Aslan's Country
Encyclopedia
Aslan's Country is a fictional location from C. S. Lewis
' The Chronicles of Narnia
series. It is the home of Aslan
, the great lion. It is described as a series of mountains, thousands of feet high, but without snow or ice. Instead, Aslan's Country has a clear blue sky, lush green grass, colourful birds, and beautiful trees. There are entrances to Aslan's Country from all worlds, including Narnia and Earth
. It is located beyond Narnia's rising sun at the eastern edge of the world, and indeed rings around the whole Narnian world.
, the third published book of the series, King Caspian X
of Narnia set out to the eastern edge of the world to find seven lost lords of Narnia. At the end of the voyage, Reepicheep
, a talking mouse, went directly to Aslan's Country. (VDT
Ch. 16)
, Eustace Scrubb
and Jill Pole
escape from bullies at a boarding school
in England
and find themselves in Aslan's Country, where they meet Aslan. They are then blown to Narnia by Aslan's breath. At the end of the book they find themselves back in Aslan's Country, where they meet the resurrected King Caspian and are sent back to England. (SC
Ch. 1,16)
, there is a stable door that leads to Aslan's country. For creatures that have not believed in Aslan
, the stable door leads inside of a stable that is said to hold the false god "Tashlan". For creatures that have believed in Aslan—including King Tirian, Eustace Scrubb
, and Jill Pole
—the door leads to part of Aslan's country. It is there that they meet the three Pevensie children (excluding Susan
) and the elderly Digory Kirke and Polly Plummer. Aslan later summons all creatures in the world of Narnia to the stable door to be judged: all creatures look at Aslan and are separated, the "good" creatures going to Aslan's country, and the "bad" going to an unmentioned place. The Narnian world is then destroyed.
The part of Aslan's country that they are brought to is described as a larger Narnia: it is exactly like the old one only perfect. It is also discovered that there are several worlds like it that jut out from the mountains of Aslan's Country. It is where creatures from all worlds come to live at their death
or the end of their world.
become like, if there really were a world like Narnia and He chose to be incarnate and die and rise again in that world as He actually has done in ours?'" it is natural to associate Aslan's Country with the Christian heaven. It is where Narnians who love Aslan go at death and where all Narnians who "looked in the face of Aslan and loved him" arrive at the end of the world . The representation of Heaven as a mountain is Biblical: "Who shall ascend the mountain of the Lord?"
Aslan's Country also represents Plato
's World of Ideas, of which the physical world and the ideas in our minds are alike copies. In The Last Battle
it is explained that all worlds, including the Narnia world (the world of mythology) and our own (the physical universe), are spurs from Aslan's Mountain, and Professor Kirke comments "All in Plato, all in Plato".
C. S. Lewis
Clive Staples Lewis , commonly referred to as C. S. Lewis and known to his friends and family as "Jack", was a novelist, academic, medievalist, literary critic, essayist, lay theologian and Christian apologist from Belfast, Ireland...
' The Chronicles of Narnia
The Chronicles of Narnia
The Chronicles of Narnia is a series of seven fantasy novels for children by C. S. Lewis. It is considered a classic of children's literature and is the author's best-known work, having sold over 100 million copies in 47 languages...
series. It is the home of Aslan
Aslan
Aslan, the "Great Lion," is the central character in The Chronicles of Narnia, a series of seven fantasy novels for children written by C. S. Lewis. He is the eponymous lion of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, and his role in Narnia is developed throughout the remaining books...
, the great lion. It is described as a series of mountains, thousands of feet high, but without snow or ice. Instead, Aslan's Country has a clear blue sky, lush green grass, colourful birds, and beautiful trees. There are entrances to Aslan's Country from all worlds, including Narnia and Earth
Earth
Earth is the third planet from the Sun, and the densest and fifth-largest of the eight planets in the Solar System. It is also the largest of the Solar System's four terrestrial planets...
. It is located beyond Narnia's rising sun at the eastern edge of the world, and indeed rings around the whole Narnian world.
The Voyage of the Dawn Treader
In The Voyage of the Dawn TreaderThe Voyage of the Dawn Treader
The Voyage of the Dawn Treader is a fantasy novel for children by C. S. Lewis. Written in 1950, it was published in 1952 as the third book of The Chronicles of Narnia...
, the third published book of the series, King Caspian X
Caspian X
Caspian X, King of Narnia, Lord of Cair Paravel and Emperor of The Lone Islands, also called Caspian the Seafarer and Caspian the Navigator, is a fictional character in The Chronicles of Narnia by C. S. Lewis. He is featured in three books in the series: Prince Caspian, The Voyage of the Dawn...
of Narnia set out to the eastern edge of the world to find seven lost lords of Narnia. At the end of the voyage, Reepicheep
Reepicheep
Reepicheep is a fictional character from C.S. Lewis', Chronicles of Narnia series. He appears in Prince Caspian, The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, and also in The Last Battle. He is a large, talking mouse who carries a rapier, and wears a red plume tucked in his golden circlet...
, a talking mouse, went directly to Aslan's Country. (VDT
The Voyage of the Dawn Treader
The Voyage of the Dawn Treader is a fantasy novel for children by C. S. Lewis. Written in 1950, it was published in 1952 as the third book of The Chronicles of Narnia...
