Who's the Hermit in The Horse and His Boy? | Narnia Lore | Origin Theory
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- Опубликовано: 12 янв 2024
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The Hermit of the Southern March is one of the most mysterious yet important characters in the Narnian history. In The Horse and His Boy he rescued Shasta and Travis and served Aslan and the Pevensie siblings along the way. But who was he? Where did he come from? Uncover the hidden storyin this video, and consider a theory about his true origins. 
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Slightly speculative but fascinating. Gorgeous artwork. Thank you, Stuart.
The theory section is definitely speculative--more of a fun "what if?" Do I think the Anthony parallels we're intentional by Lewis? Absolutely. After I published this a friend pointed out that C.S. Lewis even wrote the introduction to a modern translation of Athanasius' "The Incarnation of the Word of God". Athanasius was of course the writer of the famous "The Life of St. Anthony." mentioned in the video. Amazing!
C S Lewis revealed much Christian theme for children stories along with World history and very deep that could surpass even Disney World. My favorite character was the rat a bold being highly faithful. I think Lewis may have had King David in mind when developing this character.
I've always wondered about the Hermit. I thought maybe he was a retired Star.
Good thought!
I always thought the same.
That’s the most likely explanation.
I like this theory!
Maybe he is. I find it likely.
My favorite book. If I ever have a daughter, her name will be Aravis.
I want that too! It's beautiful
mine would be lucy
@@ladyred9613 mine first would be Laila then Aravis because come on Aravis was brave and she even became a queen when she married Cor (spoiler alert)
Much like Ramandu and Coriakin, the Hermit is bearded, wears robes, and walks around barefoot. Maybe he's another star in disguise? In that interpretation, he left the sky 109 years ago.
I’ve always loved how the Hermit not only called the children his son and daughter but also referred to the animals as his cousins. I actually started doing the same after I heard that a few times
I bet those long Tarkaan speeches were good practice!
Like the “famous” Sarah Smith in The Great Divorce.
I’m joining you in this practice - thanks
It's an interesting take. I always liked Lewis' old wise ones in the out of the way places.
Thanks for talking about this often overlooked character and discussing his connection to St Anthony.
The Chronicles of Narnia have such a rich history and world
Timeless quote from St. Antony: A time is coming when men will go mad, they will attack him, saying, ‘You are mad! You are not like us!’
An intriguing theory! I'll admit, there are too many parallels for this to be a coincidence, and it makes perfect sense for CS Lewis to draw from a saint, given that he was a Christian & medievalist. Then there's the wording: 109 winters *in this world*, which supports the theory at the end, that he came to Narnia from Earth (since there are other passageways). That's another great thing about the Narniad, it's full of mysteries like this.
I am not so sure, while Lewis was a Christian, he was more specifically a Protestant, an Anglican to be exact. While Catholics, Copts, and Orthodox Christians believe in and venerate saints, like St. Anthony, Protestants have tended to be more sceptical of that sort of thing. As he was a mediaevalist, I am sure Lewis was aware of St. Anthony, however the world he creates in Narnia is constructed along more Protestant lines of thinking, I don't know if he would be inclined to incorporate saints into that world.
Anthony is actually remembered in the Anglican Communion with a Lesser Festival on 17 January--tomorrow, coincidentally!
@@samuellawrencesbookclub8250I'm an Anglican and many of us call ourselves "Catholic lite", jokingly, though it's pretty true! High church Anglicanism is about as close as you can get to being Catholic without actually being Catholic.
You should do a video about the way to Saint Brendan. I was reading a commentary on Narnia and the guy who wrote it said He believe Louis based voyage of the Dawn treader on the way to Saint Brendan. Saint Brendan sailed around encountering islands with spiritual significance angel told him to go back before he reached the New World. Something like Lucian‘s true story.
Interesting! I've never heard about this. Thanks for the tip!
My favorite book. Whenever I listen to Focus on the Family Radio Theater's production of "The Horse and His Boy" I quote along with many of the lines. Especially Aslan in the passes between Arkenland and Narnia. CS Lewis beautifully shows God's Devine Providence. "And we know, that for those who love God all things work together for good .For those who are called according to His purpose." Romans 8:28.
