Battle of Beruna Ford
Encyclopedia
The First Battle of Beruna is a fictional battle in C. S. Lewis
' fantasy
series The Chronicles of Narnia
. It is fought in Narnia at the edges of the Great River near the Fords of Beruna, in the year 1000 according to Lewis' Narnian timeline. It is the climactic battle of The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe
.
The Battle is not named in The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe. It is first called the "Battle of Beruna" in Prince Caspian
. The word "first" has been added by Narnia scholars to distinguish from a later battle fought at Beruna in Prince Caspian, first called the Second Battle of Beruna in The Voyage of the Dawn Treader
.
) and the army of the White Witch
, following the apparent demise of the great Narnian leader, Aslan
. The White Witch's army includes monstrous creatures such as minotaur
s, werewolves
, and hags. Peter's force is comparatively minor, and prominently represents the races of talking animal
, faun
, satyr
, nymph
, unicorn
and centaur
.
It seemed to Lucy as if the Witch held the upper edge in the battle, petrifying many of Aslan's army with her wand, until the arrival of Aslan's reinforcements. However, at Lewis' first description of the battle scene, the Witch is no longer using her wand (which was revealed to have been broken by Edmund) but using instead her Stone Knife (which she had also killed Aslan the night before). At this point, the White Witch is engaged in a fight with Peter. Suddenly, the newly arisen Aslan, along with Peter's sisters Susan
and Lucy
, arrives with auxiliaries from amongst those formerly petrified by the White Witch's wand, now restored by Aslan.
At once they invade the battleground and begin to wipe out the remainder of the Witch's forces. While some of the White Witch's army are trampled by the charging reinforcements, those that came with Aslan use their own ways of fighting: dwarves use their battle axes, dogs use their teeth, Rumblebuffin the giant uses his club (and steps on some of the enemy), centaurs use their swords, and unicorns use their horns. Then, Aslan kills the White Witch. When she is discovered dead, one-half of the surviving part of the White Witch's army surrenders and the other surviving half flees (they were later mentioned to have been exterminated sometime after the Pevensie Children's coronation).
At the conclusion of the battle, Lucy uses her Christmas gift, a potion that can heal any wound, on Edmund, who was found under the care of Mrs. Beaver covered in blood, his mouth open, and his face a "nasty green color". Aslan urges her to repair all the injured soldiers on the field to good health, which she does, while he restores all those petrified. The next day, Aslan crowns the four children Kings and Queens of Narnia and Peter the High King.
When the shot returns to the battle, the White Witch starts turning some of the creatures on Aslan's side to stone. Edmund makes his way toward the White Witch and ends up using his sword to break her wand undoing the petrification on the ones she turned to stone. Edmund is then knocked out by one of the creatures on the White Witch's side. As the White Witch prepares to kill Edmund, Peter arrives to fight her.
Just then, Aslan arrives and his roar is heard across the battlefield. Aslan then lunges at the White Witch who turns to dust upon impact. The reinforcements charge towards the battlefield. Upon noticing that the White Witch has been vanquished, her army drops their weapons and takes flight.
The White Witch then makes her move as she sends her army down as Peter and the army fight the animated creatures on the White Witch's army. As the battle rages on, the White Witch starts to turn those on Aslan's side to stone. As both sides clash, Edmund uses his sword to break the White Witch's wand. She then stabs the broken half into Edmund. When Peter notices this, he starts to chase the White Witch up the ravine only for Aslan to show up and tell him to stand back. Reinforcements charge the field as Aslan starts roaring. As they are driving the White Witch's army away, Aslan continues roaring until the ground beneath the White Witch starts to shake and she falls to her death. The rest of her army are chased away by Aslan's army.
features a vivid rendering of this battle, with visual effects provided by Rhythm and Hues Studios
using Weta Digital
's "MASSIVE" animation program, and creature designs from KNB Effects Group, Inc. Because the action of the book from the murder of Aslan through the end of the battle is told from Susan and Lucy's perspective, Lewis does not have the chance to describe the course that Peter and Edmund take prior to their sisters' and Aslan's arrival. Therefore, the film's battle enhances Lewis' vision by adding these new elements to the warfare.
