a much larger authority struggle that plagues Edmund throughout the story. It imperils him and many others. We can all relate to Edmund. Someone who thinks of himself first. Weï¿½ve all done things in our life that weï¿½re not very proud of.

The Bible calls that sin and makes it clear that every one of us falls short of Godï¿½s expectation. We may ignore it, rationalise it, even appease it but we cannot escape or erase it. The slippery slope of sin. The Roadblock of Unbelief Where Edmundï¿½s problem is exterior acts of disobedience, Susan has trials of her own. The ï¿½smart oneï¿½ of the Pevensie children, it is Susan that initially disbelieves Lucyï¿½s tale of adventures with a faun in Narnia. Susan and Peter are taken to task by Professor Kirke, who reminds them that the credibility of the witness is more important than the incredibility of the story. Lucy is a truth-teller, so Kirke is willing to believe her. Even when she arrives in Narnia herself, Susan exclaims, ï¿½Impossible!ï¿½ ï¿½Though Narnia is full of wonder for the humans that enter, it is a country under siege and not as it should be. The White Witch, has cursed the land so it is always winter, but never Christmas.

Under her icy, evil grip the land perishes because hope is not only denied, but forbidden. Those who struggle against her reign are turned to stone. Indeed, it has been winter so long that many Narnians have known nothing else. What gives them hope is not their experience ï¿½ how can they fight against such an oppressive foe? Hope comes instead from their belief in a revelation, a prophecy, that help will come from outside Narnia that will destroy the Witchï¿½s power bringing Christmas, and the thaw of Spring. ï¿½Rescue is on the way. The children of prophecy have arrived. Aslan is on the move. Such a story rings true with us who live on this side of the wardrobe. The world we inhabit is under a curse. Our best efforts have not abated it. Even in areas where we see progress, it is all ultimately temporary for we all will one day die. We are temporal, finite beings attempting to wage a transcendent war. We need rescue. And, it seems, more willing to recognize the problem and the solution when we encounter it in childrenï¿½s fiction than organised religion. This is why Narnia delivers.

The slippery slope of sin and the roadblock of unbelief lead us into the arms of. Aslan: The Suffering Servant Edmund must be restored. Rescuing the boy is relatively easy -- just a military raid away. However, getting Edmund truly free of the claims of the White Witch requires more than all of Aslanï¿½s army, can achieve. It requires Aslan. For those whose emotional connection with the Easter story gets little beyond ï¿½Jesus died and rose again,ï¿½ seeing the Great Lion separate Himself from all but a couple of trusted companions and solemnly and slowly climb the steps to the stone table, while the army of the White Witch mock and jeer him, arouses deep sadness. The humiliation of Aslan, as his main is shorn, is deeply moving. The final scene which contrasts the apparent victory of evil over submissive good is one of the finest ever filmed. One commentator describes how the theatre was filled with muted weeping - an appropriate response to an innocent God laying down His life for the guilty - a response just as appropriate though often missing from many a Good Friday services.

In the very same way that Aslan settled the score for Edmundï¿½s wrong doing by agreeing to die in his place, Jesus Christ died on the cross, to pay the price for your sin. It is the cross that gives me the power to face my past. Paul prays, ï¿½I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you.ï¿½ Allow Jesus to deal with the slippery slope of your sin. Deal with the Roadblock of your Unbelief. But thereï¿½s more to his power. Jesus not only gives the power to face my past. 2. Jesus has the power to delight in my present ï¿½and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is like the working of his mighty strength, which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms.ï¿½ (Ephesians 1:19-20) Once the children arrive in Narnia, the power of evil begins to weaken. Not because of their prowess as warriors. They have none. But because they are children of prophecy.

Their role is to be faithful and obey Aslanï¿½s instructions. Initially I was put off by the way the children acted in their shiny armour. But then I thought, ï¿½Why not?ï¿½ They appear uncomfortable in the armour because it is foreign to them. They are fearful because they find themselves in the midst of a very real war. Aslan, the Great Lion, is nowhere to be seen. What is heroic about the children is that they stand and fight anyway, because they have been commissioned by Aslan to do so. Faithfulness is what is required. Victory is Godï¿½s role. ï¿½Although He does not need any human aid, the Lord still commands our participation in the battle, and never leaves us undefended. As the children flee from the White Witch, they are happily surprised by a providential encounter with Father Christmas. He gives presents to each child but warns that these are ï¿½tools, not toys.ï¿½ Each is designed for use in battle - to defend, to attack, and to heal. Each child is expected to play a role in the inevitable conflict. Even when the battle appears bleak.

