The Truth Behind C.S. Lewis and Digory Kirke | Narnia Lore | Into the Wardrobe
Vložit
- čas přidán 24. 11. 2022
- The Magician's Nephew was written by C. S. Lewis as more than a simple children's story. For Lewis, Digory Kirke, the titular character of the story was deeply influenced by his own childhood experiences--a childhood defined by tragedy and triumph. These influences seem to be much stronger than other characters such as Lucy Pevensie and her siblings Peter, Edmund and Susan in the Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe.
How much of Digory's own experiences mirror Lewis'? Find out in this episode!
Special thanks to Jackson Greer for helping to write this episode! - Zábava
Every time I read the Magician's nephew - the place where Digory is allowed to save his mama... I know that CS Lewis was rescuing his own mother in the only way he had the power to. This was important to me, when I was a teen and my mother faced cancer. Her battle became central to my own testimony. For my own journey, I have been blessed that my mother is still here and recovered. I'm reminded of this blessing and cry every time I remember Lewis' story and wishful retelling thru his stories.
Unfortunately my mother did not recover 😞 same effect for me in the book though.
@scottsmith-gm4lr I'm sorry that losing her was part of your story. May sweet memories and future hopes comfort you. I am glad that Lewis' sorrow was not wasted - that Aslan in this world - allowed his pain and hope be a confort for you and many others.
That’s so awesome!
The scenes where Digory refuses Jadis' temptation and brings the apple back to Aslan is the most beautiful, moving moment in the whole of the Chronicles.
After watching this video, I now realize how Lewis did indeed show his readers that while some things are beyond our control, there is always hope and as long as you never lose sight of that, evil will never win. Thank you Mr. Lewis for giving us Narnia, and thank you Into the Wardrobe for giving us this video.
I'm over 60, and each year I re-read The Chronicles of Narnia. It takes me to a purer place of thought, hope and belief. Great essay!
Great comments on a great story. "The Magician's Nephew" is one of the few "kid's stories" that I truly enjoyed as an adult through the eyes of a child. Also, I highly recommend Sir Kenneth Branagh's reading for the audio book.
Are you sure he read it? Or did he just obliviate the real narrator?
I loved how Lewis was able to channel his childhood into this story, especially how close he was to his mother.
Jesus cried for Lazarus despite having the power to revive him. Narnia is one of those childhood gems that shaped me as a person. Truly a masterpiece
Jesus cried because the people were sad and unbeiving... Not for Lazarus
Being raised Christian I was disappointed to realize as an adult. That Jesus fits all the criteria for being a paranoid schizophrenic with a healthy dose of megalomania.
Narnia shaped my childhood. I didn't realise then how much it would help to come to shape me adulthood, and even more so once I found Christ and my l understanding of the biblical narrative. I feel sad for those who completely miss the point, like this person above me in the comments who called Christ "schizophrenic".
I had no idea about the connections between Digory and Lewis, until I saw this video. Learning the truth behind it does leave a much deeper impression, I'll tell you that.
By the way! Thanks so much for recommending C.S. Lewis' space trilogy in one of your other videos! I picked it up, and I've read through them four times already. It's become one of my favorite reads!
That's great! Let me know if you have any good insights!
I love those books too! I'm glad to hear about another fan!
Oh I love those books CS Lewis was such a creative writer
The Magician's Nephew will always be one of my favorite Narnia books. While I was reading it, I was in college and had begun a relationship with Christ. I had also experienced my mom being sick and in and out of hospitals from a young age, like Lewis and Digory. She had multiple hospitalizations that scared me as a kid, and when I read the passage where it describes Digory's desperation to save his mother, and Aslan's tears being "bigger and even more sorrowful than his own," I was deeply moved to tears.
I couldn't describe why in the moment, but I now realize it was because it touched the part of my being where I knew God also felt that way about our anguish and deep struggles. The thought of God being so compassionate was a new realization for me, as I also grew up without a properly loving father figure. It was the start of a long journey finding out just how loving and gentle God the Father is. And how compassionate Jesus was, especially towards the vulnerable members of society.