When Peter is alerted by a Dryad sent by Susan and Lucy that Aslan is dead, he is urged on by his brother to lead the army into war and not back away.
In the next shot, Peter, (riding a unicorn) and Oreius the centaur
(who appears to be the general of Aslan
's army) stand at the head of their troops on the battlefield. They are stationed beneath a high cliff, at the top of which is Edmund
, who heads the archers and birds (presumably eagle
s, falcon
s, hawk
s, and gryphon
s). A gryphon tells Peter that the White Witch's army is coming with "numbers and weapons far greater than our own". On the other side of the battleground, General Otmin (a minotaur
who is the general of the White Witch
's army) leads his own troops. The White Witch is at his side in her chariot, pulled by two ferocious polar bears. She is wearing the mane of Aslan, shaved from his head at his murder.
At the signal of the commanders to begin the battle, Otmin and about half of his soldiers advance across the field. The White Witch, and the other half of combatants, stay back. None of Peter's troops move until he signals his winged animals to attack as the gryphon who spied on the White Witch also joins the winged animals. They fly out and - in a shot strongly reminiscent of the Nazi air raid from the movie's opening scene - drop boulders onto the enemy to soften them up before the main force engages them. Otmin sees them coming and quotes "Look to the Sky." The Black Dwarves use their bow and arrows to try to shoot some of them down. The White Witch signals her harpies to fly up and attack the gryphons and other flying animals in order to minimize losses. After this, Peter and Oreius lead their army out with a mass charge in a flying wedge
formation, and they engage in battle with the Witch's troops.
When the shot returns to the battle (it is interspersed with Susan and Lucy finding Aslan alive), the White Witch makes her move as she leads the second wave. A phoenix
is sent out from Peter's side, only to be chased by a harpy and dodge the arrows shot by the Black Dwarves. Even if the phoenix was able to take down the harpy and had every intention of doing so, Peter felt it best to no longer delay the phoenix and thus kills the harpy by throwing a javelin into its heart before the phoenix can engage it. After being freed from the harpie, the phoenix self-combusts and spreads its fire across the field, temporarily blocking advancement from either side. When the Witch breaks this barrier using her wand, Peter yells to "fall back and draw them to the rocks." As they are riding back, many of the White Witch's soldiers are hit by a barrage of arrows shot by the archers. However, the Black Dwarves started shooting down some of Aslan's soldiers as well while Ginnabrik shoots Peter's unicorn and wounds it. Peter is thrown from the creature. Oreius sees the situation and gallops to attack the approaching Witch with a rhinoceros. An Ankle Slicer wounds the rhinoceros after it knocked down some of the White Witch's soldiers, but Oreius fights and kills Otmin. Oreius goes after the Witch with his two handed sword, and jumps over her. She ducks and engages Oreius. Because of the sword's bulk, he is too slow to block a lunge from her wand, petrifying him.
At the next shot of the battle, the White Witch has exited her chariot and is walking. She has petrified a satyr, then two gryphons attack her, but she wounds the first gryphon by cutting its wing and kills the other by turning it in to stone in mid-flight sending it to crash into the ground. At the sight of this Peter warns Edmund to leave the battle quoting "get the girls, and get them home." But Edmund sees the Witch petrifying a faun and a jaguar, and is ready to confront Peter. Edmund brings out his sword as Mr. Beaver tries to pull Edmund away saying, "Peter said get out of here!" Edmund escapes saying "Peter's not king yet" and he runs to duel the Witch. Edmund is then pursued by two minotaurs. Fauns distract the first one while a gorilla intercepts the other minotaur making the road clear for Edmund. Along the way, Ginarrbrik is overwhelming and is about to kill a red dwarf, but Edmund wounds him by pushing him off the cliff. Edmund is about to face the Witch who was still on her way to petrify Peter. He manages to break her wand in half, making it useless as means of petrification. However, she plunges the sharp end into his stomach and he falls to the ground, mortally wounded. Peter sees this, and runs to fight the Witch face-to-face.
