The Stone Table

Peepiceek

Peepiceek

Well-known member
Ok, so I want to find out people’s ideas about the Stone Table.

- When, why and by whom was it built / created?
- What did the writing on it say?
- What was its original purpose?
- How did it come to be the traditional place for traitors to be executed?
- What else was it used for?
- When, why and by whom was the How built over it?
- What was the purpose of the How? What was it used for?
- Doctor Cornelius says that it is the most ancient of the places in Narnia, yet it is not mentioned in The Magician’s Nephew. Why not?
- Why was it such a sacred and magical place?
+ any other relevant questions I haven’t thought of

There isn’t much canonical material to go by, so it will require a fair bit of speculation, but I’m interested to here any ideas or theories that anyone has.

Peepiceek
 
1. By Aslan or His Father I'd think.
2. That if a willing victim who had committed no treachery was sacrificed in the place of a traitor death would start working backwards (something along those lines, least thats what I've always thought. )
3. 4 answers it.
4. I'm guessing it always was.
5. Um, a meeting place.
6. I think it was built after the Pevinsies dissapeared, for the Narnians to hide in maybe.
7. Refer to 6.
8. Magicians Nephew was the BEGINING of the world, they aren't going to have built it in the first two days that it tells us about, the world was too new.
9. Aslan was sacrificed there.

Ignore me if you'd like but thats what I've always thought.
 
1. By Aslan or His Father I'd think. - but when?
2. That if a willing victim who had committed no treachery was sacrificed in the place of a traitor death would start working backwards (something along those lines, least thats what I've always thought. ) - That can't be there, because the Witch knows what is written there but she doesn't know that. In any case, is that all that was written, or only part of it?
3. 4 answers it.
4. I'm guessing it always was. - When was this commanded? By whom? Why? Who was the first traitor to be executed there? Was it only traitors who were to be executed there?
5. Um, a meeting place. - Why? And what else, if anything?
6. I think it was built after the Pevinsies dissapeared, for the Narnians to hide in maybe. - to hide from whom? why?
7. Refer to 6.
8. Magicians Nephew was the BEGINING of the world, they aren't going to have built it in the first two days that it tells us about, the world was too new. - But DC says it is the most ancient place, even more ancient than Lantern Waste which is mentioned in TMN
9. Aslan was sacrificed there. - but it was already special before that, wasn't it?
 
Perhaps it would be easier for you to just sit back and enjoy this explanation first, imagining me as a badger, a Mage of Narnia, telling you in front of the fire. Then after giving it a moment to sink in try analyzing it.

When a great magic is put into effect, a token belonging to the subject is used as part of casting the spell. We magi believe that the stone was taken from Narnia, from the living rock while creation's energy still trembled in it strongly enough to make lamp posts sprout into bloom. This rock was the token used to bind the Deep Magic to the world itself, integrally and inalienably. What is written about the table in letters deep is the covenant. You Sons of Adam had two sacred tablets upon which were writ ten laws by the Hand of God. We have the Stone Table.

The words are in a dark script from before the Dawn of Time. They do their job because they were writ by one who knew--and still knows--what they mean. There is an ancient custom that it means, "The Depths of the Sea shall break loose, the Pillars of the Heavens shall crumble, the Rust shall spoil and the Fire consume. The Speech of mortals is stilled, but my Word endureth forever."
 
I like it a lot. How does that answer the other questions? And how did the Witch come to know of the Deep Magic and to be the executer or justice?

Peeps
 
EveningStar said:
Perhaps it would be easier for you to just sit back and enjoy this explanation first, imagining me as a badger, a Mage of Narnia, telling you in front of the fire. Then after giving it a moment to sink in try analyzing it.

When a great magic is put into effect, a token belonging to the subject is used as part of casting the spell. We magi believe that the stone was taken from Narnia, from the living rock while creation's energy still trembled in it strongly enough to make lamp posts sprout into bloom. This rock was the token used to bind the Deep Magic to the world itself, integrally and inalienably. What is written about the table in letters deep is the covenant. You Sons of Adam had two sacred tablets upon which were writ ten laws by the Hand of God. We have the Stone Table.

The words are in a dark script from before the Dawn of Time. They do their job because they were writ by one who knew--and still knows--what they mean. There is an ancient custom that it means, "The Depths of the Sea shall break loose, the Pillars of the Heavens shall crumble, the Rust shall spoil and the Fire consume. The Speech of mortals is stilled, but my Word endureth forever."
Click to expand...
wow that is a gorgeous description! :D
 
Peep, we kmow Jadis was interseted in discovering the secrets of the worlds she lived in. In Charn, she learned the Deplorable Word. In Narnia, she may have been able to at least understand the Deep Magic enough to know how to instill herself as the executioner.

