Charn
Encyclopedia
Charn is a fictional city appearing in the 1955 book The Magician's Nephew
, book six in C. S. Lewis
's Chronicles of Narnia, written as a prequel to The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. In the book, Charn is described as a very large and completely deserted city that is in a semi-ruined state. There is no visible presence of life in this city, not even weeds or insects. There is mention of a vine existing in one of the courtyards. However, according to the book, it had died long ago. The river that once flowed through Charn is completely dried up, and there is no water to be found.
What little information is given about Charn comes from Jadis
. According to her, Charn was once the greatest city of her (unnamed) world, "the wonder of all worlds". It was ruled by a line of magically-adept emperors and empresses, descended from Djinn and giants, of which the last was Empress Jadis. By the time the protagonists enter, the world is now an arid wasteland, with no living organisms to be seen anywhere, and the city on the brink of collapse.
Magic may have been widely used by the Charnish culture; Jadis referred to the common use of magic carpets for transportation. However, its use was apparently limited to the nobility, who inherited inborn magical powers. Jadis dismissed Andrew Ketterley, Digory's magician uncle, as an amateur conjurer without a drop of real magic blood in his veins, saying, "Your kind was put an end to in my world a thousand years ago."
Apparently dragon
s were also once abundant in Charn, and in the service of the royal and noble families.
The Hall of Images in the royal palace exhibits lifelike images of the past rulers of Charn, all of them remarkably tall and incredibly beautiful, and all of them crowned and seated upon thrones. These images tell a story of a world which was once benevolent but degenerated into a cruel, tyrannical empire. The first generations were kind and wise but the lineup progressively degrades into corruption and evil. The last queen of Charn was Jadis
; however, there are numerous empty thrones after her, symbolising a premature end to the dynasty of Charn.
Once the Emperors and Empresses of Charn were kind and decent, but as the centuries passed quickly became sadistic and malevolent, seeing their subjects as property to be killed if they deemed it necessary. Slavery
was once common in Charn, as was human sacrifice
.
As Jadis leads the children through the decaying palace, the locations she informs them of portray the cruelty of Charn and its leaders. She points out dungeons and torture chambers to them, and gloats that her great-grandfather invited seven hundred nobles to a banquet
and slaughtered them all "before they had drunk their fill", for they had allegedly had "rebellious thoughts."
Jadis is responsible for the eradication of all life in Charn, but blamed the destruction on her sister
; claiming she had offered to spare her sister's life if she surrendered, so the resulting destruction was the nameless sister's fault. Jadis obliterated her kingdom and all its people rather than relinquish her power over them.
According to Jadis' own account, her sister had tried to usurp the throne from her, starting a long and murderous civil war. Apparently there was a solemn oath between Jadis and her unidentified sister that neither side would use magic; a pact broken by the sister, which was most likely the reason for Jadis' army being destroyed and leaving her helpless. Finally, facing defeat, Jadis spoke the Deplorable Word
which annihilated all living things under the Sun apart from herself.
After this, she put herself into an enchanted sleep in the Hall of Images. This enchanted slumber
last for countless millennia; long enough for all water in Charn to dry up and vanish forever, and long enough for the once magnificent city to crumble into ruin. Apparently all the furniture and treasures in Charn rotted away long ago as well, as there is no mention of the palace being furnished.
The spell which bound Jadis was broken when Digory Kirke
— who had arrived in Charn with Polly Plummer
— succumbed to temptation and rang a bell in the royal palace where Jadis slumbered, along with images of her royal ancestors, after reading a verse which hinted that he would be driven mad by curiosity if he did not do so.
Charn's Sun is a red giant
described as red, large, and cold; it also has a solitary companion (either a planet
, or a moon
, or a blue dwarf star). When Digory asks Jadis about the sun's appearance, she asks him to compare it to our world's Sun. When informed that our sun is yellow, brighter, smaller and "gives off a good deal more heat," she remarks, "Ah, so yours is a younger world."
Charn was described as being completely destroyed after Jadis and the children left. Later, when Aslan and the children are in the Wood between the Worlds
, Aslan shows them that the puddle leading to Charn is dried up, meaning that the empty world is destroyed. It is not clear whether this was due to the red giant collapsing, the departure of the last living person of that world, or the power of Aslan. Jadis entered Narnia with the other humans from our world and, after 900 years, became the White Witch
in The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
, ruling that land for 100 years until Aslan returned and defeated her with the aid of the four Pevensie children.
concerning the biblical
city of Nineveh
. There are also similarities between the world of Charn, and the Biblical cities of Sodom and Gomorrah
, two cities whose depravity and wickedness resulted in their own devastation. Judging from the expressions of the waxwork images of Jadis' ancestors, it is apparent that while her race started out being gentle and wise, they later became corrupt. This has a parallel in J. R. R. Tolkien
's depictions of the Kings of Númenor
(Lewis and Tolkien were friends). The hall of waxworks may also be inspired by the underground grotto of mummies in King Solomon's Mines
, an image which Lewis found very powerful. The name "Charn" suggests "charnel house
," a repository for human skeletal remains.
