I love how involved Lune is in the running of things. Again, I'm reminded of Frank, as both men are willing to get their hands dirty with labour.
Aravis got into his good graces mighty quick, telling a story about Cor that would make any papa proud.
Not accusing her of being strategic -- I believe she meant that most sincerely -- but, you know, it doesn't hurt.Going back to my interest in contrasts, Lucy gets to be the contrasting counterpart to Lasaraleen. This time around, Aravis would be much more interested in matters like her new wardrobe (it's a practical need, and there would be all sorts of things to know from a cultural standpoint), and she gets to discuss it with someone who enjoys lovely clothes without gushing over them and fawning over herself.
Lucy and Lune are both tenderhearted monarchs. At the same time, Lune and Edmund share a practicality, because even though a traitor may mend, strong assurances must be obtained from Rabadash against a repeat performance.
Maybe this is because of the last year and a half that have passed, but Rabadash's railings seem even more unhinged than before. In particular, I notice that he 1) does not care to listen to the conditions, 2) prefers to "debate" by violence, 3) resorts to name-calling and cursing in place of actual arguments.
What did Mrs Beaver say about meeting Aslan without knocking knees? "Either braver than most or just plain silly?" Given the face he makes, I'd say Rabadash is solidly in the latter half of the equation: he's got no regard for who or what Aslan is and somehow thinks he can ward him off (or disconcert him, or something) with some ghoulish face.
Much as Rabadash's humiliation and "treatment" are a lesson for him, I like to think that his transformation back into a man has a bit of Old Testament flavour to it: namely in the supremacy of the true God over a false one. (Examples of this include the image of Dagon falling before the Ark of the Covenant and the plagues on Egypt contesting the power of the gods supposedly in charge of those elements.) Rabadash had appealed to Tash and yet his venture failed miserably; furthermore, he never leaves Tashbaan again, which he might have done if he believed Tash to be greater. I hope to play with this idea more in a future fic, but this short story touches a little on it in the memory of a witness to the event: https://www.fanfiction.net/s/13809624/2 ... -Should-Go (fanfiction.net is not affiliated with TLC; click at your own risk)
Statistics: Posted by Ariel.of.Narnia — Wed Aug 18, 2021 6:38 am
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"Rabadash," said Aslan. "Take heed. Your doom is very near, but you may still avoid it. Forget your pride (what have you to be proud of?) and your anger (who has done you wrong?) and accept the mercy of these good kings."
I wonder if he ever regretted his choice not to accept mercy when it was offered to him (acknowledging that his curse was due to his own choices), or if he continued to feel that others were wronging him when he didn't get his way. It would be the easy thing for him to believe it was terrible of Aslan to turn him into a donkey. It is harder to see things as they really are.
The mercy offered to him by the Archenlanders and Narnians--and Aslan--was a gift, but Rabadash chose to keep his pride and anger rather than accept that gift. Perhaps if he had seen it as a gift, he would have valued it more.
Statistics: Posted by The Happy Islander — Wed Aug 18, 2021 3:37 am
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Chapter 15
This chapter can be summed up in two words: Silly Rabadash
I forgot that Rabadash became a "good" (or at least peaceful) King in his later life. I did a thing on this last time so won't repeat it in detail, but I always relate Rabadash's demise to that of King Nebuchadnezzar in Daniel.
I'll end with my favourite quotes from the chapter:
“Shame, Corin," said the King. "Never taunt a man save when he is stronger than you: then, as you please.”
“For this is what it means to be a king: to be first in every desperate attack and last in every desperate retreat, and when there's hunger in the land (as must be now and then in bad years) to wear finer clothes and laugh louder over a scantier meal than any man in your land.”
I love how many random details Lewis stuffs into those last two pages about Golden-Age Narnia and Archenland. Often authors can leave you hanging with so many unanswered questions about what happened to the characters next. The party is also a tantalising little taste of what every day life was like in the Golden Age. They're beautiful little nuggets.
Statistics: Posted by Ajnos — Tue Aug 17, 2021 10:58 pm
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Statistics: Posted by renegadeoftheshire — Tue Aug 17, 2021 6:11 pm
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@Ajjie: Ah, how did you know I wanted to read something like that?