MrBob
 
allegorically speaking

I always thought of the Stone Table as a kind of allegorical symbol of the Law given by divine revelation from the God figure/Emperor. Aslan fulfills the requirements of the Law by giving Himself in Edmund's stead just as Christ fulfilled the Law's condemnation of all of mankind by his sacrificing himself for us.
 
Benisse said:
I always thought of the Stone Table as a kind of allegorical symbol of the Law given by divine revelation from the God figure/Emperor. Aslan fulfills the requirements of the Law by giving Himself in Edmund's stead just as Christ fulfilled the Law's condemnation of all of mankind by his sacrificing himself for us.
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And then the table was broken in two, just as the written code was nailed to the cross (Colossians 2). Yes, I agree - do you think that can help us to understand the Stone Table's origins within the Narnia world?

Peeps
 
Peepiceek said:
Ok, so I want to find out people’s ideas about the Stone Table.

- When, why and by whom was it built / created?
- What did the writing on it say?
- What was its original purpose?
- How did it come to be the traditional place for traitors to be executed?
- What else was it used for?
- When, why and by whom was the How built over it?
- What was the purpose of the How? What was it used for?
- Doctor Cornelius says that it is the most ancient of the places in Narnia, yet it is not mentioned in The Magician’s Nephew. Why not?
- Why was it such a sacred and magical place?
+ any other relevant questions I haven’t thought of

There isn’t much canonical material to go by, so it will require a fair bit of speculation, but I’m interested to here any ideas or theories that anyone has.

Peepiceek
Click to expand...

1. by Aslan in the reign of Frank and Helen
2. That if a willing victim who had committed no treachery was sacrificed in the place of a traitor death would start working backwards (kinda like that) maybe the narnia writting could be different so the witch would understand it.
3. as it's calles "The Stone TABLE" it could be for some kind of special metting
4.As it could be some sign of law and respect, so the execution would be a sign of the law being forced.
5.metting :D law writing that sort of things
6. by narnians of course, when?... after the pevensies where gone perhaps
7.perhaps wasn't for hide it, perhaps was build to preserve the table, as I expect the pevensies told the narnians how and from where Aslan came back
8. because it was built time later
9.because Aslan resurected from there

that's what I think... :D
 
This is, of course, hypothetical. But during the time the Tree of Protection stood and the White Witch could not enter Narnia, it is possible that some traitor left Narnia to find her and offer his services in return for certain rewards. This may have been someone that was persuaded to try and cut down the Tree of Protection in return for some title or power, such as "You will be my Consort and we will rule together." The poor sap fell out of favour or, more likely, got caught trying to cut down the tree. He was arrested, tried, and Aslan himself judged him worthy of death.

I would imagine that Jadis had some spy follow him, witness his failure, and report back what he heard.

It is my belief that a succesful sort of raid is what eventually allowed her into Narnia, and that the traitor that made it possible got nothing for his trouble but a knife in the ribs. That story is told in my story "Heart of Ice." A young prince thought she was genuinely romantically interested in him, but to prove his love he had to perform this "stunt", cutting down a tree whose topmost branches would be woven into crowns to make the two of them immortal and all powerful.

Poor idiot...as she stabbed him she said, "Here's love's kiss!"

Anyhow, that's my two cents.
 
Mozart the Meerkitten said:
She was there at the start of the Deep Magic and since she probably knew what Aslan was singing she could figure it out from there.
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Even if she did understand the song (which is by no means clear from the book), how did it come to give her any rights over traitors?

ES - same question. I like the story, but it doesn't explain how the Witch gained rights over traitors that Aslan himself would acknowledge.

Peeps
 
Where there are laws for capital punishment, death is voluntary. It is what happens to people who commit a capital crime of their own free will. In Texas, the state responsible for the most executions of any in the United States, there are laws to protect citizens against being kidnapped, raped, murdered, mugged or assaulted. Police roam the streets to keep these things from happening to you. Hospitals are required to save your life even if you cannot afford to pay. ONLY WHEN YOU DECIDE TO MURDER SOMEONE YOURSELF does the state turn from protecting you to prosecuting you.

The White Witch had no powers over Edmund that he did not grant her by paying her homage, agreeing to be her prince and eventually her successor.

There are debates about how much personal guilt was involved on Edmund's part. Yet there is no doubt that the queen's demeanor..."Hurry before we lose our patience!" and "NO! You must bring your brother and sisters or we shall have to be VERY ANGRY with you!" that would have let anyone not so full of bitterness and self pity see what she was.

In becoming her servant, she owned him. In rejecting Aslan, he did not own him.

What's more, any forces of evil in that world would have recognized Jadis as the supreme grand master owing to her royal birth and her command of the arcana.
 
So you think that the Deep Magic did not give the Witch power over traitors, specifically, but gave the person to whom the traitor gave their allegiance that power. Interesting. I'll ponder it further.
 
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