I’ve always understood the Stone Table to be the cross but it makes sense now to be a table of sacrifice in general. The final sacrifice broke the deep magic and now if anyone else becomes a traitor their crime is covered too! Very interesting!
@Thomas TRW Ditto for Catholics, which should not be a surprise. There's not much difference between Orthodoxy and Catholicism; it's more a quarrel between bishops. 😞
There's a problem with that, of course. Even in Narnia, Shift the Ape could rightly be called a traitor, and an unrepentant one at that. He got the end one would expect for an unrepentant traitor. So, no, it's not that all future traitors are off the hook automatically; it's that the one sacrifice cannot be repeated. And so it is with the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass (or Divine Liturgy for the Orthodox): it is not a new sacrifice, but is actually the very same sacrifice as on Golgotha. Modern physics gives us some useful analogies for this (such as quantum entanglement, in which two particles separated by time and space are still, somehow, one object), but these are only analogies.
I think the Stone Table is supposed to symbolically represent the Law of Moses which required animal sacrifices to atone for specific sins until Jesus made the final sacrifice which through belief in Him redeems all sins. The belief then is that Jesus fulfilled the law and broke the power of sin over our souls. You could see the fulfillment of the Deeper Magic as the fulfillment of the Law of Moses and the breaking of the Stone Table as the end of sin's power, as it no longer requires sacrifices to atone for because of Aslan's (Christ's) ultimate sacrifice.
The Stone Table often been viewed as a crossover between the Cross, the Tomb, and the Temple Curtain. Aslan allowed himself to be sacrificed in place of Edmund on the Stone Table; Jesus allowed himself to be crucified in place of a criminal. Susan and Lucy watch Aslan died and when they rush over to the Stone Table and found that His body was missing; a group of women watch Jesus die and when they went to his tomb, His body was missing. The stone table broke in two; the temple veil was torn in two. Aslan's Howe has been viewed as equivalent to the catacombs where the early Christians would meet during Roman persecution. Much like Old Narnians were hiding from the Telmarine oppression, the early Christians met in catacombs to hide from Roman oppression. Both the catacombs and Aslan's Howe had symbols carved in the walls as well.
I love your videos ❤ funny thing is that I had fostered some kittens today and they are sister's so I named them Susan and Lucy lol .your artwork is beautiful 😍
I would love to see this.. Susan is my favourite character and I was gutted she never made it to Narnia again.. however I love that she is actually a representation of us all the non believers, the sinners the vain the normal every day people who just carry on with life. I think she the most relatable and probably the strongest character due to how her fate being unknown. The movies did her so well, I loved how she was portrayed as such a fantastic archer and being so fearless , the hint that she and Caspian would become a couple is amazing too
Johnny Cage I agree. I personally believe that Susan is supposed to serve as a sad yet important reminder that some believers are capable of losing their faith if they become too obsessed (or at least, too involved) with the material world and the people within it. However, C.S. Lewis has stated before that there is still hope for Susan, and that shows that even he believes that former believers who are lost can be found again.
@@johnfeather6476 yeah exactly. Susan lostnher faith but never became a bad person. Plus she never attacked her old faith beyond some bad words. She's completely redeemable.
I would like to see a video on the history of the Lamppost of Lantern Waste. From its origins in the Magician's Nephew to what could've happened to it after the Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe.
Tears in my eyes, Stuart. You really have a gift for creating videos that do justice to the deep ideas of Narnia. The artwork was magnificent! I want a copy for my wall.
This is perfect! Just as I was about to turn on my bedtime audiobook, The Chronicles of Narnia. Thank you so much for this! I love your videos so very much!
I can see its meaning as an altar, tomb, and monument. But to address the elephant in the room (or in this case, the lion), the Stone Table represents the Cross! While Christian allegories are found throughout the series, they're strongest in the first book. This is also true of the Deep Magic and Deeper Magic, which represents how Jesus' blood sacrifice superseded the Old Covenant; likewise in Narnia, the Stone Table was no longer used for sacrifices after Aslan's Passion. But that leads me to another point (spoilers ahead). Although the Deep Magic (and Deeper) are only brought up in the first book (as far as I recall), they would've been in effect throughout Narnian history. Of particular interest is the fact that Narnia would perish in fire and water if these precepts were violated, which might explain the events of the Last Battle all the way at the end of the series. The blasphemy committed by Shift the ape and his patsy Puzzle the donkey seems to be instrumental in the end of the world. After all, Narnia was conquered before by the Telmarines, and that didn't end the world, so the triumph of Calormen couldn't be the deciding factor (although it contributed). Maybe it was the betrayal of Narnia, combined with blaspheming Aslan, which undid Aslan's reprieve, and brought the harsh judgment of the Deep Magic back into play. And of course, since Shift & Puzzle were not sacrificed, the world was sentenced to death. And indeed at the end, fire spills from the sun onto a flooded world, so that fits the prophesy of fire & water. Just my crazy theory, don't mind me!
Yes, absolutely the cross of Christ serves as the ultimate sacrificial altar. I had assumed the connection was clear, but if not, I'm pinning this comment. Thanks for the post.
Another connection is that before the death and resurrection of Aslan, the Stone Table was a solemn place of justice, a place where criminals were executed, but afterwards, it became a holy place for Narnia. The parallel, of course, is that before the death and resurrection of Christ, the cross was a symbol of death and despair; but now it is a symbol of redemption and hope. The Witch almost revered the Table before Aslan's death, but later, had she survived, I think that she would have hated and feared it.
Yes, great point. I cut a section out of the script that said something similar--that a place of death became a place of life-- but you put it much better!
I’m sure someone else will mention it these, but the three things I see represented are the cross, empty tomb (with the stone rolled away symbolized by the breaking), and the temple curtain (again ripping=cracking). I love the representation of the law being no longer able to condemn those who follow Aslan symbolized by the law of Moses and the fading of the Table’s writing. I know you referred to the curtain but I wanted to include all three that were so obviously from the Gospels.
I have two questions that might work as video topics: *1.* Why were there were no humans in Narnia when the Pevensies arrived? We know that Frank & Helen were the first human rulers in Narnia when it was created, and they had descendants. We also know Archenland and Calormen were human civilizations, and at one point the Telmarines came into the picture. Why then were humans so unheard of in the country of Narnia that Mr. Tumnus even had a book titled "Is Man a Myth?" Do you think the White Witch had something to do with this? *2.* When exactly did the Telmarines arrive in the world of Narnia? Aslan says their ancestors were pirates in our world who were stranded on an island in the South Sea. The Golden Age of Piracy was from the 1650s to the 1730s, yet Narnia was created in our year of 1900. Do you think the pirates' descendants lived on that South Sea island for several generations before ending up in Narnia after our year of 1900? Do you think they arrived before or after the Pevensie's did? Thanks for reading this if you have, I love this channel!
I always love when a new Into the Wardrobe video comes up in my feed. Thank you so much for all the hard work you put into these--they truly are a labour of love. I think some other interesting Narnian locations and characters as subjects for videoswould be: Cair Paravel (as I commented previously); The Last Battle as compared to the Book of Revelations (as I've heard it's supposed to be); the life of Trumpkin the Dwarf; some of the rituals and dances we see in the books (the Bacchanalia in Prince Caspian, the Fauns' snowball dance, Pomona blessing the apple trees maybe??); and finally the stars as characters. Coriakin, Ramandu, and his daughter aren't really fleshed out enough for a "life of" video, but all of them together plus the ones who fall at the end of The Last Battle would be an interesting subject, I think! Oh, and GIANTS!