Ha, I still remember those. "Hello! ....I'm Douglas Gresham, your host for Focus on the Family Radio Theater..." Good times.
@@stephencaudle1766 By far, the best Narnia content we have ever gotten.
My favorite part too!! It brings this combat vet to tears even as I enter my 44th year.
@@chucksolutions4579 I enter my 30th year. I too tear up at several points in the Chronicles of Narnia. The older I get the more emotional I get. That is probably due to the fact that I know more and thus it hits me more.
I love your videos. Before i found your channel, i had no idea Narnia had such a rich and detailed history. I especially love your emphasis on its biblical aspects.
Thank you so much!
@@IntotheWardrobe You're very welcome. Thank you for making them.
Yet, another amazing video! You make us feel like we really are in Narnia! Keep up the work! ❤❤❤
Thank you so much 😀
I had no idea about any of this. It was an amazing video as always!!! 😮
I hope to see your Narnia-Middle Earth-Space Trilogy theory video someday. 😄
I hope so too!
When it come to the world of the books, I choose to believe the hermit is from Aslan Country, and as well we barely know nothing about of that land, the hermit will fit right in, he could be Aslan is a human form, like in the fifth book when he took the form of a lamb roasting fishes in a cooking pot, or maybe be a start like Ramondo, perhaps all the unknown characters are from Aslan Country, or maybe Aslan himself.
Can't be Aslan was behind the horses tearing into Aravis while the hermit was in the archway of his home.
True It puzzled me when I read it, but maybe, it might be him after all ???@@Wingedheart8448
Aslan was also the cat who scratched Shasta at the Tombs outside Tashbaan.
109 years is an interesting number. If the Pevensie's had been in Narnia for about nine years at that time, then the Hermit began his time in Narnia the year Jadis took control.
I like this thought, but research says the Pevensies came in Narnian year 1000 & Horse & His Boy occurred in NY 1014.
@@jennifergwyneth9546Perhaps the tree in the hermitage is the tree of protection. It died, allowing Jadis to proceed but it wasn't fully dead. It was transported from the now frozen north to the southern March, where, after 5 years it fully recovered. The Hermit might be the Dryad whom inhabits that tree. 🤷
I guess the hermit did not live in Narnia at all. One thing I wonder is how that 100 year winter affected the rest of the world. Archenland, Calormen, etc. Did life there go on as normal and Jadis didn't venture out?
Thank you so much for your channel, I am a Dungeons and Dragons DM, and I recently started a Narnia campaign for my players that takes place 3 years after the beginning of the 4 children golden age, I've been doing deep dives and your videos have been a huge help with rethinking ideas for my campaign!
here is a fun fact about the word Narnia:
In Sindarin (one of Tolkiens (Lewis' friend) created languages) Narnia has a meaning.
"Narn" translates to "story" and "ia" translates to abyss. So Narnia in Elvish would mean something like "abyss of the story".
Imagine Lewis und Tolkien doing that as a joke :D
Well, Tolkien did not like Narnia, so…
Keep the videos coming!!
Loved the theory at the end!
Thanks! Will do!
My mind is blown away! I didn't know that the Hermit was based on Saint Anthony the Great. It is so exciting to learn new things from Narnia! 😆🦁
“Quick! Wake up Babe, into the wardrobe just dropped another vid.”
Love it!
Woah... I think you figured it out. This theory is so compelling. Lewis absolutely took some heavy inspiration
Video was worth the wait, great job Stuart!
Thanks again for your help! It made the last part of the video so much stronger!
Amazing artwork, as always!!!!
Fun to think about! Thanks for the video!
Fascinating theory! I just assumed he was an old star like Coriakin. But who can really tell? And that's what wonderful about speculation
The Horse and His Boy is quite underrated in the series.
Agreed. It was my favorite
It was my least favourite as a child; my favourite now. I wonder if it's underrated because most people probably don't re-read the series.
