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I can see alot of work went into this behind the scenes. Thanks for the epic content! Btw, I'd go with the third theory. Aside from various details lining up, it just kinda feels right to have the children's ringing of the bell in Charn (aka original sin) be the source of evil in Narnia.
This is pretty convoluted but wanted to mention something- Mr. Beaver’s mention of Adam’s “first” wife, an apocryphal reference to the mythical Lilith, as being the ancestor of Jadis- the original Hebrew word references a screech owl, so you have yet another demon bird from Charn, potentially.
I've got a feeling that Lewis did far more world building than he gets credit for. Probably not as much as Tolkien (cuz almost noone matches him in that department) but certainly more than we generally think. He just didn't really tell us about it
Lewis often hints at things, but doesn't let them distract from the main story he's telling at the moment. I can recall references to treasure-hunting underground with the dwarfs in LWW, even though that is never fully explored later - and then there's the whole mention of the much deeper underground realm Bism (an entire underground civilisation who have never seen the surface world, probably with their own nations, peoples and histories and wars) in SC, with living rocks and other things that evoke Jules Verne. He also mentions other countries that we know of, and it's likely that there are many, many more out there too, whole other continents and people who are never mentioned. I know that a lot of people are disappointed that Lewis never went into detail about these things, but personally I feel that his approach was actually very realistic. In real life, we often hear snatches of conversation about people and places we don't fully know about or understand and we never look into them fully ourselves, but they make the world sound more complete than if we'd never heard them. (And in my own head, I like to imagine that the land of Hyrule exists in the same world!)
The very first appearance of Tash in Narnia in the book The Last Battle was without a doubt the single most terrifying moment in the chronicles. The description of this malevolent vulture like creature revealing himself a few feet away from King Tirian and his companions then floating away killing the vegetation below him still gives me goosebumps.
I had Dyslexia growing up so I’ve listened to the Narnia Radio theater by focus on the family. I got my first set for Christmas and listen to them within a week. When I got to last battle and Tash showed up, I had a panic attack.
To this day I can’t re-read or listen to the audiobook of the last battle. That scene with Tash gave me nightmares as a kid and I’ve never gotten over it.
@@isabella2513 Oh yeah I hear you! It's such a scary creepy moment in the book. Just imagining Tash actually being real in the Narnian world is just frightening to think about.
Theory 2 seems like something C.S. Lewis would definitely do, but personally I really like the idea of Charn resulting in being the source of much of Narnia's greatest threats.
I read a comic online that was told from Tash’s perspective. Basically, they stated Tash was Narnia’s aspect of Death. “I descended upon Him (Aslan) once, as a vulture does on carrion. Skewered as he was by the stone knife of the cruel Child-Queen. I had come to take Him, but it seems He had His own plans. The Lion & I are not enemies, but neither are we friends. He has his Kingdom and I have mine. Though neither of us are bound to the North or South, nor the East or West. He frolics with the gods of wine, merriment, and laughing rivers and overcomes the cruelty and drudgery of mankind. As for myself, some call me Demon, Drinker of Blood, come to lay waste to their precious world. Others know me as a god from whom kings & nobles trace their kin. But then there are those who boast in my name, as if I am simply a shadow. A toy to frighten the weak-willed into submission. Fools. When you called upon me, did you think I would not hear you? Did you think I would not answer? I am not like the Lion, for I do not bring comfort. It is a noble gift, but not mine to give. The stench of decay follows me, and many are repulsed by it. But at least decay is something assured, something INEXORABLE. And that is what I absorb into myself as the world is bled and stripped to its bones. He may have brought the world into being through Song, but all songs need a proper ending. Whatever new thing He decides to compose, I do not know. It is not my concern. But as I take pride in my own work, I will assume the same goes for Him.” - original author (Zine Council of Nicea)
I would really like to read this if you (or anyone) has a link or page name or something to point me to…. Was it based on something C.S Lewis wrote or is it an expansion on the mythos like what’s happened with Lovecraft? I’m very curious.
This is an interesting theory, and of a unique perspective. But considering the books clearly state that Tash is evil and not just something of the natural (as death is considered to be) then I don't think Lewis would write his character as such. Lewis' understanding of good and evil was based on his Biblical beliefs, and although neither him nor Tolkien wrote in direct analogy, their understanding of both the spiritual/physical would not have likely defied the nature of those beliefs even if they expanded/creatively articulated them.
@@kbee8517 Very well observed. Tolkien and Lewis were heavily inspired by their Christian beliefs, with a little added flavor from other “classical” mythologies. The Valar in the Silmarillion are based heavily on several Olympian and Aesir gods, though they’d tell you they’re mere servants of Eru. In Biblical scriptures, Death is always said to be “The last enemy that shall be defeated”, “where O Death is your sting”, “the rider of the pale horse was named Death and Hades followed him”, etc. So in Christian canon, Death isn’t looked on favorably. And yet, there are even older traditions based in Judaism that hint at an Angel of Death, one assigned the position. Azrael. It’s confusing. I like to think of Death as that one “Evil Teammate”, the one you’re allied with but don’t 100% trust. Because they are the most neutral thing in the Universe. They probably don’t feel any alliance to anyone.
The second theory about Tash was very interesting, especially when considering the possibility that Tash had set up a religion with himself as the focus. What if, rather than being cast out and transformed for a severe offense to start with, Tash was changed into his demonic form AFTER convincing the Calormenes to worship him? It might give considerable significance to what Aslan tells Jill and the others, that a good deed done by someone, even if done in Tash's name, is accepted by Aslan, and that every bad deed, even done in Aslan's name, is credited to Tash? In other words, a person is not judged for following a false god if their faith , and consequent actions are good and pure.
The interesting thing about all three theories is that they aren't mutually exclusive. All of them can be simultaneously true. Jadis draws Tash's attention to Narnia from Charn, he falls from the Heavens and becomes incarnate in the Calormene outlaw chief, and establishes a new Temple in Tashban.
Ohhhhh so THIS is why I got a whole bunch of likes on this post from like 5 years ago out of nowhere a week ago lol! In all seriousness, this is great, I hadn’t thought of either of the first two theories before now but both are definitely possibilities, and your expansion of my thoughts that perhaps Tash was how Jadis ended up learning the Deplorable Word is fantastic, instantly subbed my guy, fantastic channel, glad this got recommended to me out of nowhere!
So glad you found this channel, friend! I wasn't sure how to contact you. Thanks so much for sharing your incredible theory! Would love to hear more from you!
A fantasy film called the *Dark Crystal* was released in 1982 , it was created by the man behind the Muppets - Jim Henson.The evil characters in the film were called the *Skeksis* - visually they were very reminiscent of *Tash* Really interesting theory regarding that 'Tash like illustration ' in Charn! How well observed!!👍
I like the Charn theory but with a slight change. Instead of Jadis being possessed, she summoned him to temporarily rule the Calormenes so she could take Narnia and the North. Then she can come back and take the south
At that last theory you suggested, my jaw actually dropped! I'm starting to see these books and the illustrations within them in a whole new way. Great video!
One other cool thing I noticed is that Tash looks strikingly similar to a Hittite Griffin. The Hittites were an Indo-European society that lived far north of ancient Mesopotamia. The Hittite Empire were strong enough to encase Babylon and become one of the most feared empires next to the Egyptian and Persian empire in ancient times before the Romans. There many carvings of what look like a winged humanoids with eagle-like heads. Not much is known about the Hittite Griffin or it’s significance other than speculation, but the clothing on the Griffin bears striking similarities to what ancient people wore, ie tunics and robes. So my theory is that Tash is either a Hittite Griffin or something similar.
In truth, I'd never paid more than glancing attention to Aravis's recitation of her lineage, as boasts that the Royal Line Came From Gods is something that occurs in...virtually every pagan culture on earth. (Seriously. Take a look.) But...I'm suddenly wondering if Tash *did* come from Charn...and Jadis introduced him in a very different way than simple possession. If Tash had been one of the gods of Charn--she does mention the drums in the temple beating for sacrifices, before 'all was wiped away', and while drums aren't mentioned among the cacophony in Tashbaan, we do know there were sacrifices going on there--she might have brought another Babylonian-inspired tradition into Telmar and Calormen. One that a historian and scholar might have known about...and wasn't fit for a kid's book. The 'Bed of the Gods': ritual fornication at the top of the temple, between the king and a temple prostitute, and 'participated' in by whatever god the festival belonged to, possessing either the prostitute or the king. The children born of this ritual were assumed to be divine--and descended from the god in question. If I remember correctly (I might be stretching), there was a pyramid or ziggurat in the ruins of Charn, where such a ritual might have taken place. Jadis, while in exile, could have easily introduced this particular practice, along with the god it belonged to--Tash--in Telmar or Calormen, and undergoing this could have easily been what brought Aslan's wrath down on the countries. Along with being the way the Tisrocs were descended from Tash.
And that actually makes sense if you remember that The Narnia Chronicles is a heavy metaphor for the Bible. In this case, Charn is like Babylonia, a kingdom that is always used as a symbol of the enemy of the the Hebrews and latter Christians. Makes a lot of sense tat Tash comes from Charn. If the Last Battle is intepreted that way, Tash is possibly the Dragon or the Beast that the Prostitute sits upon.
@@andrzejwanoski86 When you bring that to light, it definitely makes the third theory far more compelling, and given that C. S. Lewis often used many Biblical allusions in his fictional writings (to evangelize the imagination, as Father Roger Barron wonderfully puts it), it would make tons of sense for Tash's origins to be either or... But what if Tash's origin is a combination of the two theories, with Tash having been banished to Charn as a fallen star there?
@@thomasecker9405 that’s not true, even Queen Elizabeth II claims to rule “by the grace of God,” meaning they claim she was chosen for that station by divine providence. Rather than coincidence of birth lol. Not that many people still believe in that kind of thing nowadays
i’ve not found a channel that discusses Narnia until now, and your production quality is high! great vids, i watched them all at once! can’t wait for the livestream!
So I stumbled on your channel by accident and already watched some videos, but this one unlocked a memory I didn't know I had. I just remembered that fear I felt as a child when I read The Last Battle. I loved the series and reread it so many times (I was obsessed), but I remember reading The Last Battle maybe like three times as a kid. Just because I felt so uneasy because of Tash. And then I grew up and have forgotten about it. Everything else about Narnia I more or less remembered but not this. Until today. That being said I think I will be rereading Narnia again after all those years.
I think a combination of the first and second theories makes the most sense. A star was cast out of the heavens for some misdeed and instead of becoming repentant continued to rebel, establishing his own bloodline as rulers of the Calormen and leading the Calormen of Telemar into evil resulting in them being turned into dumb beasts and him being punished further being transformed into Tash. I like the idea of a falling star misleading people and posing as a false God.
@@nmoney6655 what!? He definitely believed in God and definitely put heavy Christian themes into his writing, it’s one of the most well known things about him and about Narnia!
I like the third, not that Jadis was possessed by Tash but that he is the demon she made the bargain with and that by becoming a denizen of Narnia Tash came with her and was incorporated to serve as Aslan's counterpart as he would have entered when the world was still brand new. Also elevates Jadis making her the most powerful servant of the new death god
I'd love to know how much C.S. Lewis spoke with the artist of these pictures in the books? Did they know each other? Did C.S. Lewis have influence over the artistic choices? If we are going to refer to the art as proof outside the text itself, we need to know more about the artist/author relationship! Edit: As a starting point = her name appears to have been " Pauline Baynes".
Lewis and Baynes worked very closely. Every illustration was approved by Lewis personally before going into publication, including the official Narnia map. It's why I consider Baynes illustrations "canon." I could be wrong but I also seem to remember seeing some correspondence between Baynes and Lewis about illustration note--maybe some initial sketches that he wanted changes on? I could be misremembering that though.