@@Pixi3zDusttt it breaks in half after Aslans sacrifice. The viel in the tabernacle in Jerusalem split in two after Christ was crucified ending the separation from God
Excellent video! Gotta love Lewis doing 89 different symbolic things on 24 different levels with the Stone Table. Given his etymological interests he’d have been well aware of the origins of the word “dolmen”
@Into the Wardrobe Oh, no, thank you good sir! I have been meaning to dive deeper into the Naria lore for quite some time now, and this channel is the perfect means of beginning such a journey. 😁
Great video, the Stone Table is a sacred place and when Aslan sacrificed himself it could have broken the chain of traitors and the deep magic would free the world from its requirements. Much as Jesus freed sinners from damnation with his sacrifice. Also I love the point of cleansing because the Stone Tavle was the sight of Edmund's healing from spite and unkind thoughts. And in the second book he proved himself by fighting for Caspian at thr same place. Thank you for your wonderful work I have learned and contemplated Narnia more than ever since discovering your channel.
I don't mind saying, I _thought_ I was a bit of an authority on all things *Narnia,* but I am truly _humbled_ by your knowledge & presentation; I bow to your superior knowledge, sir… You are now my go-to for *Narnian* lore! *_FOR NARNIA & FOR ASLAN!_* 🦁🛡✊🏻
So Aslan didn't "only" die in Edmund's stead, but for all in Narnia! Wow, I've never made that connection. The table is broken, an innocent person died for all and no one ever has to in the future. ❤
I've always loved the chronicles of Narnia. I've just discovered your channel and I'm absolutely absorbed by your content! Keep it up and looking forward to more!
Strange how the magical inscriptions weathered away after it was broken. Worth noting how it was revered when sheltered ( hidden ?) at Aslan's How. It's fate ? Well, maybe it had served it's purpose in Narnia, and magically transported to the mortal Shadowlands to Stonehenge where CS Lewis was to sit upon it !
I absolutely love these videos! I first discovered Narnia years ago when my dad had me listen to an audio book and have loved it ever since! I never thought about it before but the witch was right, Narnia perished in fire and water after the greatest betrayal it had ever known in the last book. Shift convincing so many Narnians that aslan and Tash were one and the same must have been the ultimate betrayal. Perhaps the old magic and the table were broken but it could it be connected? Narnia stands as a literary light of hope, something I believe is very much needed in the world today, thank you for helping to keep it alive!
This is amazing! I love this idea of connecting artifacts in Narnia to real ones in our world. Thank you for sharing, I really enjoyed this. Are there any other Narnian artifacts you think relate directly to ones in our world?
Your channel is going to blew up when Netflix actually does something with narnia and not messed it up! Your channel is so underrated, love that you keep making narnia videos despite it being over 10 years ago!
Interesting, I really like the Ireland connection to their stone tables. Thanks for all the work you put into these videos, they are very informative. Perhaps you can one day explore why Lewis incorporated so many various religious characters into his stories. Aslan/Jesus is the one most often focused on but I've been curious as to why he chose Norse characters such as Fenris Ulf / Maugrim (Fenris the wolf / Norse Mythology), Bacchus - God of Wine(Greek/Roman), and Santa Claus (pagan & Christian origins), and perhaps others into his stores. Mostly, Santa Claus has confused me. I've always assumed that King Frank & Queen Helen brought the Christmas Holiday and it's fictional character of Santa Claus with them to Narnia from England. I just don't understand how Santa Claus, a fictional character spun off from Christ's celebrated date of birth. After all they couldn't be celebrating Christ's birth in Narnia as Aslan is the Christ of that world. As a kid these things didn't matter to me but as a teen they did and as an adult they resurfaced when I as reading the stories to my children.
From what I’ve read, Lewis was of the opinion that it is perfectly valid and even profitable to visualize Christian truth “through the lens”, as it were, of pagan symbols. As a Medieval scholar he would have been familiar with all the complex interplay of symbols in which Jupiter might stand for the planet, the Greco-Roman god, the ideal of kingship, Christ himself or all of them at the same time. He was a fascinating and complex man, though deceptively simple, and it would be completely in keeping with his scholarship and interests to incorporate the same sort of appropriation of pagan symbols for Christian ends
This was really interesting! One more thought about the stone table as a healing place. It is not only that the stone table, or rather Aslan's sacrifice on it, that saves or "heals" Edmund from the doom of death - by the end of the story he is healed from the burden of the trauma that enveloped him and made him negative. When Lucy comes back to Edmund after healing other wounded creatures, "...she found him standing on his feet and not only healed of his wounds but looking better than she had seen him look-oh, for ages; in fact ever since his first term at that horrid school which was where he had begun to go wrong. He had become his real old self again and could look you in the face." Whether this was the effect of Aslan's sacrifice, or Edmund's own action in sacrificing himself to destroy the witch's wand, or whether Edmund could sacrifice himself because Aslan had sacrificed himself for Edmund, the fact is that by the end Edmund had experienced spiritual healing.
Absolutely wonderful video! I was so excited to a new one! Huge fan of the Narnia series. My island in Animal Crossing is named Narnia. I'm trying to create Cair Paravel at the moment.
Thanks for this. I always thought of the Stone Table as a covenant with the Creator/Aslan’s Father. I think of the stone tablets with the 10 Commandments as a contract with the Children of Israel and the contract between Jesus and God the Father in the New Testament. It also makes me think of Har Maggedio (Armageddon) in the end times.
I have an idea for more Narnia videos: If you'd like, you can maybe post it on a separate channel, but I'd personally like to hear audiobook recordings of the Narnia books (personally I prefer chronologically, but do it how you'd like), a video explaining some more of C.S. Lewis's inspirations for Narnia, a biography of Prince Caspian, and videos on both the Calormen and the Telmarines
The Narnia audiobooks on Audible (they're available on CD, too) are some of the best audiobooks I've ever heard. Amazing narrators, including Kenneth Branaugh (The Magician's Nephew) and Patrick Stewart (The Last Battle).
Hey Into the Wardrobe, I have an idea that I haven't seen anyone do yet. I think either you or else one of your sighted fans should do an indepth review of the Focus on the Family Narnia audio dramas, which were recorded in 1998 and released between 1999 and 2000. If you want some good info on the productions, I have a wiki called Radio Theatre Wiki, and I also helped out with the Narnia wiki articles on the Focus on the Family audio dramas. However, I'm 100% blind, and can't read print, so I've never read the Narnia stories in their original format, so I know nothing about how faithful the audio plays are to the original C.S. Lewis stories. I also can read braille, but don't wish to as it takes an eon and a half just to get through one chapter of a braille book, and my fingers get tired after a while. So I would review them myself, but I don't feel I am qualified enough to do so. I've never seen anyone do an indepth review of these wonderful audio dramas, so if you guys did it, you'd be the first to do an indepth review of them. Hope you like the idea.
A Catholic/Orthodox reader (or High Anglican like Lewis) would also draw a parallel to the Table in the Upper Room. During the Passover meal, Jesus broke bread and gives it to his Disciples, uttering the words, "This is my body, which is given for you." Subsequently, he passed a cup filled with wine. He then says, "This is my blood..." To us, the Table and the Cross are one.
Dude, u just rock! I'm budgeting myself to monetarily be of service u do great work. Awesome platform for spreading the word. Praying w/u & for u to continue this amazing work!
Where are you finding this incredible artwork you use? That one of Jadis in black raising the dagger above her head at the stone table is haunting! Love your work, a new video is always something I look forward too. Thank you for these!
i live 30mins from the henge and i have never herd it mixed with artherian/Irish legend before. the romans mentioned it which proves it was there already in around 700-900 when if there was an arther he would have lived (after whom i named my son, so ive learned many legends and histories). to me the stone table has like lewis's faith been a picture of the cross, but his cristain faith is so close to the surface of his work, it is almost impossible to miss.
I always assumed that the Stone Table represented the Jewish temple of the Old Testament, where ritual sacrifices were performed. And just like Christ's crucifixion represented the last and final sacrifice of the Church, the breaking of the Stone Table played a similar role in ending sacrifices in Narnia. The fact that it began to decay shows that it had fulfilled it purpose and was no longer needed. Or worse, had it been maintained, then it could have been corrupted and view as a weapon or an idol as seen in the novel Prince Caspian. I guess the real world analogy would be the Nehushtan that Moses crafted in Num. 21:4-5 to save the people from snake bites, but that later needed to be destroyed by Hezekiah in 2 Kings 18:4 for later being worshiped in its own right.