Yes, there are so many who refuse to believe that Jesus walked this earth as the Son of God and yet it is the one truth most worthy of believing. I appreciate your theory about the hermit who rescued Shasta and Aravis, which was perhaps the most memorable part of The Horse and His Boy.
I believe he was a fine noble man who walked the earth as the son of Joseph and Miriam
Amen🖤
@@marianparoo1544believe what you want, doesn’t change what He did and Who He Is. Yeshua ben Yahweh, Jesus the Son of God.
@@LordWyatt Did Yahweh ask Miriam's permission before knocking her up, even if it didn't involve intercourse? That's a big responsibility to force on a girl.
@@marianparoo1544 Perhaps you aren't really interested in an answer to your question but others might be so I offer this: read Luke 1:26-38. God sent a messenger to Mary to let her know His intent for her and she humbly accepted the responsibility.
Love your stuff. Keep up the great work.
So glad to have you back with another video really enjoy your stuff as always
Thanks so much, friend! Appreciate the encouragement!
Fun video suggestion Narnia what if videos
Wow ! Congratulations on the scoop !
"I am a mortal being and one of those inhabitants of the desert whom the Gentiles deluded by various forms of error of worship under the names of Fauns, Satyrs, and Incubi. I am sent to represent my tribe. We pray you in our behalf to entreat the favor of your Lord and ours, who, we have learned, came once to save the world, and whose sound has gone forth into all the earth."
That's from a passage on St Anthony the Great. The books called 'The Life of Paulus the First Hermit', St. Jerome.
Excellent ! Je regarde de France où j'étudie en profondeur le monde de Narnia et cette similitude m'avait échappé. Keep up the good work and thank you!
Thank you again for offering a perspective I've never heard before. Also, the artwork in your videos is great.
After this intriguing analysis, I would love to hear Stuart's analysis of the dubious relationship between Uncle Andrew and Mrs LeFay. And also an analysis of The LeFay Fragment.
That's a great idea! Thanks for the suggestion, friend!
Once again - well done! Love this idea and St. Anthony was such a boss
I love these Narnia origin lore videos 😊😊
Your videos are so good!
Your channel came up into my RUclips feed. I've been a C.S. Lewis fan since I was a pre-teen. I happened to see you have a video about Lewis ' Space Trilogy. " I love that series.
Isn't it just great? The Ransom Trilogy gets better every time I read it.
Thanks for another amazing video. I hope that in the future you will make one for Narnia's geography (about the flaming mountain of Lagour, what Narnian map is more accurate etc.)
My dvds arrived last night.
Beautiful! Serendipitously, I was just reading about St Anthony the Great, whose Feast Day is Wednesday the 17th of January.
Yes, it really is an amazing coincidence. I had not planned his episode with the Feast Day in mind.
“Hi”, into the wardrobe ! It’s me, Mateo, again. I just wanted to let you know that I just, saw your video, and I thought it was great. I’m also going to look into some information about, St. Anthony. Before seeing this video ,I didn’t know much about him. I hop you upload more videos, about the horse, and his boy. Keep up the good work, and merry, Christmas, and happy new year’s!
Narnia is such a beautiful series of books
Your best video yet!! I've never heard that story about Saint Antony... definitely going to check out his bio. I had always imagined the Hermit was Lewis's way of painting himself into Narnia the way some people (very speculatively) think Tolkien did with Tom Bombadil in Middle Earth, but I think now I like your theory better!
Glad you enjoyed! Thanks for the note!
Love, love, love it❤
“Hi”, it’s me again. Just wondering, if you had, to go on a quest, with four character’s from different, fantasy worlds, who would you bring?
Aragorn, Legolas, Gimli, and Gandalf?
Or, Peter, Edmund, Caspian, and Glen-storm?
Or, half of both?
Again keep up the good work, God bless!
St. Anthony is the patron of my church. This connection makes perfect sense! I love it when Narnia enters my own world :)
Narnia becomes richer the more you study it. Thank you. We have just moved and we are re naming our house ANVARD. It's our castle.
Love it!
Very interesting indeed.