When winning seems impossible, perseverance in doing what is right, despite the odds, is required of all who serve in Aslanï¿½s army. Though Aslan has the power to overcome evil without them, He desires all to serve and prove their allegiance. The lesson? Never underestimate ï¿½his incomparably great power for us who believe.ï¿½ Jesus has the power to deal with my past, the power to delight in my present and thirdly. 3. Jesus has the power to determine my future In The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe Aslan conquers death and is raised to life again: Susan asks the question: ï¿½But what does it all mean?ï¿½ ï¿½ ï¿½It means,ï¿½ say Aslan, ï¿½that though the Witch knew the Deep Magic, there is a magic deeper still which she did not know. Her knowledge goes only back to the dawn of Time. But if she could have looked a little further back, into the stillness and the darkness before Time dawned, she would have read there a different incantation.

She would have known that when a willing victim who had committed no treachery was killed in a traitorï¿½s stead, the Table would crack and death itself would start working backwardsï¿½ï¿½ Before the foundation of the world, God prepared a way to save you, through Jesus death in our place. It was his destiny. And he rose from the dead to show you your destiny. To reign with Him and become like Him. ï¿½That power is like the working of his mighty strength, which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion.ï¿½ (Ephesians 1:20) In his letter to the Corinthians Paul adds: ï¿½ï¿½By his power God raised the Lord from the dead, and he will raise us also.ï¿½ (1 Corinthians 6:14). One day, every one of us will die a physical death. But the Bible is clear that that is not all there is to life.

Every one of us will either live eternally in joyful service in the presence of God, or eternity separated from God. Through His resurrection Jesus conquered death and gave every one of us the opportunity to choose for ourselves which of these two futures we most ï¿½desire.ï¿½ Near the end of The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe, the four children find out what itï¿½s like to live under the power of the King: ï¿½So the children sat in their thrones and sceptres were put into their hands and they gave rewards and honours to all their friendsï¿½ And that night there was a great feast in Cair Paravel, and revelry and dancing, and gold flashed and wine flowed ï¿½ answering to the music inside...ï¿½ This is a beautiful picture of heaven where we will reign with Jesus. J.R.R. Tolkien, a close friend of C.S. Lewis, said that fairy stories work because they tap into our innate desire for the good ending. We are hardwired to believe that, in the end, good will triumph over evil. To abandon this belief is to abandon hope.

The knowledge that good will win out comes with a responsibility to act on its behalf. Every battle requires people to choose sides ï¿½ ignoring the battle will not save you. Thereï¿½s a moving scene in Narnia when Susan first learns of Aslan, She asks, ï¿½Is he quite safe?ï¿½ Mr Beaver replies, ï¿½Who said anything about safe? ï¿½Course he isnï¿½t safe. But heï¿½s good. Heï¿½s the King.ï¿½ He is indeed. He is the King. ï¿½Far above all rule and authority, power and dominion.ï¿½ (Ephesians 1:20). There is no way to completely describe the feeling you get when you experience a moving passage of music, tremble beneath the array of stars on a dark and moonless night, or even when you bask in the afterglow of an especially wonderful day. Lewis argues that we long ï¿½to see with other eyes, to imagine with other imaginations, to feel with other hearts, as well as with our own.ï¿½ We were made for awe. None more so than at Christmas.

Our own world is filled with wonders; we simply must learn to see them. Despite our flaws, God loves us, and so provided a way of rescue through the birth, death and resurrection of His Son. He wants us to be a part of His family. To recognize and then receive Jesus as our Lord and Saviour.ï¿½ He requires we reject our old alliance with evil. He bids us become representatives of His good Kingdom in this foreign land. But this is not just a story -- it is our story. If we want. This chapter of our history will someday come to an end. But we can have the true desire of our hearts, our longings fulfilled, if we acknowledge Him, for who He is. As we approach Christmas and celebrate the birth of the Lion of Judah, I invite you to see the Narnia film and then to read the true story that inspired it. The most incredible true story of all. There are free copies on the table by the door - please take one). The story of which this life is, in the words of C.S. Lewis, but the ï¿½cover and the title pageï¿½.

Because for those who trust and believe, ahead of us lies, ï¿½Chapter One of the Great Story, which no one on earth has read: which goes on for ever: in which every chapter is better than the one before.ï¿½ Find out for yourself how Jesus has the power to deal with your past, to delight you in the present and to determine your future. ï¿½Jesus is on the move. Jesus makes it always Christmas and no longer winter. May the Lord bless you and those you love this Christmas. Inspired, with thanks, by Marc Newman, ï¿½Why we yearn for the Good endï¿½ , Pat Damiani, ï¿½Narnia, Encounter the powerï¿½ and David Sulcer, ï¿½Narnia, the bearing of a lionï¿½ and of course, C. S.