I was kind of thinking more like the tablets from Moses were the 10 Commandments were on all the other old testimony Commandments the other laws of Moses and I thought maybe that the table could break because as I had to fill the prophecies of the old
@@farid1406 I thought The Lion Witch Wardrobe said that it was created by the Emperor before the Dawn of Time so this is more of a matter of writer's inconsistency. I would've thought something so ancient and mystical shoud've made an appearance in The Last Battle too
@@tractorfeed7602 the Table is part of the Deep Magic from the Dawn of Time, so it's possible that the Emperor made it right when Jadis entered Narnia as Aslan was creating it. It couldn't show up in the Last Battle since Aslan's sacrifice in LWW broke it.
Which deities and creatures from Greco-Roman, Egyptian, and Norse mythology did Aslan meet and befriend before he created Narnia? Narnia is heavily influenced by mythology, especially Greco-Roman mythology, so I believe Aslan may have been friends with Chiron the centaur, Pan aka Faunus the Olympian god of the wild, and Bacchus aka Dionysus the Olympian god of wine, grape harvest, ecstasy, madness, and theatre. It's been said in the Camp Half-Blood Chronicles that gods can't travel into another god's domain without their permission. What if this rule also applied to other universes? Bacchus is the only Olympian god who makes appearances in the Narnia books, which suggests Aslan is not close friends with the rest of the pantheon. Pan is not just the god of the wild but the master of all fauns and satyrs. Aslan may have sung fauns and satyrs into existence in order to honor Lord Pan. The Narnian centaurs are based off Chiron, not his wild brethren, suggesting that Aslan sung centaurs into existence in order to honour the maverick centaur. For the record, this is just a theory of mine. What do y'all think? Which mythological deities and creatures do you think Aslan befriended?
The Olympian Demi God Bacchus being brought into Narnia attests to CS Lewis' naughty and cheeky sense of humour. In fact, the books are peppered with similar. ( As the fellow Inklings drank their beers, puffed on their pipes, at the Bird and Baby, Lewis would smile and wink as he read aloud his next installment in the series of children's stories collectively known at the Chronicles of Narnia...
This was pretty great, though I'd recommend you look at Lewis' eucharistic theology as well. For us Anglicans, the altar, where we receive communion, is the centre of our worship, and that's probably connected as well!
You may be right, and I wish I had more time to tease that out. However I believe that symbol is more realized in Aslan's table which is described in the Voyage of the Dawn Treader. The presence of the sacrificial stone knife, the consequences of those who approached the table in an unworthy manner, and the idea of that table serving as a place of nourishment for those headed towards Aslan's country lead me to suspect that Lewis intended for that specific table to point towards the Eucharist. Still, given the immediate theological connection between the Eucharist and the cross, I'm certain that the stone table also echoes that second altar.
I think you're totally right about Aslan's table being a much fuller expression of the eucharist, the subtle connection between cross and table you mentioned is what I was after! I'm glad to have found your channel!
I use to think that the “deeper magic” thing that explains Aslan’s resurrection was a bit of a cop-out, but since you put it in a good way, ie the whole healing thing, it makes it a little less of a cop-out.
@@IntotheWardrobe yes. I love reading CS Lewis' letters and diary . Helps capture the essence of the man. And of course, excellent, reliable source material !
I think another way to look at the Stone Table as the cross is that just as Edmund was supposed to die on there, it was Barabbas that was supposed to be crucified. Instead, Aslan dies on the Stone Table, and Jesus was crucified.
A fantastic channel and love your videos and theories... (I still think the lady of the green kirtle is Lilith 😝🤪😜) As an adult now I realise even more how the Bible and Christianity was a huge corner stone to these chronicles. The stone table as the Crucifixion is a very strong comparison and I remember as a child feeling so sad watching it.. sometimes skipping past the death of Aslan as it was so powerful but tragic. As a child you don't relate.. it just another amazing fantasy.
The UK version of these chronicles fascinated me as a child...it was new for the late 80s but amazing...the witch was so well played which is why I think people link the two characters -The White Witch and The Green Lady together. It more the series they made and people have followed from this. But I'm not an expert.. just an opinion.
Interesting fact the calculated size of the actual platform itself kind of reminds me of at my high school that I attended this year where it goes 4 floors and the tiny little elevator that serves all floors is alittle bit smaller than that but I would think the chassis is the exact same size as the stone tables platform
I wonder if the deeper magic that Aslans peaks of is also carved on the Stone Table, and the hieroglyph-like writings on the walls of the labyrinth inside the tunnels of Aslan's How have anything to do with the names of those sacrificed on the table eons ago?
Just found your channel 😊 I've been a Narnia fans for probably 15 years or so now. I have a suggestion for a video. Marshwiggles. What are they? I assume they're something Lewish made up. But in the context of Narnia, what are they? Where did they come from? Why do we not hear any mention of a Marshwiggle at all until the Silver Chair? And that's the only time we hear of them except for Puddleglum appears again, I believe, in the Last Battle. I do remember hearing Douglas Greshem, Lewis's stepson, mention the inspiration for Puddleglum in his intro for Focus On The Family's Radio Theater production of the Silver Chair. His pessimistic personality came from someone Lewis personally knew. But I'd love to know more about Marshwiggles. Especially cuz Puddleglum is such a likeable character 😊😊
Fellow Narnia lovers, how do you think Dr Cornelius get hold of the that magic horn of Susan's ? He told the uncrowned King Caspian ,' Many terrors I endured, many spells did I utter, to find it ...'
This being the case, I think it is strange that Jadis insisted on the custom being observed. Since Edmund was a traitor to Narnia, her insistence that he die as a traitor by joining her side is tantamount to admitting that she is in the wrong and therefore not the rightful queen of Narnia
Any of you guys got ideas on Narnia what if videos because he’s going to make some in the future so let’s give him some ideas that he can use and go with I got some what if crossovers with lord of the rings it would be fitting to put CS Lewis‘s best friend Tolkien works of the Lord of the rings make a crossover with each other that would be super fun and interesting What characters would you like to meet each other from both series I know the origin of Narnia would fit in the lord of the rings universe because of the Lord of the rings creation which is really biblical almost exactly the same as what we see in in Narnia when it’s all song into creation
@@ADGZone interesting one Aslan would know about Gandolf because in Tolkien Lord of the rings he’s god of creation eru lluvatar created the race that Gandolf comes from so putting both universal together and both of the creation stories of Narnia and the world of lore of the rings are very similar Gandolf may not know who Aslan is specially in his lion form but Azlan would know about Gandolf and his purpose and mission
So you’re saying what if the kids went into another pool into Tolkien’s creation? I would like a what if on “if the children never remembered to mark the pool where they had to go back home, what would have happened to them exploring?” Also, what would happen to Jadis in the In Between Wood? If Jadis’ sister had retrieved the Deplorable Word, would she have used it instead, and Jadis’ sister would be the one to be awakened by Diggory?
Wow I never looked too deeply into the Narnia books. I took them at face value of great stories. I am now going to read them all again and watch these videos to see the meanings behind it all. Not sure where to start though. Any thoughts?
I always assumed Digory’s last name Kirke was a straightforward reference to the Scottish Kirk, or church. Now I gotta look up the etymology of the word Kirk! Which apparently now goes back via Old Norse to a Greek word meaning Lord’s (house.) “The Lord’s lost boy” strikes me as an equally plausible reading of Digory’s name.
Cool! I wonder if Circe is still the basis for "house", possibly more like "domain", or perimeter of authority. Literally a circle of authority/domain.