The Magician's Nephew
The Magician's Nephew is a fantasy novel for children written by C. S. Lewis. It was the sixth book published in his The Chronicles of Narnia series, but is the first in the chronology of the Narnia novels' fictional universe. Thus it is an early example of a prequel.The novel is initially set in...
, book six in C. S. Lewis
C. S. Lewis
Clive Staples Lewis , commonly referred to as C. S. Lewis and known to his friends and family as "Jack", was a novelist, academic, medievalist, literary critic, essayist, lay theologian and Christian apologist from Belfast, Ireland...
's Chronicles of Narnia, written as a prequel to The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. In the book, Charn is described as a very large and completely deserted city that is in a semi-ruined state. There is no visible presence of life in this city, not even weeds or insects. There is mention of a vine existing in one of the courtyards. However, according to the book, it had died long ago. The river that once flowed through Charn is completely dried up, and there is no water to be found.
What little information is given about Charn comes from Jadis
White Witch
Jadis is the main antagonist of The Magician's Nephew and of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe in C.S. Lewis' series, The Chronicles of Narnia...
. According to her, Charn was once the greatest city of her (unnamed) world, "the wonder of all worlds". It was ruled by a line of magically-adept emperors and empresses, descended from Djinn and giants, of which the last was Empress Jadis. By the time the protagonists enter, the world is now an arid wasteland, with no living organisms to be seen anywhere, and the city on the brink of collapse.
Magic may have been widely used by the Charnish culture; Jadis referred to the common use of magic carpets for transportation. However, its use was apparently limited to the nobility, who inherited inborn magical powers. Jadis dismissed Andrew Ketterley, Digory's magician uncle, as an amateur conjurer without a drop of real magic blood in his veins, saying, "Your kind was put an end to in my world a thousand years ago."
Apparently dragon
Dragon
A dragon is a legendary creature, typically with serpentine or reptilian traits, that feature in the myths of many cultures. There are two distinct cultural traditions of dragons: the European dragon, derived from European folk traditions and ultimately related to Greek and Middle Eastern...
s were also once abundant in Charn, and in the service of the royal and noble families.
The Hall of Images in the royal palace exhibits lifelike images of the past rulers of Charn, all of them remarkably tall and incredibly beautiful, and all of them crowned and seated upon thrones. These images tell a story of a world which was once benevolent but degenerated into a cruel, tyrannical empire. The first generations were kind and wise but the lineup progressively degrades into corruption and evil. The last queen of Charn was Jadis
White Witch
Jadis is the main antagonist of The Magician's Nephew and of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe in C.S. Lewis' series, The Chronicles of Narnia...
; however, there are numerous empty thrones after her, symbolising a premature end to the dynasty of Charn.
Once the Emperors and Empresses of Charn were kind and decent, but as the centuries passed quickly became sadistic and malevolent, seeing their subjects as property to be killed if they deemed it necessary. Slavery
Slavery
Slavery is a system under which people are treated as property to be bought and sold, and are forced to work. Slaves can be held against their will from the time of their capture, purchase or birth, and deprived of the right to leave, to refuse to work, or to demand compensation...
was once common in Charn, as was human sacrifice
Human sacrifice
Human sacrifice is the act of killing one or more human beings as part of a religious ritual . Its typology closely parallels the various practices of ritual slaughter of animals and of religious sacrifice in general. Human sacrifice has been practised in various cultures throughout history...
.
As Jadis leads the children through the decaying palace, the locations she informs them of portray the cruelty of Charn and its leaders. She points out dungeons and torture chambers to them, and gloats that her great-grandfather invited seven hundred nobles to a banquet
Banquet
A banquet is a large meal or feast, complete with main courses and desserts. It usually serves a purpose such as a charitable gathering, a ceremony, or a celebration, and is often preceded or followed by speeches in honour of someone....
and slaughtered them all "before they had drunk their fill", for they had allegedly had "rebellious thoughts."
Jadis is responsible for the eradication of all life in Charn, but blamed the destruction on her sister
Victim blaming
Victim blaming occurs when the victim of a crime, an accident, or any type of abusive maltreatment are held entirely or partially responsible for the transgressions committed against them. Blaming the victim has traditionally emerged especially in racist and sexist forms...
; claiming she had offered to spare her sister's life if she surrendered, so the resulting destruction was the nameless sister's fault. Jadis obliterated her kingdom and all its people rather than relinquish her power over them.
According to Jadis' own account, her sister had tried to usurp the throne from her, starting a long and murderous civil war. Apparently there was a solemn oath between Jadis and her unidentified sister that neither side would use magic; a pact broken by the sister, which was most likely the reason for Jadis' army being destroyed and leaving her helpless. Finally, facing defeat, Jadis spoke the Deplorable Word
Deplorable Word
The Deplorable Word, as used in The Magician's Nephew, by author C. S. Lewis, is a magical curse which ends all life in the fictional world of Charn except that of the one who speaks it. Lewis does not explicitly link the Deplorable Word to nuclear weapons, but he certainly makes allusions to the...
which annihilated all living things under the Sun apart from herself.