He always reminded me of the Prophet Elljiah , especially the story of the healing of Naaman the Syrian. Or he reminds me of St. Giles another great hermit
Lifting the roof off this Saturday with a super fun theory vid!
Thanks for your help on this one!
I always think it’s amusing that there is a Bree in the Lewisverse & in the Tolkienverse
Truth be told, it's been a while since I last read 'Horse and His Boy', which is a shame as it's my favourite Narnia book, but as I recall, I always thought he was meant to be some aspect of Aslan.
One of the things for which this book is often criticised is Aslan's treatment of Aravis, and I must admit slicing into her back like that does seem to be a bit of a departure from the normally benevolent Jesus allegory, even if the attack does, in some way, pay Avaris back for inflicting a beating on the slavegirl at her home. If, however, we take the hermit to be Aslan, him healing her better reflects the character we've come to know, and allegory for the marks of her sin being healed by his, or His, grace. It makes sense for who Aslan is, and resolves an inconsistency.
Additionally, it explains his supernatural powers. Interesting as the life and miracles of St. Anthony are, they do not fit so well with the Narnia Lewis creates. In Narnia the only supernatural power is magic, and - outside of that which Aslan and the Stars perform - magic is almost always associated with evil. When almost all human magic is evil, as in the cases of Uncle Andrew, the White Witch, the Lady of the Green Kirtle, the cult that tried to bring back the White Witch, it seems odd to suddenly introduce a single good magic practitioner.
If Lewis were a Catholic, or Orthodox, or Coptic, I dare say he may have been more open to including saints in his work, and having humans perform preternatural miracles, but he was not, he was Anglican and his Narnia is built along Protestant lines of thought and belief. Compare him to Tolkien, Tolkien was a Catholic and he was perfectly happy to have good wizards performing miraculous magic. This fits with Catholic beliefs, a major aspect of the idea of sainthood is rooted in the belief that God can bless his people with the power to perform his wonders, and indeed Catholics have generally viewed the belief in evil magic to be herical, as it suggests that the Devil has power over God's world. Meanwhile Protestants have historically expressed a belief in Satanic magic, and a hatred of supernatural powers, remember they were the ones who burned supposed witches. While time has diminished the prevalence of the belief in humans with supernatural powers amongst both Catholics and Protestants, at least in the mainstream, a Protestant writer, like Lewis, is still far more likely to view them negatively, unless they come directly from God.
Put simply, if the hermit is human and magical, he cannot be good, if he is good and magical, he cannot be human. In the book we see his magical powers, and we experience his goodness, so he must not be truly human. This means he must either be a Star or Alsan in human form. If seen others suggest the former in this comment section, and it does make some sense, but I favour him being Aslan, as it fits quite nicely with the act of cleansing Aravis of the marks of her sin.
Yes he reminded me of medieval monks and hermits, although I don't know the details about them, and I just imagined that CS Lewis thought up characters who would be just in the right place at the right time for the characters when they were in trouble. On long exhausting journeys the best thing is to find hospitatlity from a kind person in a restful place. The kind of person I'd like to be & the place I'd like to live - not just to be a reclusive hermit... but with a pleasant space for visitors!
Interesting that a real world person saw things like centaurs and fauns. A bit farfetched, but people saw all sorts of things in visions and dreams... or when supernatural stuff happens... like a talking donkey ... !! We just don't want the creatures of nightmares to appear in real life!
Boyce College… I’ll have to look into that. I’m currently getting my bachelor’s in Theology at a smaller local-church college in Canada. If I want to go for a higher degree like a Doctorate though, I’ll need another place to go after graduation.
Definitely check them out. They actually have a dual track program that feeds directly into their seminary MDiv. The seminary faculty is world class --the profs who write the books that other schools assign.
P.S. use the link in the description so they know I sent you. :-)
I like the hypothesis that the Hermit isn’t just inspired by St. Anthony, but that he might actually have been intended by Lewis to actually be Anthony.
While I agree with the idea that St Anthony inspired much of the Hermit’s story, I think he was also meant to be a sly wink at another brown-robed individual who communed with animals-Tolkien’s Radagast the Brown, who was mentioned several times in LOTR and the Hobbit, but never actually appeared in the stories (in the books; of course, he does show up in the movies).