In Tolkiens world men looked west for salvation. In Lewis’s universe they looked east. I do not consider either to be scriptural and do not believe they considered it to be scriptural. However, they considered it to be scriptural to look toward heaven in whatever direction it was to come
8:28 Could this, somehow, explain the end of The Last Battle ? If the spilling of traitor's blood is mandatory for Narnia to survive, maybe the fact that Edmund did cause Narnia's downfall, in the very, very, very long run ? Maybe, Aslan's sacrifice may have just brought Narnia some time, before Edmund truly had to be sacrificed ? Maybe, Narnia (or, rather, Shadowlands) was really destroyed at the end of The Last Battle because of Edmund's tragic train accident ? Since he died before he could be sacrificed, there is absolutely no way to meet the stone table's reuirements, because it's too late, so, maybe, that could explain the end of Narnia as we knew it ?
Could this be a contributing reason for the destruction of Narnia in The Last Battle? Shift, and by association the poor creature Puzzle, betrayed Narnia, but their treachery was not met at the Stone Table?
What was the origin/influence of the requirement of the traitors blood on the stone table for the good of the community? Something you can point to in our history?
This video was amazing! I never thought of the stone table being an altar! I thought of one more object that the stone table represents. Possibly the most obvious one. The cross of Jesus Christ.
I was always a little troubled by the Aslan Jesus crucifixion comparison, because Jesus died for us all, but I thought Aslan was only dying for Edmund, though Jesus would lay down his own life for the one lost sheep. But the fact Aslan also saved all of Narnia by taking Edmunds place makes it so much better.
This video had me thinking...a lot. This theory may have been floated before, but, is the "deep magic" pre-Christian religions that have elements of salvation in them (such as dying and resurrecting fertility gods), and the deeper magic is Christianity that has elements in common with the ancient paganism, but also eclipses them by bringing the full meaning to bear (example: resurrection is no longer a season change, but a permanent spiritual transformation after death)? This would make a lot of sense since it would take into account the pagan elements throughout Narnia and how they seem to (usually) coexist without great difficulty within an Aslanic (Christian) framework. Anyway...a lot of questions arise. Was the stone table built before Jadis arrived? If so...when? Was it created as a magical place as instantly as the secret garden that Digory visits in the far West? Thanks for this great video! Note also: The Cabby was the first being to sing in Narnia. And he sang about the Harvest (a pagan and Christian symbol of saving the soul). Since the Cabby, Digory, and Polly sang this song, I think it formed the character of Narnia and firmly linked the drama of the Sons of Adam and the Daughters of Eve, the pre-Christian myths, and Narnia together as one.
Great questions. I never realized that bit about Frank. As to the Deep Magic vs. Deeper Magic, I believe that the deep magic was a set of rules that flowed out of the underlying principles & truths of the deeper magic. The deep magic was created at the beginning of time--so it was temporary. The deeper magic was created before the beginning of time, so it is eternal. A good real-world analogy might be that the deep magic is like the Hebrew Levitical code--rules given by God that applied during a certain period of time. However, the deeper principles of morality that undergird these laws apply even today. Those deeper truths can actually cause the deep magic to be destroyed and replaced. Check out Acts 10 when Peter was told that his "deep magic" rules of clean and unclean dietary distinctions was no longer valid because the "deeper magic" principles had made the unclean now clean.
@@IntotheWardrobe I see you point! :) I'd like to add further food for thought from my own POV. In Prince Caspian, pagan gods of Earth are mentioned by name: Bacchus and Silenus. Note that Bacchus is a fertility god that died and came back to life. Note also that his followers practiced human sacrifice. Human sacrifice was ended by Abraham's obedience to God...so the Stone Table as representing Judaic practice doesn't ring true to me. In addition, note that in Prince Caspian Lucy says she would feel frightened of Bacchus and the wild boys/girls if Aslan wasn't there - this implies that the pre-Christian gods are scary without Aslan, but with Aslan, they are reduced to figures of fun. This jives nicely with my theory that the stone table was pre-Christian pagan (not Old Testament) and that the "Deep Magic" of a god coming back to life was a presage of the true resurrection hinted at by the Deep Magic...the Deeper Magic is the true and hidden meaning of the pre-Christian paganism. Finally: this theory of mine echoes Tolkien's "On Fairy stories" where the Christian story is like other fairy stories (deep magic vs. deeper magic again...) but this fairy story happens to be True. :) Thanks for reading!
12:39 Hebrews 9:28 "so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him." Hebrews 10:1-4 "The law is only a shadow of the good things that are coming-not the realities themselves. For this reason it can never, by the same sacrifices repeated endlessly year after year, make perfect those who draw near to worship. 2 Otherwise, would they not have stopped being offered? For the worshipers would have been cleansed once for all, and would no longer have felt guilty for their sins. 3 But those sacrifices are an annual reminder of sins. 4 It is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins." Hebrews 10:10-14 "And by that will, we have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. 11 Day after day every priest stands and performs his religious duties; again and again he offers the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. 12 But when this priest had offered for all time one sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God, 13 and since that time he waits for his enemies to be made his footstool. 14 For by one sacrifice he has made perfect forever those who are being made holy." Hebrews 10:18 "And where these have been forgiven, sacrifice for sin is no longer necessary."
I’ve always understood the Stone Table to be the cross but it makes sense now to be a table of sacrifice in general. The final sacrifice broke the deep magic and now if anyone else becomes a traitor their crime is covered too! Very interesting!
Or the table where Jesús ate his last meal with all his friends
@Thomas TRW Ditto for Catholics, which should not be a surprise. There's not much difference between Orthodoxy and Catholicism; it's more a quarrel between bishops. 😞
There's a problem with that, of course. Even in Narnia, Shift the Ape could rightly be called a traitor, and an unrepentant one at that. He got the end one would expect for an unrepentant traitor.
So, no, it's not that all future traitors are off the hook automatically; it's that the one sacrifice cannot be repeated. And so it is with the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass (or Divine Liturgy for the Orthodox): it is not a new sacrifice, but is actually the very same sacrifice as on Golgotha. Modern physics gives us some useful analogies for this (such as quantum entanglement, in which two particles separated by time and space are still, somehow, one object), but these are only analogies.
I think the Stone Table is supposed to symbolically represent the Law of Moses which required animal sacrifices to atone for specific sins until Jesus made the final sacrifice which through belief in Him redeems all sins. The belief then is that Jesus fulfilled the law and broke the power of sin over our souls. You could see the fulfillment of the Deeper Magic as the fulfillment of the Law of Moses and the breaking of the Stone Table as the end of sin's power, as it no longer requires sacrifices to atone for because of Aslan's (Christ's) ultimate sacrifice.
Yeah but wasn’t Lewis a atheist at the time
I have loved the Chronicles of Narnia for nearly 60 years, and these videos bring me great joy. Thank you for taking me back once again.
The Stone Table often been viewed as a crossover between the Cross, the Tomb, and the Temple Curtain. Aslan allowed himself to be sacrificed in place of Edmund on the Stone Table; Jesus allowed himself to be crucified in place of a criminal. Susan and Lucy watch Aslan died and when they rush over to the Stone Table and found that His body was missing; a group of women watch Jesus die and when they went to his tomb, His body was missing. The stone table broke in two; the temple veil was torn in two.
Aslan's Howe has been viewed as equivalent to the catacombs where the early Christians would meet during Roman persecution. Much like Old Narnians were hiding from the Telmarine oppression, the early Christians met in catacombs to hide from Roman oppression. Both the catacombs and Aslan's Howe had symbols carved in the walls as well.
THANK U FOR GIVING ME SOMETHING TO WATCH BEFORE BEDTIME
My first Narnia book was the Magician's Nephew ! I fell in love and I'm so happy there is a community that is keeping this series alive
The voyage of the dawn treader
I really enjoy these location/symbol based videos. This one seemed like a history documentary and the quality of the production keeps getting better!
I love your videos ❤ funny thing is that I had fostered some kittens today and they are sister's so I named them Susan and Lucy lol .your artwork is beautiful 😍
Love it! Thanks for sharing!
Please do a video on Susan like you did for Lucy. I want to see how you guys handle her final fate.
