Narnia

[Giaour]

Oh My Goodness! Don't make me choose. I liked them both. The creation of narnia was awesome. You choose.

[Iryssa]

OK, I've read "The Magician's Nephew" more recently, so I'll go with that.

Jadis tempting Diggory to eat the fruit Aslan sent him to fetch:

There were enormous reasons why Diggory would want to take it and eat it for himself (or give it to his mother). However, he remembers the things he already knows and uses those to contradict Jadis. Further, though Jadis tells Diggory that Aslan will never know whether he'd taken it, Aslan proves that he knew of the whole event (and is proud of Diggory for not giving in), much as God knows everything we do. I'm not explaining this very well. *sigh* I dunno, I might have to come back to this later, once I've looked at the text.

Diggory's uncle:

The way Diggory's uncle (I can't remember his name right now for some reason) perceives Narnia the opposite of the way it really is. The talking animals rushing up to him in greeting and in curiosity seem to him as hungry, snarling beasts. He completely misses their true nature because he did not want to see it, and so convinced himself of their meanness that everything they did seemed agressive to him. This analogy can be taken apart on so many levels, I'm having a hard time putting my thoughts in order. OK. There are many people (especially unbelievers, though sometimes Christians), who are convinced that the world (or their parents, or the government or whatever) is out to get them. Because that is what they believe, they start to perceive everything (even acts of kindness) as an affront on some level. Some people even see salvation this way! They think it is a form of brainwashing, or a manipulative tool, or whatever. That's one level, anyway...

I really need to dash now, guys, but there's a couple of examples for you.

[Giaour]

Awesome insight!, MORE MORE lol

[kodischild]

There really are a lot of places where the Chronicles pattern themselves after the Bible. If you read almost everything that Lewis wrote he really had a talent for taking the Bible and bringing it down to a level that everyone can understand.

When I first got my kids they were 6,8, and 9. They had never had a Christian background of any type, so when we took them to church they just didn't understand the vocabulary or the key ideas that they needed for church to make sense. Those of us who have been raised as Christians find, "Jesus died and rose for our sins" slipping off our tongues like it is obvious, only that is a strange concept the first time you hear it. Anyway, the kids didn't want to sit around and listen to Bible stories, and I didn't want to use the Bible as a punishment for them by making them sit there. They we started the Narnia Chronicles. They would sit and listen to me read those for hours at a time. Then at the end of the book I could open up with, "Wouldn't it be great if that were based on a true story? Well the fact is........" and then they actually asked to be read the Bible stories.

Now, I'm not saying that anyone should use Narnia as a substitute Bible, but I am saying that I think Christian fantasy has an important role in opening up doors to people that might not be interested otherwise. I also think that Christian fiction is a good form of entertainment for those of us who are Christians. Personally, I'm going to read one way of the other. I find it wonderful that there is Christian fiction for me to read so I can learn/grow closer to God while I'm reading.

I think I got way off topic there......what was the question again?

[Giaour]

What a great story and message Ko.

[Gerioke]

Anyone ever read the Pendragon cycle? It's a cool trilogy about Merlin and King Aurthor and the origins of Great Britain. I don't remember the authors name but he was christian.

[Giaour]

Anyone ever read the Pendragon cycle? It's a cool trilogy about Merlin and King Aurthor and the origins of Great Britain. I don't remember the authors name but he was christian.

[Gerioke]

Anyone ever read the Pendragon cycle? It's a cool trilogy about Merlin and King Aurthor and the origins of Great Britain. I don't remember the authors name but he was christian.

[Gerioke]

BTW.

In most versions of the Arthurian Legend, Arthur is virtually elevated to the status of Godhood, and contains "prophecy" of Arthur returning "messiah style" to rule the nation forever, etc.

Some versions say he gets his magic sword excalibur from a stone that fell from heaven,others say the "Lady of the Lake" gave it to him, etc. Then his chief advisoris a WIZARD, and so on.

Lady of the Lake

In an Arthurian legend, the Lady of the Lake gave King Arthur the sword known as Excalibur. Nimue is the name given to the Lady of the Lake when referring to her romance with Merlin the wizard.

She is also called Dame du Lac, Viviane, Niniane, Vivian, Niviene, etc. However, in Layamon's Brut (1215) she is called Argante, a name that may be derived from an earlier Celtic epithet of the form Ard Righan (High Queen, c.f. Rhiannon, Rigantona, Arianrhod). The Lady also raised Lancelot as her foster child.

Later, Merlin fell in love with Nimue when Arthur retrieved Excalibur from her lake located in Brittany, Cornwall and several other suggested locations. Nimue's incentive to preserve their romance was to gain the knowledge of magic that the wizard had.