What a powerful story you've been given. Thanks so much for sharing a part of it here.
@@IntotheWardrobe Thank you for providing the space to share it.
Honestly happy for you 🤍✨
Still on that journey myself. Pls pray for me. It's not been easy 😔
@@DiogoChris I'm so glad to hear you're on the journey at all! Truly it's not an easy one, but well worth it.
@@kbee8517 Thank you 🙏💕
So well done. Digory is such a great personification of C.S. Lewis. I absolutely love The Magician's Nephew. It helps me too after the loss of my wife four years ago.
These illustrations are beautiful.
"And, if you're reading Narnia in the right order; the publication order, that is..." Preach it! The chronological order can be silly. (Someone tell George Lucas.)
💯💯
No way! Chronological order is the way to go, pal ^^
For a first reading, I'd actually recommend neither strictly chronological nor strictly in publication order. I recommend chronological starting with Wardrobe, and coming back to Magician's Nephew some time before Last Battle. LWW and HHB happen at the same time, so it makes sense to read them together, and PC, VDT, and SC are three parts of one story, so it doesn't make sense to break them up either.
After you finish the series for the first time, read them in whatever order you like. But the ending of MN loses a lot of it's "Aha!" power if you read it before LWW, so for a first reading, you want to start with Wardrobe. And then approximately chronologically after that, because bouncing around the timeline can get confusing, especially for children.
@@katherinec2759 That’s true, very true. I agree ^^
@@katherinec2759
I never thought of PC, VDT, and SC as one story but they're kind of like the Caspian trilogy, eh? Are you suggesting the publication order but bringing The Horse and His Boy* up to the #3 spot? If so, I agree.
The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (1950)
Prince Caspian: The Return to Narnia (1951)
The Voyage of the Dawn Treader (1952)
The Silver Chair (1953)
The Horse and His Boy (1954)
The Magician’s Nephew (1955)
The Last Battle (1956)
*The Horse and His Boy is not widely popular, but the Alex Jennings audiobook is probably my favorite. Lasaraleen Tarkheena is hilarious.
I have just found your channel and would like to thank you for the wonderful presentation. I found Narnia as a child having borrowed the book from the library - I think I was around 8/9. I read it alone and can remember the day I read of Aslan’s death at the hands of the white witch. I cried uncontrollably but through my tears read of his resurrection. I had never cried like that while reading a book but I had cried at images of Jesus on the cross. I can remember the day, the afternoon sun streaming through my bedroom curtains. I sat for ages contemplating as I immediately recognised Jesus and I so wanted to go and live in Narnia. This book changed me so much, and I went on to read the others, I always feel sad when I leave that world. My favourites are the lion the witch and the wardrobe and probably the magician’s nephew, but it is truly hard to pick as each book is unique. I personally feel the presence of God through the pages and have read everything written by CS Lewis including his adult novels about space. He was a remarkable man. I am late 60’s now and have read the books to my children and grandchildren. I loved the movies and was sad they were not completed as they really did justice to the writings of CS Lewis. I do hope Netflix get to complete them in a similar style. I shall enjoy browsing the videos in this channel and will share 💝
Note - I would like to recommend the audio books read by Michael Hordern and accompanied by the most beautiful harpist Marissa Nobles. Published by HarperCollins publishers Ltd.
Oh my God! That was so pure. I almost cry. I need to read all Lewis book. I love him.
6:35 I think that moment is one of my favorites in the Narnian history. Aslan who has all power to heal and had many other important things to do, takes a moment and griefs with Digory.
I thought you would say more about Digory as a professor teaching children logic and Lewis doing the same…
But still, great video!❤
This channel is truly amazing. Before I started seeing your videos, I hade never really read much Lewis, outside of his apologetics. And now I'm doing an independent study on him and Tolkein this upcoming Spring semester, as part of my final semester in undergrad!
That's wonderful! If you have any insights you would like to share from your studies, please send me an email at Narnialore@gmail.com!