I would love to see this.. Susan is my favourite character and I was gutted she never made it to Narnia again.. however I love that she is actually a representation of us all the non believers, the sinners the vain the normal every day people who just carry on with life.
I think she the most relatable and probably the strongest character due to how her fate being unknown.
The movies did her so well, I loved how she was portrayed as such a fantastic archer and being so fearless , the hint that she and Caspian would become a couple is amazing too
@@jackjackson3769 yeah you get it
yeah do one with all of them or liliandil
Johnny Cage I agree. I personally believe that Susan is supposed to serve as a sad yet important reminder that some believers are capable of losing their faith if they become too obsessed (or at least, too involved) with the material world and the people within it. However, C.S. Lewis has stated before that there is still hope for Susan, and that shows that even he believes that former believers who are lost can be found again.
@@johnfeather6476 yeah exactly. Susan lostnher faith but never became a bad person. Plus she never attacked her old faith beyond some bad words. She's completely redeemable.
I would like to see a video on the history of the Lamppost of Lantern Waste. From its origins in the Magician's Nephew to what could've happened to it after the Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe.
it's our wayshower, a manifestation of the spirit of light
Funny you mention King Arthur! Lewis was partially inspired by the Arthur's Stone burial monolith in Herefordshire, Britain.
Tears in my eyes, Stuart. You really have a gift for creating videos that do justice to the deep ideas of Narnia.
The artwork was magnificent! I want a copy for my wall.
Been waiting for another video
Great video just finished ✅
This is perfect! Just as I was about to turn on my bedtime audiobook, The Chronicles of Narnia. Thank you so much for this! I love your videos so very much!
I always listen to the audiobook at bedtime, too! It's so soothing.
I can see its meaning as an altar, tomb, and monument. But to address the elephant in the room (or in this case, the lion), the Stone Table represents the Cross! While Christian allegories are found throughout the series, they're strongest in the first book. This is also true of the Deep Magic and Deeper Magic, which represents how Jesus' blood sacrifice superseded the Old Covenant; likewise in Narnia, the Stone Table was no longer used for sacrifices after Aslan's Passion.
But that leads me to another point (spoilers ahead). Although the Deep Magic (and Deeper) are only brought up in the first book (as far as I recall), they would've been in effect throughout Narnian history. Of particular interest is the fact that Narnia would perish in fire and water if these precepts were violated, which might explain the events of the Last Battle all the way at the end of the series. The blasphemy committed by Shift the ape and his patsy Puzzle the donkey seems to be instrumental in the end of the world. After all, Narnia was conquered before by the Telmarines, and that didn't end the world, so the triumph of Calormen couldn't be the deciding factor (although it contributed). Maybe it was the betrayal of Narnia, combined with blaspheming Aslan, which undid Aslan's reprieve, and brought the harsh judgment of the Deep Magic back into play. And of course, since Shift & Puzzle were not sacrificed, the world was sentenced to death. And indeed at the end, fire spills from the sun onto a flooded world, so that fits the prophesy of fire & water.
Just my crazy theory, don't mind me!
Yes, absolutely the cross of Christ serves as the ultimate sacrificial altar. I had assumed the connection was clear, but if not, I'm pinning this comment. Thanks for the post.
Another connection is that before the death and resurrection of Aslan, the Stone Table was a solemn place of justice, a place where criminals were executed, but afterwards, it became a holy place for Narnia. The parallel, of course, is that before the death and resurrection of Christ, the cross was a symbol of death and despair; but now it is a symbol of redemption and hope. The Witch almost revered the Table before Aslan's death, but later, had she survived, I think that she would have hated and feared it.
Yes, great point. I cut a section out of the script that said something similar--that a place of death became a place of life-- but you put it much better!
For what i saw it to be was it was a representation of both the Cross and Abraham's sacrifice.
Yes. You cannot forget Who Aslan really is!
I’m sure someone else will mention it these, but the three things I see represented are the cross, empty tomb (with the stone rolled away symbolized by the breaking), and the temple curtain (again ripping=cracking). I love the representation of the law being no longer able to condemn those who follow Aslan symbolized by the law of Moses and the fading of the Table’s writing. I know you referred to the curtain but I wanted to include all three that were so obviously from the Gospels.
I have two questions that might work as video topics:
*1.* Why were there were no humans in Narnia when the Pevensies arrived? We know that Frank & Helen were the first human rulers in Narnia when it was created, and they had descendants. We also know Archenland and Calormen were human civilizations, and at one point the Telmarines came into the picture. Why then were humans so unheard of in the country of Narnia that Mr. Tumnus even had a book titled "Is Man a Myth?" Do you think the White Witch had something to do with this?
*2.* When exactly did the Telmarines arrive in the world of Narnia? Aslan says their ancestors were pirates in our world who were stranded on an island in the South Sea. The Golden Age of Piracy was from the 1650s to the 1730s, yet Narnia was created in our year of 1900. Do you think the pirates' descendants lived on that South Sea island for several generations before ending up in Narnia after our year of 1900? Do you think they arrived before or after the Pevensie's did?
Thanks for reading this if you have, I love this channel!
I always love when a new Into the Wardrobe video comes up in my feed. Thank you so much for all the hard work you put into these--they truly are a labour of love.
I think some other interesting Narnian locations and characters as subjects for videoswould be: Cair Paravel (as I commented previously); The Last Battle as compared to the Book of Revelations (as I've heard it's supposed to be); the life of Trumpkin the Dwarf; some of the rituals and dances we see in the books (the Bacchanalia in Prince Caspian, the Fauns' snowball dance, Pomona blessing the apple trees maybe??); and finally the stars as characters. Coriakin, Ramandu, and his daughter aren't really fleshed out enough for a "life of" video, but all of them together plus the ones who fall at the end of The Last Battle would be an interesting subject, I think! Oh, and GIANTS!
I second these recommendations
I think we would be wise to pass on the 'rituals' ( the ultimate euphemism !) of Bacchus and his followers ! Trust me on this.
@@jonathanbrewer7072 Well, yeah, if we're talking about real life Bacchanalia, which is why it's a bit weird Lewis included it in a children's book!
I’m so glad you’re covering the Table. I’ve wondered about it’s history and purposes before
Can you do Edmund's video next for the characters playlistt? I am so excited! :D
I was writing as I was watching. Thanks for covering the above Commandments.
The stone table is where you can really see the Christian symbolism in Narnia
really🤔🧕
Definitely
@@Pixi3zDusttt it breaks in half after Aslans sacrifice. The viel in the tabernacle in Jerusalem split in two after Christ was crucified ending the separation from God
Catholic
@@thistledownz.2982 exactly
Excellent video! Gotta love Lewis doing 89 different symbolic things on 24 different levels with the Stone Table. Given his etymological interests he’d have been well aware of the origins of the word “dolmen”
I love this explanation of the stone table!
Very impressive work by Stuart. ( Viewers might be interested to learn there's a photograph of CS Lewis at Stonehenge )
Wow! I can't believe I didn't find that. Thanks for sharing.
Awesome video !!!!
Your series is so wonderfully done! It's one of my all-time favorite channels on RUclips. 😁
What a high compliment indeed. Thank you!
@Into the Wardrobe Oh, no, thank you good sir! I have been meaning to dive deeper into the Naria lore for quite some time now, and this channel is the perfect means of beginning such a journey. 😁
Stuart is the world's leading authority on Narnia.
Great video, the Stone Table is a sacred place and when Aslan sacrificed himself it could have broken the chain of traitors and the deep magic would free the world from its requirements. Much as Jesus freed sinners from damnation with his sacrifice.
Also I love the point of cleansing because the Stone Tavle was the sight of Edmund's healing from spite and unkind thoughts. And in the second book he proved himself by fighting for Caspian at thr same place.
Thank you for your wonderful work I have learned and contemplated Narnia more than ever since discovering your channel.
I don't mind saying, I _thought_ I was a bit of an authority on all things *Narnia,* but I am truly _humbled_ by your knowledge & presentation; I bow to your superior knowledge, sir… You are now my go-to for *Narnian* lore!
