Happy New Year from me, Briellerose and Ellieanarose! We all hope you are having a wonderful year so far. This month, it's back to me and I will admit that I was a little stumped on what I could cover this month... Yes, it does happen sometimes when you have a big library like we have.
Eventually, I struck gold! No, not a dragon's gold either before you ask. But the idea-kind of gold. What about a land stuck in eternal winter... with no Christmas? That is what is happening in the land of Narnia in the book, The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis. Although, the book doesn't start out that way. I suppose I will have to join the dots up now.
The Pevensie siblings, Peter, Susan, Edmond, and Lucy, are sent to the countryside home of a kind, but old, professor during the Blitz in World War Two. They're playing hide and seek and Lucy, the youngest, enters Narnia first and meets Mr. Tumnus, who is a fawn. She returns to our world and can't wait to get back. Her brother, Edmund, follows her in and he ends up meeting the 'Queen of Narnia', Jadis... who is the reason everything is in eternal winter. Eventually though, the four siblings find their way into Narnia together and that is when the real story begins.
The thought of an eternal winter without Christmas makes me feel so sad. Part of the magic of winter is Christmas! I felt so sad for everyone in Narnia because Jadis was so wicked. One hundred years of winter also sounds unbearable... at least to me it does. No Christmas... no joy. It's not right.
Anyway, back to the story. Edmund, who met the witch and fell under her spell, wanders off to Jadis' castle as she has promised him more Turkish Delight. The witch, upon learning that Peter, Susan, and Lucy are in Narnia with Mr. and Mrs. Beaver, sends her wolf police after them. The children manage to escape and a chase begins for Jadis and Edmund to catch up with the Pevenises and the Beavers.
Narnia, although trapped in an eternal winter, also has a magic of its own. There is also a prophecy:
"Wrong will be right, when Aslan comes in sight,
At the sound of his roar, sorrows will be no more,
When he bares his teeth, winter meets its death,
And when he shakes his mane, we shall have spring again.
When Adam's flesh and Adam's bone,
Sits at Cair Paravel in throne,
The evil time will be over and done."
Now, you may be wondering why I shared that. Well, the answer is simple: the Pevenise siblings... along with Aslan's prescience have an effect. The first time anyone learns that the witch's spell is ending is when Mr. Beaver encounters a jolly man in a red suit. Father Christmas has returned from what was basically banishment ever since Jadis' rule started. I really like that the winter didn't vanish straight away, but started with Father Christmas' return.
The Pevenises, Beavers, and Jadis head towards the Stone Table. Winter is vanishing before everyone's eyes. Jadis' sledge can't even be used anymore, so that party has to continue the journey on foot, much to Edmund's continued discomfort. Her spell has been well and truly broken.
Spring arrives in Narnia, which is a cause for celebration and, of course, the story does have a happy ending. However, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe is only one story in the Chronicles of Narnia.
I want to go back to the hundred-year winter to finish. Most people have a little moan when there's a cold snap for a few days. Now, imagine being a Narnian and having a hundred years of winter with no end in sight. Some of us see winter as a magical thing, but I don't think it would have felt like that to the Narnians. It may well have been fun at the start, but I don't think that it would have been once the joy of snow had worn off. I know that we have our weird weather, as even the Shire has had bitterly cold and terrible weather, but it wasn't near as long as this one was. We all should remember to appreciate the magic of the weird weather and remember that it isn't forever at all. I think it's called 'looking at the bigger picture'.
Anyway, that is all from the Hobbit Library this month. Briellerose will be here next month, so remember to come back and see what she's shining a spotlight on.
Lots of love,
Cissarose xx