Lewis, ï¿½The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobeï¿½ Top 10 Must-“Visit” Fictional Lands | Britannica.com Editor Picks: Exploring 10 Types of Basketball Movies © 2005 Disney Enterprises, Inc.—Phil Bray/Walden Media LLCAP Images/PRNewsFoto/Buena Vista Pictures/AP Images Editor Picks is a list series for Britannica editors to provide opinions and commentary on topics of personal interest. Are you sick of the dull monotony of reality? Are you looking for a vacation spot that is truly out of this world? If so, then follow your trusted EB guide through the alternate universes created by some of the world’s most imaginative authors in this list of fantastical worlds. 10H.P. Lovecraft’s Dreamlands Constructed through the influence of dreamers from various dimensions, H.P. Lovecraft’s macabre Dreamlands was initially forged by his Dream Cycle (a set of loosely connected short stories) and was posthumously added to by several successors in the horror genre. There are several ways in which you can enter this fantastic universe, the easiest being through simply dreaming and the most perilous being through traversing dangerous waking and dreaming realms whilst awake.

Once in the Dreamlands, you will notice that time has a lengthening effect, where one waking hour may last for longer than a week, and as well as the larger-than-life scenery, which is rife with haunted forests and towering castles, all inhabited by the likes of pirates, monsters, and gods. 9Terry Pratchett’s Discworld If one day you find yourself flying through space in a disc-shaped world that’s supported by four enormous elephants atop a 10,000 mile-long piloting turtle, then you might consider the slight possibility that you are in the parodist Terry Pratchett’s Discworld. Inhabitants here range in species, from werewolves to dwarfs, wizards to yetis, and dragons to Death himself (most often found riding his horse Binky), thus making Discworld a melting pot for a plethora of species that often benefit from the rational diplomacy of Commander Sam Vimes and his motley squad. So be sure to check your prejudices upon arrival, for, in a world with vegetarian werewolves and six-foot dwarves, rarely are things what one might expect.

8Edgar Rice Burrough’s Pellucidar If you start digging a hole or head to the North Pole, you just might find your way into Edgar Rice Burrough’s land of Pellucidar—the Hollow Earth land where its concave surface creates an upward-curved horizon, the Sun is always at high noon, and prehistoric wildlife is bountiful. Although this timeless world, abounding with vegetation, may seem like a heaven in Earth, one must beware of the human-enslaving reptilian Mahars and their apelike servants, the Sagoths. Also, outside their empire exist several other species to watch out for, including the deranged Jukans, the snake-men Horibs, and the Buried People of Amiocap. But if it’s adventure you’re seeking, Pellucidar is the place for you! 7C.S.

Lewis’s Narnia © 2005 Disney Enterprises, Inc.—Phil Bray/Walden Media LLCAP Images/PRNewsFoto/Buena Vista Pictures/AP Images If you have been looking for a marvelous world full of such mythical creatures as centaurs, fauns, and unicorns—some of which being endowed with the power of speech—then you need only to climb through the back of a wardrobe. As you stumble into C.S. Lewis’s Narnia, take note of the domed sky, penetrable by only immortals, where burning stars spell out premonitions and the actions of the world’s creator, the famed lion Aslan; make fast friends with a wedded beaver couple; and, most importantly, stay clear of the evil White Witch, who has a special knack for making it “[a]lways winter and never Christmas.” However, as long as you remain honest and loyal to those you love, Narnia is sure to be the miraculous realm you always dreamed of. 6J.M. Barrie’s Never-Never Land Robbie Jack/Corbis Are you tired of being an adult and dealing with endless responsibilities? Are you looking for a place to eternally recapture your youth?

Well then tie down your shadow and escape to the Sea of a Thousand Islands, where Never-Never Land can be found. Here, you can partake in endless food fights with Peter Pan and the Lost Boys, all while ignoring the burdens of age. You can also pull pranks with the crew on the cantankerous Captain Hook—just be careful to not get on the wrong side of nor underestimate the short-tempered fairy Tinker Bell. So come to Never-Never Land, where you can ignore any and all of life’s problems and regain your long-lost youth. 5Jonathan Swift’s Lands of Gulliver © Photos.com/Jupiterimages Come spend an extended vacation on Gulliver’s Cruise, where you can be a giant on Lilliput, be the size of an insect on Brobdingnag, discuss abstractions with Laputans (be sure to bring your flappers), and bask in the virtue of the Houyhnhnms (though steer clear of the degenerate, vicious Yahoos). If it is adventure you seek and you don’t fear for your safety, then this cruise—complete with shipwrecks, inclement weather, and pirates—will surely quench your thirst for danger.

