C. S. Lewis: Biblical Motifs in The Chronicles of Narnia

Abstract

Biblijski sloj jedan je od najsnažnije prisutnih slojeva u Kronikama iz Narnije književnika i medievista C. S. Lewisa i to ponajviše na razini motiva. Nekoliko se slojeva provlači kroz svih sedam dijelova Kronika iz Narnije, a to su: Biblija, usmenoknjiževni i mitološki motivi, kršćanstvo, antika, srednjovjekovlje i kritika modernog školstva. U Kronikama se ti slojevi često preklapaju. Biblijski motivi najzastupljeniji su u Lavu, Vještici i ormaru, Čarobnjakovu nećaku i Posljednjoj bitci, a manje su prisutni u ostalim dijelovima serijala. Roman Lav, Vještica i ormar pun je poveznica s Isusovom mukom i smrću i to najviše s Evanđeljem po Marku, Čarobnjakov nećak s Knjigom Postanka, a Posljednja bitka s Otkrivenjem. Mnogi autori pokušali su bezuspješno povezati ove romane u niz, redovito preko biblijskih i kršćanskih motiva. Iako pokušaji nisu donijeli rješenje povezivanja dijelova, otkrilo se koliko je prisutan sloj srednjovjekovnih motiva. Rad je kritički utvrdio prisutnost biblijskih motiva.The biblical subtext present in The Chronicles of Narnia by C. S. Lewis, a writer and medievalist, is one of the most striking and palpable subtexts in the entire series. Several subtexts are present in all seven parts of The Chronicles, including the Bible, oral tradition, mythological motifs, Christianity, antiquity, medievality, and the criticism of contemporary education. In The Chronicles these layers often overlap. Biblical motifs are most frequent in The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, The Magician’s Nephew, and The Last Battle, and appear to a lesser extent in other parts of the saga. The novel The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe is brimming with references to Christ’s passion and death, mostly according to the Gospel by Mark; The Magician’s Nephew correlates with the Genesis and The Last Battle with the Book of Revelation. Many authors have unsuccessfully tried to link these novels together, most often through biblical or Christian motifs. Although no firm solution to the problem exists, it has been established that medieval motifs are ubiquitously present in The Chronicles. This work analyses and confirms the presence of the biblical motifs in the saga