As they battle, a roar is heard from above and they both turn to see Aslan and a fresh army arrive to join the battle. As some of the White Witch's tired soldiers are trampled by the reinforcements, Mr. Tumnus knocks down a goblin with another lion running next to him and Rumblebuffin uses his club on two minotaurs. They both continue to fight and the White Witch gains the upper hand, tripping Peter to the ground with her sword, pins his arm to the ground, and knocks his shield out of his hand. Just as she prepares to kill him, Aslan charges at the White Witch and knocks her back. A moment of eerie peace ensues as the Witch accepts her doom and Aslan kills her. As the reinforcements charge past to scour the battlefield, Aslan tells Peter that "It is finished."
Peter is reunited with his sisters, who immediately notice Edmund's absence. They find him clinging to the last threads of life, with a wounded Ginarrbrik preparing to slay him. Susan shoots and kills Ginarrbrik as he raises his axe for the kill, saving Edmund. Lucy attempts to use her cordial to cure Edmund, but seems to fail for a moment, as Edmund seemingly dies the moment she pours a drop into his mouth. However, he revives a moment later, cured of his injuries. Lucy rushes to heal the wounded soldiers, while Aslan revives those who were petrified.
Both armies feature characters or types of creatures that are not mentioned in the book. Such soldiers in Aslan's army are Centaur
s, Gorilla
s, Satyr
s, Faun
s, Dog
s, Badger
s, Bear
s, Cheetah
s, Gryphons
, Leopard
s, Jaguar
s, a Phoenix
, Red Dwarf
s, Rhinos
, Wild Boars, Horse
s, Eagle
s, Falcon
s, and Hawk
s.
Such soldiers in the White Witch's army are Minotaur
s, Ankle Slicers, Black Dwarf
s, Cyclops
es, Harpies
, Minoboars, White Tigers
, Wolves
, Goblin
s, Werewolves
, Giants
, Ogre
s, Ghoul
s, Boggles
and Hag
s.
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...
' fantasy
Fantasy
Fantasy is a genre of fiction that commonly uses magic and other supernatural phenomena as a primary element of plot, theme, or setting. Many works within the genre take place in imaginary worlds where magic is common...
series 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...
. It is fought in Narnia at the edges of the Great River near the Fords of Beruna, in the year 1000 according to Lewis' Narnian timeline. It is the climactic battle of The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe
The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe is a fantasy novel for children by C. S. Lewis. Published in 1950 and set circa 1940, it is the first-published book of The Chronicles of Narnia and is the best known book of the series. Although it was written and published first, it is second in the series'...
.
The Battle is not named in The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe. It is first called the "Battle of Beruna" in Prince Caspian
Prince Caspian
Prince Caspian: The Return to Narnia is a novel for children by C. S. Lewis, written in late 1949 and first published in 1951. It is the second-published book in the Chronicles of Narnia series, although in the overall chronological sequence it comes fourth.-Plot summary:While standing on a...
. The word "first" has been added by Narnia scholars to distinguish from a later battle fought at Beruna in Prince Caspian, first called the Second Battle of Beruna in The Voyage of the Dawn Treader
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...
.
Depiction in the book
The battle is fought between the Narnians (led by Peter PevensiePeter Pevensie
Peter Pevensie is a major fictional character in the children's fantasy series The Chronicles of Narnia by C. S. Lewis. Peter appears in four of the seven books; as a child and a principal character in The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe and Prince Caspian, and as an adult in The Horse and His Boy...
) and the army of the White Witch
White Witch
Jadis is the main antagonist of The Magician's Nephew and of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe in C.S. Lewis' series, The Chronicles of Narnia...
, following the apparent demise of the great Narnian leader, 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 White Witch's army includes monstrous creatures such as minotaur
Minotaur
In Greek mythology, the Minotaur , as the Greeks imagined him, was a creature with the head of a bull on the body of a man or, as described by Roman poet Ovid, "part man and part bull"...
s, werewolves
Werewolf
A werewolf, also known as a lycanthrope , is a mythological or folkloric human with the ability to shapeshift into a wolf or an anthropomorphic wolf-like creature, either purposely or after being placed under a curse...
