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How is there Christmas in Narnia?

PostPosted: August 1st, 2010, 3:43 am
by Fairfax
I found this on the list of possible Narnia books on another thread;

The Origin of Christmas: Other-Worldy Holidays

This is something I've been wondering. At first, one might think: how could Narnians now about Christmas, or call it that? But it might not be otherworldly at all. In fact, perhaps Christmas originated in Narnia and spread to our world. Narnia, after all, is ruled by its own version of Christ. Sure, he's called Aslan. But Christ is a title, not a surname. In Narnia, Aslan holds the title of Christ, just as a Yos'wa (Jesus) does in this one. Yes, Jesus Christ is also implied to be really the same being in both (and probably all) worlds, as implied at the end of Dawn Treader( and (becuase there can be only one Jesus), but I won't go into it that far. Christmas in Narnia, then, must celebrate, if not the birth of Aslan, then hid return, or perhaps his creation of the world. In any case, Christmas is a celebration and honor of Aslan in Narnia. It only makes sense. or perhaps Narnians are aware of Aslan's human form in this world, and that's how they got the name.

Re: How is there Christmas in Narnia?

PostPosted: August 11th, 2010, 5:48 pm
by paminala
It may be a bit simpler than that. I've been reading the Narnia books again and I had sort of forgotten something. The first King and Queen of Narnia were drawn from our world by Aslan. King Frank and Queen Helen would have probably been the ones to bring the Christian holidays to Narnia since they are the ones they would have celebrated at home. They would certainly have been in a position to establish customs and traditions for all of their 'subjects.'

Re: How is there Christmas in Narnia?

PostPosted: August 20th, 2010, 8:45 pm
by archenland_knight

Re: How is there Christmas in Narnia?

PostPosted: August 20th, 2010, 9:27 pm
by carol
Very true. Another part of the answer is that the characters in Narnia include a number of mythological characters - they are myths in our world but real in Narnia. And since the English Father Christmas is not based on Saint Nicholas, but on the ancient figure of winter (back to Celts, Romans, Saxons etc) he is a myth here but real there!!

Re: How is there Christmas in Narnia?

PostPosted: August 22nd, 2010, 9:38 pm
by Erekose
The heretic cogs in my brain got creaking when I read this... atre at night as well.. but.. here's a couple of thoughts...

A problem does exist with christmas being introduced by King Frank and Queen Helen... the apparent absence of Jesus Christ in any form (apart from allegorical connections between Aslan and Christ, which I don't wish to get into us as not attemtping to associate any such connections as these are more better dealt with by others more read than myself).

However, there ios the implied "missing" chronicle, which would tell how the Beavers came to be possesion of a peice of intricate earth technology.. the sewing machine.

One could assume that a visit to Narnia took place between the time of MN and LWW. A visit which maybe took place at christmas and involved the taking of various artefacts, including the sewing machine, and decorations.
If this happened at the time olf the coming of Winter/the destruction of the tree, one could assume that the legend of christmas was a focus of "hope", and the strong mythological imagery assited with the ability of "father Christmas" to manifest there after jadis power was on the wane.

I've mentioned the "missing visit" before in my heresies.. but hadn't considered a christmas angle.. which would actually fit well into the heresy.

/me drifts away again, wondering how long it will be before he returns again

Re: How is there Christmas in Narnia?

PostPosted: September 7th, 2010, 5:08 am
by Fairfax
Embarressing, but I don't remember a King Frank or Queen Helen at all. I assume they're in the Magician's Nephew, which I've read, but I must have forgotten that part.

Re: How is there Christmas in Narnia?

PostPosted: September 7th, 2010, 1:37 pm
by archenland_knight