On this trip, you will witness petty wars, fear bird-sized wasps, observe cucumber-based experiments, and even discuss the meaning of life with horses. So leave the family at home and embark on this once in a lifetime adventure with your master of languages Lemuel Gulliver. 4L. Frank Baum’s Land of Oz Charlie Riedel/AP Where there is a wind, there is a way into the wondrous land of Oz. Once here, you can take a stroll upon the yellow-brick road to any of the four countries—Munchkin, Winkie, Gilikin, or Quadling. While sauntering through the enchanted forest, you can pay a visit to the courageous Lion, king of the beasts, but be careful later as you come upon the fragile realm of the China Princess. If you desire company, you can always find the Tin Woodman and the Scarecrow to join in your excursion to the fanciful Emerald City, located at the intersection of all the countries. However, if terrorizing winged monkeys and ravenous wolves become too much for you to handle, you can simply tap your silver (not ruby) slippers together and wish yourself home. 3J.R.R.

Tolkien’s Middle-earth On your trip to J.R.R. Tolkien’s Middle-earth, a continent in the world of Arda, don’t forget to pack plenty of lembas (bread), for a great deal of journeying will be at the top of the agenda. Places to visit include the elvish city of Rivendell, where days blend together and beauty is abundant, creating a heavenlike aura; the Fangorn Forest, where you can hopefully meet Treebeard and his clan of Ents; and, on your way to the home of the hobbits—the Shire—the valley of river Withywindle, where, with any luck, you can hear Tom Bombadil singing away as he manages the forest and picks flowers for his radiant wife. On your voyages, you will certainly run into wizards and dwarfs, as well as fellow men. However, remain wary of orcs and dragons as well as the southeast mountain stronghold of Modor, where only evil is sure to be found. 2Lewis Carroll’s Wonderland Blue Lantern Studio/Corbis You don’t need a purpose (nor a porpoise) to visit the nonsensical world of Lewis Carroll’s Wonderland.

You need only to follow a rushing rabbit down a hole, and soon reason and logic will give way to chaos and absurdity. In Wonderland, one must be sure keep one’s wits about them, for identities are quickly confused, shapes and persons change sizes, and beheading condemnations are frivolously handed out. However, if you relish in the surreal, than you can enjoy perpetual tea time with the Mad Hatter and March Hare while you listen to baffling stories from the narcoleptic Dormouse—just don’t frustrate him with interjecting questions. 1George R.R. Martin’s Westeros Hardly a place to vacation, a visit to George R.R. Martin’s Westeros requires one to know the terrain as well as the houses of the Seven Kingdoms and those who rule them. Although the Starks of Winterfell may seem inviting and just, they inhabit the coldest kingdom that’s too close for comfort to the icy Wall. The Vale of Arryn is rendered inaccessible during the winter due to the surrounding Mountains of the Moon, and the land of Dorne, though graced with pleasant weather, is dominated by deserts.

Highgarden of the Reach, however, lorded over by the Tyrells, promises rich scenery with delicious vintages and sweets. And, although it may be a dream to gaze upon the Iron Throne, one must be vigilant of many eyes and whisperers in King’s Landing, so to avoid being mistaken as a serious contender in the Game of Thrones. The Fictional Universe of Narnia | A Pilgrim in Narnia A Pilgrim in Narnia Posted on August 4, 2014 by Brenton Dickieson I am editing a paper Mythcon in August in Norton, MA. I am quite excited to be presenting some of my work on The Screwtape Letters and the Ransom Cycle . It is an unusual audience, a mix of scholars and fans of fantasy literature. It may be the only academic conference where the ladies are asked to remove their wimples and the men are asked to leave their weapons (whether traditional or magical) in the umbrella rack outside. It is also quite likely that the avid fans in the audience will know more about the topics than the academics presenting–certainly that will be the case with me.

I am participating in a panel on Arthur and the Inklings , but I am also presenting my paper, “A Cosmic Shift in The Screwtape Letters .” It is where I suggest that the fictional world–what we call “the speculative universe”–of Screwtape is also that of Ransom. By contrast, it seems that Lewis most well-known world, Narnia, has no connection at all. As part of the original paper, I wrote a short section that tests the Narnian speculative world a little bit. It was a section I quite liked, but it has to be cut from the paper. During my presentation it will be only 30 seconds long. But I thought it was still good, so I’m sharing it here. It also gives readers an opportunity to share some of our favourite parts of the Narnian world. The Fictional Universe of Narnia As a world-builder, C.S. Lewis is perhaps most famous for his creation of Narnia . By the close of the seventh Chronicle, the imaginative construct goes far beyond the country of Narnia to include a myriad of possible universes linked by the Wood between the Worlds .