, and hags. Peter's force is comparatively minor, and prominently represents the races of talking animal
Talking animal
A talking animal or speaking animal refers to any form of non-human animal which can produce sounds resembling those of a human language. Many species or groups of animals have developed forms of Animal Communication Systems which to some appear to be a non-verbal language...
, faun
Faun
The faun is a rustic forest god or place-spirit of Roman mythology often associated with Greek satyrs and the Greek god Pan.-Origins:...
, satyr
Satyr
In Greek mythology, satyrs are a troop of male companions of Pan and Dionysus — "satyresses" were a late invention of poets — that roamed the woods and mountains. In myths they are often associated with pipe-playing....
, nymph
Nymph
A nymph in Greek mythology is a female minor nature deity typically associated with a particular location or landform. Different from gods, nymphs are generally regarded as divine spirits who animate nature, and are usually depicted as beautiful, young nubile maidens who love to dance and sing;...
, unicorn
Unicorn
The unicorn is a legendary animal from European folklore that resembles a white horse with a large, pointed, spiraling horn projecting from its forehead, and sometimes a goat's beard...
and centaur
Centaur
In Greek mythology, a centaur or hippocentaur is a member of a composite race of creatures, part human and part horse...
.
It seemed to Lucy as if the Witch held the upper edge in the battle, petrifying many of Aslan's army with her wand, until the arrival of Aslan's reinforcements. However, at Lewis' first description of the battle scene, the Witch is no longer using her wand (which was revealed to have been broken by Edmund) but using instead her Stone Knife (which she had also killed Aslan the night before). At this point, the White Witch is engaged in a fight with Peter. Suddenly, the newly arisen Aslan, along with Peter's sisters 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 Lucy
Lucy Pevensie
Lucy Pevensie is a fictional character in C. S. Lewis' The Chronicles of Narnia. She is the youngest of the four Pevensie children, and the first to find the Wardrobe entrance to Narnia in The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. Of all the Pevensie children, Lucy is the closest to Aslan...
, arrives with auxiliaries from amongst those formerly petrified by the White Witch's wand, now restored by Aslan.
At once they invade the battleground and begin to wipe out the remainder of the Witch's forces. While some of the White Witch's army are trampled by the charging reinforcements, those that came with Aslan use their own ways of fighting: dwarves use their battle axes, dogs use their teeth, Rumblebuffin the giant uses his club (and steps on some of the enemy), centaurs use their swords, and unicorns use their horns. Then, Aslan kills the White Witch. When she is discovered dead, one-half of the surviving part of the White Witch's army surrenders and the other surviving half flees (they were later mentioned to have been exterminated sometime after the Pevensie Children's coronation).
At the conclusion of the battle, Lucy uses her Christmas gift, a potion that can heal any wound, on Edmund, who was found under the care of Mrs. Beaver covered in blood, his mouth open, and his face a "nasty green color". Aslan urges her to repair all the injured soldiers on the field to good health, which she does, while he restores all those petrified. The next day, Aslan crowns the four children Kings and Queens of Narnia and Peter the High King.
1979 Animated Film
Following the death of Aslan, the White Witch had some of her army be on guard duty along the ridge while the rest slept. When it cuts back to the camp, the battle had already begun with each fighter locked in combat.When the shot returns to the battle, the White Witch starts turning some of the creatures on Aslan's side to stone. Edmund makes his way toward the White Witch and ends up using his sword to break her wand undoing the petrification on the ones she turned to stone. Edmund is then knocked out by one of the creatures on the White Witch's side. As the White Witch prepares to kill Edmund, Peter arrives to fight her.
Just then, Aslan arrives and his roar is heard across the battlefield. Aslan then lunges at the White Witch who turns to dust upon impact. The reinforcements charge towards the battlefield. Upon noticing that the White Witch has been vanquished, her army drops their weapons and takes flight.