Good little piece on Lune's reflections on the boy-who-could-be-his-son.Chapter 13
"If you funk this, you'll funk every battle all your life. Now or never." I wonder if this ever came to mind as Cor trained in the swordfighting? Lewis says he was an excellent swordsman when he was grown.
I've wondered for some time what the purpose of the hermit's... hermitage is. It is not as though he's cut himself wholly off from the world, as he plays host with the ease of one who's done it many times, he has a pool by which he can see the events of the world (and knows who he's watching), the like. There's something about him that feels a little like the hosts one might find in Pilgrim's Progress, the kindly homes of rest and restoration as well as instruction and council. I've sort of toyed a little with ideas about him, but apart from a short piece for a writing contest here some time ago, I haven't written any more of these thoughts out.
Lune is such a remarkable blend of characteristics. He is merry and stern, just and jesting, deferent and authoritative. And none of these contradict the others. In a way, he sort of reminds me of Frank in MN: a good and honest sort of man, who thus makes for a good sort of king.
Chapter 14:
Interesting that the hermit didn't clue into Shasta's identity. Perhaps it had slipped from memory, like in Ajjie's fic. Perhaps he'd simply dismissed it as a case of coincidence. Perhaps he did have an idea but did not voice it for one reason or another.
Funny that Bree suggests that even Aravis should know that "Aslan is a real lion" is an absurd idea. She's come out of a religion that worships gods of beast-like form (or at the very least, Tash fits this description). If anything, Aslan's being a lion may actually be less absurd to her than it is to Bree. Bree, being a Beast, considers the notion of Aslan's also being a Beast to be "disrespectful": surely someone so high above all else could not possibly be anything so low as a Beast! (Much like how Jesus, the Son of God, humbled Himself and dwelt among us in human flesh.) Aravis, on the other hand, had worshipped at least one god with beastial qualities, beings she believed higher than herself. Besides the very appearance of Aslan inspiring awe, perhaps there is some of this background behind the reactions Bree and Aravis have to him: a humbling experience for both as Bree learns that Aslan (for all his majesty!) has the lowly form of a Beast and as Aravis meets a Being so very unlike herself that he cannot be anything but powerful.
(I wonder if I ought to do some research on warships back in the day. Lune embarked "within twenty minutes", which is rather not like Bree's statement about two hundred men and horse marching within an hour.)
(Shasta may not know the story of the man in the rowboat, but that didn't stop me from writing his last hours! https://www.fanfiction.net/s/11312894/1 ... e-a-Prince (fanfiction.net is not affiliated with TLC; click at thine own risk))
"They're not like me, they've been properly brought up." This is both funny and sad. Funny in that Cor figures that the best way to appeal to Aravis is to offer her something she's better used to, even if he's got to talk down on himself. Sad in that I think he may have felt some of the loneliness Aravis had been feeling earlier (though not as acutely, given his family reunion with a brother he'd already become friends with and the fabulous father that is Lune), and he's desperate to have the familiarity of his travelling companion. At the same time, I think it shows (again) how he is concerned for her happiness and well-being. He could have gone and enjoyed himself with all the luxuries his new life had to offer, but he also took the time to actually think about Aravis' situation, and how his new life might suit her as well.
Statistics: Posted by Ariel.of.Narnia — Tue Aug 17, 2021 7:07 am
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One thing from chapter 14 that I like is that King Lune wants Aravis to come live with them. She has given up everything to come north with the others, and now she is probably feeling a bit lost. Not sure where she belongs. She left her family behind and she knows no one here, besides her companions and the Hermit and Aslan. But she is wanted. She will have a home again, she won't ever have to run away again to escape a miserable future. King Lune doesn't even wait to meet her before extending the invitation to live with them. That must have meant so much to someone in her situation. In an instant, she has gone from being a stranger in an unfamiliar land, to having a home and people to belong to.
Statistics: Posted by The Happy Islander — Tue Aug 17, 2021 3:41 am
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Hopefully his horse is a sensible "dumb and witless horse" and returns home to his "stable and paddock"
Chapter 13
I like how Lewis doesn't over-glorify battle. Yes there are some parts that are a little more detailed than we'd like but this is written by a man who saw frontline action in one the worst wars, fighting-wise, and I think he wants his readers to know it's not all great. It's interesting how romantic a view Aravis has of it in Ch 14 and I love Shasta's response "It wasn't at all like what I thought".