*_FOR NARNIA & FOR ASLAN!_* 🦁🛡✊🏻
So Aslan didn't "only" die in Edmund's stead, but for all in Narnia!
Wow, I've never made that connection. The table is broken, an innocent person died for all and no one ever has to in the future. ❤
I've always loved the chronicles of Narnia. I've just discovered your channel and I'm absolutely absorbed by your content! Keep it up and looking forward to more!
Love the stone table!
Thank you for giving more context and information to Narnia. Love the channel.
Strange how the magical inscriptions weathered away after it was broken. Worth noting how it was revered when sheltered ( hidden ?) at Aslan's How. It's fate ? Well, maybe it had served it's purpose in Narnia, and magically transported to the mortal Shadowlands to Stonehenge where CS Lewis was to sit upon it !
I love all the videos and want to see more they are Always worth the wait .
Great video!
I absolutely love these videos! I first discovered Narnia years ago when my dad had me listen to an audio book and have loved it ever since! I never thought about it before but the witch was right, Narnia perished in fire and water after the greatest betrayal it had ever known in the last book. Shift convincing so many Narnians that aslan and Tash were one and the same must have been the ultimate betrayal. Perhaps the old magic and the table were broken but it could it be connected? Narnia stands as a literary light of hope, something I believe is very much needed in the world today, thank you for helping to keep it alive!
Best video yet!
I would love to see a video about Prince Caspian one day! Also, I love how your video are getting better and better! Keep it up!!
This is amazing! I love this idea of connecting artifacts in Narnia to real ones in our world.
Thank you for sharing, I really enjoyed this. Are there any other Narnian artifacts you think relate directly to ones in our world?
Your channel is going to blew up when Netflix actually does something with narnia and not messed it up! Your channel is so underrated, love that you keep making narnia videos despite it being over 10 years ago!
Love the videos! Keep em coming!
I love all your videos reviews of Narnia. Keep the good amazing work.❤💖
I love your Videos
The emperor beyond the sea needs his own episode
Great new content. You guys really do a great job and I totally appreciate it. I love it. Keep it coming.
Interesting, I really like the Ireland connection to their stone tables. Thanks for all the work you put into these videos, they are very informative. Perhaps you can one day explore why Lewis incorporated so many various religious characters into his stories. Aslan/Jesus is the one most often focused on but I've been curious as to why he chose Norse characters such as Fenris Ulf / Maugrim (Fenris the wolf / Norse Mythology), Bacchus - God of Wine(Greek/Roman), and Santa Claus (pagan & Christian origins), and perhaps others into his stores. Mostly, Santa Claus has confused me. I've always assumed that King Frank & Queen Helen brought the Christmas Holiday and it's fictional character of Santa Claus with them to Narnia from England. I just don't understand how Santa Claus, a fictional character spun off from Christ's celebrated date of birth. After all they couldn't be celebrating Christ's birth in Narnia as Aslan is the Christ of that world. As a kid these things didn't matter to me but as a teen they did and as an adult they resurfaced when I as reading the stories to my children.
From what I’ve read, Lewis was of the opinion that it is perfectly valid and even profitable to visualize Christian truth “through the lens”, as it were, of pagan symbols. As a Medieval scholar he would have been familiar with all the complex interplay of symbols in which Jupiter might stand for the planet, the Greco-Roman god, the ideal of kingship, Christ himself or all of them at the same time. He was a fascinating and complex man, though deceptively simple, and it would be completely in keeping with his scholarship and interests to incorporate the same sort of appropriation of pagan symbols for Christian ends
Thank you for making these videos! They are so pleasant and enjoyable with the amazing artwork and photographs!
That's an excellent video! Thank you for all the research you put into these videos, they're so thought-provoking and insightful.
This was really interesting! One more thought about the stone table as a healing place. It is not only that the stone table, or rather Aslan's sacrifice on it, that saves or "heals" Edmund from the doom of death - by the end of the story he is healed from the burden of the trauma that enveloped him and made him negative. When Lucy comes back to Edmund after healing other wounded creatures, "...she found him standing on his feet and not only healed of his wounds but looking better than she had seen him look-oh, for ages; in fact ever since his first term at that horrid school which was where he had begun to go wrong. He had become his real old self again and could look you in the face." Whether this was the effect of Aslan's sacrifice, or Edmund's own action in sacrificing himself to destroy the witch's wand, or whether Edmund could sacrifice himself because Aslan had sacrificed himself for Edmund, the fact is that by the end Edmund had experienced spiritual healing.
i love your videos so much ! its very educating
Absolutely wonderful video! I was so excited to a new one! Huge fan of the Narnia series.
My island in Animal Crossing is named Narnia. I'm trying to create Cair Paravel at the moment.
Great upload 👌
Could you make a video on how magic works in the narnia books
Thanks for this. I always thought of the Stone Table as a covenant with the Creator/Aslan’s Father. I think of the stone tablets with the 10 Commandments as a contract with the Children of Israel and the contract between Jesus and God the Father in the New Testament. It also makes me think of Har Maggedio (Armageddon) in the end times.
I have an idea for more Narnia videos:
If you'd like, you can maybe post it on a separate channel, but I'd personally like to hear audiobook recordings of the Narnia books (personally I prefer chronologically, but do it how you'd like), a video explaining some more of C.S. Lewis's inspirations for Narnia, a biography of Prince Caspian, and videos on both the Calormen and the Telmarines
The Narnia audiobooks on Audible (they're available on CD, too) are some of the best audiobooks I've ever heard. Amazing narrators, including Kenneth Branaugh (The Magician's Nephew) and Patrick Stewart (The Last Battle).
@@selenedm999 Patrick Stewart, eh?
I hardly use Amazon apps, but I'll keep it in mind
@@marcusblackwell2372 They are also available on CD, or used to be. I bought The Last Battle a few years ago.
@@selenedm999 I know I'm late, but how did you find it?
@@marcusblackwell2372 The CD? I bought it on Amazon.
Hey Into the Wardrobe, I have an idea that I haven't seen anyone do yet.
I think either you or else one of your sighted fans should do an indepth review of the Focus on the Family Narnia audio dramas, which were recorded in 1998 and released between 1999 and 2000. If you want some good info on the productions, I have a wiki called Radio Theatre Wiki, and I also helped out with the Narnia wiki articles on the Focus on the Family audio dramas.
However, I'm 100% blind, and can't read print, so I've never read the Narnia stories in their original format, so I know nothing about how faithful the audio plays are to the original C.S. Lewis stories. I also can read braille, but don't wish to as it takes an eon and a half just to get through one chapter of a braille book, and my fingers get tired after a while. So I would review them myself, but I don't feel I am qualified enough to do so.
I've never seen anyone do an indepth review of these wonderful audio dramas, so if you guys did it, you'd be the first to do an indepth review of them.
Hope you like the idea.
A Catholic/Orthodox reader (or High Anglican like Lewis) would also draw a parallel to the Table in the Upper Room. During the Passover meal, Jesus broke bread and gives it to his Disciples, uttering the words, "This is my body, which is given for you." Subsequently, he passed a cup filled with wine. He then says, "This is my blood..." To us, the Table and the Cross are one.
Yes, I agree. I had considered adding the aspect of the communion table but the content was getting too long. Thanks for sharing!
Love this content a lot
Dude, u just rock! I'm budgeting myself to monetarily be of service u do great work. Awesome platform for spreading the word. Praying w/u & for u to continue this amazing work!
Where are you finding this incredible artwork you use? That one of Jadis in black raising the dagger above her head at the stone table is haunting! Love your work, a new video is always something I look forward too. Thank you for these!
i live 30mins from the henge and i have never herd it mixed with artherian/Irish legend before. the romans mentioned it which proves it was there already in around 700-900 when if there was an arther he would have lived (after whom i named my son, so ive learned many legends and histories). to me the stone table has like lewis's faith been a picture of the cross, but his cristain faith is so close to the surface of his work, it is almost impossible to miss.