I, too, was able to make a study of the Inklings during my University days. I traveled the places that they met, saw the halls of learning they attended , visited Tolkien’s grave… It awed me then and now to realize that the great God Almighty places such people in life, and that we shall all be together Further In and Higher Up!
I wish I could be reading the Narnia books for the first time. I have read them several times and find something new and exciting each time. But it never compares to the first time reading it. It took up all my spare time as I couldn't put it down until I finished them.
Finally CZcams notified me of your video! I am really glad it did because it is always a great video from this channel 😀
Like you, I always suspected from the start and diggory's story was the same as Lewis's as a young man from the first time I read "The Chronicles of Narnia: The Wizard's Nephew."
As always, your analyzes are correct, and your way of narrating things fascinates me more and more.
Good job. 😊
6:36 This scene reminded me of Rachel Scott, who was a Christian girl who died in the Columbine shooting. Her father was being interviewed and the reporter asked him where God was when Rachel died. Her father said “in the same place when his son was dying on the cross”. God understands and feels our pain.
That's really cool. Never heard about that before.
Imagine thinking your god has a son. Pagan jibber jabber
Well that's just sad. If god is all powerful and all good, why can't he just skip the trials and go straight to the heaven part?... no suffering needed
@@rodriguezelfeliz4623 Bread for free is shameful. He could have given us all the reward without earning it but then we wouldn't value it. It would be shameful.
@@walleras but isn't he literally god? I mean, he's supposed to be ALL powerful and ALL good, not just very powerful and very good. If he really existed, shame would be a very tiny obstacle. He could just make it not shameful to recieve heaven without earning it... after all, he's the one who makes the rules. Or is god also constrained by such rules? Because if that was true then he wouldn't be all powerful anymore, right? The same goes for us valuing it. He's god, he could make us value it. Does that take away free will? Who cares, god makes the rules... if he is that powerful he could find a way for us to get, the rewards, value them and be free, unless he is somehow constrained by some rules that even god himself can't change.
Besides, if I remember my christian theology correctly, humans don't earn salvation... it's supposed to be given by god's grace and by christ sacrifice anyways, right?
I think this might be one of your best videos. How you fit so much into 9 minutes naturally is crazy.
Wow! Thank you! This one was co-written by a brilliant friend.
Not just a simple "prequel"‼️ He is important in so many different ways. Pain and grief is hard to deal with. But God speaks through pain 💔❣️♥️
Yeah my aunt and Cat passed away my aunt passed away a few years ago and my Cat passed away a few days ago and I try to find sense in my own life
The illustrations in this video are stunning!
This is awesome! Love how Lewis brought his own life experiences into these stories. Keep up the great work Stuart!
Great video as always 👍
I am not a Christian but a great admirer of Lewis. [And of Chesterton too, who wrote some great fictions you might want to do something on.] This is a lovely and thoughtful reflection.
I also found out that C.S. Lewis had a Professor that taught him for two years. His look and mannerism make me think that The professor from lion witch and Wardrobe are connected and he wrote his professor into his stories.
This one really had me crying. Thank you so much for this channel, it is so appreciated.
Digory is my favorite character! Loved this video!
I never cried so much with a CZcams video, God bless you and your channel ❤
I love the Narnia series, and the Magician's Nephew is my favorite. One of the great classics in my opinion.
I believe this difficulty with grief is the stumbling stone for many who are raised in Christian homes. We are taught all the wonderful stories of answered prayers and marvelous providential works done, but then we have hard times when finances fail, we or loved ones suffer a compromise of our constitutions and health declines drastically maybe even to death, or people to whom we are close either reject the faith or leave it never to return. Then we learn the story of Abraham, who believed God for 25 years that he would be made into a great nation, Naomi who left her people during a time of famine and starvation only to come home a sad, bitter, childless widow, David who prayed and fasted for day for his son only for the boy to die, or Paul who sought for relief from his thorn in his flesh. It is a difficult lesson to learn that He is not a tameable God.
"I had always been taught that whatever was asked in faith would be granted... so I tried to get enough faith through willpower."
This is why that's not a good way to teach faith/prayer, as your comment also shows.
