C. S. Lewis and Myth 2018

One book and movie I often think of when I consider myth is Big Fish. It was a book by Daniel Wallace, that was made into a movie by Tim Burton, one of film's premiere myth-makers. Big Fish is about a young man who has always believed his father was a liar. His father tells tall tales (forms of myth). But when his father gets very sick, the young man comes to discover that there was a grain of truth in his dad's stories. I think this is true of all myths. They would not resonate with us if they did not contain grains of truth, or if they did not represent us. Another aspect of Big Fish is that we are defined by our stories. That is how we relate to one another--through our long human tradition of creating stories to tell about us. We tell stories about ourselves to help show who we are--but we also create our own myths. We are often smarter, funnier, and more intelligent, or tougher, or whatever myth we want to tell about ourselves--when we tell stories. We exaggerate, cre...

In The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, Aslan is killed by the White Witch, is tied to a slab, and dies. Yet his death in one realm makes way for his birth in another--he is alive, in an obvious mirroring of the Christ myth. Another book I draw a comparison to in this regard is The Little Prince by Antoine de St.-Exupery. While Aslan's death clearly parallels Christ's story, the titular character of the Little Prince also dies and moves on--in this case to the stars. Poignantly, the Little Prince accepts that his body is "too heavy" to get him home to his beloved rose. Forevermore, the aviator hears the prince laughing among the stars. I will add that Lewis claimed his stories were NOT an allegory for the Christ myth, but instead a fantasy story for children. I think he either felt it was important to be thought of as a fantasy writer as some sort of exercise of Lewis's ego, or his ingrained Christian view was so powerful he could not even see it in himself....

It is interesting that C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien were friends. I think you can draw strong comparisons between their works, though they are very different. First, they were both writing, at least someone, as a reaction to WWII. How could any human--or writer--make sense of a world in which genocide of that scale existed? Lewis created a world of beauty--but also evil--and he sent innocent children into it. Tolkien did the same in Lord of the Rings--and sent childlike innocents (hobbit) on his mythological journey. They both created worlds of infinite beauty--but also terrifying evil and seduction. Both created worlds in which the choice to join the forces of good against the gathering forces of evil is a central element. I think fantasy affords us such a deep look at the battle of good versus evil. And quite frankly, I find it a lot easier to think there is a world in which elves exist or a lion can speak, than a world in which an entire country could be complicit and also ac...

In The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, the children are sent to this house in order to escape London during the war. C.S. Lewis did not have children (though eventually he had stepsons), but he definitely enjoyed children. Thus, he created a world of beauty and joy for the children characters to enjoy and to hide from the realities of war. However, perhaps more magically, he created a world that for generations has provided and will continue to provide a place of escape through myth. In the character of Aslan, too, he created a powerful beast who would protect the children. He is the perfect companion, wise and gentle--yet capable of battle if need be. In the world of childhood imagination, a world in which "boogeymen" and nightmares sometimes rule, Lewis create an antidote. Childhood is such a sacred time, but like the war in London, adulthood is there, closing in. Lewis created a world where the characters could happily go even into adulthood, a place of goodness (at...

In The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, the character of Edmund lays bare the question: Are humans basically good . . . or basically evil? Edmund has freewill, and he allows himself to be tempted, and he also makes betraying choices. Is Edmund worth ultimately saving? For one, he is a child, so that would probably sway most to think he is worth the sacrifice Aslan makes. On the other hand, if Edmund is a stand-in for us all, a reflection of our humanity, then we look in that mirror. We all make good decisions, and there is not one of us who has not made careless, cruel, or wrong choices that hurt ourselves and others. Are we mostly good? Or will most of us make the wrong choice because of inherent human selfishness? I relate this question to something that happened to me and my family. My mother took in six siblings whose parents were swept by ICE. Their mom was our cleaning lady, and my mother promised the children would not be separated if something bad happened. Around us, some ...

Casting Judgement “I am the God of the Woods. I communicate with the creatures of the woods, the plants, the insects, the four legged critters, and the wisest of trees. I do not dominate these creatures, I love them as they love me. I protect them and they protect me. You, Orual, are the complete opposite of me. Your love is dangerous, selfish, and destructive. You obsess over the love that you are given, and if it is not enough, you demand their life instead of love.” “Allow me to tell you a story of a goddess. The goddess was not born with the divine powers or characteristics, rather she was born a mortal. This goddess was loved by all and the most beautiful in the land. Her pet and loyal companion, understood this and was jealous of anyone that tried to steal her love away from him. The goddess’ companion was so stricken with jealousy that he failed to protect her and she was offered as a sacrifice. The goddess was freed and commanded to complete a series of unimaginable task...