@@IntotheWardrobe I am writing only as a layperson. :) That said, I'd love to see documented evidence of C.S. Lewis offering critique of the art in a way that shows he is interested in the lore rather than just having any ol' picture. Doing a brief reading on Wikipedia entry for Baynes, it seems Lewis was supportive to her face, but privately, disappointed by her work. In short: any correspondence between C.S. Lewis and Baynes would be immensely helpful.
@@stillkickingaround I'll do some digging! Would never argue that small details are anything of true significance, though. Definitely fun for speculation and theory but nothing to stand on hard and fast!
@@IntotheWardrobe I look forward to hearing back from you in some form re: the correspondence between author and artist. I think a solid correspondence would lead to solid evidence of theories! If such correspondence can be found! Thank you. I love your work and enjoy every syllable.
I'm so happy that this series and fandom is still alive. It has been one of my favorite book series ever since I was six when the 2004 Disney TLTW&TW movie was released. Your theory analysis format, editing style, and professional sounding voice for narration is what makes these videos so interesting and entertaining to watch. Awesome work!
I like all three theories; the first one dug into the lore in a way that really makes everything fit together, the second seems to fit the most with Lewis' general worldbuilding, and the last seemed to best explain Tash's actual powers and behavior in The Last Battle.
Okay, the last theory was amazing. And you know what, I'm willing to buy it, but also postulate this alternative: Jadis IS Tash. Jadis has been shown changing forms several times. She was originally the stunningly beautiful 7 foot tall queen of Charn, and then she became the White Witch, and then she became the Lady of the Green Kirtle, and finally she became a snake. Transformation magic was not something Jadis struggled with, and she could take the form of non human things. She was also apparently very hard to kill. Jadis brought absolute death to Charn, and she continued to bring death in Narnia. Something to note is her reactions to Aslan's song of creation were unlike how anyone else reacts to him. It is not uncommon for people to be frightened by Aslan, but nobody has ever reacted to Aslan with agonized hysterics, as if his proximity and presence was physically painful. Jadis is also a mighty physical combatant, and except for Rillian and Edmund landing very lucky strikes on her, she could essentially kill anyone without difficulty. So Jadis as a bringer of death who can adopt another guise and cannot be stopped is already canon. In Narnia, magic exists, and is practiced by beings both mortal and divine, but it is much less common in Calormen, to the point where the land seems to be specifically non magical, except for outsiders who bring in Magic, like Aslan has done canonically, and Jadis could have done the same. The Calormen, being supserstitious and in awe of the magic, could very well take such a being for a god. So my proposal is Jadis adopted the form of Tash long ago and used her magic to perform miracles. This tricked the original Calormen into believing in Tash as a god, and worshipping Tash, adopting the old rituals and style that Jadis imported from Charn, but this time taking the veneration for herself. Perhaps she tried this first with the Old Telmarines, but went too far, prompting intervention from Aslan. With the concept proven, but now knowing what would provoke Aslan, she created the Faith of Tash, posing as a deity. I have an alternate theory: Tash is the form of Jadis's soul, or essentially Jadis disembodied. It is fully possible that she died out in the Western Wild, but being immortal as the fruit of the garden made her, was unable to truly died, but continued on in the form of an evil spirit, and that evil spirit appeared to the Calormenes in the form of Tash. In Prince Caspian, some of the more wicked Narnians try to summon back Jadis, and it is very clear that her spirit is still around and powerful, just in need of a form. The reason Tash appears in The Last Battle is because, after getting killed in the form of the Lady of the Green Kirtle, Jadis was so weakened and diminished that she could never have a physical body again. This is supported by her continuous decline in power from Charn from the moment she first left. In Charn, she could nuke the world by talking. In Narnia, she could cover hundreds of miles per day, fight armies by herself, and so on in her Jadis and White Witch forms. In her Lady of the Green Kirtle form, she was still able to kill and control with magic. In The Last Battle, Jadis is now degraded permanently to the form of a demon that barely has a physical body and can only interact with its described "lawful prey". Hence why Tash can kill some of the Calormenes, but knows absolutely better than to even dare resisting Aslan, unlike in the past where she has been openly violent against him. Tash is Jadis bereft of a human form to hide her evil and to channel her destructive nature, so she just radiates death instead of being able to direct it like in her prior forms.
Wow, great theories. I found the second to be quite strong, but the third I find utterly compelling. I actually did not read the last battle until comparatively late in life and have found it to be the most thought provoking (for me at least) of the series. Another excellent video.
I think I'm mostly drawn to theory one myself, I just like the poetry of it. A person so horrible they're turned into a monster as punishment, and then just turns the whole thing on its head by becoming worshipped as a god. And I like how it would explain the whole "descended from Tash"-thing. Theory two seems most likely though, Lewis was not subtle in his references to Christianity. Surprisingly I don't find myself a fan of theory three. I just really liked the theory of the Green Witch being Jadis' daughter (her being pregnant before even arriving in Narnia) and I feel like it's just too much if Tash was to have arrived through Jadis as well. :/ Like, give poor Jadis a break, surely she's not the source of ALL evil things in Narnia? XD Amazing video as always! :3 I really, really adore your work.
"Like, give poor Jadis a break." Lol. I love it! Your comment made me literally laugh out loud. She really is an easy scapegoat, isn't she? Really appreciate the perspective.
Well, technically...Narnia is what I would call an 'unfallen' world, very unlike our own, poor, fallen world. In our world, you can expect to run into good and evil equally, and might even expect to hit evil a lot more often. In Narnia, evil is the exception, not the rule, and it...mostly seems to revolve around those who had chosen to follow the White Witch. Now, Frank and Helen's children certainly had the capacity to choose good or evil themselves, but I strongly doubt that they--or even the Telmar pirates!--would have called through a demon of that caliber as Tash. However, an evil queen who'd already bargained with such dark powers would have called on him in this new world in a heartbeat, especially after she'd 'found her heart's desire, and despair' in the Garden.
@@PhilowenAster I dunno. If we go with my favourite (theory 1) then they didn't really need to call to any demon. Tash would've been transformed into a convenient god-like being for them to worship, no demonology necessary. Jadis is awesome and I do love her powerful and evil, but I also somewhat feel her accepting to house a spirit even more powerful than herself? Willingly and knowingly? Allowing it to survive and come with her to a new world where she is guaranteed not to be top-dog because that spirit that SHE brought with her will also be there? That also doesn't really sit right with me. Jadis is a selfish narcissist and she doesn't like the idea of someone else being more powerful than her. There's a reason she wiped out all life in Charn to begin with-- she'd rather be the only one left standing than letting her sister rule over her, and she thought sacrificing literally the entire world on the altar of her ego was an acceptable price to pay to reach that goal. I'm not trying to say one of us is right or wrong, but theory 3 just doesn't do it for me personally. ;P XD
@@PhilowenAster "evil is the exception, not the rule, and it...mostly seems to revolve around those who had chosen to follow the White Witch." There are evil characters in Narnia who have no association with the White Witch. Caspian's uncle Miraz and the Ape in The Last Battle being two examples.
I was already thinking about the fallen star theory... But the last theory blew my mind. I love your channel, and how eloquently you speak in your videos. I cant wait until this is 5mil sub channel. Much love from north Carolina. 🦁
Interesting. I've never come across this explanation. I've never really been sold on the Turkish "stone" or Gaelic "stain" explanation, so I like this idea alot.
@@IntotheWardrobe Lewis and Tolkien tended to love borrowing from mythologies around the world. After getting into Persian mythology, I found it interesting: that the demon who wanted to destroy all the world, was very close in name to Lewis' "Tash."
Isn’t he also called Ahriman in Zoroastrian mythology? Often seen as the evil god of darkness and evil, and being the opposite of Ahura Mazda the god of goodness and light.
@@silvertemplar8061 I had never heard of Ahriman. But after looking, yes. I was more looking at the destructive aspect, as destruction is not always evil.
Ah, Lewis, you don't know what you missed by passing away before the Internet became a thing! If only necromancy were lawful (and possible) in this world, and we could freely and commonly have conversations with those who've passed on to paradise: I think he'd enjoy talking about these theories!
I like to think of Tash as an antithesis to Aslan, both of whom have their origin in Narnia. First off, both the names 'Tash' and 'Aslan' have Turkish origins, with 'Tash' meaning 'stone' or perhaps 'disgrace' or 'stain', and 'Aslan' meaning 'Lion'. Secondly, when Emeth was wanting to be rewarded for his efforts by Tash, Aslan instead accepted his actions as actually being service to himself instead of Tash, saying "All the service thou hast done to Tash, I accept as service done to me," and "No service which is vile can be done to me, and none which is not vile can be done to him.", showing a direct antithetical relationship between the two. Thirdly, Shift directly conflates the two, showing that despite how different they are, they have parallel roles in their own respective countries. I believe that while Aslan is the true king of Narnia, Tash is the very real god of Calormen; and while service to Aslan is that of good and loving actions, service to Tash is done through unholy and vicious actions. Thus they are parallel opposites.
It’s ironic with the animals rash and Aslan are based on The lion is the one who makes the kill (and corpse) and the vultures come to feed on the corpse when the lion leaves
I can’t believe I’m just now learning about this channel! I just binge watched all your videos. WELL DONE!!! I’m sad I’m at the end now, but I can’t wait to see more! Keep up the good work! Also, as soon as I’m done reading through the series with my kids (half way through Horse & His Boy now), I can’t wait to take them back through these videos as well!
That last theory is surprisingly close to this fanfic idea I had for a Jadis origin story. In it, she'd learn the planetary killing spell from an evil entity her ancestors shackled ages ago through dark magic. The sheer ruthlessness and evil the Charnians sunk to in order to defeat it is what would ultimately corrupt the civilization, so confident in their own goodness and righteousness in defeating it, they became just as evil themselves, coming to a head in Jadis' day when it reached the heights of its decadence. In my version, it was the lovecraftian elder god Nyarlathotep (because I'm also a huge Lovecraft fan and the crossover was too good to pass up) but Tash could work just as well. That, and a shadowy multi limbed buzzard would be a form I could see Nyarlathotep taking. He'd have followed Jadis into Narnia out of curiosity to see what would become of his investment, stepping into her role when it became vacant. In my own version, Nyarlathotep would be testing the limits of the Christian God, discovering that He could manifest in other dimensions (he also took the guise of an Egyptian priest to egg the Pharaoh on to see what God would do about being denied His people). So long story short, thanks for these videos. They're inspiring me to actually start writing this idea down.
Your Lovecraft comparison made me sit up and take notice, particularly because of the only two other Calormene deities mentioned by name, one is “Azaroth,” a pointed reference to Azathoth in the Cthulhu Mythos. (I couldn’t find any specific meaning in the name of the other Calormene goddess, Zardeenah,)
@@nrm224 true, though I think Azaroth is also an actual demon in either Jewish or Christian lore. Though the Azathoth connection is worth noting since Nyarlathotep serves as a herald/intermediary for him in the story "The Dream Quest of Unknown Kadath."
My mind is beyond blown. I have never once considered it, but it makes so much sense. Thanks again for such a rich, engaging experience that allows me to look at such a beloved, familiar classic with a brand new sense of awe and appreciation!
I'm glad I found your channel about a month ago. The Chronicle of Narnia is one of my favorite book series and I like your videos they are interesting.
