How did Jadis come to control Narnia?

Lady_of_the_Green_Kirtle

Lady_of_the_Green_Kirtle

New member
Hi all,

I'm working on a paper for uni to do with Lewis and Tolkien and just comparing some things in their respective worlds.

Just checking if anyone knows or has considered: how did the White Witch originally take control over Narnia? In the Magician's Nephew she is in Narnia, she has eaten from the tree but the new king and queen are established, she is banished to the North and then its like we arrive in 'The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe' and she's been ruling for 100 years.
Am I missing what happened?
Is there any history of a battle as to how she came to usurp the rule of Narnia from the original royal line?
If there is no answer to this, then that's okay, I just hadn't been able to find one and wanted to check that I wasn't just having a blonde moment.

Thanks all,
LGK

P.S I haven't been here for ages - but still love looking around the place!
 
Lady_of_the_Green_Kirtle said:
Hi all,

I'm working on a paper for uni to do with Lewis and Tolkien and just comparing some things in their respective worlds.

Just checking if anyone knows or has considered: how did the White Witch originally take control over Narnia? In the Magician's Nephew she is in Narnia, she has eaten from the tree but the new king and queen are established, she is banished to the North and then its like we arrive in 'The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe' and she's been ruling for 100 years.
Am I missing what happened?
Is there any history of a battle as to how she came to usurp the rule of Narnia from the original royal line?
If there is no answer to this, then that's okay, I just hadn't been able to find one and wanted to check that I wasn't just having a blonde moment.

Thanks all,
LGK

P.S I haven't been here for ages - but still love looking around the place!
Click to expand...

LGK Lewis did not go into much detail of how Jadis ruled Narnia other than when the tree died she was able to come in and take it over. She had her new weapon her wand and as there was no one to match her it was easy for her to take it over. The human race must have died out in Narnia over time as Mr Tumnus had a book on his shelf is man a myth. The only war was when the Narnians tried to storm her castle and she turned them all to stone, Mr Tumnus' father took part in that war. Jadis ruled for 100 years but was an outcast for 900. Hope that helps. :)
 
Lady,

If you're asking what Lewis says on the matter, very little. However, you may be interested to look at this thread and the others it references, where I pick up on the things Lewis does say and try to weave together a plausible story for how Jadis may have come to take control.

Peeps
 
The White Witch's origin has been a topic of debate, including how she came to power in Narnia.

In LWW, Mr. Beaver mentions that she's not a daughter of Eve, but half Jinn and half giant. In MN, CS Lewis gave her a different backstory, indicating she had originated from a different world, Charn.

Even in MN, Aslan mentions that Jadis is growing stronger in dark magic. She was developing her craft as the "White Witch." Obviously, CS Lewis didn't plan out the series in advanced.

Perhaps Mr. Beaver was just speculating. How would he have known about the White Witch's origin? How could he have known that she was half-jinn and half-giant?

Regardless, there's one thing that CS Lewis does make clear about the White Witch: she's not a Daughter of Eve and cannot be the rightful ruler of Narnia. And how she came to power, she may have exterminated the royal family of Narnia, descended from King Frank and Queen Helen. Some of them might have survived and fled to Archenland or one of the Islands.
 
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Perhaps the Narnians of LWW did not know Jadis' full background, just bits and pieces, some of which the Beavers spoke of. When she did come to rule Narnia, they saw, amongst other things, that she made the land always winter. Perhaps, because of that, they, the Narnians of LWW, gave her the "title" of the White Witch.
 
I think she had to trick someone into cutting down the tree of protection. That would have been one of those moments like Satan tempting Eve to eat from the tree of life. He couldn't FORCE her to but he PERSUADED her to. I once wrote a story of some young prince who had visions of a lovely princess who waited for him. She asked him to cut down the tree and bring her a wreath for her head made of the topmost branches. When he did, she said, "And here is love's first kiss!", stabbing him when he came to embrace her.
 
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