Of these universes we are invited into three: a geocentric land of Narnia, the unsung world of Charn, and the Earth. Of Earth, we have referential events in history like WWII and the wartime exodus of children out of London. According to the beginning of The Magician’s Nephew (1955), the readers’ grandfathers were children and little boys were made to wear stiff collars at the same time the first Narnia story took place. But we also have a hint that the Chronicles are not set in historical England, but in the England where “Mr Sherlock Holmes” was a real person “living in Baker Street,” and we may be liable to bump into the Bastable children when they were “looking for treasure in the Lewisham Road.” Perhaps, as Lewis believed fantasy reading made every wood enchanted (“ Three Ways of Writing for Children “), so he believed good fiction infiltrates the life of every city, weaving its fictional and referential histories together. The result is that the speculative worlds of Edith Nesbitt and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle are aligned in some imaginative way with Narnia. This sort of literary intertextuality is nothing new to Lewis.

Neither are the literary echoes limited to the Earth-bound stories in Narnia. From the The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe to The Last Battle (1955), Narnia slowly fills with talking beasts, Marsh-wiggles, giants, satyrs, naiads and dryads, gnomes, centaurs, Dufflepuds, and various races of men and witches, dwarfs and gods. Narnia is a mythologically rich world, and the Chronicles of Narnia are a veritable legendarium of European and West Asian traditions mixed with beings of Lewis’ own invention. Within the Chronicles, we have an imprecise but relatively full timeline of Narnian history. [1] We have a Narnian creation story—not the creation of the Narnian universe itself, but the Aslanic filling of the world with verdant song—and some of the streams of anthropological and biological development. We have the stories of Charnian and Narnian apocalypse, but the future of the (fictional or factual) Earth is unknown to us. The physics of the Narnian universe seem relatively clear.

As on Earth, boats float in water, swords shed blood, humans can breathe the air, gold is hard and snowflakes are not. But it becomes increasingly evident that the operational physics of Narnia do not tell the entire story. Within the sweet water and cool earth of Narnia there are inhabited worlds, and there are places along the edges of the world where shed blood has a different meaning. Humans can breathe, but so can humanoid stars. In Narnia, water may turn a man to gold, and snowflakes may not melt even in July. Readers of Narnia will know that the metaphysics and magic are more layered there than they first thought. Can the architecture of Narnia bear this complexity? Humphrey Carpenter, for example, said that Lewis borrowed “indiscriminately from other mythologies and narratives,” throwing in “any incident or colouring that struck his fancy” (Inklings, 224–227; cf. Sayer, Jack, 312-313). [2] Certainly, the Chronicles of Narnia are stylistically different than Tolkien’s mainstream Middle Earth books.

And, as far as we know, there is no legendarium or world-building Bible behind Narnia as there was behind Middle Earth. J.R.R. Tolkien wrote heroic epics out of an unprecedented mythology while Lewis wrote imagistic stories whose speculative framework grew as the stories developed. Ultimately, the critical reader can decide about the cohesiveness of Narnia. It could be that what Carpenter calls unevenness in Lewis is what people find most charming and inventive. It is doubtful that Lewis imagined unicorns in Narnia when he sat down to write the first book, but it is not incongruous when one appears in the last book. Yet, the breadth of possibility is not endless. Lewis’ mythological borrowing in Narnia is limited to sources within his own civilizational sphere. Moreover, there are some things that would be inauthentic to Narnia. While the appearance of the god of wine to lead the bacchanalia in Prince Caspian raises eyebrows, something about the world would break with the introduction of a vampire or Wellsian alien.

[3] For all Arthur Conan Doyle is referenced in the telling of a Narnian tale, the summoning of Sherlock Holmes (or his next generation equivalent, Lord Peter Whimsey) to investigate the messianic claims of the purported Aslan in The Last Battle would be a step too far. The intertextual layering has its limits. Regardless of whatever framework may be behind the creation of Narnia, [4] in a very real sense the books are meant to be a slow unveiling of Lewis’ imaginative cosmos. We see this in the way the reader is introduced to Narnia in the first book, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe . We watch as Lucy, the kind of girl who knows better than to lock herself in a wardrobe, begins to wonder if her improvised hiding place is not bigger on the inside than it is on the outside . Her experience is extremely sensual. She revels in the feeling of the fur coats against her cheek until they become scratchy tree branches. She hears the crunch of mothballs beneath her feet only to feel the surprising texture and temperature of snow in the dark. Then there is light ahead in the darkness, and snow falling in a wood.