Cheat time again: This is a little scene I wrote for the 2011 Summer Challenge on how Lune might be feeling during the seige. http://hedgepickle.blogspot.com/p/chapt ... -lune.html
Chapter 14
This chapter can be summed up in two words: Silly Bree
(Also so much humour and touching scenes and intensity and pathos)
Statistics: Posted by Ajnos — Mon Aug 16, 2021 9:35 pm
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Love what I'm seeing here!
Statistics: Posted by renegadeoftheshire — Mon Aug 16, 2021 6:19 pm
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Chapter 11
This is my favourite chapter (haha, no surprise there, given how many of us love it!). This was the one that hit me between the eyes a few years back and rocketed HHB to the #1 spot of my favourite Chronicles. But I'll get to that in a sec.
I may have just realized that both the Tisroc and Lune are described as fat. Of course I've known this since the beginning and always imagine each of them in that way, but I think this is the first time I've noticed it in relation to each other... because each of them are so different about it. The Tisroc's fatness is like a status symbol: he's wealthy (jewels everywhere), powerful from his throne (many people to do his bidding), and overall seems self-indulgent (gets off the couch with a great creaking and a sigh, physically does very little, is concerned about nothing but his own power and glory). Lune's is like a symbol of well-being: he's active (hunting and personally fighting), merry (has good humour), and big-hearted (welcoming Cor home in all ease, opening his home to Aravis).
Gotta respect Lune for attending to the issue at hand before sorting out Shasta's identity. He's clearly thinking about the latter, but the danger to the kingdom is too pressing to risk for his own (understandable and parental) curiosity. How his heart must have burned, though! And especially once Shasta is separated from the company!
Something I've discovered recently is that I love scenarios in which characters are in a low spot and then are brought out of it. This is exactly what's happening with Shasta here: all the ills and dangers and scares and trial and struggles up till (and including) now come crashing down on him all at once and hard. As easy as it is to think of it as a pity-party (because we have the benefit of seeing the bigger picture), I can't judge him too harshly for it -- I've had pity-parties over far, far less! Here, alone with his thoughts and his troubles, Shasta reflects on all that's befallen him, and (in the moment) there's nothing to see but misery, a dark fog over his life.
The feeling continues once he's realized he's got a companion: surely, it can't be anything good -- it's only another terror, another horrible thing waiting to happen. This companion frightens him with silence and proximity, a vicious mind game to torment Shasta. But then the companion says he was only waiting for Shasta to speak, to recount his troubles, to pour it all out; that, and the warm breath on Shasta's hand opens him to a sort of comfort.
But then comes a greater comfort: "I was the Lion." Shasta had told his story as he saw it then; Aslan filled in the blanks with glimpses of the bigger picture -- the joining with Aravis, the comfort and protection at the Tombs, the push of fear for the sake of reaching Lune, and the life-saving act too far back for Shasta to have known about otherwise. For the first time, Shasta is allowed to see that everything, everything connects together somehow, that there was a purpose through it all, that he had a role to play in a bigger story and/or there may yet be a destiny in store for him.
And then the greatest comfort of all: "Who are you?" "Myself." Even before Shasta could see Aslan, he knew that there was something wonderful about his companion, because he was no longer afraid, but awed. And then once he could see Aslan, he acted upon that awe, for "No one ever saw anything more terrible or beautiful." Shasta was still far from understanding Aslan or his circumstances (past, present, or future), but all he needed know right in that moment was what he received, and that was sufficient.
Chapter 12
"... at least it wasn't luck at all really, it was Him." I daresay this counts as a profession of faith: a page ago, he'd been asking if the encounter with Aslan was a dream, but now he easily credits Aslan with his journey over the pass as yet another intervention by the Lion.
(I wonder what became of this horse...?)
There's a lesson to be learned in the reactions to Shasta's news: sitting about on matters of importance does no one any good. These easy-living creatures had grown so accustomed to peace in their own neighbourhoods that nothing was urgent enough to truly worry about, much less act upon. More than that, everyone is capable of acting: rather than passing the buck, one could consider how one can do something about an issue.
Duffle is a wonderful individual, and I don't think he gets enough credit. The other Narnians are friendly enough, but Duffle is the one to notice and address Shasta's needs, throwing open the doors of his home to the stranger and making sure he is properly tended to. The definition of hospitality right there.
