Other literary/mythological parallels

Sven-El

Sven-El

Well-known member
Already on this forum there are numerous threads discussing the allegorical aspecst of Narnia. But Lewis was a Litererature PRofessor as well, and loved mythology, literature, and just stories in general. What other parallels to other works of literature, and mythology can you find in the chonicles?
 
Well, clearly Lewis used mythological components in his stories - fauns, dryads, minotaurs, etc. - in the Chronicles. This was part of Tolkien's complaint against Lewis, that the Chronicles weren't their own self-consistent reality, but poached from other legendary frameworks indiscriminately.

In doing so, Lewis sometimes subtly changed the aspects of these beings, perhaps to make them more palatable to his target audience (i.e. modern youth). For instance, in classical mythology beings like fauns and centaurs had temperaments that suited their physiologies. Being half man, half beast, they were coarse, impetuous, and at the whim of "animal" instincts (rage, lust, etc.) Their presence was rarely a good sign - for instance, fauns were the companions of Pan, and they usually brought with them frenzied mayhem (from which we get the word "panic"). The Romp in Prince Caspian is a glimpse of this, but a much tamer version - the reality was often a drunken, violent orgy.

So there were clear parallels, but very much toned down. In fact, I grew up with this vision of "tame" centaurs, dryads, and the like, and was startled to learn later in life that the classical picture of these beings was very different. Interestingly, J.K. Rowling in the Harry Potter series portrays centaurs much more like their classical personalities, though even she tempers them a bit.
 
The Voyage of the Dawn Treader can be compared to some maritime myths such as the Argo and the Iliad.

MrBob
 
A VERY apt comparison indeed.

It would be fun sometime to start a thread just comparing the different episodes in Dawn Treader to different stories in classical myth and legend.

Goldwater/Deathwater for instance compares favourably to Midas who also thought the ability to turn things to gold was marvelous...untill he tried it.

Perhaps the most original images in all of Dawn Treader are those conjured by the sailor who was in the misty land where dreams came true...not daydreams but DREAMS. To be quite honest I can't even think of one parallel from classic literature, though it can be thought-provokingly compared to a Star Trek episode where on one obscure planet ANYTHING you thought of became real
 
I've noted the similarties VDT had to the Odyssey and the adventrues of Jason. In a sense Caspian's search for the lost lords also parallels Telemecus's journey to find his father.

It certianly would be fun to have a thread of that sort. VDT could not just take up an entire thread on its own, but maybe even a college term paper.

I have been reading Silver Chair and saw similarties to Plato's Allegory of the Cave and the classical heroic decent into the Underworld in Greek Mythology that the likes of Hercules, Odysseus, and Theseus went on. I detected a bit of play on the theft of Persephone by Hades, only with the queen of the Underworld stealing Rillian, and even Orpheus as she used her song to enchant every one as Orpheus had used his.
 
Have you guys realized that Tolkien and Lewis use some of the same names: Aravir and Alambil are good examples.
 
Similarities, yes, but I believe in the principle of ARCHETYPES. In other words, the only way to make a story that is interesting to other people is to pose some of the classical situations and use some of the classical characters. What makes ANY author successful isn't originality of plot but rather their WRITING STYLE, which archetypes they choose, and how they let them interact.

For example:

The young, athletic, naive hero who knew no fear left his selfish stepfather to make his fortune. He sees the disgraced goddess now in human form surrounded by the three dangers and only one with no fear can overcome them. He does, but having reached her side he finds himself afraid of the feelings she calls up in him. She gives him a magic talisman, the only remnant of her godly powers. They have adventures, they have a child, and the hero and heroine do something that offends the gods and after a brave struggle, die. The child finally receives his late father's talisman and goes on to fulfil his father's destiny. Etc etc.

Any of you could take that story outline and write a very distinctive and original story of your own based upon that. You'd want to include...

The trickster - who renders invaluable aid but has a secret agenda and nearly fouls things up in the end. Think Gollum.

The wise one - Someone like Tom Bombadil that practically glows with the wisdom of the ancients. He/she may also be The Seer and the prophesy should be vague enough to confuse folks for a while but then become clear at the end.

The sidekick - Loyal, good, but still possessing an essential human fear, doubt, and love of wine, women and song.

See what I mean? If you buy into the Archetype Principle, then ALL successful stories are like SOME OTHER successful story somewhere else because they appeal to certain built-in great questions, great hopes, great fears and great loves endemic to the human race. So we're not talking about plagiarism. In fact, most people use archetypes without being aware of it.
 
I know that this was intended to be about past literary examples that Lewis took from, but what about authors who have very similar elements?

I look at Voldemort from Harry Potter and notice striking similarities between him and Jadis.

Both figured out ways to cheat death, which included discovering a very dark magic (the Deplorable word vs. Horcuxes). Neither understood sacrifice or its power. Those are just a couple of the top of my head.

They are both the archetypal villain.

MrBob
 
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