Of the theories, I think theory 3 is the most likely, though I don't think Jadis was possessed by Tash. I feel like it was more of a "deal with the Devil" type scenario, so when Jadis set up in Narnia, Tash was allowed access through their deal. If you look in HHB, the Calromenes seemed to be aware of Jadis, but were not in favor of her, so I don't think she was the one who set up the Tash religion. My guess is that, once coming with her to Narnia, the demon simply set up the religion himself, as that's what these false gods crave; worship. Also, I think they're is some misinterpretation in theory 1. I have that book with the timeline too (nice to see that you found it, hope it helps), but I always thought that Calormen, and since it was colonized by Calormen, Telmar, were founded by a mix of men and talking beasts. It was after a certain point that all the Talking beasts were turned back into dumb beasts, to which the humans among them would've just shrugged and used them as normal animals. Think about it, if all of Calormen and Telmar was turned into dumb beasts, then why in the books are they entirely populated by humans? Just something I thought I'd mention. Really good video man. I never even saw those carvings in Charn, that blew my mind.Can't wait to see what you do next.
Love the fact that you were able to watch and comment within the first hour! For theory 1, do you mean you think the talking beasts were the only ones punished? I think that the full line from the timeline ends with "The country lies in waste." I never considered what country was meant there--I had assumed Telmar, but I suppose it could have been a Calormen well. It seems like a civilization-ending event, similar to Babylon, Sodom, Gamorrah, don't you think?
@@IntotheWardrobe All it says on the timeline is, "Telmarine Calormenes become dumb beasts," nothing about the country being a wasteland (if you have a different version that says so, let me know). That does make it sound like those who became dumb beasts were the talking animals in these kingdoms, as they were the only ones warned that such a punishment could happen due to their wickedness. The humans in these nations no doubt suffered as well, but I don't think in that regard (maybe their punishment was a famine or something). And again I must reiterate, if all of Telmar and Calormen was turned into animals, who populated it afterwards and formed the religion of Tash? It seems to make more sense to me that, as punishment for their wickedness (perhaps the creation of their false gods/religion) Calormen was stripped of part of what made the Narnian world so magical, that being their talking animals and other such magical creatures. (side note: if my theory is true, and only the talking beasts were made dumb, what do you think happened to the other magical creatures in Calorem, like dryads, and naiads and such? Do you think some of them were in Calormen? If so, were they driven out, or corrupted and turned into the "gods" of the Calormen religion? Would love to hear your thoughts.)
I personally think, it seems that a mixture of all three theories can work side by side in an odd way. Theory 2 would explain what kind of research and Inspiration Lewis took for his work from the bible and other mythical sources while theory 3 would explain how he would fit into the actual universe through the story. In regards to theories 1, Tash seems to share some similarities with pagan Chthonic deities who required live animal sacrifices. And if we go by the snippet from that timeline presented maybe the terrible deed the Calormen Telmarines did was sacrificing talking beasts to Tash, while they were alive like they would dumb animals? Then Aslan turning evil people responsible into dumb animals themselves might seem a fitting punishment as in "You treated my people of Narnia like dumb animals, then you in turn shall become dumb animals", which is similar in his punishment of Prince Rabadash who acted like an ass and therefore was turned into an ass. When it comes to Theory 3 to this one has to wonder if Tash is a Charnian deity if he has anything to do with the Deplorable Word? Some ancient death deities in mythology have be also sometimes so feared that people referred to them by different names and titles rather than their actual names. Even in monotheistic religions like Judaism and Christianity, the real name of God is almost practically forbidden and taboo to speak. What if Tash is just an epitaph used in place of his true name, which has been forbidden to speak aloud? and on that note damn. I have the Narnia books with the illustrations and I did not notice those carvings at all. I had to crack open my copy just to check and crap it nearly blew my mind when I found the illustrations. That's really is an awesome detail!
@Mullerornis well, he actually is not Aslan’s equal. If we base it off of Christian beliefs. Tash would be equivalent to Satin. And Satin is not a god but a fallen angel.
Congrats on 10K+ subscribers, hopefully you will reach 100K before too long. I look forward to the livestream. While all three theories are, of course, quite plausible, I think the third theory is my favorite. I wonder how much fun C.S. Lewis had thinking about how readers of his books would try to answer such questions that he left so unanswerable.
thoery one is interesting; i'd love a link to the history of Narnia as told by C.S. Lewis because i'd never heard about Aslan turning an entire wicked people into dumb beasts before. considering C.S. Lewis was a born-again Christian, i like the simplicity of the second theory of Tash the Fallen Star. but because so much about Charn is still so unknown to us, i'm drawn to the third theory of Tash coming from Charn and having this deep connection to Jadis and possibly the Unspeakable Word. both theories fit quite nicely but Tash the Demon of Charn just draws you in... it fits
After hearing all the theories I'm of the opinion that all could be true to some extent. What if Tash was a fallen star who fell to Charn, beguiled the Jadis and the other rulers, and slowly built up power through deals using his magic but its Jadis who gave up a piece of herself for all of his power. He possessed her and when she came to Narnia he willed for her to make him a kingdom to rule as he felt he deserved it but thanks to Aslan that never came to be so upon her death he was released as a free spirit. He would then go out into the world again, making more deals with people till he came to Calormen and he convinced the people that he was a god and had them make him their people's god. This was the sin that Aslan punished so they all became beastlike, like him.
All Charnians of the Royal family have that strength and height. And Babylonia was an ancient culture of the Arabian culture . Plus Tash was a very hands off deity so when he appeared it was with an annoyed demeanour, he literally says “so you finally summoned me”
This is more for fun than anything else, but I remember someone on TVtropes noting that, as C.S. Lewis and Tolkien were friends, there could...possibly...be something to the reveal that uncle Andrews Rings...those *rings* *of* *power* that started everything by getting humans involved in Charn and Narnia were Atlantean. Remember, if Tolkien's legend was meant to be a Britain-inspired myth for how the world came to be as we know it today. Now where the trope guy took this was the possibility that C.S. Lewis was throwing a line connecting his story to Tolkien's...with the admittedly sad conclusion that if this is true, then the death of Uncle Andrew's godmother marked the end of the last line of truly magical Numenorian blood. Still, it would be an end that lays the foundation for another great story, and altered the fate of an entire world. Anyway, getting back to this, what if Tash isn't meant to be from Narnia's world, nor that of Charn. Remembering that some spirits in Tolkien's retelling can choose whether or not to be corporeal (with some going permanently incorporeal if they sustain too much damage in this world,) what if Tash was one of those Maiar spirits that threw in with Morgoth. Now I'm not suggesting Sauron himself, but it's worth remembering that many Maiar joined the first Dark Lord, and Tash seems to have a similar Modus Operandi with men: present himself as a willful, glorious (perhaps not in this case beautiful) and all powerful lord, and set up a religion...one that incorporates human sacrifice, similar to Sauron's own religion in Numenor...a religion that was also centered around worship of a dark lord and set up in a circular temple at a high point in the city, one which arguably, promising the king and his followers they would find eternal life ("May you live forever" Tisroc indeed), and one which eventually brought down the wrath of God, first in the form of Eru with Numenor, and from Aslan with the end of Narnia. Perhaps, given uncle Andrew seemed to have a penchant for getting into magic he had no business with, and wasn't exactly scrupulous, he might have gotten into contact with such a being, drawn by some of the ancient and magical items he had from a bygone age. This being, long dormant after the defeat of his master and the second dark lord, could use this petty magician with items to enter new worlds in order to get somewhere where he could have more influence and attract a new following, seeing as how the modernizing world of men, with the Christian faith spreading around, meant it might be difficult to attract a large following. And who knows, maybe Eru/The Emperor over the Sea wouldn't notice if he started spreading his influence in some more backwater, unimportant world while He focused on this one. Again, to those who read this far, it's mostly just for fun, but it does open possibilities, especially if Andrew, rather than losing his soul (as he seemed to be a bit less of a loon at the very end, so I'll end his note with hope,) might have allowed himself to be tied to Tash, so that he could follow where the old man led, until he found a place worth staying, without Jadis, the caddy, the kids, or anyone else knowing, and Andrew being too caught up in his greed to notice or care when a bad influence that liked to whisper in his ear slipped away.
What if using the "Unspeakable Word" birthed Tash from the destruction and disappearance and assumed annihilation of the other Charnians? He brings only death and destruction with him and Jadis could've harbored this demon until she fled from Aslan during the creation of Narnia, separated Tash from her, and then he found himself over those settlers who were turned into dumb beasts before moving south west.
@@artsman412 Course, the weird thing about he Deplorable Word is, we know neither what it was or how it worked. What if, perhaps, speaking it unleashed a being of pure destruction and decay on all the world, except for Jadis herself, a being of unlife, so that she was indeed the only *living* being, while Tash lurked in the shadows, waiting around her as she slept, having accomplished the destruction of all other living beings?
@@silvertemplar8061 Considering we're talking about a series where an entire world was sung into being, people were turned to stone and later came back to life, children jump between worlds using magic rings, and much much more, I think we can safely say the laws of physics are taken with some liberties here.
You deserve more subscribers I just started watching last week watched everything you had. Great job on these videos netflix is thinking about starting a Narnia series hopefully you can get a few more to watch a subscribers.
Great video! I remember listening to the Narnia audiobook as a kid, and when the segment on Tash started playing, it scared me to death! To this day, I think Tasha's one of the most intriguing and mysterious Narnia characters. I wish he was a little more well-known and would have loved to see a film adaptation of him.
One thing I wish was explored or explained was. After the death of all the main characters in the last book from the train crash, what happened to the magic rings that Peter and Edmond got from Professor Kirk's old house? What if a worker who was helping search for bodies in the wreckage, came across them and picked them up?
This also goes with your Lady of the Green Kirdle theories. What if Tash had possessed Jadis, could he had also conceived a child in her? That would make the lady of the green kirdle both Tash and Jadis offspring and why she had the power she had as well as liked deep and dark places. That would mean that Tash was always surrounding Narnia, always looking for an opportunity to take over. As the enemy of our souls always surrounds and looks for and opening. Thank you for Aslan!
Fascinating theories! Your theory about Tash possessing Jadis is especially intriguing. It would also explain why Tash gives so many people, both those within the story and those reading it, a strong sense that Tash is an alien being who doesn't belong in the Narnian world. If the Lady of the Green Kirtle in The Silver Chair was also possessed by Tash, it could explain her connection to Jadis, and her being described in-universe as being "one of the same crew" as Jadis.
Before I watched this, I just wanted to say the theory I always thought Tash was. We all know Aslan has no equal, he has other names and avatars all across the universe in the well of worlds. I always believed that since Tash and Jadis shared a prerogative in having prey that they have a right to, maybe Tash was a spirit from another world, like a demon form ours. He had prey from one world to another under a different name. Perhaps he was once mortal like Jadis and turned into this creature, or perhaps he was one of her gods from her world, but I believe he doesn't reside in Narnia's world. He may have domains that were given to him in other worlds. Edit: okay, I didn't expect someone else to have a theory I cooked up when I was less than 12. I grew up on narnia, my mom would read my brother and I a chapter or 2 every other night. I always saw Tash as a supernatural being as apposed to jadis. So, someone else seeing that too is awesome! Ps. I live your video, please keep up the amazing work!
I loved this. I totally had forgotten about Tash. Funny since the villian in my upcoming dark fantasy novel Gurzil. Has so many similarities to him. When are you getting a Patreon
I like all of these but the third one also seems to match with Aslan viewing Tash as an opposite force. "Not because we are the same, but because we are opposite."
Just a side note, Djinn aren’t demons, they are neutral spiritual entities, and when Islam began to prosper in Arabia, they came to represent beings between the divine and infernal, a very similar role that the Fae took when Catholicism began to spread in Ireland
@@IntotheWardrobe of course. It’s always cool to see someone do lore videos on a series with more vague but interesting lore like Narnia, especially when it’s done by someone like you who explores the religious backgrounds behind it.