Interesting idea! I'd love to look into it more. Thanks for sharing 🙏
Stuart is the leading authority on the Narnia books , dwarfing the likes of Paul Ford and Walter Hooper .
I know one thing: if I ever have a daughter I will name her Aravis after the character in this book
Where is all the artwork from? Id love to buy prints for my kid to look at while we read the book
Hi! Can you do a video about the history of Cair Paravel please?
awesome
This is probably in another comment, but the hermitage is reminiscent of the garden that Diggory and Polly travel to in order to bring the golden apple back to Aslan.
„BIT THATS JUST A THEORY, A BOOK THEORY“
I can’t remember if it said that the tree that was planted in Magicians Nephew was later destroyed, but if not, the tree in the hermitage could be that tree. The border between Narnia and the other countries. But that probably doesn’t line up.
It was, as were the gold and silver trees created by Uncle Andrew's loose change. If I remember correctly, she destroyed them all, but it could also be that the Calormen destroyed the two trees of gold and silver in the Last Battle.
@@jayt9608 Fair enough, thanks
The wood of the tree was used to build the wardrobe.
@@marianparoo1544 Wasn’t that the tree which the rings were buried underneath?
@@garyboulton2302 I don’t remember that. But I’m sure it was the wood of the wardrobe
So he's the Saint Anthony from the world of Narnia. I wouldn't be surprised, yes.
I really like to see a theory about Adam & eve and maybe about the phropecy of Peter Edmund Susan and Lucy
I always thought that he was the Emperor or a star that got retired.
I thought he was modeled after St. Francis of Assissi, who blessed animals and healed people.
🙌🙌🙌
I believe the theory
One question that I’ve wondered about - in the Silver Chair, when Caspian’s queen died, I wonder why no one thought to take her to her father to see if he could restore to life?
Interesting idea. I've got a few thoughts about this. 1. I don't think Ramandu was ever depicted as having Resurrection powers. So it may not have been a thought occurred to anyone. 2. It seems that she died very suddenly and Ramadu's Island would have been a very long journey, probably taking several months. I don't think her body would have stayed preserved that long. 3. The venom of the worm was magical, and it may have been too powerful overcome. Just some ideas!
@@IntotheWardrobe thanks
hi! first of all i wanted to tell you that i am a big fan of yours, your videos are very interesting and really well made.
i wanted to ask you if you could recommend (even with a link or book code) the best edition of the entire story of narnia? i would like to buy one but i don’t know which is the best... i would like one where i can find the seven separate books, written in the original language, and with the related color drawings… 🙏🏼
Thank you! So glad you're a part of the community! When it comes to collections, I don't think there's much of a difference in terms of quality or content. Certainly not any difference in the actual text itself, with the exception that the British and American versions have some adaptations for each audience. I would recommend you look at the various editions of cover artwork and pick the one you like best (and can afford.) I personally love the Collier Paperbacks of the 1970s! There's nothing wrong with just reordering the set you have, either! IMO it's a nice little IYKYK to see an improper set properly arranged! Hope this helps!
@@IntotheWardrobeit is! thank you so much. 🥺💪🏼
The Boyce College advert cracked me up. What kind of academic accreditation does it have?
Why? It's a great school. It's fully accredited by SACSCOC, the main accreditation agency of all colleges And universities in the Southern U.S. The faculty is top notch and their classical education is incredible. I personally know many alums who are attorneys, educators, writers, and successful business leaders.
I actually thought ASLAN had transformed into the hermit temporarily
One problem with the hermit theory is that Narnia wasn't created until 1900 AD. So it couldn't have been someone from Narnia.
You may be right, however I believe there is wiggle room in the canon to allow for this. In VDT we read:
"Narnian time flows differently from ours. If you spent a hundred years in Narnia, you would still come back to our world at the very same hour of the very same day on which you left. And then, if you went back to Narnia after spending a week here, you might find that a thousand Narnian years had passed, or only a day, or no time at all. You never know till you get there."