As Lucy enters Narnia she encounters significant incongruity. She is in a wood instead of an abandoned room. It is dark where she is standing, but she can see the daylight of her room through the wardrobe doorway. It is snowing here and raining in the world she has left behind. Lucy follows the light and finds, of all things, a city lamppost burning brightly in the middle of the lonely wood. As she contemplates the little flame, a fawn comes into view—doubtless the first half-goat/half-man Lucy has ever encountered. As we watch Lucy coming to terms with her new world, we are surprised once again. It is the mythological creature and not the human that is startled and disoriented by the sight of the other. The fawn is carrying what look like Christmas parcels in a land where it is always winter and never Christmas (so we discover). Quite apart from not talking to strangers as a girl who knows better than to lock herself in a wardrobe should know, Lucy engages with this very strange stranger and actually goes to his home. The angelic mediator we might expect in this dreamlike tale is actually a traitor, and a rather ridiculous one at that.

He sells Lucy to the dictatorial leader of the land, and then promptly sets Lucy off to safety. In a pool of tears, the traitor forfeits his own life for his victim’s. Either Tumnus the fawn is very bad at treachery, or there are other principles at work, ideas that slowly unfold as the reader uncovers the secrets of the land of Narnia. In any case, as Lucy discovers the land of Narnia, so does the reader. The Narnian speculative universe in its entirety is revealed slowly over the length of the seven chronicles. Lewis as a world creator of Narnia is nimble and creative, so that it is very much a pay-as-you-go universe. And yet it is not complete chaos or indiscriminate pastiche. There is a coherence to Narnia, and the reader is gradually introduced to that world just as the children: a little surprise, the sense of something foreign, and a bit of adventure ahead. [1] See Walter Hooper, Past Watchful Dragons, ch. 5.

[2] Note that Joe Christopher offers some critical questions about how far these are Tolkien’s critiques rather than Carpenters, “Tolkien: Narnian Exile” Mythlore 55 (Autumn 1988): 37-45. Green and Hooper note the inconsistencies in Narnia, Roger Lancelyn Green and Walter Hooper, C.S. Lewis: A Biography (Glasgow: Fount, 1974). [3] Though, indeed, there are some parallels between the aliens of H.G. Wells’ First Men In the Moon and the earthmen of Prince Caspian. It could be that the Lefay Fragment was abandoned because its Digory and Polly story of fairy godmothers and trees that talk was beyond the scope of the Narnian framework. [4] I.e., see Michael Ward, Planet Narnia. Share this: SparkNotes: The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe: Character List The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe C. S. Lewis Plot Overview Analysis of Major Characters Aslan - The king and god of Narnia. The noble lion sacrifices his life so that the Witch will spare Edmund.

After being resurrected the next morning, Aslan rises and defeats the White Witch once and for all. In the context of the book's Christian allegory, Aslan represents Christ. Read an in-depth analysis of Aslan. The White Witch - This evil queen of Narnia places a spell on the land so that it is winter and never Christmas. The Witch is the "Emperor's hangman," as Mr. Beaver says, and she has the right to kill any Narnian traitor. She wields a wand that turns creatures and people to stone. The wand also produces the Turkish Delight that enslaves Edmund and makes him greedy. The Witch kills Aslan, and it is only after he rises from the dead that he defeats her. Like any malicious character, the Witch, an embodiment of evil, could represent Satan, or she may be a servant of Satan. "She calls herself the Queen of Narnia thought she has no right to be queen at all, and all the Fauns and Dryands and Naiads and Dwarfs and Animals—at least all the good ones—simply hate her." Read an in-depth analysis of The White Witch.

Peter Pevensie - Peter is the oldest of the Pevensie children, and he is noble and courageous. He matures into a young man during his first few days in Narnia. He immediately proves himself after protecting Susan from a ferocious wolf. Aslan knights him, and eventually crowns him the High King of Narnia. During his reign he is known as King Peter the Magnificent. Susan Pevensie - The second oldest of the Pevensie children, Susan is the beauty among the Pevensies. She is sweet and kind, and perhaps a little bland. Santa Claus gives her a horn to blow if she ever finds herself in a dangerous situation. When she becomes queen at Cair Paravel, she is known as Queen Susan the Gentle. Edmund Pevensie - The third oldest Pevensie child, Edmund is a brat for most of The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe. Edmund is spiteful and mean, and likes to tease his sister, Lucy. His greed for the enchanted Turkish Delight leads him to act as a traitor against his siblings.