Neither of the boys have any real idea of battle, but at least Shasta's got the good sense to not rush into it, however exciting it might be. Corin is a sight too eager, despite being better informed (or perhaps because of it, given songs and stories of honour and glory). Each one's temperament is consistent with what we've seen so far and will carry on for the rest of their lives, it would seem.
Statistics: Posted by Ariel.of.Narnia — Mon Aug 16, 2021 7:21 am
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I agree with you, Happy, how the two scenes where the characters get a chance to rest are really special. And they weren't something I'd thought much about so thanks for bringing it up.
Chapters 11-12
So, cheating again on this one because the "I am the Lion" passage is clearly the most powerful in these chapters (or actually the book). This is from 2011, but not actually from the Summer Challenge that year. In fact, I had forgotten this, but I think that this was partly what inspired me to think of doing "reflections" while reading the books. I actually read HHB about a month before we read it again for the Summer Challenge and I was struck by the different encounters the four characters have with Aslan. This is the one I wrote for Shasta:
http://hedgepickle.blogspot.com/2011/06 ... aslan.html
Statistics: Posted by Ajnos — Sun Aug 15, 2021 8:54 pm
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(I might have chosen the "I was the lion" scene for this chapter--but I wrote a song about that recently, so I thought it would be fun to think about something else this time.)
In chapter 12, I like the cozy scene where Shasta has breakfast with Duffle and Rogin and Bricklethumb, and then falls asleep while they are in the middle of telling him all about their view of Narnia. Bree and Hwin and Aravis already reached a point where they could rest and recover, and now it is Shasta's turn. He doesn't get so much of a rest as the others do, but it is a nice moment in the flow of the story where Shasta and the readers get to take a breather and just enjoy Narnia for a while before Shasta is off for Archenland again.
Statistics: Posted by The Happy Islander — Sun Aug 15, 2021 3:50 am
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(@Ajie , I hope you like the hedgehog 
)Love what everyone put in here! (Really like what you did Swan! Looked amazing!)
Statistics: Posted by renegadeoftheshire — Sun Aug 15, 2021 1:50 am
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Chapters 11- 12
I made a short clay animation of Aslan's paw print from the end of Chapter 11:
https://youtu.be/mj-ycKhBHKk
Statistics: Posted by Swanwhite — Sat Aug 14, 2021 10:20 pm
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Statistics: Posted by Ajnos — Sat Aug 14, 2021 9:10 pm
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@Ren: I like the way you did Las! She looks a little flighty and a whole lot invested in making sure she looks just right.
Chapter 9
It seems a little bit of a pity that Aravis missed out on the Tisroc's gardens (thanks to the way Lewis spoke of it). She's obviously got good reasons for rushing through, but I'm sure it was a beautiful place.
Props to the groom for staying put with the Horses, despite his intense fear of ghouls.
I wonder if Shasta's respect for Aravis has shown growth here. He wishes he could swing into the saddle the way she does. After at least a few days in Aravis' company, he's only now admiring this skill of hers (at least, in so many words).
Hwin's gentle leadership is subtle but effective. Besides her disagreement with Bree about setting out despite their weariness, she set the pace for the next leg of the journey. She's more exhausted than Bree and less used to long marches, but she is determined to see the mission through with favourable results if she gets to say anything about it. So where Bree fails to lead, she steps up to make up for his lack.
Chapter 10
Swan and Ajjie discussed the desert, but I've a similar thought about another leg of the journey: the hermit's instruction to run in a straight line: over level or steep, over smooth or rough, over dry or wet. The Christian walk is much like this: we are to run the race with our eyes on a fixed mark, neither straying to the left or to the right, no matter the terrain. There'll be ups and down, tough and gentle, easy and difficult. "But run, run: always run."
Interesting how Aravis easily calls the hermit "father" in response to him calling her "my daughter". It's a reciprocation, but interesting all the same.
The hermit strikes me as a very calm and straight-forward man. He shows no particular alarm or concern when his visitors race to his gate, pursued by a lion. His correction (first of Aravis' claim of luck and of Bree's dejectedness) is swift and direct, even as it is gently delivered.
Statistics: Posted by Ariel.of.Narnia — Sat Aug 14, 2021 7:20 am
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