Interesting subject. I don’t that Lewis put that much thought into Tash’s origin. Rather, I tend to think that just as Aslan is the Narnian incarnation of Christ, so is Tash the Narnian manifestation of the Devil. Both Aslan and Tash are Turkish words meaning lion and stone or stain, respectively. The Tashlan heresy proclaimed in The Last Battle seems like a refutation of the oft-repeated statement that Christians and Muslims worship the same deity. This is supported by the obvious Middle Eastern flavor of Calormen. Tash’s final act - carrying Rishda off into his own realm - strongly parallels the biblical characterization of Satan dragging as many people as he can with him to off to Hell. Note also that Satan serves in many Middle Eastern religions as the accuser of mankind - just as Tash (and Jadis) does. The name Tash also reminds one of Tashkent, the capital city of Uzbekistan, a predominantly Muslim nation. Tash’s appearance calls to mind the Garuda - an important figure in many Eastern religions. As such, I see Lewis’ transmogrification and use of that deity to be a further repudiation of any faith other than Christianity. Simply put, I think Tash is in the story to represent all non-Christian faiths as false and, ultimately, demonic.
All Abrahamic religions are from the Middle East and feature the same deity. Yes, even the Yazidi religion. Anyway, Garuda is a good guy and exists in the Dharmic religious. However, one of his alternate names could be rearranged into Tash with some letter deletions. If your Garuda idea is correct, it would align Tash with paganism, but most strongly the Dharmic religions, especially Hinduism. In Hindu texts, Garuda often is invoked for destruction or righteous violence. When you consider traditional Hindu society having castes, slavery, and human sacrifice, this makes even more sense.
But it can't be quite that way, because this one character who did good deeds but worshipped Tash devoutly was accepted by Aslan as if he were a loyal Narnian. That shocked me as a child and always stuck with me.
While I'm not Lewis himself, I feel I can at least speculate in an interesting manner. There's a classic problem in Christian theology - that of reconciling the idea of a loving God with the position that everyone is fundamentally corrupted by sin and can only be saved from damnation by accepting the personal intervention of Christ and the reality that millions of humans never had the chance to learn of Christ. I've seen the phrase "virtuous pagan" to describe someone who lived a good life by normal standards, but never had the opportunity to turn Christian. Emeth's fate seems to represent Lewis's answer to the question - that what matters is not the Name you invoke, but what you do in that Name - a "Christian" priest who preaches hatred in Christ's name is just as damned as a Hindu who preaches violence in the service of Kali. The introduction of Tash may also be addressing an obvious potential misinterpretation (willful or accidental) of the ending of Voyage - where Aslan reveals that he goes by other names. It's possible to take that idea too far, and end up at the position that all religions are equally valid ways to approach the same ineffable Truth - which is as false as claiming that Christians and Christianity have a total monopoly on Truth - if you accept the premise that the Christian Bible contains (as far as is possible) what is right and true, then other religions (and moral systems) may not be right about everything, but, so far as they agree with (or at least don't contradict) the "truth", they contain parts of the truth. There's a difference between going the wrong way, and only going part of the way... It's also worth remembering that, back in LWW, Father Christmas made an appearance, and there's a long list of the evil creatures that followed the White Witch and witnessed Aslan's execution. Prince Caspian includes Bacchus and Silenus. Silver Chair and The Last Battle itself include Father Time (along with various great lizards and other monsters). Having Tash wander into Narnia from an entirely different religious tradition in order to take on the role of Satan seems entirely in keeping. Though it's interesting to note that a substantial number of people end up going neither with Aslan nor with Tash - those who turn aside from Aslan and the Door at the end are merely abandoned to the cold and dark that remain after the End, not consigned to Tash's realm.
This video is amazing! I have always wondered about Tash's origins. I also didnt know that C.S.Lewis wrote a personal history of narnia could you please link where you found it, I'd love to have a closer look.
Wow, these are some fascinating theories! I have to say it goes to show how remarkably incurious I have always been up until now about the origin of Tash. In some ways Tash’s origin problem is the same as any of the other bit-part villainous creatures. Where did hags, werewolves, wooses, cruels or any of the other monsters Jadis calls upon in her rant come from? Tash is way more alien to Narnia than any of those, but even though I suspect Lewis had Tash’s origin clear in his own mind I doubt he ever intended to provide many details. I’m not sure how much he’d want us to get overly focused on the cruel false god of the Calormenes
I love these books I read starting on the 2nd thru the the 7th and then the mag ephew i read 1 book a night with a pot of coffee like an insane weirdo . I must say it was a well spent week
Hi, I'm back a day later. There's one theory that I came up with a number of years ago that I haven't seen anyone else discuss, but I thought I may as well share here. And part of that comes from the way CS Lewis writes his biblical allegories. - Book 7 is meant to be Lewis' own spin on the Biblical account of John's Revelations. The Donkey is the Antichrist, the Ape is the False Prophet, and the imagery used in the destruction of Narnia mimics the descriptions of the end of times in the Bible. And once the Antichrist character leaves the stable, all that remains is Tash himself. - Tash is a being that is clearly feared and is quite powerful, but is driven away from the stable between worlds by Peter commanding him to leave in the name of Aslan. - When Aslan is disputing the Calormen claim that he and Tash are the same, he calls them exact opposites. Tash is a being of pure evil. Those who do great good and claim to do it in Tash's name were really working according to Aslan's purpose. And those who do great evil and claim to do it in Tash's name were really working according to Tash's purpose. I know that for allegory purposes, Jadis was the devil stand-in for the Pevensie's first adventure, but she was never given this much comparison to the Devil. Tash seems to be treated as this primordial nemesis to Aslan. He's treated as though he is above the other creatures of Narnia, but is still beneath Aslan at the end of the day. Like he's, say, an Archangel leading a rebellion against him? When it comes to biblical figures, Lewis was very literal with his writing. At the end of Dawn Treader, Aslan basically spells out to Edmond and Lucy that he's not just a stand-in for Jesus Christ, but that he literally is Jesus Christ taking on another name and identity. So what I think is more believable than Tash being a cursed man or a fallen star, is that when Satan saw that God was creating a multiverse, he desired to corrupt and ruin those worlds as much as he has our own, and he decided to play by the same rules in those worlds. The mentality was something like, "Oh so you show up as a lion to these people? Fine, I'll dig back into the stuff I was doing with Egypt and pull out a bird man form. Look at how your people are building temples and offering sacrifices to me now, 'Aslan'. Having fun yet?" Not only does this fit the themes of the books and work with the lore, it also answers the question of how Tash got there in the first place. Jadis had to do some magic teleporting to get there, and it'd be odd if Tash just latched onto her and dropped by, then did nothing with her for thousands of years. But presumably, if lesser powerful immortals like St. Nicholas are able to transcend time and space and visit multiple realms, Lucifer would have zero problem travelling from our world to Narnia.
Not the only time Aslan punished an entire group of humans by turning them into dumb animals, there was that one time where all the schoolboys from a school were turned into pigs.
Hi!! Could you make a video about all the narnian rulers? You could do part one about the old dinasty (house of frank) to the pevensies and second part from the pevensies to Rilian
Honestly, the clothes that the Kalomeans wear, especially the Turbans scream Ottomans to me more than anything else, that are descendants of Turkic nomads, with a heavy dose of influence from Persia and the rest of the middle east, but not as much Arabia.
Tash/Jadis... WOW.. that... that actually is plausible... that might possibly be what Clide Staples was going for.... holy... Mama Mia! This... wow.... whoa...
That was a pretty interesting video, there was always the easy "lame" explanation that Tash just simply stands for Satan, similar to Aslan with Jesus. But this gives more depth to the Narnian lore, obviously just in theory form, but still pretty good nonetheless.
The research for this theory took a lot of time, but it was truly a pleasure to explore! If you'd like to support the work of this channel today and get exclusive access to pre-releases, research notes, and some swag, you can visit www.patreon.com/IntoTheWardrobe
I can see alot of work went into this behind the scenes. Thanks for the epic content! Btw, I'd go with the third theory. Aside from various details lining up, it just kinda feels right to have the children's ringing of the bell in Charn (aka original sin) be the source of evil in Narnia.
This is pretty convoluted but wanted to mention something- Mr. Beaver’s mention of Adam’s “first” wife, an apocryphal reference to the mythical Lilith, as being the ancestor of Jadis- the original Hebrew word references a screech owl, so you have yet another demon bird from Charn, potentially.
In regard to “Tash the cursed” theory, I also gotta wonder why people would treat him as a “god”, unless he had some trick after he was changed.
I've got a feeling that Lewis did far more world building than he gets credit for. Probably not as much as Tolkien (cuz almost noone matches him in that department) but certainly more than we generally think. He just didn't really tell us about it
Nah Brandon Sanderson definitely rivals Tolkien in worldbuilding
They were drinking buddy's
@@wursteh5728 i don't believe that for one minute.
Don't get me wrong: Sanderson is impressive but Tolkien's is next level.
Frank Herbert author of Dune, had a vast world as well.
Lewis often hints at things, but doesn't let them distract from the main story he's telling at the moment. I can recall references to treasure-hunting underground with the dwarfs in LWW, even though that is never fully explored later - and then there's the whole mention of the much deeper underground realm Bism (an entire underground civilisation who have never seen the surface world, probably with their own nations, peoples and histories and wars) in SC, with living rocks and other things that evoke Jules Verne. He also mentions other countries that we know of, and it's likely that there are many, many more out there too, whole other continents and people who are never mentioned. I know that a lot of people are disappointed that Lewis never went into detail about these things, but personally I feel that his approach was actually very realistic.
In real life, we often hear snatches of conversation about people and places we don't fully know about or understand and we never look into them fully ourselves, but they make the world sound more complete than if we'd never heard them.
(And in my own head, I like to imagine that the land of Hyrule exists in the same world!)
The very first appearance of Tash in Narnia in the book The Last Battle was without a doubt the single most terrifying moment in the chronicles. The description of this malevolent vulture like creature revealing himself a few feet away from King Tirian and his companions then floating away killing the vegetation below him still gives me goosebumps.
I had Dyslexia growing up so I’ve listened to the Narnia Radio theater by focus on the family. I got my first set for Christmas and listen to them within a week. When I got to last battle and Tash showed up, I had a panic attack.
To this day I can’t re-read or listen to the audiobook of the last battle. That scene with Tash gave me nightmares as a kid and I’ve never gotten over it.
@@isabella2513 Oh yeah I hear you! It's such a scary creepy moment in the book. Just imagining Tash actually being real in the Narnian world is just frightening to think about.
@@Pumpkinshire I read The Horse and his boy and I got chills thinking about Aravis and her connection to Tash
Maybe dude could be used as an alternative to roundup
Theory 2 seems like something C.S. Lewis would definitely do, but personally I really like the idea of Charn resulting in being the source of much of Narnia's greatest threats.
Ooooh nice
@@vickiewallace415 yeah like Jadis and the green Witch
Charn ~ *L’amerika.*
I read a comic online that was told from Tash’s perspective. Basically, they stated Tash was Narnia’s aspect of Death.
“I descended upon Him (Aslan) once, as a vulture does on carrion. Skewered as he was by the stone knife of the cruel Child-Queen. I had come to take Him, but it seems He had His own plans.
The Lion & I are not enemies, but neither are we friends. He has his Kingdom and I have mine. Though neither of us are bound to the North or South, nor the East or West. He frolics with the gods of wine, merriment, and laughing rivers and overcomes the cruelty and drudgery of mankind.
