C.S.
Lewis'
Sun Worship in the
Chronicles of Narnia
Page
5
Page 1 Introduction
Page
2 Theological beliefs
Page 3 The Chronicles of
Narnia
Page 4 Liquor, Tobacco and
Drugs
Page 6 Further Into the Depths
of Satan
Page 7 Dionysus, Bacchus, Silenus
and the Maenads
Sensitive
material. Age discretion recommended.
Page 8 Overview of Material
To begin with, "arslan" is said to be the Turkish word for "lion," and the most likely source for the name Aslan. The symbolism of a lion would not of itself be a particular problem if it were not for the other information which Lewis stealthily reveals regarding the particular lion he is writing about. Once the evidence has been examined it is certain that it is not "the Lion of the tribe of Juda" by any stretch of the imagination .
According to the Dictionary of Mythology, Folklore, and Symbols by Gertrude Jobes, the sun is "The active or male principle in nature, wanderer, lion, gold, symbolised by the bow and arrow."
Let's begin by looking at the The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe.
p.65 "At the name of Aslan, Lucy got the feeling you get when you wake in the morning and realize it's the beginning of spring."
p.74 "Tell us about Aslan...once again that strange feeling - like the first sings of spring had come over them."
p.74 "An old rhyme in these parts...when he bares his teeth winter meets its death and when he shakes his mane we shall have spring again."The plot here, as those who have read the Chronicles will know, is that the "White Witch" has bound the land of Narnia in a perpetual winter which can only be broken by the coming of Aslan. This makes perfect sense in the context of the solar deity myths. The common story line is that a goddess kills the sun-god on mid-summer's night and thus winter comes. When the sun stays up longer on the mid-winter solstice (commonly celebrated under the disguise of "Christmas" today) he has triumphed and conquered death, thus bringing spring. We find this ritual being observed by the Jews in Ezekiel's day. Ezekiel 8:13 He said also unto me, Turn thee yet again, and thou shalt see greater abominations that they do. 14 Then he brought me to the door of the gate of the LORD'S house which was toward the north; and, behold, there sat women weeping for Tammuz. This was the summer death of the sun god, Tammuz, that they were weeping for. The remainder of this story will be discussed further along. (Notice the circle of flowers in the illustration above. The imagery is not wasted. The circle is a common symbol of the sun, and a basic symbol of ritual magic. Wreaths are used in witchcraft both to cast spells against people and to bring "good luck.")
But, C.S. Lewis' esoteric sun worship in this book does not stop here.
p.105 "Father Christmas" gives Susan a bow and arrows and Lucy a dagger and a cordial in a bottle. The cordial is said to be made from the fire-flowers that grow in the mountains of the sun. one receives a goblet or chalice.
This has some interesting implications. First, of all "Father Christmas" is none other than that old wretch, Santa Clause; emblem of that sun festival that was "christened" by the pope centuries ago.
Secondly, the bow and arrow symbolize the sun. J.E. Cirlot's A Dictionary of Symbols states, "Benoist remarks that the bow and arrow, as attributes of Apollo, stand for the sun's energy, its rays and its fertilising and purifying powers." (p.31)
Third, we note again the fact that a cordial is an alcoholic drink or stimulant flavored with plant parts. This one presented to Lucy is said to be made from fire-flowers that grow on the mountains of the sun. According to the book by Jobes, fire flowers themselves represent the sun. Here they are said to grow on the mountains of the sun which are associated with Leo, the lion of the zodiac. In fact, the name Lucy itself means "light." It is from the Latin, and relates to "luce," as in Lucifer. Lucy might well be considered an "illuminated one."
Leo is also said to be the ruler of the heart which is interesting in that cordials are often heart stimulant and the goblet symbolizes the human heart according to Cirlot. [Note: Lewis' fire-flowers are listed on a web page of herbs for "use" in Role Playing Games. This is hardly surprising since the Chronicles of Narnia were recommended reading by the makers of Dungeons and Dragons!]
Moving on to further signposts:
p.124 Speaks of Aslan's golden eyes, p.138 his golden face, p.159 his warm breath, and p.162 his golden fur.
Jobes' book again: "GOLDEN HAIR Light of the morning and evening sun as an attribute of sun deities; typifies rays of the sun. GOLD The dawn; solar energy and light of the sun." Cirlot's book: "Gold is the image of solar light..." (p.119) "...golden hair is related to the sun's rays..." (p.135). Breath symbolizes the sun's rays. To alchemists, breathing symbolizes absorption of the sun's "astral gold."
On page 150 we find that before the Witch kills Aslan, she shaves off his mane and around his face. In the symbolism of sun worship hair cutting represents ray cutting. This ritual of shaving is perhaps the very reason why God forbids the priests to shave their heads in the future temple. Ezekiel 44:20 Neither shall they shave their heads, nor suffer their locks to grow long; they shall only poll their heads. Shaving of the head in the Bible, in general typifies uncleanness or removing of uncleanness. In Corinth, it was the prostitutes that shaved their heads. (1Corinthians 11:6)
We also find that when the Witch kills the lion (sun), she calls him "Fool." This also relates to the sun worship customs. According to Jobe's book, "The sun deity has spells in which he suffers a wrong daily, a death at the hands of night, as affliction necessary for rebirth." The rebirth or resurrection comes at dawn.
Which brings us to our next point:
p.156 The mice came to chew away the ropes that tied Aslan to the stone table upon which he had been ritually sacrificed by the witch. Lewis strongly emphasizes the sun rising in the "East" (note: capitalization) as the mice chew through the ropes to free him for his resurrection. "...the sky on the East side of the hill was a little less dark than it had been." After they gnawed the ropes through, "The sky in the East was whitish by now."