BBC TV Serial
Following Aslan's death, the White Witch's army hides amongst the ridges near Aslan's camp as she instructs them not to make a sound until she gives the command to charge. A Lich steps on a stick and is turned to stone.The White Witch then makes her move as she sends her army down as Peter and the army fight the animated creatures on the White Witch's army. As the battle rages on, the White Witch starts to turn those on Aslan's side to stone. As both sides clash, Edmund uses his sword to break the White Witch's wand. She then stabs the broken half into Edmund. When Peter notices this, he starts to chase the White Witch up the ravine only for Aslan to show up and tell him to stand back. Reinforcements charge the field as Aslan starts roaring. As they are driving the White Witch's army away, Aslan continues roaring until the ground beneath the White Witch starts to shake and she falls to her death. The rest of her army are chased away by Aslan's army.
2005 Film
The 2005 cinematic adaptationThe Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe is a 2005 epic fantasy adventure film directed by Andrew Adamson and based on The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, the first published and second chronological novel in C. S. Lewis's children's epic fantasy series, The Chronicles of...
features a vivid rendering of this battle, with visual effects provided by Rhythm and Hues Studios
Rhythm and Hues Studios
Rhythm & Hues Studios is a visual effects studio serving the major film studios. It is known for its computer-generated 3D character animation. Recognized as one of the top facilities of its kind in the world, Rhythm & Hues has contributed to more than 150 feature films...
using Weta Digital
Weta Digital
Weta Digital is a digital visual effects company based in Wellington, New Zealand. It was founded by Peter Jackson, Richard Taylor, and Jamie Selkirk in 1993 to produce the digital special effects for Heavenly Creatures. In 2007 Weta Digital’s Senior Visual Effects Supervisor, Joe Letteri, was...
's "MASSIVE" animation program, and creature designs from KNB Effects Group, Inc. Because the action of the book from the murder of Aslan through the end of the battle is told from Susan and Lucy's perspective, Lewis does not have the chance to describe the course that Peter and Edmund take prior to their sisters' and Aslan's arrival. Therefore, the film's battle enhances Lewis' vision by adding these new elements to the warfare.
When Peter is alerted by a Dryad sent by Susan and Lucy that Aslan is dead, he is urged on by his brother to lead the army into war and not back away.
Centaur
In Greek mythology, a centaur or hippocentaur is a member of a composite race of creatures, part human and part horse...
(who appears to be the general 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...
's army) stand at the head of their troops on the battlefield. They are stationed beneath a high cliff, at the top of which is Edmund
Edmund Pevensie
Edmund "Ed" Pevensie is a major fictional character in C. S. Lewis's Chronicles of Narnia. He is a principal character in three of the seven books , and a lesser character in two others .In the live-action films, The...
, who heads the archers and birds (presumably eagle
Eagle
Eagles are members of the bird family Accipitridae, and belong to several genera which are not necessarily closely related to each other. Most of the more than 60 species occur in Eurasia and Africa. Outside this area, just two species can be found in the United States and Canada, nine more in...
s, falcon
Falcon
A falcon is any species of raptor in the genus Falco. The genus contains 37 species, widely distributed throughout Europe, Asia, and North America....
s, hawk
Hawk
The term hawk can be used in several ways:* In strict usage in Australia and Africa, to mean any of the species in the subfamily Accipitrinae, which comprises the genera Accipiter, Micronisus, Melierax, Urotriorchis and Megatriorchis. The large and widespread Accipiter genus includes goshawks,...
s, and gryphon
Griffin
The griffin, griffon, or gryphon is a legendary creature with the body of a lion and the head and wings of an eagle...
s). A gryphon tells Peter that the White Witch's army is coming with "numbers and weapons far greater than our own". On the other side of the battleground, General Otmin (a minotaur
Minotaur
In Greek mythology, the Minotaur , as the Greeks imagined him, was a creature with the head of a bull on the body of a man or, as described by Roman poet Ovid, "part man and part bull"...
who is the general of the White Witch
White Witch
Jadis is the main antagonist of The Magician's Nephew and of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe in C.S. Lewis' series, The Chronicles of Narnia...
