Aslan created the world of Narnia in the Earth year He brought everything —from the creatures, to the landscapes, to the sky and the stars — into being from an empty dark void, by singing and roaring.
Aslan chose two specimens, one male and one female, of each species of dumb beasts , upon which to endow the powers of thought and speech. These intelligent beasts then formed the first council of Narnia, which eventually spawned the races of talking beasts that populated Narnia for centuries afterwards. It is clear that all humans in Narnia originate from Earth.
Aslan banished Jadis , a half-Jinn, half-giant woman, originally from the world of Charn , who had accidentally been brought into Narnia, to the northern land of Ettinsmoor. He then ordered Digory Kirke , a human boy from Earth in Narnia at the time, to fetch an apple from the Tree of Youth , from whose seeds grew the Tree of Protection , from which in turn he allowed Digory to take an apple to Earth, in order to heal his sick mother.
When the four Pevensies first came to Narnia , heralding the fulfillment of the Golden Age Prophecy , Aslan returned to Narnia in order to aid them in their fight against the wrongful queen, the White Witch. His presence brought an end to the Long Winter. Upon arrival, he began gathering all those still faithful to him near the Stone Table.
He asked where Edmund was, yet appeared emotionless when told of Edmund's betrayal to the White Witch, though he did say, "All shall be done" to save their brother. After that, he briefly spoke to Peter, telling him how he would be the High King, and showed him the site of Cair Paravel. Shortly after, the Wolf , Maugrim , arrived and attempted to kill Susan and Lucy, only to be slayed by Peter. He then sent the best of his army to rescue Edmund from the Witch's clutches.
In order to save him, Aslan agreed to be sacrificed in his stead. However, according to the laws of the Deeper Magic, Aslan, as an innocent victim, was resurrected. Upon his resurrection, he then revived the petrified Narnians in the White Witch's Courtyard , and led them into the First Battle of Beruna , which he quickly resolved by killing the Witch.
After the war was won, Aslan revived those who had been petrified in the battle, and crowned the Pevensies as the new monarchs of Narnia, before disappearing. Beaver told the Pevensies that Aslan often left to attend to other countries, and that he didn't like being tied down, but assured them he would return one day.
He did warn them, however, not to press him, as he wasn't a tame lion. He also apparently helped save Cor as a baby, by seeing to it that the boat Cor was on floated to the shoreline, where he was found by his adoptive guardian, Arsheesh.
In the process, he helped Shasta discover his true identity as Cor, Prince of Archenland , taught Aravis to abandon her pride and faith in the Calormene god Tash , and helped stop Rabadash from conquering Narnia.
When Aravis fled to the Archenland border, he slashed her back to inflict on her the punishment she had caused to be inflicted on the slave she had drugged to escape her prideful stepmother. When he approached Aravis later, he explained his actions, and she agreed she had deserved the shock of corporal punishment.
He is referred to as "The Word" which God spoke in Genesis 1 to bring everything into existence. Aslan means "lion" in Turkish. Lewis also used "Turkish delight" in his books. In the movie, the tents at Aslan's soldiers' camp great resemblence Ottoman and Turkish war tents.
Lewis used many things from other cultures mostly Turkish and Middle Eastern , it wouldn't be surprising if Aslan was based on Jesus Christ. Show 1 more comment. Active Oldest Votes. There are a few quotes by C. Lewis relating to Aslan and Jesus. Improve this answer. Community Bot 1. JanusBahsJacquet The middle one is the clincher and definitely in-universe, since it's a response to asking "what Aslan's other name in our world was mentioned in VDT ".
He wrote very seriously about Christianity in multiple genres. In modern terminology Lewis would call him "parallel universe" Jesus. Shane, off the top of my head I can tell you, you are totally wrong about Krishna , Zoroaster who isn't even a divine figure at all Show 11 more comments. Appears to be "Yes" I haven't found a primary source for this, but numerous secondary sources claim that Lewis once wrote: '[Aslan] is an invention giving an imaginary answer to the question, "What might Christ become like if there really were a world like Narnia, and He chose to be incarnate and die and rise again in that world as He actually has done in ours?