First of all, the fact that this event occurs at dawn and that Lewis makes so much of the sun rising is significant in that the sunrise is viewed as the sun's resurrection in the myth mentioned above. That is, Lewis is telling the tale of the sun's daily death and resurrection in careful, but hidden (to the uninitiated) detail. To the followers of sun worship, this is all very easy to see.
Anyone that is at all familiar with the true origins of Free Masonry or mysticism, also knows that the "the East" is a significant point. "Eastern" religions are mystical religions. The East represents ...BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH. Revelation 17:5 The mystery religions (esoteric cults) of this world find their roots is Babylon and many hail their deity with the dawning of the sun. Thus, when C.S. Lewis turned his back on the Bible, denying its inspiration (see his Theological Beliefs), he fulfilled Amos 8:12, And they shall wander from sea to sea, and from the north even to the east, they shall run to and fro to seek the word of the LORD, and shall not find it. He went from the north (where God dwells; Psalm 48:2, Psalm 75:6), to the East -- Babylon and sun worship!
To clear all doubt on the implications of Lewis' writing, God's holy scripture again speaks: Ezekiel 8:15 Then said he unto me, Hast thou seen this, O son of man? turn thee yet again, and thou shalt see greater abominations than these. 16 And he brought me into the inner court of the LORD'S house, and, behold, at the door of the temple of the LORD, between the porch and the altar, were about five and twenty men, with their backs toward the temple of the LORD, and their faces toward the east; and they worshipped the sun toward the east. 17 Then he said unto me, Hast thou seen this, O son of man? Is it a light thing to the house of Judah that they commit the abominations which they commit here? for they have filled the land with violence, and have returned to provoke me to anger: and, lo, they put the branch to their nose. 18 Therefore will I also deal in fury: mine eye shall not spare, neither will I have pity: and though they cry in mine ears with a loud voice, yet will I not hear them. This abomination along with the one of the women weeping for Tammuz are described by the word of God as the two worst! When people face east to worship the sun, they turn their backs on God! Sun worship and Jehovah worship are both exclusive, Lewis could not serve both Baal and God! 1Kings 18:21 And Elijah came unto all the people, and said, How long halt ye between two opinions? if the LORD be God, follow him: but if Baal, then follow him. And the people answered him not a word.
The fact that mice were used here is significant as well. Mice were sacred to Apollo, the sun. J.E. Cirlot's definition of Apollo is so interesting to this study that it should all be included here. On page 14 of his A Dictionary of Symbols, we read, "Apollo In mythology and alchemy, his spiritual and symbolic significance is identical with that of the sun. The spreading golden hairs which crown the god's head have the same meaning as the bow and arrow (sunrays). The Greek name for Apollo is, of course Apollon, which means 'from the depths of the lion' and expresses the meaningful relationship of the sun with the fifth sign of the Zodiac, Leo."
Remember what Lewis said when on a trip with his ill wife, "I had some ado to prevent Joy and myself from relapsing into Paganism in Attica! At Daphni it was hard not to pray to Apollo the Healer. But somehow one didn't feel it would have been very wrong - would have only been addressing Christ sub specie Apollinis." (C.S. Lewis: A Biography, Roger Lancelyn Green, p.276) That Lewis would call Apollo, the sun god, otherwise known as Baal (Satan), a sub specie of Christ is gross blasphemy, but that he would keep this "secret doctrine" to teach to children is hideous in the extreme!!! C.S. Lewis was in bad enough trouble with God for all the heresy that he believed and hid in his books for adult Christians, but when he started messing with the minds of children he reserved for himself a special measure of God's wrath! Mark 9:42 And whosoever shall offend one of these little ones that believe in me, it is better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and he were cast into the sea.
A few more signposts:
p.180 Speaking of Aslan, "He'll be coming and going, one day you'll see him and another you won't...he has other countries to attend to."
This is obviously not the Lord Jesus Christ, since He is omnipresent (everywhere at once). Matthew 28:20 ...lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen. More than that, however is the fact that one of the distinctions of the sun deity is that he is said to be a "constant wanderer." Always "coming and going" can also relate to the night/death, sunrise/resurrection myth or the summer/winter myth.
In The Magician's Nephew we find more telling references to Aslan.
On p. 114 Digory saw the lion and it was so big and bright he could not take his eyes off of it. Then on p.173 Aslan swings his head around scattering golden gleams of light as he does so.
In the context of the information already given, these statements are in total keeping with Lewis' already obvious glorification of sun worship.
Added to this, Aslan is described while in the act of creation - "It was a Lion. Huge, shaggy, and bright it stood facing the risen sun."
Again, the picture of facing the rising sun is sun worship and nothing else. Over and over again in the Bible we find God going out of His way, as it were, to keep His people facing away from the East in their worship! He points His servants west.
C.S. Lewis was an expert in mythology having studied it from an early age. It is utterly impossible that he did not know what he was writing!
Sun worship was one of the main abominations to the LORD practiced in Bible times. It has continued throughout the ages to this very time. That Lewis would write stories for children to indoctrinate them in this revolting religion is bad enough, but that those stories should be passed off as an allegory of the gospel of Jesus Christ is a horrible blasphemy beyond description!
Deuteronomy 4:15 Take ye therefore good heed unto yourselves; for ye saw no manner of similitude on the day that the LORD spake unto you in Horeb out of the midst of the fire: 16 Lest ye corrupt yourselves, and make you a graven image....19 And lest thou lift up thine eyes unto heaven, and when thou seest the sun, and the moon, and the stars, even all the host of heaven, shouldest be driven to worship them, and serve them, which the LORD thy God hath divided unto all nations under the whole heaven.
by Mary Van Nattan
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Some information for this article was obtained from documented papers written by unknown authors. We wish that we could give the proper credit, but the Lord knows who they are will reward them properly on that day!