How often do l make jokes about chemistry? Periodically.
Very very interesting !!! Wow, even the biblical references - great ! Sub and like of course :):) thanks
I always assumed that the Stone Table represented the Jewish temple of the Old Testament, where ritual sacrifices were performed. And just like Christ's crucifixion represented the last and final sacrifice of the Church, the breaking of the Stone Table played a similar role in ending sacrifices in Narnia. The fact that it began to decay shows that it had fulfilled it purpose and was no longer needed. Or worse, had it been maintained, then it could have been corrupted and view as a weapon or an idol as seen in the novel Prince Caspian. I guess the real world analogy would be the Nehushtan that Moses crafted in Num. 21:4-5 to save the people from snake bites, but that later needed to be destroyed by Hezekiah in 2 Kings 18:4 for later being worshiped in its own right.
The stone table cracked was just like the veil torn in two.
@@patrickphilip777 Exactly. Excellent observation :)
I was kind of thinking more like the tablets from Moses were the 10 Commandments were on all the other old testimony Commandments the other laws of Moses and I thought maybe that the table could break because as I had to fill the prophecies of the old
So, I guess stone table probably almost combination of all of the suggested ideas about what it is.
It's a bit weird how the Stone Table is not really mentioned in The Magicians Nephew despite it depicting the creation of Narnia.
That’s a really good point, that book could’ve been the ideal way to show the Stone Table’s backstory
It would have probably been devised as the result of Jadis or Diggory's sin I'm guessing, so probably made after Diggory left.
@@farid1406 I thought The Lion Witch Wardrobe said that it was created by the Emperor before the Dawn of Time so this is more of a matter of writer's inconsistency. I would've thought something so ancient and mystical shoud've made an appearance in The Last Battle too
@@tractorfeed7602 the Table is part of the Deep Magic from the Dawn of Time, so it's possible that the Emperor made it right when Jadis entered Narnia as Aslan was creating it. It couldn't show up in the Last Battle since Aslan's sacrifice in LWW broke it.
@@farid1406 but the pieces should still be around, Aslan's How was around it in Prince Caspian so the location is still pretty significant.
Yes
I think that Doal Meins kind of is represented by the tombs of the ancient kings in Calormen
Which deities and creatures from Greco-Roman, Egyptian, and Norse mythology did Aslan meet and befriend before he created Narnia?
Narnia is heavily influenced by mythology, especially Greco-Roman mythology, so I believe Aslan may have been friends with Chiron the centaur, Pan aka Faunus the Olympian god of the wild, and Bacchus aka Dionysus the Olympian god of wine, grape harvest, ecstasy, madness, and theatre.
It's been said in the Camp Half-Blood Chronicles that gods can't travel into another god's domain without their permission. What if this rule also applied to other universes? Bacchus is the only Olympian god who makes appearances in the Narnia books, which suggests Aslan is not close friends with the rest of the pantheon.
Pan is not just the god of the wild but the master of all fauns and satyrs. Aslan may have sung fauns and satyrs into existence in order to honor Lord Pan.
The Narnian centaurs are based off Chiron, not his wild brethren, suggesting that Aslan sung centaurs into existence in order to honour the maverick centaur.
For the record, this is just a theory of mine. What do y'all think? Which mythological deities and creatures do you think Aslan befriended?
The Olympian Demi God Bacchus being brought into Narnia attests to CS Lewis' naughty and cheeky sense of humour.
In fact, the books are peppered with similar.
( As the fellow Inklings drank their beers, puffed on their pipes, at the Bird and Baby, Lewis would smile and wink as he read aloud his next installment in the series of children's stories collectively known at the Chronicles of Narnia...
I can believe that besides Hestia who prefers isolation the rest are evil
This was pretty great, though I'd recommend you look at Lewis' eucharistic theology as well. For us Anglicans, the altar, where we receive communion, is the centre of our worship, and that's probably connected as well!
You may be right, and I wish I had more time to tease that out. However I believe that symbol is more realized in Aslan's table which is described in the Voyage of the Dawn Treader. The presence of the sacrificial stone knife, the consequences of those who approached the table in an unworthy manner, and the idea of that table serving as a place of nourishment for those headed towards Aslan's country lead me to suspect that Lewis intended for that specific table to point towards the Eucharist. Still, given the immediate theological connection between the Eucharist and the cross, I'm certain that the stone table also echoes that second altar.
I think you're totally right about Aslan's table being a much fuller expression of the eucharist, the subtle connection between cross and table you mentioned is what I was after! I'm glad to have found your channel!
The thing about the stone table being a kaern or tomb is intresting .Esprchially as Aslan is buried there and comes backwhen you think about it.
I use to think that the “deeper magic” thing that explains Aslan’s resurrection was a bit of a cop-out, but since you put it in a good way, ie the whole healing thing, it makes it a little less of a cop-out.
Glad I could help. :-)
CS Lewis to a child correspondent : ' The Stone Table is meant to remind one of Moses' table.' ( June, 1960 ).
You're a master of research! Is this in "Letters to Children"?
@@IntotheWardrobe yes.
I love reading CS Lewis' letters and diary . Helps capture the essence of the man. And of course, excellent, reliable source material !
I think another way to look at the Stone Table as the cross is that just as Edmund was supposed to die on there, it was Barabbas that was supposed to be crucified. Instead, Aslan dies on the Stone Table, and Jesus was crucified.
Thankyou for this great video i love narnia so much, already 2022 but im still waiting narnia 4 narnia netflix adaptation i hope this year huhuhuhu😭😭
A fantastic channel and love your videos and theories... (I still think the lady of the green kirtle is Lilith 😝🤪😜)
As an adult now I realise even more how the Bible and Christianity was a huge corner stone to these chronicles. The stone table as the Crucifixion is a very strong comparison and I remember as a child feeling so sad watching it.. sometimes skipping past the death of Aslan as it was so powerful but tragic.
As a child you don't relate.. it just another amazing fantasy.
This channel really just broadens the horizons of the whole Chronicles of Narnia like never before. Well done!! and Thank you from Ireland 🇮🇪
The UK version of these chronicles fascinated me as a child...it was new for the late 80s but amazing...the witch was so well played which is why I think people link the two characters -The White Witch and The Green Lady together. It more the series they made and people have followed from this. But I'm not an expert.. just an opinion.
We have a "stone table" near to where i live. It is known as Lanyon Quoit. So theyre located in many places
Wow! It's beautiful!
Nice Video
Interesting fact the calculated size of the actual platform itself kind of reminds me of at my high school that I attended this year where it goes 4 floors and the tiny little elevator that serves all floors is alittle bit smaller than that but I would think the chassis is the exact same size as the stone tables platform
And what I mean by the chassis if you didnt know is the big steel frame work that holds the cab together
9:48 "The Book of Exodus" (Both the original Biblical story and the 1998 film adaptation by DreamWorks Animation)
I wonder if the deeper magic that Aslans peaks of is also carved on the Stone Table, and the hieroglyph-like writings on the walls of the labyrinth inside the tunnels of Aslan's How have anything to do with the names of those sacrificed on the table eons ago?
Just found your channel 😊 I've been a Narnia fans for probably 15 years or so now. I have a suggestion for a video. Marshwiggles. What are they? I assume they're something Lewish made up. But in the context of Narnia, what are they? Where did they come from? Why do we not hear any mention of a Marshwiggle at all until the Silver Chair? And that's the only time we hear of them except for Puddleglum appears again, I believe, in the Last Battle. I do remember hearing Douglas Greshem, Lewis's stepson, mention the inspiration for Puddleglum in his intro for Focus On The Family's Radio Theater production of the Silver Chair. His pessimistic personality came from someone Lewis personally knew. But I'd love to know more about Marshwiggles. Especially cuz Puddleglum is such a likeable character 😊😊
Fellow Narnia lovers, how do you think Dr Cornelius get hold of the that magic horn of Susan's ? He told the uncrowned King Caspian ,' Many terrors I endured, many spells did I utter, to find it ...'