As for myself, some call me Demon, Drinker of Blood, come to lay waste to their precious world. Others know me as a god from whom kings & nobles trace their kin. But then there are those who boast in my name, as if I am simply a shadow. A toy to frighten the weak-willed into submission.
Fools.
When you called upon me, did you think I would not hear you? Did you think I would not answer?
I am not like the Lion, for I do not bring comfort. It is a noble gift, but not mine to give. The stench of decay follows me, and many are repulsed by it. But at least decay is something assured, something INEXORABLE.
And that is what I absorb into myself as the world is bled and stripped to its bones. He may have brought the world into being through Song, but all songs need a proper ending. Whatever new thing He decides to compose, I do not know. It is not my concern.
But as I take pride in my own work, I will assume the same goes for Him.”
- original author (Zine Council of Nicea)
I would really like to read this if you (or anyone) has a link or page name or something to point me to…. Was it based on something C.S Lewis wrote or is it an expansion on the mythos like what’s happened with Lovecraft? I’m very curious.
@@kjwonka This is far too complete for Garrett to have written it from memory. No, Garrett copied an pasted it.
Tash could be the silence at the end of the song.
This is an interesting theory, and of a unique perspective. But considering the books clearly state that Tash is evil and not just something of the natural (as death is considered to be) then I don't think Lewis would write his character as such. Lewis' understanding of good and evil was based on his Biblical beliefs, and although neither him nor Tolkien wrote in direct analogy, their understanding of both the spiritual/physical would not have likely defied the nature of those beliefs even if they expanded/creatively articulated them.
@@kbee8517 Very well observed. Tolkien and Lewis were heavily inspired by their Christian beliefs, with a little added flavor from other “classical” mythologies. The Valar in the Silmarillion are based heavily on several Olympian and Aesir gods, though they’d tell you they’re mere servants of Eru.
In Biblical scriptures, Death is always said to be “The last enemy that shall be defeated”, “where O Death is your sting”, “the rider of the pale horse was named Death and Hades followed him”, etc. So in Christian canon, Death isn’t looked on favorably.
And yet, there are even older traditions based in Judaism that hint at an Angel of Death, one assigned the position. Azrael. It’s confusing.
I like to think of Death as that one “Evil Teammate”, the one you’re allied with but don’t 100% trust. Because they are the most neutral thing in the Universe. They probably don’t feel any alliance to anyone.
I didn't know there was a Narnia lore community, but I'm loving it!
Well done, my friend! Love hearing your theories on the mysteries of Narnia!
...what are the odds theory channels about books written by best friends would also be friends?
Well thats awesome
The second theory about Tash was very interesting, especially when considering the possibility that Tash had set up a religion with himself as the focus. What if, rather than being cast out and transformed for a severe offense to start with, Tash was changed into his demonic form AFTER convincing the Calormenes to worship him? It might give considerable significance to what Aslan tells Jill and the others, that a good deed done by someone, even if done in Tash's name, is accepted by Aslan, and that every bad deed, even done in Aslan's name, is credited to Tash? In other words, a person is not judged for following a false god if their faith , and consequent actions are good and pure.
The interesting thing about all three theories is that they aren't mutually exclusive. All of them can be simultaneously true. Jadis draws Tash's attention to Narnia from Charn, he falls from the Heavens and becomes incarnate in the Calormene outlaw chief, and establishes a new Temple in Tashban.
Ohhhhh so THIS is why I got a whole bunch of likes on this post from like 5 years ago out of nowhere a week ago lol!
In all seriousness, this is great, I hadn’t thought of either of the first two theories before now but both are definitely possibilities, and your expansion of my thoughts that perhaps Tash was how Jadis ended up learning the Deplorable Word is fantastic, instantly subbed my guy, fantastic channel, glad this got recommended to me out of nowhere!
So glad you found this channel, friend! I wasn't sure how to contact you. Thanks so much for sharing your incredible theory! Would love to hear more from you!
A fantasy film called the *Dark Crystal* was released in 1982 , it was created by the man behind the Muppets - Jim Henson.The evil characters in the film were called the *Skeksis* - visually they were very reminiscent of *Tash*
Really interesting theory regarding that 'Tash like illustration ' in Charn!
How well observed!!👍
tash = a skeksis on roidrage
I like the Charn theory but with a slight change. Instead of Jadis being possessed, she summoned him to temporarily rule the Calormenes so she could take Narnia and the North. Then she can come back and take the south
Good point. Where did she call him from though?
@@Crusader-Ramos45 that's where the theory falls apart
At that last theory you suggested, my jaw actually dropped! I'm starting to see these books and the illustrations within them in a whole new way. Great video!
I feel the same way. I will never read these books in the same way again.
I've been puzzling over Tash ever since I started reading the Narnia books as a kid. These theories were a total mind flip!
That moment when Tash shows up at the end of Narnia is by far the most terrifying moment in anything I’ve ever read
I'm astonished by the 3rd theory, the ressemblance between Tash and the carving is incredible.
Thank you for shining a bit of light on that topic !
WOW... That last theory... Mind. Blown.
He probably just wandered off the set of Dark Crystal.
He does have a Skeksis vibe about him.
Head of a bird, 4 arms and cruel? That IS a Skeksis, his real name’s probably Skektash or something? 🤔
@@bouwens3d905 I wonder what his mystic counterpart is up to
Underrated comment.🤣
@@ezrastardust3124 probably the opposite of what the Skeksis does, so I guess he’s somewhere not demanding sacrifices? 🤔
One other cool thing I noticed is that Tash looks strikingly similar to a Hittite Griffin. The Hittites were an Indo-European society that lived far north of ancient Mesopotamia. The Hittite Empire were strong enough to encase Babylon and become one of the most feared empires next to the Egyptian and Persian empire in ancient times before the Romans. There many carvings of what look like a winged humanoids with eagle-like heads. Not much is known about the Hittite Griffin or it’s significance other than speculation, but the clothing on the Griffin bears striking similarities to what ancient people wore, ie tunics and robes. So my theory is that Tash is either a Hittite Griffin or something similar.
Probably a reference to Baʿal Zebub.
In truth, I'd never paid more than glancing attention to Aravis's recitation of her lineage, as boasts that the Royal Line Came From Gods is something that occurs in...virtually every pagan culture on earth. (Seriously. Take a look.) But...I'm suddenly wondering if Tash *did* come from Charn...and Jadis introduced him in a very different way than simple possession. If Tash had been one of the gods of Charn--she does mention the drums in the temple beating for sacrifices, before 'all was wiped away', and while drums aren't mentioned among the cacophony in Tashbaan, we do know there were sacrifices going on there--she might have brought another Babylonian-inspired tradition into Telmar and Calormen. One that a historian and scholar might have known about...and wasn't fit for a kid's book. The 'Bed of the Gods': ritual fornication at the top of the temple, between the king and a temple prostitute, and 'participated' in by whatever god the festival belonged to, possessing either the prostitute or the king. The children born of this ritual were assumed to be divine--and descended from the god in question. If I remember correctly (I might be stretching), there was a pyramid or ziggurat in the ruins of Charn, where such a ritual might have taken place.
Jadis, while in exile, could have easily introduced this particular practice, along with the god it belonged to--Tash--in Telmar or Calormen, and undergoing this could have easily been what brought Aslan's wrath down on the countries. Along with being the way the Tisrocs were descended from Tash.
And that actually makes sense if you remember that The Narnia Chronicles is a heavy metaphor for the Bible. In this case, Charn is like Babylonia, a kingdom that is always used as a symbol of the enemy of the the Hebrews and latter Christians. Makes a lot of sense tat Tash comes from Charn. If the Last Battle is intepreted that way, Tash is possibly the Dragon or the Beast that the Prostitute sits upon.
@@andrzejwanoski86 When you bring that to light, it definitely makes the third theory far more compelling, and given that C. S. Lewis often used many Biblical allusions in his fictional writings (to evangelize the imagination, as Father Roger Barron wonderfully puts it), it would make tons of sense for Tash's origins to be either or...
But what if Tash's origin is a combination of the two theories, with Tash having been banished to Charn as a fallen star there?
Not just in pagan cultures, but in all monarchies in general, the ruling class claims to be chosen by/ a descendant of some god.
@@stefannydvorak7919 Yes... save for Queen Elizabeth II...
@@thomasecker9405 that’s not true, even Queen Elizabeth II claims to rule “by the grace of God,” meaning they claim she was chosen for that station by divine providence. Rather than coincidence of birth lol. Not that many people still believe in that kind of thing nowadays
i’ve not found a channel that discusses Narnia until now, and your production quality is high! great vids, i watched them all at once! can’t wait for the livestream!
So I stumbled on your channel by accident and already watched some videos, but this one unlocked a memory I didn't know I had. I just remembered that fear I felt as a child when I read The Last Battle. I loved the series and reread it so many times (I was obsessed), but I remember reading The Last Battle maybe like three times as a kid. Just because I felt so uneasy because of Tash. And then I grew up and have forgotten about it. Everything else about Narnia I more or less remembered but not this. Until today.
That being said I think I will be rereading Narnia again after all those years.
I think a combination of the first and second theories makes the most sense. A star was cast out of the heavens for some misdeed and instead of becoming repentant continued to rebel, establishing his own bloodline as rulers of the Calormen and leading the Calormen of Telemar into evil resulting in them being turned into dumb beasts and him being punished further being transformed into Tash. I like the idea of a falling star misleading people and posing as a false God.
And perhaps he was a star that fell into the world of Charn.
@@Yashael341 yeah but I think since CSLewis didn’t really believe in God he could have put Christian allegories in his novels
@@nmoney6655 what!? He definitely believed in God and definitely put heavy Christian themes into his writing, it’s one of the most well known things about him and about Narnia!
Tash really stands out in Narnia and seems otherworldly
Narnia villains:
Jadis: Ex wife
Rabadash: Tin pot dictator
Miraz: Bad king
Tash: Dark Souls boss
@@Mortabluntshift: monke
I like the third, not that Jadis was possessed by Tash but that he is the demon she made the bargain with and that by becoming a denizen of Narnia Tash came with her and was incorporated to serve as Aslan's counterpart as he would have entered when the world was still brand new. Also elevates Jadis making her the most powerful servant of the new death god
Almost like she sold her soul to learn the deplorable word
I'd love to know how much C.S. Lewis spoke with the artist of these pictures in the books? Did they know each other? Did C.S. Lewis have influence over the artistic choices? If we are going to refer to the art as proof outside the text itself, we need to know more about the artist/author relationship!
Edit: As a starting point = her name appears to have been "
Pauline Baynes".
Hm, that's a really good point. If he had no influence on the illustrations, then a lot of these theories loose their credibility.
Lewis and Baynes worked very closely. Every illustration was approved by Lewis personally before going into publication, including the official Narnia map. It's why I consider Baynes illustrations "canon." I could be wrong but I also seem to remember seeing some correspondence between Baynes and Lewis about illustration note--maybe some initial sketches that he wanted changes on? I could be misremembering that though.
@@IntotheWardrobe I am writing only as a layperson. :) That said, I'd love to see documented evidence of C.S. Lewis offering critique of the art in a way that shows he is interested in the lore rather than just having any ol' picture. Doing a brief reading on Wikipedia entry for Baynes, it seems Lewis was supportive to her face, but privately, disappointed by her work. In short: any correspondence between C.S. Lewis and Baynes would be immensely helpful.
@@stillkickingaround I'll do some digging! Would never argue that small details are anything of true significance, though. Definitely fun for speculation and theory but nothing to stand on hard and fast!
@@IntotheWardrobe I look forward to hearing back from you in some form re: the correspondence between author and artist. I think a solid correspondence would lead to solid evidence of theories! If such correspondence can be found! Thank you. I love your work and enjoy every syllable.