's army) leads his own troops. The White Witch is at his side in her chariot, pulled by two ferocious polar bears. She is wearing the mane of Aslan, shaved from his head at his murder.
At the signal of the commanders to begin the battle, Otmin and about half of his soldiers advance across the field. The White Witch, and the other half of combatants, stay back. None of Peter's troops move until he signals his winged animals to attack as the gryphon who spied on the White Witch also joins the winged animals. They fly out and - in a shot strongly reminiscent of the Nazi air raid from the movie's opening scene - drop boulders onto the enemy to soften them up before the main force engages them. Otmin sees them coming and quotes "Look to the Sky." The Black Dwarves use their bow and arrows to try to shoot some of them down. The White Witch signals her harpies to fly up and attack the gryphons and other flying animals in order to minimize losses. After this, Peter and Oreius lead their army out with a mass charge in a flying wedge
Flying wedge
A flying wedge is a configuration created from a body moving forward in a triangular formation. This V-shaped arrangement began as a successful military strategy in ancient times when infantry units would move forward in wedge formations to smash through an enemy's lines...
formation, and they engage in battle with the Witch's troops.
When the shot returns to the battle (it is interspersed with Susan and Lucy finding Aslan alive), the White Witch makes her move as she leads the second wave. A phoenix
Phoenix (mythology)
The phoenix or phenix is a mythical sacred firebird that can be found in the mythologies of the Arabian, Persians, Greeks, Romans, Egyptians, Chinese, Indian and Phoenicians....
is sent out from Peter's side, only to be chased by a harpy and dodge the arrows shot by the Black Dwarves. Even if the phoenix was able to take down the harpy and had every intention of doing so, Peter felt it best to no longer delay the phoenix and thus kills the harpy by throwing a javelin into its heart before the phoenix can engage it. After being freed from the harpie, the phoenix self-combusts and spreads its fire across the field, temporarily blocking advancement from either side. When the Witch breaks this barrier using her wand, Peter yells to "fall back and draw them to the rocks." As they are riding back, many of the White Witch's soldiers are hit by a barrage of arrows shot by the archers. However, the Black Dwarves started shooting down some of Aslan's soldiers as well while Ginnabrik shoots Peter's unicorn and wounds it. Peter is thrown from the creature. Oreius sees the situation and gallops to attack the approaching Witch with a rhinoceros. An Ankle Slicer wounds the rhinoceros after it knocked down some of the White Witch's soldiers, but Oreius fights and kills Otmin. Oreius goes after the Witch with his two handed sword, and jumps over her. She ducks and engages Oreius. Because of the sword's bulk, he is too slow to block a lunge from her wand, petrifying him.
At the next shot of the battle, the White Witch has exited her chariot and is walking. She has petrified a satyr, then two gryphons attack her, but she wounds the first gryphon by cutting its wing and kills the other by turning it in to stone in mid-flight sending it to crash into the ground. At the sight of this Peter warns Edmund to leave the battle quoting "get the girls, and get them home." But Edmund sees the Witch petrifying a faun and a jaguar, and is ready to confront Peter. Edmund brings out his sword as Mr. Beaver tries to pull Edmund away saying, "Peter said get out of here!" Edmund escapes saying "Peter's not king yet" and he runs to duel the Witch. Edmund is then pursued by two minotaurs. Fauns distract the first one while a gorilla intercepts the other minotaur making the road clear for Edmund. Along the way, Ginarrbrik is overwhelming and is about to kill a red dwarf, but Edmund wounds him by pushing him off the cliff. Edmund is about to face the Witch who was still on her way to petrify Peter. He manages to break her wand in half, making it useless as means of petrification. However, she plunges the sharp end into his stomach and he falls to the ground, mortally wounded. Peter sees this, and runs to fight the Witch face-to-face.
