Aslan
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- This article is about the character in C. S. Lewis' The Chronicles of Narnia. For other uses see Aslan (disambiguation).
Aslan is a speaking character in C. S. Lewis' The Chronicles of Narnia. A noble lion and the King of Narnia, he appears in all seven books of the series. Throughout the series it is often repeated that he is "not a tame lion", since despite his gentle and loving nature, he is powerful and can be dangerous. He takes the role of a Christ-like figure, though he is not an allegorical portrayal of Christ, as Lewis explained:
If Aslan represented the immaterial Deity, he would be an allegorical figure. In reality however he is an invention giving an imaginary answer to the question, 'What might Christ 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?' This is not allegory at all.
In the course of The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, Aslan is put to death in the place of a traitor, is subsequently resurrected, and makes appearances in the remaining books in the series. For example, he appears as the creator of Narnia in the prequel The Magician's Nephew.
The books also make reference to an Emperor-over-the-Sea, whose son Aslan is said to be, further highlighting his Christ-like status. The Emperor-over-the-Sea is similar to Eru Ilúvatar of J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth, in His separation from His creation.
The words aslan and arslan are Turkish for "lion".
See also
| The Chronicles of Narnia C. S. Lewis | ||
| Peter | Susan | Edmund | Lucy | Eustace | Jill | Digory Kirke | Caspian Aslan | Reepicheep | Tash | Tisroc | Mr. Tumnus | White Witch | Puddleglum | ||
| Books | Characters | Places |