I'm so happy that this series and fandom is still alive. It has been one of my favorite book series ever since I was six when the 2004 Disney TLTW&TW movie was released. Your theory analysis format, editing style, and professional sounding voice for narration is what makes these videos so interesting and entertaining to watch. Awesome work!
Theory 3 got me! New headcanon accepted.
That last theory was excellent! ( all three were great - and that last one... was frightfully amazing! ) Well done! Keep up the good work !
I was having a hard time and this popped up it made my day you definitely became one of my fvrt youtubers (atleast top 20s)
I like all three theories; the first one dug into the lore in a way that really makes everything fit together, the second seems to fit the most with Lewis' general worldbuilding, and the last seemed to best explain Tash's actual powers and behavior in The Last Battle.
These videos are so well produced. It's nice to discover a high quality channel on Narnia.
Excellent episode, I actually gasped when the 3rd theory was revealed. I think it's a combination of the three. Thank you very much.
Okay, the last theory was amazing. And you know what, I'm willing to buy it, but also postulate this alternative: Jadis IS Tash. Jadis has been shown changing forms several times. She was originally the stunningly beautiful 7 foot tall queen of Charn, and then she became the White Witch, and then she became the Lady of the Green Kirtle, and finally she became a snake. Transformation magic was not something Jadis struggled with, and she could take the form of non human things. She was also apparently very hard to kill. Jadis brought absolute death to Charn, and she continued to bring death in Narnia. Something to note is her reactions to Aslan's song of creation were unlike how anyone else reacts to him. It is not uncommon for people to be frightened by Aslan, but nobody has ever reacted to Aslan with agonized hysterics, as if his proximity and presence was physically painful. Jadis is also a mighty physical combatant, and except for Rillian and Edmund landing very lucky strikes on her, she could essentially kill anyone without difficulty. So Jadis as a bringer of death who can adopt another guise and cannot be stopped is already canon. In Narnia, magic exists, and is practiced by beings both mortal and divine, but it is much less common in Calormen, to the point where the land seems to be specifically non magical, except for outsiders who bring in Magic, like Aslan has done canonically, and Jadis could have done the same. The Calormen, being supserstitious and in awe of the magic, could very well take such a being for a god. So my proposal is Jadis adopted the form of Tash long ago and used her magic to perform miracles. This tricked the original Calormen into believing in Tash as a god, and worshipping Tash, adopting the old rituals and style that Jadis imported from Charn, but this time taking the veneration for herself. Perhaps she tried this first with the Old Telmarines, but went too far, prompting intervention from Aslan. With the concept proven, but now knowing what would provoke Aslan, she created the Faith of Tash, posing as a deity.
I have an alternate theory: Tash is the form of Jadis's soul, or essentially Jadis disembodied. It is fully possible that she died out in the Western Wild, but being immortal as the fruit of the garden made her, was unable to truly died, but continued on in the form of an evil spirit, and that evil spirit appeared to the Calormenes in the form of Tash. In Prince Caspian, some of the more wicked Narnians try to summon back Jadis, and it is very clear that her spirit is still around and powerful, just in need of a form. The reason Tash appears in The Last Battle is because, after getting killed in the form of the Lady of the Green Kirtle, Jadis was so weakened and diminished that she could never have a physical body again. This is supported by her continuous decline in power from Charn from the moment she first left. In Charn, she could nuke the world by talking. In Narnia, she could cover hundreds of miles per day, fight armies by herself, and so on in her Jadis and White Witch forms. In her Lady of the Green Kirtle form, she was still able to kill and control with magic. In The Last Battle, Jadis is now degraded permanently to the form of a demon that barely has a physical body and can only interact with its described "lawful prey". Hence why Tash can kill some of the Calormenes, but knows absolutely better than to even dare resisting Aslan, unlike in the past where she has been openly violent against him. Tash is Jadis bereft of a human form to hide her evil and to channel her destructive nature, so she just radiates death instead of being able to direct it like in her prior forms.
Now THAT was fun! The last theory was by far the best one, I choose that one. You did it again, we'll done!! 🥳
I loved the last theory! I do think Tash is the representation of evil in all worlds, he's just known as Tash in Narnia and Charn, possibly.
Wow, great theories. I found the second to be quite strong, but the third I find utterly compelling. I actually did not read the last battle until comparatively late in life and have found it to be the most thought provoking (for me at least) of the series. Another excellent video.
I think I'm mostly drawn to theory one myself, I just like the poetry of it. A person so horrible they're turned into a monster as punishment, and then just turns the whole thing on its head by becoming worshipped as a god. And I like how it would explain the whole "descended from Tash"-thing. Theory two seems most likely though, Lewis was not subtle in his references to Christianity. Surprisingly I don't find myself a fan of theory three. I just really liked the theory of the Green Witch being Jadis' daughter (her being pregnant before even arriving in Narnia) and I feel like it's just too much if Tash was to have arrived through Jadis as well. :/ Like, give poor Jadis a break, surely she's not the source of ALL evil things in Narnia? XD
Amazing video as always! :3 I really, really adore your work.
"Like, give poor Jadis a break." Lol. I love it! Your comment made me literally laugh out loud. She really is an easy scapegoat, isn't she? Really appreciate the perspective.
Well, technically...Narnia is what I would call an 'unfallen' world, very unlike our own, poor, fallen world. In our world, you can expect to run into good and evil equally, and might even expect to hit evil a lot more often. In Narnia, evil is the exception, not the rule, and it...mostly seems to revolve around those who had chosen to follow the White Witch. Now, Frank and Helen's children certainly had the capacity to choose good or evil themselves, but I strongly doubt that they--or even the Telmar pirates!--would have called through a demon of that caliber as Tash. However, an evil queen who'd already bargained with such dark powers would have called on him in this new world in a heartbeat, especially after she'd 'found her heart's desire, and despair' in the Garden.
@@PhilowenAster I dunno. If we go with my favourite (theory 1) then they didn't really need to call to any demon. Tash would've been transformed into a convenient god-like being for them to worship, no demonology necessary.
Jadis is awesome and I do love her powerful and evil, but I also somewhat feel her accepting to house a spirit even more powerful than herself? Willingly and knowingly? Allowing it to survive and come with her to a new world where she is guaranteed not to be top-dog because that spirit that SHE brought with her will also be there? That also doesn't really sit right with me. Jadis is a selfish narcissist and she doesn't like the idea of someone else being more powerful than her. There's a reason she wiped out all life in Charn to begin with-- she'd rather be the only one left standing than letting her sister rule over her, and she thought sacrificing literally the entire world on the altar of her ego was an acceptable price to pay to reach that goal.
I'm not trying to say one of us is right or wrong, but theory 3 just doesn't do it for me personally. ;P XD
@@PhilowenAster "evil is the exception, not the rule, and it...mostly seems to revolve around those who had chosen to follow the White Witch."
There are evil characters in Narnia who have no association with the White Witch. Caspian's uncle Miraz and the Ape in The Last Battle being two examples.
@@PhilowenAster and you got to remember that Narnia was born from a dead world
Someone needs to compile a list of music he uses. It's such a majestic feeling music
I was already thinking about the fallen star theory... But the last theory blew my mind. I love your channel, and how eloquently you speak in your videos. I cant wait until this is 5mil sub channel.
Much love from north Carolina. 🦁
Tash's name is likely related to Akatash, an Iranian( or Persian) demon of destruction.
Interesting. I've never come across this explanation. I've never really been sold on the Turkish "stone" or Gaelic "stain" explanation, so I like this idea alot.
@@IntotheWardrobe Lewis and Tolkien tended to love borrowing from mythologies around the world.
After getting into Persian mythology, I found it interesting: that the demon who wanted to destroy all the world, was very close in name to Lewis' "Tash."
Isn’t he also called Ahriman in Zoroastrian mythology? Often seen as the evil god of darkness and evil, and being the opposite of Ahura Mazda the god of goodness and light.
@@silvertemplar8061 I had never heard of Ahriman.
But after looking, yes.
I was more looking at the destructive aspect, as destruction is not always evil.
Came here for some cool trivia, promptly had my mind blown. You have gained a new subscriber, friend.
The 3rd theory actually makes alot of sense and I can actually get behind that.
Theory three just blew my mind
Ah, Lewis, you don't know what you missed by passing away before the Internet became a thing! If only necromancy were lawful (and possible) in this world, and we could freely and commonly have conversations with those who've passed on to paradise: I think he'd enjoy talking about these theories!
C.S. Lewis: "What the...?! You dragged me out of Paradise to discuss _book theories?!?!?_ Send me back!" XD LOL
I like to think of Tash as an antithesis to Aslan, both of whom have their origin in Narnia. First off, both the names 'Tash' and 'Aslan' have Turkish origins, with 'Tash' meaning 'stone' or perhaps 'disgrace' or 'stain', and 'Aslan' meaning 'Lion'. Secondly, when Emeth was wanting to be rewarded for his efforts by Tash, Aslan instead accepted his actions as actually being service to himself instead of Tash, saying "All the service thou hast done to Tash, I accept as service done to me," and "No service which is vile can be done to me, and none which is not vile can be done to him.", showing a direct antithetical relationship between the two. Thirdly, Shift directly conflates the two, showing that despite how different they are, they have parallel roles in their own respective countries.
I believe that while Aslan is the true king of Narnia, Tash is the very real god of Calormen; and while service to Aslan is that of good and loving actions, service to Tash is done through unholy and vicious actions. Thus they are parallel opposites.
It’s ironic with the animals rash and Aslan are based on
The lion is the one who makes the kill (and corpse) and the vultures come to feed on the corpse when the lion leaves
Wow! All very sound theories. Thank you.
I can’t believe I’m just now learning about this channel! I just binge watched all your videos. WELL DONE!!! I’m sad I’m at the end now, but I can’t wait to see more! Keep up the good work!
Also, as soon as I’m done reading through the series with my kids (half way through Horse & His Boy now), I can’t wait to take them back through these videos as well!
Man I am telling you, I'm super glad I found this channel.
That last theory is surprisingly close to this fanfic idea I had for a Jadis origin story. In it, she'd learn the planetary killing spell from an evil entity her ancestors shackled ages ago through dark magic.
The sheer ruthlessness and evil the Charnians sunk to in order to defeat it is what would ultimately corrupt the civilization, so confident in their own goodness and righteousness in defeating it, they became just as evil themselves, coming to a head in Jadis' day when it reached the heights of its decadence.
In my version, it was the lovecraftian elder god Nyarlathotep (because I'm also a huge Lovecraft fan and the crossover was too good to pass up) but Tash could work just as well. That, and a shadowy multi limbed buzzard would be a form I could see Nyarlathotep taking.
He'd have followed Jadis into Narnia out of curiosity to see what would become of his investment, stepping into her role when it became vacant. In my own version, Nyarlathotep would be testing the limits of the Christian God, discovering that He could manifest in other dimensions (he also took the guise of an Egyptian priest to egg the Pharaoh on to see what God would do about being denied His people).
So long story short, thanks for these videos. They're inspiring me to actually start writing this idea down.
Your Lovecraft comparison made me sit up and take notice, particularly because of the only two other Calormene deities mentioned by name, one is “Azaroth,” a pointed reference to Azathoth in the Cthulhu Mythos.
(I couldn’t find any specific meaning in the name of the other Calormene goddess, Zardeenah,)
@@nrm224 true, though I think Azaroth is also an actual demon in either Jewish or Christian lore. Though the Azathoth connection is worth noting since Nyarlathotep serves as a herald/intermediary for him in the story "The Dream Quest of Unknown Kadath."
