Original Research
Leonine imagery in C.S. Lewis’s series The Chronicles of Narnia
Literator | Vol 40, No 1 | a1558 |
DOI: https://doi.org/10.4102/lit.v40i1.1558
| © 2019 Dianne Shober
| This work is licensed under CC Attribution 4.0
Submitted: 03 October 2018 | Published: 11 June 2019
Submitted: 03 October 2018 | Published: 11 June 2019
About the author(s)
Dianne Shober, Department of English and Comparative Literature, University of Fort Hare, East London, South AfricaAbstract
Throughout the centuries, lion images have figured prominently in literature, art, heraldry and statuary. In Chinese art, for instance, lions appear more predominantly than dragons as guardians of buildings and temples, whereas across Europe, warriors surged across continents conquering under the image of the roaring lion emblazoned on their monarchs’ flags. Furthermore, numerous cultures and religious traditions symbolically embody their rulers, both divine and temporal, using leonine imagery. Through an investigation of this imagic representation, this article will explore the selection of the lion, Aslan, as the spiritual depiction of the Christ-figure in C.S. Lewis’ series The Chronicles of Narnia.
Keywords
Imagery; symbolism; lion; spirituality; tradition; literature; C.S. Lewis.
Metrics
Total abstract views: 3646Total article views: 5897
Crossref Citations
1. Belonging, Memory and Subaltern Voices: Reflecting on Sindiwe Magona’sTo my Children’s Children
Puleng Segalo
Eastern African Literary and Cultural Studies vol: 6 issue: 3 first page: 189 year: 2020
doi: 10.1080/23277408.2020.1785669