The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe: Christian or Plain Mythology?

Clive Staples Lewis was born into a strongly Christian family. Though he’s not always practiced the religion as a youngster, he later on embraced it fervently. Before writing children’s literature, C.S. Lewis was engaged with academic works, sci-fi novels and books about the Christian faith. Although Lewis himself announced that The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe and the rest of the Chronicles of Narnia aren’t allegories of Christian teachings, the symbolisms are just so clear that many first-time readers can simply point at the spiritual motifs of the books.

In the novel, Edmund who is the eldest of the Pevensie kids is sure to death by the White Witch due to treachery. Aslan, the righteous king of Narnia, could not deny the claim of the Witch as it is drafted in Deep Sorcery that anyone that is a traitor forfeits his life to her. As an alternative he offers his life so as to spare that of Edmund’s. Since Aslan is perfect, he will be able to offer his life, that the White Witch happily takes away on the Stone Table. Both Susan and Lucy keep vigil over Aslan during the whole night. Both of them are shocked next day when the king of Narnia has risen back to life. Aslan later on explains that: when a willing victim who had committed no betrayal was finished in a traitor’s stead, the Table would crack and Death itself would start working backwards.

It doesn’t take a Bible scholar to recognise the parallelism between Aslan’s sacrifice, death, and resurrection with that of Jesus Christ, who is the central figure in the Christian doctrine. The proposition the Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe is based on the Bible is even made stronger by the outline of Aslan as the Son the “Great Emperor-Beyond-the-Sea”, which synchronizes with the Bible’s description of Jesus as the boy of a Great Being.

Nevertheless we can’t quickly decide that the book is indeed a story of the Christian religion and we may also have to take C.S. Lewis ‘ side on this. Aslan’s sacrifice, for example, is not done on the cross but on a stone table with a knife, which brings to mind the picture of a pagan sacrifice. Also , there are numerous examples in mythologies worldwide , in Greek myth particularly, when a pure victim is sacrificed. Additionally, the part of the wardrobe, which is at the center of the book, doesn't hint to any Christian component. The White Witch and the speaking animals are non-Christian elements either.

Is there actually a point in making an attempt to distinguish the Lion, the Magician, and the Wardrobe as a Christian story or not? Many are convinced that seeing the book in Christian light can help the readers understand its meaning much better. But there may not be much need for it if we appreciate the book for reading’s sake. There is really no necessity to rigidly dissect its meaning. Perhaps we will look at it more as a children’s book that is intended to stir children’s imagination and give them some encouragement to picture a world that’s beyond what they see daily.

If you want to know more about the book in Finnish, just google”narnia velho ja leijona“, and take a look at the site.

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