Okay, Okay, so maybe The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe isn’t specifically a Christmas story. But it does have snow in it, as well as an appearance by Father Christmas himself, bearing gifts.

One thing about this delightful children’s fantasy novel is definitely true (and somewhat relevant to Christmas): it speaks to the child in all of us.

Historical Background

In my research on this classic children’s fantasy, I have learned a couple things about Lewis’ writing process which I thought were interesting.

First, the story came to Lewis in bits and pieces. Lewis had an image in his head of a faun carrying parcels in the snow . Lewis was a professor himself, who had four children stay with him, which provided additional inspiration.

It wasn’t until he started writing that the character of Aslan was created and, “once he was there He pulled the whole story together, and soon he pulled the six other Narnian stories in after Him.”

The story was written for his goddaughter, Lucy Barfield, though Lewis began writing it when she was a little girl and it took some time before he was finished and had it published.

In his letter to Lucy he predicted that, “by the time it is printed and bound you will be older still. But some day you will be old enough to start reading fairy tales again.”

If you want to find out more about Lewis and his writings I recommend one of these books (Which I enjoyed!) or this great website: https://www.narnia.com/us/news-extras/narnia-timeline/

Wonder

Throughout this “fairytale” of sorts (as Lewis considered it), the four Pevensie children stumble upon a variety of brand new things in an unfamiliar world. On the whole, their response is one of wonder.

There are so many delightful “how can it be” moments, from Lucy meeting her first Faun friend, to the children following a bird who seems to be leading them, to their discovery that the beavers can talk.

The most notable wonder is when they meet Aslan, the great Lion Himself. He is a magnificent and commanding presence, with a powerful effect on the children.

“People who have not been in Narnia sometimes think that a thing cannot be good and terrible at the same time. If the children had ever thought so, they were cured of it now. For when they tried to look at Aslan’s face they just caught a glimpse of the golden mane and the great, royal, solemn, overwhelming eyes; and then they found they couldn’t look at him and went all trembly.”

Mystery and Suspense

Another element Lewis brings into this mini-epic is mystery.

What sort of land is Narnia?

Will the children escape the grasp of the White Witch?

Who is the White Witch, and is she really as evil as the beavers say she is?

Can the spell she has put Narnia under be broken?

How will Edmund be able to be reunited with his family?

How did Narnia come to be in the closet anyways?

Lewis neatly wraps all the queries with a very Christmas-like bow by the end. Or, if he doesn’t, he answers many of these questions in the other books in the series (some of which I will blog about as well!).

Redemption

The obvious one.

Anyone who is familiar with the tale knows that Edmund is redeemed for his betrayal of his siblings. This poses an issue, as the White Witch reveals when she confronts Aslan:

“You know that every traitor belongs to me as my lawful prey and that for every treachery I have a right to a kill…that human creature is mine. His life is forfeit to me. His blood is my property.”

The Witch’s claim cannot be denied, as it is rooted in the law of the land, from the very beginning of the world.

To redeem this claim and deliver Edmund from this punishment, our true hero of the story, Aslan, dies for him.

“Though the Witch knew the Deep Magic, there is a magic deeper still which she did not know…when a willing victim who had committed no treachery was killed in a traitor’s stead, the Table would crack and Death itself would start working backward.”

This, of course, is the Christian message in the story, resembling that of Jesus Christ giving His life in the place of all sinners, that they would not have to face eternal separation from God. This is the faith which Lewis held and which so greatly disturbed Philip Pullman that he wrote The Golden Compass as an atheistic answer in this genre.

Christmas

As this series is about some great Christmas classics, I have to comment on the Christmas in it. The snow and fur coats at the beginning, paired with the excitement of being in a new place, are reminiscent of the first snow of the season in certain parts of the world, signaling to children that Christmas is right around the corner!

Secondly, there is a sleigh. It is driven by the wicked White Witch. In a twist, Lewis introduces a second sleigh when the children are on the run with the beavers. This sleigh is driven by none other than Father Christmas himself, bearing gifts for them all. This is a sign of the White Witch’s power diminishing, just as Christmas, to the Christian, is a sign of the power of evil, death, and Satan beginning to crumble.

On a Personal Note

If you have read this far, I congratulate you! I wanted to add what this story has meant to me over the years personally. I was introduced to it as a young child. I saw the old BBC production where the beavers were actually people dressed in costumes (about 1 hr. into the movie). It is hilarious and endearing if you care to watch it. I also enjoyed watching the newer blockbuster version, which is visually stunning.

 

I recall an acting group came to my church to perform it as well. I was enchanted by the story. It was only a couple years later that I actually read the book, as well as several of the other books in the Narnia Chronicles. 

I took a seminar class on it while getting my BA in English. I enjoyed re-reading it and analyzing it as an adult. It is truly remarkable to see how much mythology and Christian orthodoxy C.S. Lewis wove into the tale! 

When I had the opportunity to create a dramatic production with about 20 Kindergarten-8^th Graders, I eagerly turned it into a script and casted and directed a play of it.

The process of getting those children to remember their lines and cues was enough to make me tear my hair out, but was endured by their cuteness and a couple strong iced coffees. I cannot read nor watch a production now without seeing the little dears embody each of those characters.

 No matter the version and the circumstances, the story itself always shines through in the end. It is a story of redemption, hope, and a reminder in Christmastime that the winter is not forever (unless, I suppose, you live in Antarctica or some such place, in which case I apologize as the analogy fails).