Ch. 16)
The Silver Chair
At the beginning of The Silver ChairThe Silver Chair
The Silver Chair is part of The Chronicles of Narnia, a series of seven fantasy novels written by C. S. Lewis. It was the fourth book published and is the sixth book chronologically. It is the first book published in the series in which the Pevensie children do not appear. The main characters are...
, Eustace Scrubb
Eustace Scrubb
Eustace Clarence Scrubb is a fictional character in C. S. Lewis' Chronicles of Narnia. He appears in The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, The Silver Chair, and The Last Battle. In The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, he is accompanied by Edmund and Lucy Pevensie, his cousins...
and Jill Pole
Jill Pole
Jill Pole is a major character from C. S. Lewis' Chronicles of Narnia series. She appears in The Silver Chair and The Last Battle.-Prior story:Very little is known about Jill's family or her life before she becomes friends with Eustace...
escape from bullies at a boarding school
Boarding school
A boarding school is a school where some or all pupils study and live during the school year with their fellow students and possibly teachers and/or administrators. The word 'boarding' is used in the sense of "bed and board," i.e., lodging and meals...
in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
and find themselves in Aslan's Country, where they meet Aslan. They are then blown to Narnia by Aslan's breath. At the end of the book they find themselves back in Aslan's Country, where they meet the resurrected King Caspian and are sent back to England. (SC
The Silver Chair
The Silver Chair is part of The Chronicles of Narnia, a series of seven fantasy novels written by C. S. Lewis. It was the fourth book published and is the sixth book chronologically. It is the first book published in the series in which the Pevensie children do not appear. The main characters are...
Ch. 1,16)
The Last Battle
At the end of The Last BattleThe Last Battle
The Last Battle is the seventh and final novel in The Chronicles of Narnia series by C. S. Lewis. It won the prestigious Carnegie Medal in Literature in 1956.-Plot summary:In The Last Battle, Lewis brings The Chronicles of Narnia to an end...
, there is a stable door that leads to Aslan's country. For creatures that have not believed in Aslan
Aslan
Aslan, the "Great Lion," is the central character in The Chronicles of Narnia, a series of seven fantasy novels for children written by C. S. Lewis. He is the eponymous lion of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, and his role in Narnia is developed throughout the remaining books...
, the stable door leads inside of a stable that is said to hold the false god "Tashlan". For creatures that have believed in Aslan—including King Tirian, Eustace Scrubb
Eustace Scrubb
Eustace Clarence Scrubb is a fictional character in C. S. Lewis' Chronicles of Narnia. He appears in The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, The Silver Chair, and The Last Battle. In The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, he is accompanied by Edmund and Lucy Pevensie, his cousins...
, and Jill Pole
Jill Pole
Jill Pole is a major character from C. S. Lewis' Chronicles of Narnia series. She appears in The Silver Chair and The Last Battle.-Prior story:Very little is known about Jill's family or her life before she becomes friends with Eustace...
—the door leads to part of Aslan's country. It is there that they meet the three Pevensie children (excluding Susan
Susan Pevensie
Susan Pevensie is a fictional character in C. S. Lewis' Chronicles of Narnia series. Susan is the elder sister and the second eldest Pevensie child. She appears in three of the seven books—as a child in The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe and Prince Caspian, and as an adult in The Horse and His Boy...
) and the elderly Digory Kirke and Polly Plummer. Aslan later summons all creatures in the world of Narnia to the stable door to be judged: all creatures look at Aslan and are separated, the "good" creatures going to Aslan's country, and the "bad" going to an unmentioned place. The Narnian world is then destroyed.
The part of Aslan's country that they are brought to is described as a larger Narnia: it is exactly like the old one only perfect. It is also discovered that there are several worlds like it that jut out from the mountains of Aslan's Country. It is where creatures from all worlds come to live at their death
Death
Death is the permanent termination of the biological functions that sustain a living organism. Phenomena which commonly bring about death include old age, predation, malnutrition, disease, and accidents or trauma resulting in terminal injury....
or the end of their world.
Commentary
Because, as Lewis wrote, "He [Aslan] is an invention giving an imaginary answer to the question, 'What might ChristChrist
Christ is the English term for the Greek meaning "the anointed one". It is a translation of the Hebrew , usually transliterated into English as Messiah or Mashiach...
become like, if there really were a world like Narnia and He chose to be incarnate and die and rise again in that world as He actually has done in ours?'" it is natural to associate Aslan's Country with the Christian heaven. It is where Narnians who love Aslan go at death and where all Narnians who "looked in the face of Aslan and loved him" arrive at the end of the world . The representation of Heaven as a mountain is Biblical: "Who shall ascend the mountain of the Lord?"
Aslan's Country also represents Plato
Plato
Plato , was a Classical Greek philosopher, mathematician, student of Socrates, writer of philosophical dialogues, and founder of the Academy in Athens, the first institution of higher learning in the Western world. Along with his mentor, Socrates, and his student, Aristotle, Plato helped to lay the...
's World of Ideas, of which the physical world and the ideas in our minds are alike copies. In The Last Battle
The Last Battle
The Last Battle is the seventh and final novel in The Chronicles of Narnia series by C. S. Lewis. It won the prestigious Carnegie Medal in Literature in 1956.-Plot summary:In The Last Battle, Lewis brings The Chronicles of Narnia to an end...
it is explained that all worlds, including the Narnia world (the world of mythology) and our own (the physical universe), are spurs from Aslan's Mountain, and Professor Kirke comments "All in Plato, all in Plato".