She learned a spell from Merlin that could entrap a person for all time. After Lancelot rescued Guinevere and before the battle at Joyous Gard, Nimue cast the spell on Merlin. The sources differ in what Merlin was trapped in. Some say that it was in a Crystal Cave, while others say that he was trapped in a Castle of Air, a Glass Tower or an oak tree. This spell was irreversible.

Nimue also has various other exploits, one involving Pelleas.

Melusine is a somewhat related Celtic water spirit.

Rhiannon

In Welsh mythology, Rhiannon was a daughter of Hefeydd the Old. She was married to Pwyll and, later, Manawydan.

Pwyll first met Rhiannon, when she appeared as a beautiful woman dressed in gold and riding a white horse. Pwyll sent his horsemen after her, but she was too fast. After three days, he spoke and Rhiannon told him she would rather marry him than the man she was being forced upon, Gwawl. She made a tryst with Pwyll and after a year from that day, he won her from Gwawl by tricking him to climb into a magic bag that Rhiannon had given to Pwyll-striking an agreement to free him in exchange for Rhiannon.

Rhiannon gave birth to a son after three years of their rule; however, on the night of the birth, the child disappeared while in the care of six of Rhiannon's ladies-in-waiting. They feared that they would be put to death, and to avoid any blame, smeared blood from a puppy on the sleeping Rhiannon, and lay its bones around her bed. Pwyll imposed a pennance on Rhiannon for her crime, to remain in the court of Arberth for seven years, and to sit every day near a horse-block outside the gate telling her story to all that passes. In addition, she was to carry any willing guest to the court on her back.

The child appeared outside a stable of King Teyrnon, whose mares had just given birth but the foals had disappeared. Teirnon had been watching his stables when he saw a mysterious beast coming to take the foal; Tiernon stopped the beast by cutting off its arm at the elbow, and found the child outside the stable. He and his wife adopted him. The child grew to adulthood in only seven years and was given the foal which had led Teyrnon to the stable. Teyrnon realized who the child was and returned him to Pwyll and Rhiannon, who named him Pryderi (worry).

Pryderi married Cigva and became King of Dyfed after his father died. He then invited Manawydan (his stepfather) to live with him in Dyfed. Soon, Dyfed turned into a barren wasteland and only Rhiannon, Pryderi, Cigva and Manawydan lived. Manaywdan and Pryderi, while out hunting, saw a white boar which they followed. Pryderi and his mother, Rhiannon, touched a golden bowl that the boar led them to and became enchanted. Manawydan and Cigva were unable to help them until they captured a mouse which was actually the wife of Llwyd, Rhiannon's enemy (seeking revenge for her treatment of Gwawl), and the spell was lifted.

Her name is derived from the Old Celtic Rigantona, which means 'Great Queen.'

Arianrhod

In Welsh mythology, Arianrhod ("silver wheel") was a daughter of Beli and Don.

Mythic Representation

She was in the court of Math ap Mathonwy, a king who needed to rest his feet in the lap of a virgin unless he was at war, or wanted to be. When one of his virgins, Goewin, was raped by Gilfaethwy, she was replaced with Gilfaethwy's sister, Arianrhod - who immediately gave birth to a young boy (Dylan) and a blob. Dylan was a sea-creature who immediately moved into the ocean. The blob, however, was placed in a chest by Gwydion, Arianrhod's brother. Arianrhod created three geases: only she could give him a name; only she could give him weapons; he would have no human wife. Arianrhod denied him the three aspects of masculinity. Gwydion raised him anyway, even without a name. Later Arianrhod saw him killing a wren with a single stone. She said that he was a bright lion with a sure hand and he took the name Llew Llaw Gyffes ("bright lion with a sure hand"). Gwydion then tricked her into arming him. Llew created his own woman out of flowers, Blodeuwedd.

So what you have is Arthurian Legend is an atempt to "Christianize" pagan religious legends. Notice the similarity between the Lady of the Lake Character, the Celtic fore-runners, and the "Queen of Heaven" from Babylonian paganism. In one case the name litterally means "Great Queen". That's right folks. This is the same old Babylonian religion rearing its head in a slightly different form. Sorry to burst anyone's bubble.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Well in this version Aurther dies. That's it. Merlin helps to evangelize to the druids. Yes it all sounds evil.

I don't know what's been happening with you, but you sound like a bitter old man again. It would be nice to see a positive or encouraging post come from you once in a while. You're wasting all your God given knowledge on turning people off.

[Giaour]

Anyone ever read the Pendragon cycle? It's a cool trilogy about Merlin and King Aurthor and the origins of Great Britain. I don't remember the authors name but he was christian.