This being the case, I think it is strange that Jadis insisted on the custom being observed. Since Edmund was a traitor to Narnia, her insistence that he die as a traitor by joining her side is tantamount to admitting that she is in the wrong and therefore not the rightful queen of Narnia
5:16 I always thought that the Stone Table represents the cross where Jesus was killed and he just walked out of his tomb 3 days later
Any of you guys got ideas on Narnia what if videos because he’s going to make some in the future
so let’s give him some ideas that he can use and go with I got some what if crossovers with lord of the rings
it would be fitting to put CS Lewis‘s best friend Tolkien works of the Lord of the rings
make a crossover with each other that would be super fun and interesting What characters would you like to meet each other from both series
I know the origin of Narnia would fit in the lord of the rings universe because of the Lord of the rings creation which is really biblical almost exactly the same as what we see in in Narnia when it’s all song into creation
What if Aslan met Gandalf
@@ADGZone interesting one Aslan would know about Gandolf because in Tolkien Lord of the rings he’s god of creation eru lluvatar created the race that Gandolf comes
from so putting both universal together and both of the creation stories of Narnia and the
world of lore of the rings are very similar Gandolf may not know who Aslan
is specially in his lion form but Azlan would know about Gandolf and his purpose and mission
@@marcusaurelius9577 most likely
So you’re saying what if the kids went into another pool into Tolkien’s creation?
I would like a what if on “if the children never remembered to mark the pool where they had to go back home, what would have happened to them exploring?” Also, what would happen to Jadis in the In Between Wood? If Jadis’ sister had retrieved the Deplorable Word, would she have used it instead, and Jadis’ sister would be the one to be awakened by Diggory?
What if wizards and witches from the Wizarding World and Greco-Roman demigods from the Riordanverse ventured into Narnia?
Wow I never looked too deeply into the Narnia books. I took them at face value of great stories. I am now going to read them all again and watch these videos to see the meanings behind it all. Not sure where to start though. Any thoughts?
I always assumed Digory’s last name Kirke was a straightforward reference to the Scottish Kirk, or church. Now I gotta look up the etymology of the word Kirk! Which apparently now goes back via Old Norse to a Greek word meaning Lord’s (house.)
“The Lord’s lost boy” strikes me as an equally plausible reading of Digory’s name.
Cool! I wonder if Circe is still the basis for "house", possibly more like "domain", or perimeter of authority. Literally a circle of authority/domain.
Did Susan leaving Narnia behind Somehow usher in the prophecy of Tash? As soon as Tasha showed up Narnia perished in fire and water fairly quickly.
In Tolkiens world men looked west for salvation. In Lewis’s universe they looked east. I do not consider either to be scriptural and do not believe they considered it to be scriptural. However, they considered it to be scriptural to look toward heaven in whatever direction it was to come
8:28 Could this, somehow, explain the end of The Last Battle ? If the spilling of traitor's blood is mandatory for Narnia to survive, maybe the fact that Edmund did cause Narnia's downfall, in the very, very, very long run ? Maybe, Aslan's sacrifice may have just brought Narnia some time, before Edmund truly had to be sacrificed ? Maybe, Narnia (or, rather, Shadowlands) was really destroyed at the end of The Last Battle because of Edmund's tragic train accident ? Since he died before he could be sacrificed, there is absolutely no way to meet the stone table's reuirements, because it's too late, so, maybe, that could explain the end of Narnia as we knew it ?
Could this be a contributing reason for the destruction of Narnia in The Last Battle? Shift, and by association the poor creature Puzzle, betrayed Narnia, but their treachery was not met at the Stone Table?
What was the origin/influence of the requirement of the traitors blood on the stone table for the good of the community? Something you can point to in our history?
This video was amazing! I never thought of the stone table being an altar!
I thought of one more object that the stone table represents. Possibly the most obvious one.
The cross of Jesus Christ.
not a narnia question but about C.S Lewis question. We know he loved sc-fi did he read dune?
I was always a little troubled by the Aslan Jesus crucifixion comparison, because Jesus died for us all, but I thought Aslan was only dying for Edmund, though Jesus would lay down his own life for the one lost sheep. But the fact Aslan also saved all of Narnia by taking Edmunds place makes it so much better.
This video had me thinking...a lot.
This theory may have been floated before, but, is the "deep magic" pre-Christian religions that have elements of salvation in them (such as dying and resurrecting fertility gods), and the deeper magic is Christianity that has elements in common with the ancient paganism, but also eclipses them by bringing the full meaning to bear (example: resurrection is no longer a season change, but a permanent spiritual transformation after death)? This would make a lot of sense since it would take into account the pagan elements throughout Narnia and how they seem to (usually) coexist without great difficulty within an Aslanic (Christian) framework. Anyway...a lot of questions arise. Was the stone table built before Jadis arrived? If so...when? Was it created as a magical place as instantly as the secret garden that Digory visits in the far West? Thanks for this great video!
Note also: The Cabby was the first being to sing in Narnia. And he sang about the Harvest (a pagan and Christian symbol of saving the soul). Since the Cabby, Digory, and Polly sang this song, I think it formed the character of Narnia and firmly linked the drama of the Sons of Adam and the Daughters of Eve, the pre-Christian myths, and Narnia together as one.
Great questions. I never realized that bit about Frank.
As to the Deep Magic vs. Deeper Magic, I believe that the deep magic was a set of rules that flowed out of the underlying principles & truths of the deeper magic. The deep magic was created at the beginning of time--so it was temporary. The deeper magic was created before the beginning of time, so it is eternal.
A good real-world analogy might be that the deep magic is like the Hebrew Levitical code--rules given by God that applied during a certain period of time. However, the deeper principles of morality that undergird these laws apply even today. Those deeper truths can actually cause the deep magic to be destroyed and replaced. Check out Acts 10 when Peter was told that his "deep magic" rules of clean and unclean dietary distinctions was no longer valid because the "deeper magic" principles had made the unclean now clean.
@@IntotheWardrobe I see you point! :)
I'd like to add further food for thought from my own POV.
In Prince Caspian, pagan gods of Earth are mentioned by name: Bacchus and Silenus. Note that Bacchus is a fertility god that died and came back to life. Note also that his followers practiced human sacrifice. Human sacrifice was ended by Abraham's obedience to God...so the Stone Table as representing Judaic practice doesn't ring true to me. In addition, note that in Prince Caspian Lucy says she would feel frightened of Bacchus and the wild boys/girls if Aslan wasn't there - this implies that the pre-Christian gods are scary without Aslan, but with Aslan, they are reduced to figures of fun. This jives nicely with my theory that the stone table was pre-Christian pagan (not Old Testament) and that the "Deep Magic" of a god coming back to life was a presage of the true resurrection hinted at by the Deep Magic...the Deeper Magic is the true and hidden meaning of the pre-Christian paganism. Finally: this theory of mine echoes Tolkien's "On Fairy stories" where the Christian story is like other fairy stories (deep magic vs. deeper magic again...) but this fairy story happens to be True. :) Thanks for reading!
12:39 Hebrews 9:28 "so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him." Hebrews 10:1-4 "The law is only a shadow of the good things that are coming-not the realities themselves. For this reason it can never, by the same sacrifices repeated endlessly year after year, make perfect those who draw near to worship. 2 Otherwise, would they not have stopped being offered? For the worshipers would have been cleansed once for all, and would no longer have felt guilty for their sins. 3 But those sacrifices are an annual reminder of sins. 4 It is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins." Hebrews 10:10-14 "And by that will, we have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. 11 Day after day every priest stands and performs his religious duties; again and again he offers the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. 12 But when this priest had offered for all time one sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God, 13 and since that time he waits for his enemies to be made his footstool. 14 For by one sacrifice he has made perfect forever those who are being made holy." Hebrews 10:18 "And where these have been forgiven, sacrifice for sin is no longer necessary."
Aslan is on the mov