Edmund joins forces with the White Witch, but eventually sees the error of his ways and returns to the good side. Lucy Pevensie - The youngest Pevensie is cheerful, kind, and brave. This curious, happy-go-lucky girl is the first of the children to venture into Narnia. Later, she urges her siblings to search for her friend, Tumnus, when they find that the faun's home is ransacked. In the beginning, she is the protagonist, although Aslan fills that role later in the novel. We view much of the action through her optimistic eyes, as a foil to the skeptical eyes as Edmund. Santa Claus gives Lucy a cordial, which she uses to heal the wounded following the battle with the Witch's troops. She is known as Queen Lucy the Valiant. Tumnus - Lucy meets Tumnus, a faun, on her first excursion into Narnia. He initially intends to kidnap her and bring her to the White Witch. Tumnus does not go through with it, and he spares her life. For his crime, the Witch ransacks his home and petrifies him. Later, Aslan rescues Tumnus from the spell.

Kind, sensitive, and caring, Tumnus and Lucy become fast friends once it is settled that he is not going capture her. He also makes a mean cup of tea. Professor Kirke - Professor Kirke is a slightly eccentric, elderly professor. He takes care of the Pevensie children so they can escape the air raids in London during World War II. Wise and open-minded, he helps Peter and Susan understand that Narnia may indeed exist. Mr. Beaver - Mr. Beaver is Tumnus's friend, and he aids the Pevensie children in the search for the petrified faun. Mr. Beaver introduces the Pevensies to Santa Claus and ultimately brings them to the Stone Table and Aslan Mrs. Beaver - She is Mr. Beaver's wife. Mrs. Beaver is kindly, good-natured, motherly, and a good cook. Dwarf - The dwarf is one of the Witch's evil henchman and is her right-hand man. Maugrim - Maugrim is a wolf and the chief of the Witch's Secret Police. Peter murders the evil wolf after Maugrim chases Susan up a tree.

Father Christmas - Father Christmas is also known as Santa Claus and he makes a cameo appearance in the land of Narnia. He explains that Christmas has arrived in Narnia and as a gift, gives special tools to each of children. Emperor-over-the-Sea - We never meet him, but he is Aslan's father and the ultimate God of Narnia. He is the Father, while Aslan is the Son, in the Christian trinity. There does not seem to be a clear Holy Spirit in Narnia. More Help SparkNotes: The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe: Plot Overview The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe C. S. Lewis Context Character List Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy Pevensie are four siblings sent to live in the country with the eccentric Professor Kirke during World War II. The children explore the house on a rainy day and Lucy, the youngest, finds an enormous wardrobe. Lucy steps inside and finds herself in a strange, snowy wood. Lucy encounters the Faun Tumnus, who is surprised to meet a human girl. Tumnus tells Lucy that she has entered Narnia, a different world.

Tumnus invites Lucy to tea, and she accepts. Lucy and Tumnus have a wonderful tea, but the faun bursts into tears and confesses that he is a servant of the evil White Witch. The Witch has enchanted Narnia so that it is always winter and never Christmas. Tumnus explains that he has been enlisted to capture human beings. Lucy implores Tumnus to release her, and he agrees. Lucy exits Narnia and eagerly tells her siblings about her adventure in the wardrobe. They do not believe her, however. Lucy's siblings insist that Lucy was only gone for seconds and not for hours as she claims. When the Pevensie children look in the back of the wardrobe they see that it is an ordinary piece of furniture. Edmund teases Lucy mercilessly about her imaginary country until one day when he sees her vanishing into the wardrobe. Edmund follows Lucy and finds himself in Narnia as well. He does not see Lucy, and instead meets the White Witch that Tumnus told Lucy about. The Witch Witch introduces herself to Edmund as the Queen of Narnia. The Witch feeds Edmund enchanted Turkish Delight, which gives Edmund an insatiable desire for the dessert.

The Witch uses Edmund's greed and gluttony to convince Edmund to bring back his siblings to meet her. On the way back to the lamppost, the border between Narnia and our world, Edmund meets Lucy. Lucy tells Edmund about the White Witch. Edmund denies any connection between the Witch and the Queen. All Edmund can think about is his desire for the Turkish Delight. Lucy and Edmund return to Peter and Susan, back in their own world. Lucy relies on Edmund to support her story about Narnia, but Edmund spitefully tells Peter and Susan that it is a silly story. Peter and Susan are worried that Lucy is insane so they talk to Professor Kirke. The Professor shocks Peter and Susan by arguing that Lucy is telling the truth. One day the children hide in the wardrobe to avoid the housekeeper and some houseguests. Suddenly all four Pevensie children find themselves in Narnia. Lucy leads them to Tumnus's home, but a note informs them that Tumnus has been arrested on charges of treason. Lucy realized that this means the Witch knows that Tumnus spared Lucy's life, and that the Witch has captured Tumnus.

