The website PlanetNarniaDiet.com describes several strong arguments to explain the parallels between the layers of the medieval food pyramid and The Chronicles of Narnia. Prince Caspian represents the fruit layer of the pyramid. “One perplexing thing about Prince Caspian is the amount of detail that C.S. Lewis uses to describe the apples that the children ate. Was this just a case of bad writing or was there more to Narnia than meets the eye?” The apples are an obvious piece of medieval dietary symbolism, but there is more to the story than just the abundance of apples. Bacchus is another piece of the fruit imagery where he brings grapes into the story of Prince Caspian. In Planet Narnia Michael Ward explained that Prince Caspian was the Narnia story that represented the planet Mars. Mars was a vegetation deity and this explains why C.S Lewis chose Mars to represent the fruit layer of the Planet Narnia Diet. Mars in French is Mardi which is where we get Mardi Gras when people drink an abundance of fruits of the vine. Throughout the Prince Caspian story examples of hidden symbolism can be found.
The Silver Chair is the story which C.S. Lewis used to explain his least favorite layer of the medieval food pyramid—vegetables. Was it a merely a coincidence that the villain was the Lady of the “Green” Kirtle?“Is this an example of imaginative confusion or is there another purpose at work? The book is structured to represent the great divide in medieval diets.” In the Silver Chair everything above the ground is enjoyable and made of bread and meat, but everything bellow the ground is despicable where one can only eat potatoes and broccoli. C.S. Lewis studied medieval literature, explaining why he knew that Father Time was a moderate vegetarian. This is why he is called “Vegiterbanius” in some early drafts of The Silver Chair. Of course, people who chose to eat vegetables must eat them with some form of silverware which is why the Silver Chair is made of actual silver. The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe covers a very different part of the food pyramid. This book represents the sweets that are to be consumed in small amounts. In The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe Edmund is tempted with enchanted Turkish Delight and Lucy is offered by Mr. Tumnus to enjoy tea with sugar in it.
Narnia Code 2 will also be adapted into an hour long TV special to air on BBC One and the Food Network. The Planet Narnia Diet will be published soon and the accompanying cookbook will be available April 1st, 2012.