I really love this video. Cancer effects all of us. Cancer runs in my family and had experience loss of loved ones to it. I do appreciate Lewis and his experience with cancer and wrote about the pains and how he went through. It is one of the reasons why I love The Chronicles of Narnia, drawing from life experiences that lead to Christ Himself. Thank you so much for making this video.
I listened to the Focus on the Family Radio Theatre version of the Magician's Nephew, and Digory is voiced by a boy named Nathaniel Lippiet, who also lost his mother to cancer as a child.
Oh that’s interesting! I’m listening them over and over again, they are great!
Notification from this channel always makes me very happy!
It would be cool to see a video on the symbolism of colors in the Chronicles of Narnia
Really interesting idea!
On a much more superficial level, the Professor symbolized to me the adult who still remembers the joys of childhood and imagination but is unable to revisit it. He would be the person that treasured his childhood toys because, to him, they weren't just toys but doorways to incredible worlds he used to frequent.
This video voices what I believe. Thank you for making this. It reminds me to have hope. Thank you very much.
As a child I love these books as a adult I love them even more 💕
The Narnia books have always been my favorite! Every time I read them I see new things that relate to the Bible! I can’t wait to meet Lewis in Heaven and thank him for those books!
By the Lion, another wonderful video! Keep up the amazing work!
Awesome video! This is a marvelous tribute to the true wisdom and love of Jesus, and the life beyond the grave that I long to one day see. Thank you for this wholesome dose of perspective on a story I have heard since childhood; one that the world needs to hear!
Another wonderful video. I have known the story of Lewis' mother for a long time but never thought of it as a connection to Digory. Thank you for another video revealing hidden things and connections in Narnia! :)
Beautifully done. Made me cry…as usual with all things Aslan related.
Thank you for your excellent quality and production in your videos! Grief and loss are hard even for adults. How many times do we overlook others who are facing grief? Lewis and his writings are a precious gift from God.
The art in this video is **INCREDIBLE**.
Cheers, great work 👍👍
Thank you so much 😀
Fascinating! As always, you have introduced me to another new aspect of a much loved series of books. Thanks for sharing your insights with us and thanks to C.S. Lewis for sharing his great wealth of imagination and inspiration.
Missed hearing from you channel! Love this episode❤️
Love your videos! Very detailed :) Thanks for keeping the community alive!
I also love the Magician's Nephew! When I first read the book, it was a huge MCU mindblown for me, and watching the Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe was never the same again after reading the book. Especially knowing that each of the art carvings of the wardrobes represented the symbols of Digory's encounters in Narnia :)
I never knew about the carvings! I can wait to watch for them!
@@IntotheWardrobe I used to play the PS2 video game with my brother (awesome game), and the menu levels were the wardrobe carvings (following the movie). I was wondering where was the big tree, magical birds, or pegasus that was in the carvings of the wardrobe until I read the Magician's Nephew.
It was a huge mindblown! Kudos to Andrew Adamson for really paying attention to the source material of the book. I really hope he returns for the Netflix movie, alongside 2005s original cast members.
Amazing how the first contemporary apoligest spoke loudest, even to adults, in his stories for children. Perhaps that's because he understood that if you don't reach the youth, you very often miss the adults as well.
I'm wondering if you are planning a video for the Wardrobe itself? It is almost like a personal companion to Digory, with its own traveling and timeline.
Absolutely love your content, thankyou for putting so much work into these videoes, blessings from Norway, Soli Deo Gloria To Gods glory alone!
The art work in this video is beautiful!! 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼
Thank you!
Wow. Another awesome presentation by Stuart and the team. Great insight and original interpretation accompanied by stunning illustrations and beautiful music. The death of his Mother with a struggling Father, and forced to leave the santity of the parental home , crossing from Ireland to horrid schools profoundly effected Lewis. He was unable to grieve and heal. He needed to express and live through this loss - weep and talk. His life became a subconscious search for his Mother ... ( This is addressed in Dr David Holbrook's phenomenalogical study and AN Wilson's bio.) The writing of the salvation of Digory's Mother was part of that late life healing process. Striking parallels between his Mother's plight and that of his adopted Mother Mrs Moore. Let's not forget what the Austrian genius Sigmund Freud told us, wherever we travel in mind or body we are subconsciously repeating childhood trauma. Like a Pavlovian reflex.