As they battle, a roar is heard from above and they both turn to see Aslan and a fresh army arrive to join the battle. As some of the White Witch's tired soldiers are trampled by the reinforcements, Mr. Tumnus knocks down a goblin with another lion running next to him and Rumblebuffin uses his club on two minotaurs. They both continue to fight and the White Witch gains the upper hand, tripping Peter to the ground with her sword, pins his arm to the ground, and knocks his shield out of his hand. Just as she prepares to kill him, Aslan charges at the White Witch and knocks her back. A moment of eerie peace ensues as the Witch accepts her doom and Aslan kills her. As the reinforcements charge past to scour the battlefield, Aslan tells Peter that "It is finished."
Peter is reunited with his sisters, who immediately notice Edmund's absence. They find him clinging to the last threads of life, with a wounded Ginarrbrik preparing to slay him. Susan shoots and kills Ginarrbrik as he raises his axe for the kill, saving Edmund. Lucy attempts to use her cordial to cure Edmund, but seems to fail for a moment, as Edmund seemingly dies the moment she pours a drop into his mouth. However, he revives a moment later, cured of his injuries. Lucy rushes to heal the wounded soldiers, while Aslan revives those who were petrified.
Both armies feature characters or types of creatures that are not mentioned in the book. Such soldiers in Aslan's army are Centaur
Centaur
In Greek mythology, a centaur or hippocentaur is a member of a composite race of creatures, part human and part horse...
s, Gorilla
Gorilla
Gorillas are the largest extant species of primates. They are ground-dwelling, predominantly herbivorous apes that inhabit the forests of central Africa. Gorillas are divided into two species and either four or five subspecies...
s, Satyr
Satyr
In Greek mythology, satyrs are a troop of male companions of Pan and Dionysus — "satyresses" were a late invention of poets — that roamed the woods and mountains. In myths they are often associated with pipe-playing....
s, Faun
Faun
The faun is a rustic forest god or place-spirit of Roman mythology often associated with Greek satyrs and the Greek god Pan.-Origins:...
s, Dog
Dog
The domestic dog is a domesticated form of the gray wolf, a member of the Canidae family of the order Carnivora. The term is used for both feral and pet varieties. The dog may have been the first animal to be domesticated, and has been the most widely kept working, hunting, and companion animal in...
s, Badger
Badger
Badgers are short-legged omnivores in the weasel family, Mustelidae. There are nine species of badger, in three subfamilies : Melinae , Mellivorinae , and Taxideinae...
s, Bear
Bear
Bears are mammals of the family Ursidae. Bears are classified as caniforms, or doglike carnivorans, with the pinnipeds being their closest living relatives. Although there are only eight living species of bear, they are widespread, appearing in a wide variety of habitats throughout the Northern...
s, Cheetah
Cheetah
The cheetah is a large-sized feline inhabiting most of Africa and parts of the Middle East. The cheetah is the only extant member of the genus Acinonyx, most notable for modifications in the species' paws...
s, Gryphons
Griffin
The griffin, griffon, or gryphon is a legendary creature with the body of a lion and the head and wings of an eagle...
, Leopard
Leopard
The leopard , Panthera pardus, is a member of the Felidae family and the smallest of the four "big cats" in the genus Panthera, the other three being the tiger, lion, and jaguar. The leopard was once distributed across eastern and southern Asia and Africa, from Siberia to South Africa, but its...
s, Jaguar
Jaguar
The jaguar is a big cat, a feline in the Panthera genus, and is the only Panthera species found in the Americas. The jaguar is the third-largest feline after the tiger and the lion, and the largest in the Western Hemisphere. The jaguar's present range extends from Southern United States and Mexico...
s, a Phoenix
Phoenix (mythology)
The phoenix or phenix is a mythical sacred firebird that can be found in the mythologies of the Arabian, Persians, Greeks, Romans, Egyptians, Chinese, Indian and Phoenicians....