What’s the fanfic called
@@wolfsbanealphas617 Nothing because I haven't written it. My working title so far is "Chronicle of a Dead Planet."
@@JediHobbit89 ok thanks for responding
My mind is beyond blown. I have never once considered it, but it makes so much sense. Thanks again for such a rich, engaging experience that allows me to look at such a beloved, familiar classic with a brand new sense of awe and appreciation!
I'm glad I found your channel about a month ago. The Chronicle of Narnia is one of my favorite book series and I like your videos they are interesting.
I was doing a marathon of your videos and today you upload a new one! Thank you for the amazing content
Of the theories, I think theory 3 is the most likely, though I don't think Jadis was possessed by Tash. I feel like it was more of a "deal with the Devil" type scenario, so when Jadis set up in Narnia, Tash was allowed access through their deal. If you look in HHB, the Calromenes seemed to be aware of Jadis, but were not in favor of her, so I don't think she was the one who set up the Tash religion. My guess is that, once coming with her to Narnia, the demon simply set up the religion himself, as that's what these false gods crave; worship.
Also, I think they're is some misinterpretation in theory 1. I have that book with the timeline too (nice to see that you found it, hope it helps), but I always thought that Calormen, and since it was colonized by Calormen, Telmar, were founded by a mix of men and talking beasts. It was after a certain point that all the Talking beasts were turned back into dumb beasts, to which the humans among them would've just shrugged and used them as normal animals. Think about it, if all of Calormen and Telmar was turned into dumb beasts, then why in the books are they entirely populated by humans? Just something I thought I'd mention.
Really good video man. I never even saw those carvings in Charn, that blew my mind.Can't wait to see what you do next.
Love the fact that you were able to watch and comment within the first hour! For theory 1, do you mean you think the talking beasts were the only ones punished? I think that the full line from the timeline ends with "The country lies in waste." I never considered what country was meant there--I had assumed Telmar, but I suppose it could have been a Calormen well. It seems like a civilization-ending event, similar to Babylon, Sodom, Gamorrah, don't you think?
I too believe that the third is the most likely.
@@IntotheWardrobe All it says on the timeline is, "Telmarine Calormenes become dumb beasts," nothing about the country being a wasteland (if you have a different version that says so, let me know). That does make it sound like those who became dumb beasts were the talking animals in these kingdoms, as they were the only ones warned that such a punishment could happen due to their wickedness. The humans in these nations no doubt suffered as well, but I don't think in that regard (maybe their punishment was a famine or something). And again I must reiterate, if all of Telmar and Calormen was turned into animals, who populated it afterwards and formed the religion of Tash? It seems to make more sense to me that, as punishment for their wickedness (perhaps the creation of their false gods/religion) Calormen was stripped of part of what made the Narnian world so magical, that being their talking animals and other such magical creatures.
(side note: if my theory is true, and only the talking beasts were made dumb, what do you think happened to the other magical creatures in Calorem, like dryads, and naiads and such? Do you think some of them were in Calormen? If so, were they driven out, or corrupted and turned into the "gods" of the Calormen religion? Would love to hear your thoughts.)
I personally think, it seems that a mixture of all three theories can work side by side in an odd way.
Theory 2 would explain what kind of research and Inspiration Lewis took for his work from the bible and other mythical sources while theory 3 would explain how he would fit into the actual universe through the story.
In regards to theories 1, Tash seems to share some similarities with pagan Chthonic deities who required live animal sacrifices. And if we go by the snippet from that timeline presented maybe the terrible deed the Calormen Telmarines did was sacrificing talking beasts to Tash, while they were alive like they would dumb animals? Then Aslan turning evil people responsible into dumb animals themselves might seem a fitting punishment as in "You treated my people of Narnia like dumb animals, then you in turn shall become dumb animals", which is similar in his punishment of Prince Rabadash who acted like an ass and therefore was turned into an ass.
When it comes to Theory 3 to this one has to wonder if Tash is a Charnian deity if he has anything to do with the Deplorable Word? Some ancient death deities in mythology have be also sometimes so feared that people referred to them by different names and titles rather than their actual names. Even in monotheistic religions like Judaism and Christianity, the real name of God is almost practically forbidden and taboo to speak. What if Tash is just an epitaph used in place of his true name, which has been forbidden to speak aloud? and on that note damn. I have the Narnia books with the illustrations and I did not notice those carvings at all. I had to crack open my copy just to check and crap it nearly blew my mind when I found the illustrations. That's really is an awesome detail!
@Mullerornis well, he actually is not Aslan’s equal. If we base it off of Christian beliefs. Tash would be equivalent to Satin. And Satin is not a god but a fallen angel.
Congrats on 10K+ subscribers, hopefully you will reach 100K before too long. I look forward to the livestream. While all three theories are, of course, quite plausible, I think the third theory is my favorite. I wonder how much fun C.S. Lewis had thinking about how readers of his books would try to answer such questions that he left so unanswerable.
Loved this one. You're my new favorite channel.
thoery one is interesting; i'd love a link to the history of Narnia as told by C.S. Lewis because i'd never heard about Aslan turning an entire wicked people into dumb beasts before.
considering C.S. Lewis was a born-again Christian, i like the simplicity of the second theory of Tash the Fallen Star. but because so much about Charn is still so unknown to us, i'm drawn to the third theory of Tash coming from Charn and having this deep connection to Jadis and possibly the Unspeakable Word. both theories fit quite nicely but Tash the Demon of Charn just draws you in... it fits
Well, one thing to do: write a fanfic that gets so popular people mistake it for canon.
After hearing all the theories I'm of the opinion that all could be true to some extent. What if Tash was a fallen star who fell to Charn, beguiled the Jadis and the other rulers, and slowly built up power through deals using his magic but its Jadis who gave up a piece of herself for all of his power. He possessed her and when she came to Narnia he willed for her to make him a kingdom to rule as he felt he deserved it but thanks to Aslan that never came to be so upon her death he was released as a free spirit. He would then go out into the world again, making more deals with people till he came to Calormen and he convinced the people that he was a god and had them make him their people's god. This was the sin that Aslan punished so they all became beastlike, like him.
All Charnians of the Royal family have that strength and height. And Babylonia was an ancient culture of the Arabian culture . Plus Tash was a very hands off deity so when he appeared it was with an annoyed demeanour, he literally says “so you finally summoned me”
Not Arabian, but Semitic, like Hebrews, Arabs, Assyrians, Canaanites, etc. Related, but not the same.
@@tomboughan2718 literally Canaan
This is more for fun than anything else, but I remember someone on TVtropes noting that, as C.S. Lewis and Tolkien were friends, there could...possibly...be something to the reveal that uncle Andrews Rings...those *rings* *of* *power* that started everything by getting humans involved in Charn and Narnia were Atlantean. Remember, if Tolkien's legend was meant to be a Britain-inspired myth for how the world came to be as we know it today. Now where the trope guy took this was the possibility that C.S. Lewis was throwing a line connecting his story to Tolkien's...with the admittedly sad conclusion that if this is true, then the death of Uncle Andrew's godmother marked the end of the last line of truly magical Numenorian blood.
Still, it would be an end that lays the foundation for another great story, and altered the fate of an entire world.
Anyway, getting back to this, what if Tash isn't meant to be from Narnia's world, nor that of Charn. Remembering that some spirits in Tolkien's retelling can choose whether or not to be corporeal (with some going permanently incorporeal if they sustain too much damage in this world,) what if Tash was one of those Maiar spirits that threw in with Morgoth. Now I'm not suggesting Sauron himself, but it's worth remembering that many Maiar joined the first Dark Lord, and Tash seems to have a similar Modus Operandi with men: present himself as a willful, glorious (perhaps not in this case beautiful) and all powerful lord, and set up a religion...one that incorporates human sacrifice, similar to Sauron's own religion in Numenor...a religion that was also centered around worship of a dark lord and set up in a circular temple at a high point in the city, one which arguably, promising the king and his followers they would find eternal life ("May you live forever" Tisroc indeed), and one which eventually brought down the wrath of God, first in the form of Eru with Numenor, and from Aslan with the end of Narnia.
Perhaps, given uncle Andrew seemed to have a penchant for getting into magic he had no business with, and wasn't exactly scrupulous, he might have gotten into contact with such a being, drawn by some of the ancient and magical items he had from a bygone age. This being, long dormant after the defeat of his master and the second dark lord, could use this petty magician with items to enter new worlds in order to get somewhere where he could have more influence and attract a new following, seeing as how the modernizing world of men, with the Christian faith spreading around, meant it might be difficult to attract a large following. And who knows, maybe Eru/The Emperor over the Sea wouldn't notice if he started spreading his influence in some more backwater, unimportant world while He focused on this one.
Again, to those who read this far, it's mostly just for fun, but it does open possibilities, especially if Andrew, rather than losing his soul (as he seemed to be a bit less of a loon at the very end, so I'll end his note with hope,) might have allowed himself to be tied to Tash, so that he could follow where the old man led, until he found a place worth staying, without Jadis, the caddy, the kids, or anyone else knowing, and Andrew being too caught up in his greed to notice or care when a bad influence that liked to whisper in his ear slipped away.
What if using the "Unspeakable Word" birthed Tash from the destruction and disappearance and assumed annihilation of the other Charnians? He brings only death and destruction with him and Jadis could've harbored this demon until she fled from Aslan during the creation of Narnia, separated Tash from her, and then he found himself over those settlers who were turned into dumb beasts before moving south west.
Pretty sure it was the Deplorable Word, but other than that, not a bad theory.
@@artsman412 Course, the weird thing about he Deplorable Word is, we know neither what it was or how it worked.
What if, perhaps, speaking it unleashed a being of pure destruction and decay on all the world, except for Jadis herself, a being of unlife, so that she was indeed the only *living* being, while Tash lurked in the shadows, waiting around her as she slept, having accomplished the destruction of all other living beings?
@Matthew Opalinski it happens. :-) I realized yesterday that in my narration I said "despicable word." That's what I get for scripting at 2 a.m.
@@morgant.dulaman8733 Spiritual energy or otherwise, energy is neither created or destroyed.
@@silvertemplar8061 Considering we're talking about a series where an entire world was sung into being, people were turned to stone and later came back to life, children jump between worlds using magic rings, and much much more, I think we can safely say the laws of physics are taken with some liberties here.
I never knew I wanted to know the lore of Narnia before watching your videos , 😊
Sounds like a great way to enjoy a quarantine!
You deserve more subscribers I just started watching last week watched everything you had. Great job on these videos netflix is thinking about starting a Narnia series hopefully you can get a few more to watch a subscribers.
Great video! I remember listening to the Narnia audiobook as a kid, and when the segment on Tash started playing, it scared me to death! To this day, I think Tasha's one of the most intriguing and mysterious Narnia characters. I wish he was a little more well-known and would have loved to see a film adaptation of him.
One thing I wish was explored or explained was. After the death of all the main characters in the last book from the train crash, what happened to the magic rings that Peter and Edmond got from Professor Kirk's old house? What if a worker who was helping search for bodies in the wreckage, came across them and picked them up?
This also goes with your Lady of the Green Kirdle theories. What if Tash had possessed Jadis, could he had also conceived a child in her? That would make the lady of the green kirdle both Tash and Jadis offspring and why she had the power she had as well as liked deep and dark places. That would mean that Tash was always surrounding Narnia, always looking for an opportunity to take over. As the enemy of our souls always surrounds and looks for and opening. Thank you for Aslan!
Fascinating theories! Your theory about Tash possessing Jadis is especially intriguing. It would also explain why Tash gives so many people, both those within the story and those reading it, a strong sense that Tash is an alien being who doesn't belong in the Narnian world. If the Lady of the Green Kirtle in The Silver Chair was also possessed by Tash, it could explain her connection to Jadis, and her being described in-universe as being "one of the same crew" as Jadis.