A Grief Observed telling of the death of his wife is gut wrenching, suffering on a par with Job's. One of the most powerful and profound books written.
May I add, Digory was was also influenced by Edith Nesbit's literary character of the same name.
Thank you to Stuart and the team for a another cracking video.
I recently read an excellent book called "The Way Men Heal," by Tom Golden LCSW. It described the differences in the grief process between men and women generally; while about 80 percent of women and about 20 percent of men work through their grief by talking and weeping (the process generally embraced by the mental health community), about 20 percent of women and 80 percent of men find this approach inadequate for their grief. The process used by men typically is to work towards a memorialization of their grief. While weeping may happen, it doesn't do for most men what it seems to do for most women.
The examples Mr. Golden used included Michael Jordan, Eric Clapton, and others. Michael Jordan's father had wanted him to go into baseball instead of basketball. It was after his father's death that Jordan began his baseball career, very likely as a tribute to his father. Clapton wrote "Tears in Heaven" after his son died. Another example was a man whose son died in his teen years; the father began collecting stories about his son from friends and relatives and published a book to remember his son.
It occurs that Digory's story is very likely a similar memorialization of Lewis' own grief, both for his mother and for his wife (I'm assuming she died before he wrote The Magician's Nephew). Having dealt with grief and PTSD myself related to my time in Afghanistan, I can say that men often don't overcome grief until we truly understand it; and that memorialization is a part of the process of exploring and understanding our grief.
I just love your videos!!! Please keep them coming 😊😊😊😊😊
i have read "a greif observed" a couple of times after losing:- my husband, then my closest friend, both times it helped me through the raw pain part, into the place i could heal. i have just lost my closest friend again and you have encouraged me to read it again
My mother died four days ago, the pain is so horrific I can’t bear it. I wonder is there life after death and will I see her again? I remember her reading me the Chronicles of Narnia, for they were our favourite books. There was a lake and a lovely safe, quiet spot where no one ever came. There she would sit and read to me, And I interpreted Narnia and Aslan as a form of how I interpreted God and heaven. Much like CS Lewis himself. I now understand his pain, but I also take heart and hope from his works.
And I wish that I could also ask Aslan to help me in this pain, but in truth, I think he already is.
Thank you for doing this video, as it gives me hope, and strength, and that maybe it’s implied to mean something to me, as well as many others in this circumstance.
Wow! That’s the best video I’ve seen this year!
Thank you.
Thank you for the encouragement!
The art in this video rocks
Yes Professor Digory Kirke is The Magicians Nephew. C.S. Lewis also went by the Name Jack. So Lewis was The Real Digory Kirke.
Amazing content from start to finish. Looking forward to the next one. Maybe….Christmas in Narnia?? 🎄
Oooh....good idea! ;-)
Great video! Interesting to learn about the writer's inspiration for the character! Makes me want to dig up those books my mother used to read to me.
I was wondering when we'd talk about the professor. Great insight.
Glad to see another video from you! Great job as always.
Keep up the good work friend!
Thanks so much!
Excellent and when reading again "The Magician's Nephew," certain the story will have deeper meaning than before. Looking forward to that adventure.
Good morning! I just discovered your channel and am stoked to enjoy all of this goodness! Thank you.
Great video. That music was really great too! God bless!
I've always wondered about this
I love the artworks!
yes! the man has returned ^_^ I always look forward to your videos.
Wow, that was really well-done. I congratulate you.
Thank you very much!
Great video !!
Good to see that you have a new video out. 🙂
Request: I would love some more insights into the stable in The Last Battle.
So glad I found your videos! They are highly entertaining and most are almost devotional in nature and I get so much from them! Thank you!
Awesome..so appreciate your work..blessings f ou r a great Christmas and New Year
Thank you very much for this video. Lewis has such a way of helping me understand things about life and the Lord sometimes. The Magician's Nephew is one of my favorites from the Narnia series too. Thank you for the video.
