"Behold your Music!", Kristine Larsen

[shadowfax]

Originally Posted by Formendacil

With regards to the Narnia angle of the essay, I find myself wondering if Aslan's creation is really as "scientific" as Eru's. Of course, Larsen uses "scientific" in an older sense, indeed, a more appropriate sense etymologically, if one thinks of the Latin root word "to know." Nonetheless, despite the fact that Tolkien definitely plays with metaphor, I'm somewhat inclined to think that Narnia is more metaphorically-laden than Middle-earth, which is therefore somewhat more "scientific." Of course, with a knowledge of the real world (or at least of what medieval and/or modern science had concluded about it as of Lewis' day), and with the comparative guide given in Middle-earth by an author with close intellectual connections, it is easy to see how the metaphor applies.

Interesting point. Also remember that Lewis was writing for children and so there was a limit to the level of analogy and metaphor that he could expect them them to grasp. So whereas I believe that Tolkien was describing the music as he actually imagined it to have been, Lewis was "constructing" more to make the metaphor simpler and more graspable.

This is not just true of the creation but of Narnia as a whole, where many situations are clearly set up especially so that certain points can be made or lessons taught, whereas in middle-Earth the message comes more naturally.

If you look at Lewis' other works, and most especially the Space Trilogy, although the concept of creation is not covered, we do see that Lewis' game with metaphors is at least as sophisticated and natural if not more so than Tolkien's. Perelandra doesn't cover creation as such but it covers temptation paralleling the biblical Garden of Eden and hence the part of the Bible that immediately follows Creation. Also in Out of the Silent Planet, we don't get to see any creation per se but we hear Malacandra speak of the bigger plan and the ultimate end of the world, and we see depictions of the different planets and their different harmonies which ties in very much with the topcs discussed here.

[Annabella]

Wow, Kristine! This comparison between the Song of Aslan and the Music of the Ainur is mind-blowing! Can't wait to dive into your insights. Thanks for sharing! I even set it as my phone ringtone.