Jason Baker Jason Baker k 41 41 gold badges silver badges bronze badges. Good quote, but still a little too out-of-universe Now this raises the fascinating, I think question: is there a world in which Jesus, under whatever name and appearance, is not required to be killed and resurrected? Or is that the universal purpose of this entity? Question for Worldbuilding. SE, maybe Interesting, trichoplax, thanks for the tip! JoshCaswell Please don't ask that on WB. We'd close it as off-topic pretty quickly.
A better place would probably be Philosophy. Since nobody else has quoted it yet, I think this is the most relevant passage in the actual text, from the very end of The Last Battle abridged slightly : 'There was a real railway accident,' said Aslan softly. Harry Johnston Harry Johnston This adds a haunting quality to everything. It gives me goosebumps.
How could I have possibly forgotten this? Add a comment. If these two stories sound familiar, it's because Aslan is Jesus. Lewis created Aslan to give us a picture of Jesus on the cross. And as the prophet Isaiah wrote more than years before Christ was born, Jesus went to the cross to take the punishment for the sin of all mankind. He was oppressed and treated harshly, yet he never said a word. He was led like a lamb to the slaughter. And as a sheep is silent before the shearers, he did not open his mouth.
Unjustly condemned, he was led away. Yet when his life is made an offering for sin, he will have many descendants. The Bible calls this sin -- it is the willful disobedience to God's law.
Everyone has sinned, and is therefore subject to the penalty of that disobedience. Like Edmund, we are all under a death sentence. Someone must pay the price for our sin. The great news is that like Aslan in the book, Jesus went to the cross to pay the penalty -- to die in our place. God did this because he loves us. For God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. John , NLT. As Aslan made the ultimate sacrifice for Edmund, Jesus died for the sins every person who has ever lived.
The way to receive this free gift of salvation is to simply ask Jesus to forgive you of your sin, and to take control of your life.
Lord Jesus Christ, I believe that you took the pain of the cross to give me new life. I ask you to come into my life and to give me your peace and joy. I confess that I am a sinner -- that I have gone my own way and have done wrong. Please forgive me for my sins. I receive you now as my Lord and Savior. My real name is Candace Bacon if you need that also. Good luck on your paper. I need the date you wrote this article because I need it for my term paper, which is also about Narnia and C.
Lewis wanted to give Narnia and Aslan the feel of a foreign and far away place. If he had used a name from a Christian country, it would have sounded too commonplace. Most people wouldn't know the real origin and meaning of Aslan, so it is a way for it to sound exotic and still have a deeper meaning. The name also appears in a particular version of the Arabian Nights that Lewis read.
He probably liked it and wanted to incorporate it into his own tale. It is also mentioned in the books that Aslan goes by different names in different worlds. This was the very reason you were brought into Narnia, that by knowing me here for a little, you might know me better there. Aslan i. Jesus is the Lord of all worlds and nations, even the ones that don't acknowledge him. So his name origin isn't as important as what it means. If Aslan is symbolic for Christ, why did Lewis choose a Turkish name for him?
Why not the world lion from another Christian country? It is a gift that the stories in the Bible can be retold in a modern or different way to appeal to new audiences who might not understand the culture of so long ago. You did an amazing Hub! I love symbolic stories, though its been years since I read the C. Lewis stories. Your right in that symbolism adds new life to the events in the Bible.
I believe God gives writers like C. Lewis inspired ideas to communicate the deep mysteries of Christ. AlyzaLewis - Thanks! I'm also a Narnia geek.
The symbolism is part of what makes the books so wonderful for adults. Fantastic hub! I'm a Narnia geek through and through, and part of the reason that I love Narnia so much is because of the Christian symbolism. Thank you so much for pointing out that Aslan is not meant to be a direct representation of Jesus so much as God's way of revealing himself to another world.
That's the part I think a lot of people miss. Lovely article! Thank you naturegirl7. The beauty of the Chronicles of Narnia is that they are fun for children, but have so much meaning for adults as well.
The Chronicles of Narnia are so much more than "children's books". Your in depth hub is enlightening. Thanks Joni. The Chronicles are children's books, yet they are so rich with symbolism and with content that even adults can enjoy them.
What a great hub. I love the Chronicles and also see the symbolism. You have taken idea to a whole new level. Amazing job. Party Games. Drinking Games. Lawn Games. Creative Writing. Card Games. Magic: The Gathering. Comic Books. Harry Potter. Board Games. Performing Arts. Musical Theater. Circus Arts. Tabletop Gaming. Metal Detecting. Outdoor Hobbies.
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