, Red Dwarf
Dwarf (Germanic mythology)
In Germanic mythology, a dwarf is a being that dwells in mountains and in the earth, and is associated with wisdom, smithing, mining, and crafting...
s, Rhinos
Rhinoceros
Rhinoceros , also known as rhino, is a group of five extant species of odd-toed ungulates in the family Rhinocerotidae. Two of these species are native to Africa and three to southern Asia....
, Wild Boars, Horse
Horse
The horse is one of two extant subspecies of Equus ferus, or the wild horse. It is a single-hooved mammal belonging to the taxonomic family Equidae. The horse has evolved over the past 45 to 55 million years from a small multi-toed creature into the large, single-toed animal of today...
s, Eagle
Eagle
Eagles are members of the bird family Accipitridae, and belong to several genera which are not necessarily closely related to each other. Most of the more than 60 species occur in Eurasia and Africa. Outside this area, just two species can be found in the United States and Canada, nine more in...
s, Falcon
Falcon
A falcon is any species of raptor in the genus Falco. The genus contains 37 species, widely distributed throughout Europe, Asia, and North America....
s, and Hawk
Hawk
The term hawk can be used in several ways:* In strict usage in Australia and Africa, to mean any of the species in the subfamily Accipitrinae, which comprises the genera Accipiter, Micronisus, Melierax, Urotriorchis and Megatriorchis. The large and widespread Accipiter genus includes goshawks,...
s.
Such soldiers in the White Witch's army are Minotaur
Minotaur
In Greek mythology, the Minotaur , as the Greeks imagined him, was a creature with the head of a bull on the body of a man or, as described by Roman poet Ovid, "part man and part bull"...
s, Ankle Slicers, Black Dwarf
Dwarf (Germanic mythology)
In Germanic mythology, a dwarf is a being that dwells in mountains and in the earth, and is associated with wisdom, smithing, mining, and crafting...
s, Cyclops
Cyclops
A cyclops , in Greek mythology and later Roman mythology, was a member of a primordial race of giants, each with a single eye in the middle of his forehead...
es, Harpies
Harpy
In Greek mythology, a harpy was one of the winged spirits best known for constantly stealing all food from Phineas...
, Minoboars, White Tigers
White tiger
The white tiger is a recessive mutant of the Bengal tiger, which was reported in the wild from time to time in Assam, Bengal, Bihar and especially from the former State of Rewa.-Color comparison:...
, Wolves
Gray Wolf
The gray wolf , also known as the wolf, is the largest extant wild member of the Canidae family...
, Goblin
Goblin
A goblin is a legendary evil or mischievous illiterate creature, a grotesquely evil or evil-like phantom.They are attributed with various abilities, temperaments and appearances depending on the story and country of origin. In some cases, goblins have been classified as constantly annoying little...
s, Werewolves
Werewolf
A werewolf, also known as a lycanthrope , is a mythological or folkloric human with the ability to shapeshift into a wolf or an anthropomorphic wolf-like creature, either purposely or after being placed under a curse...
, Giants
Giant (mythology)
The mythology and legends of many different cultures include monsters of human appearance but prodigious size and strength. "Giant" is the English word commonly used for such beings, derived from one of the most famed examples: the gigantes of Greek mythology.In various Indo-European mythologies,...
, Ogre
Ogre
An ogre is a large, cruel, monstrous, and hideous humanoid monster, featured in mythology, folklore, and fiction. Ogres are often depicted in fairy tales and folklore as feeding on human beings, and have appeared in many classic works of literature...
s, Ghoul
Ghoul
A ghoul is a folkloric monster associated with graveyards and consuming human flesh, often classified as undead. The oldest surviving literature that mention ghouls is likely One Thousand and One Nights...
s, Boggles
Boggart
In Englishfolklore, a boggart is a household fairy which causes things to disappear, milk to sour, and dogs to go lame. Always malevolent, the boggart will follow its family wherever they flee...
and Hag
Hag
A hag is a wizened old woman, or a kind of fairy or goddess having the appearance of such a woman, often found in folklore and children's tales such as Hansel and Gretel. Hags are often seen as malevolent, but may also be one of the chosen forms of shapeshifting deities, such as the Morrígan or...
s.