Now, given the experiences of the children in the books, it seems that both timelines move forward together, though at different rates. However, it's not explicitly stated that way.
There are other hints at the possibility: the seafaring people that became the Telmarines seem to be from the 17th or 18th century--though that's also uncertain.
Finally, in the Dark Tower, the unfinished work by Lewis that examines the concept of time in the multiverse, it indicates that timelines can flow parallel, or in opposite directions.
Anyway, it might be a stretch, but I think it's at least plausible.
@@IntotheWardrobe Never thought about the Telmarines. Another way it could work is by the hermit going to a different world before Narnia.
What is a biblically faithful church?
I’ve just finished watching all your videos up to this point. They’re all great and even have brought tears.
But insinuating that Narnia is actually real and that our world could have actually had beings whose origins are in pagan mythologies seems a step too far. I’d like to see to amend, walk back, or defend your point.
Keep at it though! Your analysis has brought loads of depth to the world of Narnia for me, and great reminders of Christ’s ways.
Thanks so much for watching, and for your feedback. I'm so thankful for your viewership!
You may have noticed that these videos usually fall into one of three categories: lore, theory, and analysis. When it comes to analysis, you'll see I do actually take a step back and approach the stories as works of fiction. For the lore and most of the theory videos, I've chosen to remain "in" the stories, much like C.S. Lewis often did when he wrote letters to his fans about the books. The goal is to serve as a sort of "guide" through the imaginary world and it's history. In those cases, I treat each creature as though they were "real" if they were portrayed that way in the stories. Like Lewis, I trust that readers will be able to tell the difference. Hopefully this helps!
✌✌
Question: How different (or similar) are C.S Lewis and Tolkien in terms of how they put religion and religious symbolism in their world?
Lewis was more overt in his symbolism. It is more a subtle weaving in Tolkien's works. For instance, it would not be beyond Lewis to place St. Anthony in Narnia, but Tolkien would have been appalled at such interweaving. It is said that he did not care for the Chronicles of Narnia and ceased to aid Lewis in them because of Lewis' penchant for inserting anything fantastic from our world into Narnia whether such things should exist together or not. Both Tolkien and Lewis were master writers, but each had a distinctive way of writing that did not mesh well with the other, and this is why Tolkien published only four books and a number of and papers, while Lewis published several books, papers, and articles. Lewis was a Mozart to Tolkien's Beethoven.
@@jayt9608 Thanks. Were there religious differences too, which led to Tolkien not liking Narnia? I ask because I heard that Tolkien was Catholic and Lewis was a regular Christian
@marcusblackwell2372
Not really. Lewis was a bit too allegorical for Tolkien, though Lewis described his work as a supposal rather than direct allegory, unlike Bunyon's Pilgrim's Progress. The religious differences between Lewis and Tolien would have been moderate because Lewis was a convert to Anglicanism while Lewis was a Riman Catholic. The Church of England has always retained a close connection to the Catholic rituals, as did Lutherans. Thus, there were likely more commonalities than differences.
Most of their differences lay in personalities and approaches. Lewis would have been content in the Middle Ages, while Tolien would have preferred a world roughly 500 years or so earlier.
@@jayt9608 Thanks
@@marcusblackwell2372Lewis was a strict Anglo Catholic as opposed to a Roman Catholic.
Dude, Antony is known mostly for tripping balls in the desert and being "tempted" by demons there.
'St. Anthony's temptation in the desert' is one of the most classic religious art subjects.
ANYONE would see centaurs and fauns in the desert while being dehydrated and slowly going insane.
Comment for algorithms
Easy, he’s one of the blue wizards.
So are the “stars” in narnia supposed to be angels. Aniur, or what
Perhaps the hermit in THAHB is the character of History in The Pilgrim's Regress because he was also a hermit who lived in a cave and he told the main character everything he needed to know about Christianity.
Jesus Christ Almighty God bless you all
He absolutely didn't meet a centaur.
That's the story.
I’m interested to know, are any of you Narnia fans non-Christians?
It’s been too long
Its just Slartibartfast. His name isnt important.