Maybe she was possessed by Tash also.
That 3rd theory is the best I've heard in awhile..I read the books also,many times and never noticed it!!!!
Before I watched this, I just wanted to say the theory I always thought Tash was. We all know Aslan has no equal, he has other names and avatars all across the universe in the well of worlds. I always believed that since Tash and Jadis shared a prerogative in having prey that they have a right to, maybe Tash was a spirit from another world, like a demon form ours. He had prey from one world to another under a different name. Perhaps he was once mortal like Jadis and turned into this creature, or perhaps he was one of her gods from her world, but I believe he doesn't reside in Narnia's world. He may have domains that were given to him in other worlds.
Edit: okay, I didn't expect someone else to have a theory I cooked up when I was less than 12. I grew up on narnia, my mom would read my brother and I a chapter or 2 every other night. I always saw Tash as a supernatural being as apposed to jadis. So, someone else seeing that too is awesome!
Ps. I live your video, please keep up the amazing work!
What if Jadis is supposed to be Tash let me explain: Jadis was a immortal being kind of like a god
Some real archeological work & depth to the 3rd theory! I've enjoyed reading-visits to Narnia for a lifetime and this is so refreshing.
Dude your intro always gives me chills
I loved this. I totally had forgotten about Tash. Funny since the villian in my upcoming dark fantasy novel Gurzil. Has so many similarities to him. When are you getting a Patreon
I love these theory videos! I’m a Narnia super fan and these are very interesting!
I like all of these but the third one also seems to match with Aslan viewing Tash as an opposite force. "Not because we are the same, but because we are opposite."
He is a mythical creature.....he's a Garuda. And his clothing is taken from Buddhist/ Indian statues of Garuda.
Isn't Garuda an individual god rather than a race?
@@LincolnDWard Yes there's a single Garuda...at least as far as I know.
Wow, amazing theories especially the last one. It gives so many ways for fan fiction. thank you!
Just a side note, Djinn aren’t demons, they are neutral spiritual entities, and when Islam began to prosper in Arabia, they came to represent beings between the divine and infernal, a very similar role that the Fae took when Catholicism began to spread in Ireland
Yes, I should have clarified that they can be demon-like but aren't always considered malevolent. Thanks for the point of clarification.
@@IntotheWardrobe of course. It’s always cool to see someone do lore videos on a series with more vague but interesting lore like Narnia, especially when it’s done by someone like you who explores the religious backgrounds behind it.
Interesting subject. I don’t that Lewis put that much thought into Tash’s origin. Rather, I tend to think that just as Aslan is the Narnian incarnation of Christ, so is Tash the Narnian manifestation of the Devil.
Both Aslan and Tash are Turkish words meaning lion and stone or stain, respectively.
The Tashlan heresy proclaimed in The Last Battle seems like a refutation of the oft-repeated statement that Christians and Muslims worship the same deity. This is supported by the obvious Middle Eastern flavor of Calormen.
Tash’s final act - carrying Rishda off into his own realm - strongly parallels the biblical characterization of Satan dragging as many people as he can with him to off to Hell.
Note also that Satan serves in many Middle Eastern religions as the accuser of mankind - just as Tash (and Jadis) does.
The name Tash also reminds one of Tashkent, the capital city of Uzbekistan, a predominantly Muslim nation.
Tash’s appearance calls to mind the Garuda - an important figure in many Eastern religions. As such, I see Lewis’ transmogrification and use of that deity to be a further repudiation of any faith other than Christianity.
Simply put, I think Tash is in the story to represent all non-Christian faiths as false and, ultimately, demonic.
All Abrahamic religions are from the Middle East and feature the same deity. Yes, even the Yazidi religion. Anyway, Garuda is a good guy and exists in the Dharmic religious. However, one of his alternate names could be rearranged into Tash with some letter deletions. If your Garuda idea is correct, it would align Tash with paganism, but most strongly the Dharmic religions, especially Hinduism. In Hindu texts, Garuda often is invoked for destruction or righteous violence. When you consider traditional Hindu society having castes, slavery, and human sacrifice, this makes even more sense.
But it can't be quite that way, because this one character who did good deeds but worshipped Tash devoutly was accepted by Aslan as if he were a loyal Narnian. That shocked me as a child and always stuck with me.
@@Tarotlynx same. I don't get his theology here. I would LOVE to hear him talk to this point- in his own words.
While I'm not Lewis himself, I feel I can at least speculate in an interesting manner.
There's a classic problem in Christian theology - that of reconciling the idea of a loving God with the position that everyone is fundamentally corrupted by sin and can only be saved from damnation by accepting the personal intervention of Christ and the reality that millions of humans never had the chance to learn of Christ. I've seen the phrase "virtuous pagan" to describe someone who lived a good life by normal standards, but never had the opportunity to turn Christian.
Emeth's fate seems to represent Lewis's answer to the question - that what matters is not the Name you invoke, but what you do in that Name - a "Christian" priest who preaches hatred in Christ's name is just as damned as a Hindu who preaches violence in the service of Kali.
The introduction of Tash may also be addressing an obvious potential misinterpretation (willful or accidental) of the ending of Voyage - where Aslan reveals that he goes by other names. It's possible to take that idea too far, and end up at the position that all religions are equally valid ways to approach the same ineffable Truth - which is as false as claiming that Christians and Christianity have a total monopoly on Truth - if you accept the premise that the Christian Bible contains (as far as is possible) what is right and true, then other religions (and moral systems) may not be right about everything, but, so far as they agree with (or at least don't contradict) the "truth", they contain parts of the truth. There's a difference between going the wrong way, and only going part of the way...
It's also worth remembering that, back in LWW, Father Christmas made an appearance, and there's a long list of the evil creatures that followed the White Witch and witnessed Aslan's execution. Prince Caspian includes Bacchus and Silenus. Silver Chair and The Last Battle itself include Father Time (along with various great lizards and other monsters). Having Tash wander into Narnia from an entirely different religious tradition in order to take on the role of Satan seems entirely in keeping.
Though it's interesting to note that a substantial number of people end up going neither with Aslan nor with Tash - those who turn aside from Aslan and the Door at the end are merely abandoned to the cold and dark that remain after the End, not consigned to Tash's realm.
I really enjoy these theories, Lewis did put a lot thought in details
This video is amazing! I have always wondered about Tash's origins. I also didnt know that C.S.Lewis wrote a personal history of narnia could you please link where you found it, I'd love to have a closer look.
Very informative, compelling, and entertaining! Thank you!!!
All of these theories are great ! I have another one : Tash is a Lord of Change, a chaos demon from Warhammer
Wow, these are some fascinating theories!
I have to say it goes to show how remarkably incurious I have always been up until now about the origin of Tash. In some ways Tash’s origin problem is the same as any of the other bit-part villainous creatures. Where did hags, werewolves, wooses, cruels or any of the other monsters Jadis calls upon in her rant come from?
Tash is way more alien to Narnia than any of those, but even though I suspect Lewis had Tash’s origin clear in his own mind I doubt he ever intended to provide many details. I’m not sure how much he’d want us to get overly focused on the cruel false god of the Calormenes
I love these books I read starting on the 2nd thru the the 7th and then the mag
ephew i read 1 book a night with a pot of coffee like an insane weirdo . I must say it was a well spent week
Hi, I'm back a day later. There's one theory that I came up with a number of years ago that I haven't seen anyone else discuss, but I thought I may as well share here. And part of that comes from the way CS Lewis writes his biblical allegories.
- Book 7 is meant to be Lewis' own spin on the Biblical account of John's Revelations. The Donkey is the Antichrist, the Ape is the False Prophet, and the imagery used in the destruction of Narnia mimics the descriptions of the end of times in the Bible. And once the Antichrist character leaves the stable, all that remains is Tash himself.
- Tash is a being that is clearly feared and is quite powerful, but is driven away from the stable between worlds by Peter commanding him to leave in the name of Aslan.
- When Aslan is disputing the Calormen claim that he and Tash are the same, he calls them exact opposites. Tash is a being of pure evil. Those who do great good and claim to do it in Tash's name were really working according to Aslan's purpose. And those who do great evil and claim to do it in Tash's name were really working according to Tash's purpose.
I know that for allegory purposes, Jadis was the devil stand-in for the Pevensie's first adventure, but she was never given this much comparison to the Devil. Tash seems to be treated as this primordial nemesis to Aslan. He's treated as though he is above the other creatures of Narnia, but is still beneath Aslan at the end of the day. Like he's, say, an Archangel leading a rebellion against him?
When it comes to biblical figures, Lewis was very literal with his writing. At the end of Dawn Treader, Aslan basically spells out to Edmond and Lucy that he's not just a stand-in for Jesus Christ, but that he literally is Jesus Christ taking on another name and identity. So what I think is more believable than Tash being a cursed man or a fallen star, is that when Satan saw that God was creating a multiverse, he desired to corrupt and ruin those worlds as much as he has our own, and he decided to play by the same rules in those worlds. The mentality was something like, "Oh so you show up as a lion to these people? Fine, I'll dig back into the stuff I was doing with Egypt and pull out a bird man form. Look at how your people are building temples and offering sacrifices to me now, 'Aslan'. Having fun yet?" Not only does this fit the themes of the books and work with the lore, it also answers the question of how Tash got there in the first place. Jadis had to do some magic teleporting to get there, and it'd be odd if Tash just latched onto her and dropped by, then did nothing with her for thousands of years. But presumably, if lesser powerful immortals like St. Nicholas are able to transcend time and space and visit multiple realms, Lucifer would have zero problem travelling from our world to Narnia.
Not the only time Aslan punished an entire group of humans by turning them into dumb animals, there was that one time where all the schoolboys from a school were turned into pigs.
Oh my! You are absolutely correct! Fantastic!
Oh wow.. I don't know how I missed this theory - I love it! Really hope Greta and Netflix explore theory 3. It's genius.
I'm impressed with this informative video about the Chronicles of Narnia. Well done.🦁🐾
Really like the 1st and 3rd theories. Very interesting!
Thanks to this video, I finally figured it out. Charn was charred. Narnia is new. Charn(ia) is Narn(ia)! The dying star of Charn was Ramandu!
Chronicles of charnia begins....
That is a FANTASTIC name for a spinoff! Love it!
@@IntotheWardrobe thx man
@@IntotheWardrobe can you make a video theory on that the rise and fall of charnia
Hi!! Could you make a video about all the narnian rulers? You could do part one about the old dinasty (house of frank) to the pevensies and second part from the pevensies to Rilian
I absolutely love this video!!! Great job I'm really enjoying watching all your videos
Honestly, the clothes that the Kalomeans wear, especially the Turbans scream Ottomans to me more than anything else, that are descendants of Turkic nomads, with a heavy dose of influence from Persia and the rest of the middle east, but not as much Arabia.
This is the head cannon now. If I ever get to film a version of Narnia someday as a childhood dream of mine, this is going in.
Brilliant. Great theories, especially the 3rd one.
Tash/Jadis... WOW.. that... that actually is plausible... that might possibly be what Clide Staples was going for.... holy... Mama Mia! This... wow.... whoa...
Bro!!! This is crazy! The third theory is my favorite. This video is making me realize that Narnia has way more to it!
Omigosh! Wow! These theories are amazing! It really gets me in the mood for Narnia!
That was a pretty interesting video, there was always the easy "lame" explanation that Tash just simply stands for Satan, similar to Aslan with Jesus. But this gives more depth to the Narnian lore, obviously just in theory form, but still pretty good nonetheless.