Page 1 of 2

the meaning of Tumnus

PostPosted: August 17th, 2007, 3:59 pm
by the lampost
I heard or read somewhere that Tumnus the faun is a symbol of C. S. Lewis. When Lucy first meets Mr. Tumnus, he is carrying several packages and looks as if he has been Christmas shopping. However, because there is no Christmas in Narnia, he has no one to give his gifts to. C. S. Lewis also had many gifts. He was a very talented individual, but because he was an atheist, he had no one to give his gifts to. When he finally accepted Christ, he had someone to give his gifts to. I can no longer remember where I read this, though. Can someone tell me where this idea comes from? Has anyone else heard this idea also?
Thanks

PostPosted: August 17th, 2007, 5:32 pm
by Stanley Anderson
I've never heard of the idea, but it is a nice thought. It reminds me a bit of something I've mentioned here in the past about Lewis' concept of Joy.

The Scriptural concept of Hope, for me, is different from our earthly concept of hope in that our earthly hope seems to have two components -- one, a desire or longing for something, and two, the quality of uncertainty, ie, we "hope" something will happen but we can't be sure it will happen.

It is this second aspect of earthly hope, the feeling of uncertainty, that I think is not really a component of Scriptural Hope (I've had disagreements from others about this -- it is debatable, but not important for my point here). For me, the first quality, the desire or intense longing for God is the key part of Scriptural Hope.

And it struck me at one time that Lewis' concept of Joy is a sort of "pre-conversion" version of Scriptural Hope, since Lewis' definition of "Joy" as he uses it in Surprized by Joy, is an intense longing for "I know not what". Every time he thought (before he was a Christian) he knew what the object of the longing was for, whether a distant hillside or musical strain, or a passage from a book, it turned out that that was not it after all. It was only when he realized that the "longing" was there to guide him to God that the object could be identified.

And it is my contention that this idea of "Joy" is simply what Scriptural Hope "looks like" to us before we are Christians.

Anyway, sidetracking from your question, I realize, but fun to think about.

--Stanley

PostPosted: August 17th, 2007, 5:32 pm
by Mornamoice
I have not heard that idea before, but it sounds to me like an interpretation someone else might have projected onto the Chronicles of Narnia. From what I have read, Lewis would not have inserted himself into his work that way.

PostPosted: August 17th, 2007, 6:43 pm
by Stanley Anderson

PostPosted: August 20th, 2007, 11:03 am
by carol

PostPosted: August 20th, 2007, 4:58 pm
by loeee

PostPosted: August 21st, 2007, 1:44 pm
by the lampost
Oh, but I like it. It probably is someone else's idea, not Lewis'; but I still think it sounds nice. Anyone else agree with me?

PostPosted: August 21st, 2007, 2:22 pm
by Stanley Anderson

PostPosted: August 21st, 2007, 8:02 pm
by carol
Didn't the faun image come to Lewis as a dream? I thought he saw the faun, not saw himself as a faun.

PostPosted: August 21st, 2007, 8:07 pm
by Stanley Anderson

PostPosted: August 21st, 2007, 9:49 pm
by john
Should I move this thread to the Chronicles of Narnia forum? Seems to be turning more into a discussion, rather than a simple Q&A.

PostPosted: August 21st, 2007, 10:07 pm
by Stanley Anderson

PostPosted: August 21st, 2007, 10:52 pm
by john

PostPosted: August 22nd, 2007, 9:26 am
by carol

PostPosted: August 22nd, 2007, 6:18 pm
by Mr. Tumnus