Lucy implores her siblings to help her rescue Tumnus from the Witch. Guided by a friendly robin, the children wander into the woods, and meet Mr. Beaver. Mr. Beaver brings them back to his home, where he explains that the children cannot do anything to save Tumnus. The only thing the children can do is join Mr. Beaver on a journey to see Aslan a lion. Aslan appears to be a king or god figure in Narnia. The children are all pleasantly enchanted by the name Aslan, except for Edmund, who is horrified by the sound of it. Mr. Beaver, Peter, Susan, and Lucy plot to meet Aslan at the Stone Table the following day, but they soon notice that Edmund has disappeared. Meanwhile, Edmund searches for the White Witch to warn her of Aslan's arrival and of the Beavers' plan. The Witch is enraged to hear that Aslan is in Narnia and immediately begins plotting to kill the children. The Witch wants to avoid an ancient prophecy that says that four humans will someday reign over Narnia and overthrow her evil regime. The children and the Beavers, meanwhile, rush to reach the Stone Table before the Witch.

As they travel, wonderful seasonal changes occur. First they meet Santa Claus, or Father Christmas, who explains that the Witch's spell of "always winter and never Christmas" has ended. The enchanted winter snow melts and the children see signs of spring. Simultaneously, the Witch drags Edmund toward the Stone Table and treats him very poorly. Once spring arrives, the Witch cannot use her sledge anymore, so she cannot reach the Stone Table before the children. When the other three Pevensies meet Aslan, they are awed by him, but they quickly grow more comfortable in his presence. They love him immediately, despite their fear. Aslan promises to do all that he can to save Edmund. He takes Peter aside to show him the castle where he will be king. As they are talking, they hear Susan blowing the magic horn that Father Christmas gave her to her, signaling that she is in danger. Aslan sends Peter to help her. Arriving on the scene, Peter sees a wolf attacking Susan, and stabs it to death with the sword given him by Father Christmas. Aslan sees another wolf vanishing into a thicket, and sends his followers to trail it, hoping it will lead them to the Witch.

The Witch is preparing to kill Edmund as the rescue party arrives. Aslan and his followers rescue Edmund, but are unable to find the Witch, who disguises herself as part of the landscape. Edmund is happy to see his siblings, as he has accepted that the Witch is evil. The next day, the Witch and Aslan speak and the Witch demands Edmund's life because she says that Edmund is a traitor. The Witch says that according to the Deep Magic of Narnia, a traitor life's is forfeit to the Witch. Aslan does not deny this, and he secretly reaches a compromise with her. The Witch appears very pleased, while Aslan seems pensive and depressed. The following night, Susan and Lucy observe Aslan grow increasingly gloomy and sad. The sisters are unable to sleep, and they notice that Aslan has disappeared. Susan and Lucy leave the pavilion to search for Aslan. When they find Aslan, he tells them they can stay until he tells them they must leave. Together, Aslan, Susan, and Lucy walk to the Stone Table, where Aslan tells them to leave.

Susan and Lucy hide behind some bushes and watch the Witch and a horde of her followers torment, humiliate, and finally kill Aslan. The Witch explains that Aslan sacrificed his life for Edmund. Susan and Lucy stay with Aslan's dead body all night. In the morning, they hear a great cracking noise, and are astounded to see the Stone Table broken. Aslan has disappeared. Suddenly Susan and Lucy hear Aslan's voice from behind him. Aslan has risen from the dead. Aslan carries the girls to the Witch's castle, where they free all the prisoners who have been turned to stone. Aslan, Susan, and Lucy charge join the battle between Peter's army and the Witch's troops. Peter and his troops are exhausted. Fortunately, Aslan swiftly kills the Witch and Peter's army then defeats the Witch's followers. Aslan knights Edmund, who has atoned for his sin of siding with the Witch. The children ascend to the thrones at Cair Paravel, the castle in Narnia. Aslan subsequently disappears. The children eventually become adults and reign over Narnia for many years.

One day, in a hunt for a magical white stag, they arrive at the lamppost that had marked the border between Narnia and our world. The Pevensies tumble back out of the wardrobe to our world. No time has passed, and they return to Professor Kirke's house as children. The foursome tells Professor Kirke about their adventure, and the Professor assures them that they will return to Narnia again some day. More Help

Question: In which fictional land was it 'always winter but never Christmas'?
Answer: NARNIA