God be with you out there, everybody. ✝️ :)
One thing that I am glade of is that we were given the Professors origin story and that, as the penultimate book, tied back to the original story. A rich tapestry is tied together and culminates in the The Last Battle. The beginning and the end become one thread with heaven as the point of all. Aslan’s Country is the only true country with all others being sub-creations. The majesty of this is that those born in the sub-creation may eventually journey to the real Country.
Ignore the worlds incessant calls to play the game that ends in death. Embrace the call to eventually go to a fair green country under a swift sunrise. Remember, faith, hope, and love but the greatest of these is love. Also, read first Corinthians thirteen.
Would you please make a video about the « 8th narnia novel » that Francis Spufford wrote ? I think it would be very interesting, I heard it is not just like any of those numerous fan fictions
Will you be making a video about the 7 deadly sins in the Narnia books? That would be neat to watch when it's laid out and dissected
Dude those paintings of Lewis are great
Wow ! Thank you so much
Beautiful.
This is great.
Love the videos. Hope you're going to continue to do Eustace and Jill as well.
Beautiful. I now want to read his autobiography
Amazing.
Hey hey from Sacramento! Keep up your good work!
Hey hey from Kentucky! You got it!
Amazing ✝️❤️
I have to say my favorite narnia book is the magicians nephew. So many interesting concepts in it. The wood between the worlds, charn. The white witch. So much going on
I wish I could make the Narnia books into films.
Can you create a theory video about the deities and creatures from Greco-Roman, Egyptian, and Norse mythology that Aslan may have befriended? Several different species from different mythologies inhabit the world of Narnia so I've often wondered about Aslan's connection to different pantheons.
Why Egyptian and Norse though?
@@francescocarlini7613 The dwarfs and giants who inhabit Narnia are similar to the ones that appear in Norse mythology. Even though griffins don't exist in the books, they appear in the movies. Griffins are present in several mythologies, including Greco-Roman and Egyptian mythology. Plus, there's a lioness goddess in the Egyptian pantheon, Sekhmet.
@@bookworm7076 The thing is, previous children's literature is where parallels can be found more naturally. Caspian meets seven dwarves like Snow White, the children-eating giants are reminiscent of the Jack stories in English folklore, the griffin is a beast from Alice in Wonderland.
@@francescocarlini7613 C.S. Lewis drew inspiration from mythology, folklore, and fairy tales. So, fairy tales may have also helped inspire the giants and dwarfs in Narnia. Lewis Carroll also drew inspiration from mythology, which is why the Gryphon is a Wonderland resident. Plus, C.S. Lewis was friends with J.R.R. Tolkien and Tolkien drew some inspiration from Norse mythology to help him create Middle-earth. Rick Riordan even dedicated the second novel in his Magnus Chase series, "The Hammer of Thor," to J.R.R. Tolkien because Tolkien opened up the world of Norse mythology to him. I just hope Rick Riordan dedicates one of his future Camp Half-Blood tales to C.S. Lewis.
@@bookworm7076 I hope not, it would defeat the whole point of having a pagan, Jesus-free Harry Potter.
That reminds me of Camus's The Plague. I read it recently and it deals with the Absurd present in suffering. Although Camus portrayed faith as very negatively, his depticion of Father Paneloux is present in many churches even today. C. S. Lewis also deals with this Absurd, but goes to different conclusions than Camus.
Wonderful video. Who does the beautiful illustrations for your videos? They are amazing!
Thank you! I create them with a combination of digital tools, mostly Photoshop and MidJourney.
Nicely done. :)
Thanks to my friends at Soma Games!
i loved the first book sm
I love your channel
Nearly brought me to tears. Everything Lewisian touches my heart. Like Jack I was an unbeliever who became a Christian be cause Christianity is TRUE. One thing I've heard is that Digory is also based on his friend J R R Tolkien. I'm pretty sure that Ransom in the Space Trilogy was.
I so glad he was created I love him so much ❤
ANOTHER VIDEO YEAY