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Magical Air of Narnia

PostPosted: April 14th, 2010, 6:58 am
by nhealing
Greetings, Wardrobians!
I'm searching for passages from the Chronicles about the effects of the magical air of Narnia. I have this strong memory of people being transformed upon entering Narnia, specifically by the quality of the air - that they become more healthful, youthful, and look different than they did in whatever place they came from. I thank you in advance for your help.
With Joy,
N Healing

Re: Magical Air of Narnia

PostPosted: April 15th, 2010, 3:21 am
by Leslie
And greetings to you too, nhealing!

I don't have the books in front of me right now, but isn't there something in Prince Caspian about Peter and Edmund regaining their kingly bearing after a few days (or was it just hours) after returning to Narnia? And I'm pretty sure that when Frank the cabbie lands in Narnia in Magician's Nephew, he soon loses the edge he gained in London and reverts to a rural speech pattern, and his cheeks become rosier.

Re: Magical Air of Narnia

PostPosted: April 15th, 2010, 4:16 am
by carol
I think Eustace is also described as affected by being in Narnia - in VDT where he explores the island while avoiding work, prior to getting lost and finding a dragon.

Re: Magical Air of Narnia

PostPosted: April 18th, 2010, 1:40 am
by bolt
I think there is something at the beginning of Prince Caspian about one of the girls' ability to swim.

Re: Magical Air of Narnia

PostPosted: April 18th, 2010, 10:34 pm
by Nerd42
I'm reminded of the source of Superman's powers from the DC Comics mythology - the Sun. Supposedly Krypton's sun didn't have the yellow rays ours has, so Kryptonians gain the abilities of Superman when they come to Earth, including bad ones like General Zod.

Not sure whether this "magical air" stuff had any special significance or if it was just a convenient plot device.

Re: Magical Air of Narnia

PostPosted: May 4th, 2010, 10:16 pm
by Paul F. Ford
Amazon.com still has a way to search for terms in the Chronicles. Click and move your cursor over "Click to look inside" and enter the search term, e.g., "air," and you will see that there are 107 uses of the word, some of which are pertinent to your quest.

Re: Magical Air of Narnia

PostPosted: May 4th, 2010, 10:58 pm
by Paul F. Ford
I just did a search of my own book and here are two more references (but no article) to "air" and "atmosphere" in the way you are using them. First Eustace and then Jill are invigorated by the air of Narnia in SC. Aslan's Country is characterized by sweet air (see his appearance on the other side of the stable door in LB.)

Re: Magical Air of Narnia

PostPosted: May 5th, 2010, 1:05 am
by Sheroo of Stormness Head
Hi nhealing,

There are indeed several references to the magical air of Narnia, and here are a couple more references: In PC, the air is mentioned in reference to working on Edmund when he is dueling the DLF. The magical air worked on him so that "all his old battles came back to him." Another place where I think it is indirectly mentioned later in Chapter 10 when he writes: "Of course, if the children had attempted a journey like this a few days ago in England, they would have been knocked up. I think I have explained before how Narnia was altering them." The way he's explained it before is because of the air, right? Someone please correct me if I'm wrong.

Oh, and in LB, at the beginning of chapter 6, the magical air is again mentioned: "He was surprised at the strength of both the children: in fact they both seemed to be already much stronger and bigger and more grown-up than they had been when he first met them a few hours before. It is one of the effects which Narnian air often has on visitors from our world."

While the air is magical, it's not nearly as fresh as the air in Aslan's country, which is stated in SC by Aslan himself: "Here on the mountain, the air is clear and your mind is clear; as you drop down into Narnia, the air will thicken."

You know, I noticed, that in contrast, the air of Charn talked about: "the wind that blew in their faces was cold, yet somehow stale." I think it is really interesting how C.S. Lewis really shows how dead Charn is even in the air, compared to Narnia, which is full of life, even in the air.

That's all that I can think of right now, but if I think (or see in the book) more, I'll post them. I'm looking forward to seeing the other references that people find!

Sheroo of Stormness Head

Re: Magical Air of Narnia

PostPosted: May 6th, 2010, 9:13 pm
by Nerd42
Hmm. "His old battles coming back to him." Pre-existence of the human soul perhaps? Did Lewis ever say anything about pre-existence?

Re: Magical Air of Narnia

PostPosted: May 7th, 2010, 12:05 am
by Sheroo of Stormness Head
Actually, Nerd42, I think what Lewis actually meant is that Edmund remembered all of his old tricks. Because he had been away from the Narnian air for 1300 years, or 1 year, whatever you like, Lewis is simply trying to say that Edmund Pevensie, the English boy who was heading off to boarding school, was turning back into King Edmund the Just. I honestly don't think that pre-existence really has anything to do with it.

Re: Magical Air of Narnia

PostPosted: May 7th, 2010, 5:16 am
by Nerd42

Re: Magical Air of Narnia

PostPosted: May 27th, 2010, 2:32 am
by Sheroo of Stormness Head
Hi Everyone,
I was reading MN last night, and discovered a couple more references to the magical air, and I thought I would share them with you all:
Uncle Andrew is affected by the air: "And now anyone could see that the air of that young world was really doing the old gentleman good. In London he had been far too old to run: now, he ran at a speed which would have made him certain to win the hundred yard's race at any Prep school in England."
The Cabby's horse is also affected by the air: "The air had apparently suited him as well as it had suited Uncle Andrew. He no longer looked like the poor old slave he had been in London; he was picking up his feet and holding his head erect."
That's it for now!