White is the new Black: Darkness in Narnia
This paper is inspired by two subjects. Firstly, what is the exact nature of the being that we refer to as the Prince of Darkness? Secondly, how might fictional mythologies be useful to black magicians? I won't go so far as to propose or detail another ritual based on fictional entities but it does give an example of how descriptions of 'evil' characters give rise to revealing insights into the nature of the Prince of Darkness which can be used for reflection, meditation and inspiration.
The spark for my hypothesis came from my reading of The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis. This in turn was prompted by the forthcoming film of the book that is being hyped for the Christmas season. I've always had a soft spot for the bad guy, particularly so in this case since I'd read of Lewis using his fiction to put across a Christian moral message. Various people were surprised that I'd never read the book and thought I'd miss out if I hadn't read the book before seeing the film.
During the story the lion Aslan sacrifices himself to save one of the children and is then brought back to life in an act which none-too-subtly resembles the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus. I read the book expecting a hefty dose of Christian moral tub-thumping. In many ways I wasn't disappointed. But then came a nice surprise:
'That's what I don't understand, Mr Beaver,' said Peter. 'I mean
isn't the Witch herself human?'
'She'd like us to believe it,' said Mr Beaver, 'and it's on that that
she bases her claim to be Queen. But she's no Daughter of Eve. She comes
of... your father Adam's first wife, her they called Lillith. And she
was one of the Jinn... No, no, there isn't a drop of real human blood in
the Witch.'
(The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe p72)
Of course all of the depictions of the White Witch portray her as a thoroughly evil woman intent on ruling Narnia at all costs. Anyone who allies with her (as one of the children does at first) soon comes to regret it. This is a standardised Christian depiction of Satan, who entices people with phoney promises and then betrays them just as quickly. One thing you can't accuse CS Lewis of is subtlety. The world created by the White Witch is cold, bleak and lifeless. She herself is pale and almost vampyric in appearance. In contrast Aslan is golden, strong and noble. His mere appearance in Narnia is enough to start unravelling the White Witch's magic. Again this is a reflection of Christian propaganda, where Satan always flees at the sight of Jesus.
But through all this moralistic claptrap, the occasional flash of the true nature of the Prince of Darkness emerges:
The White Witch as a Daughter of Lillith: One of the great archetypal rebels against authority. Lillith was Adam's first wife but was cast out because she refused to submit to Adam's authority. The idea that women could have authority and independence is one that has given many Christians an attack of the vapours from Paul onwards. So she is rebelling not just against divine authority, but also against masculine authority.
Rebellion against 'god given' authority: Many of the 'good' creatures of the forest rue the day the White Witch ever took over and yearn for the return of the "rightful" ruler (who is, unsurprisingly, male). Not that life would really change much for the other inhabitants, who would merely be swapping one absolute dictatorship for another. Their main gripe is that things have been disturbed from their "natural" balance. Thus the White Witch is a usurper of authority in the same vein as Lucifer and Typhon.
Changing the "natural order" according to will: Like any powerful practitioner of Black Magic the White Witch bends the fabric of Narnia according to her Will. In this case causing perpetual winter. Significantly this means that although Narnia experiences winter, it never experiences Christmas. Of course this prospect is particularly appalling for children, but given that Christmas is the supposed time of the birth of Christ this takes on a double meaning.
Alien / Unnatural Origins: As well as having non-human parents it is also hinted in a later book that the White Witch arrived on Narnia from another world. This of course fits with the Egyptian deity Set who is perceived as being outside and apart the natural order.
In summary the chronicles of Narnia actually contains a quite revealing and accurate depiction of various facets of the Prince of Darkness for those prepared to read between the lines. I don't know if C.S. Lewis ever claimed divine inspiration for his writing, but it looks in one aspect at least as if he may have got it from a corner of the universe he didn't expect. I'm expecting the film to be a visual feast, and when I go to see it I'll be wearing white as a mark of respect for the real hero.