After this, she put herself into an enchanted sleep in the Hall of Images. This enchanted slumber
Suspended animation
Suspended animation is the slowing of life processes by external means without termination. Breathing, heartbeat, and other involuntary functions may still occur, but they can only be detected by artificial means. Extreme cold can be used to precipitate the slowing of an individual's functions; use...
last for countless millennia; long enough for all water in Charn to dry up and vanish forever, and long enough for the once magnificent city to crumble into ruin. Apparently all the furniture and treasures in Charn rotted away long ago as well, as there is no mention of the palace being furnished.
The spell which bound Jadis was broken when Digory Kirke
Digory Kirke
Digory Kirke is a fictional character from C. S. Lewis' fantasy series The Chronicles of Narnia. He is in three of the seven books: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, The Magician's Nephew, and The Last Battle, and is mentioned in The Voyage of the Dawn Treader.In the 2005 film The Chronicles...
— who had arrived in Charn with Polly Plummer
Polly Plummer
Polly Plummer is a major fictional character from C. S. Lewis's fantasy series The Chronicles of Narnia. She appears in two of the seven books: The Magician's Nephew and The Last Battle.-The Magician's Nephew:...
— succumbed to temptation and rang a bell in the royal palace where Jadis slumbered, along with images of her royal ancestors, after reading a verse which hinted that he would be driven mad by curiosity if he did not do so.
Charn's Sun is a red giant
Red giant
A red giant is a luminous giant star of low or intermediate mass in a late phase of stellar evolution. The outer atmosphere is inflated and tenuous, making the radius immense and the surface temperature low, somewhere from 5,000 K and lower...
described as red, large, and cold; it also has a solitary companion (either a planet
Planet
A planet is a celestial body orbiting a star or stellar remnant that is massive enough to be rounded by its own gravity, is not massive enough to cause thermonuclear fusion, and has cleared its neighbouring region of planetesimals.The term planet is ancient, with ties to history, science,...
, or a moon
Moon
The Moon is Earth's only known natural satellite,There are a number of near-Earth asteroids including 3753 Cruithne that are co-orbital with Earth: their orbits bring them close to Earth for periods of time but then alter in the long term . These are quasi-satellites and not true moons. For more...
, or a blue dwarf star). When Digory asks Jadis about the sun's appearance, she asks him to compare it to our world's Sun. When informed that our sun is yellow, brighter, smaller and "gives off a good deal more heat," she remarks, "Ah, so yours is a younger world."
Charn was described as being completely destroyed after Jadis and the children left. Later, when Aslan and the children are in the Wood between the Worlds
Wood between the Worlds
The Wood between the Worlds is a linking room location in The Magician's Nephew, part of The Chronicles of Narnia series by C. S. Lewis.-The Magician's Nephew:...
, Aslan shows them that the puddle leading to Charn is dried up, meaning that the empty world is destroyed. It is not clear whether this was due to the red giant collapsing, the departure of the last living person of that world, or the power of Aslan. Jadis entered Narnia with the other humans from our world and, after 900 years, became the White Witch
White Witch
Jadis is the main antagonist of The Magician's Nephew and of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe in C.S. Lewis' series, The Chronicles of Narnia...
in The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe is a fantasy novel for children by C. S. Lewis. Published in 1950 and set circa 1940, it is the first-published book of The Chronicles of Narnia and is the best known book of the series. Although it was written and published first, it is second in the series'...
, ruling that land for 100 years until Aslan returned and defeated her with the aid of the four Pevensie children.
Commentary
Some believe that Charn stands for the natural progression of human depravity. There is a striking similarity between Jadis's description of the life and death of her city and the text of the prophetic book of NahumNahum
Nahum was a minor prophet whose prophecy is recorded in the Hebrew Bible. His book comes in chronological order between Micah and Habakkuk in the Bible. He wrote about the end of the Assyrian Empire, and its capital city, Nineveh, in a vivid poetic style....
concerning the biblical
Bible
The Bible refers to any one of the collections of the primary religious texts of Judaism and Christianity. There is no common version of the Bible, as the individual books , their contents and their order vary among denominations...
city of Nineveh
Nineveh
Nineveh was an ancient Assyrian city on the eastern bank of the Tigris River, and capital of the Neo Assyrian Empire. Its ruins are across the river from the modern-day major city of Mosul, in the Ninawa Governorate of Iraq....
. There are also similarities between the world of Charn, and the Biblical cities of Sodom and Gomorrah
Sodom and Gomorrah
Sodom and Gomorrah were cities mentioned in the Book of Genesis and later expounded upon throughout the Hebrew Bible, the New Testament and Deuterocanonical sources....
, two cities whose depravity and wickedness resulted in their own devastation. Judging from the expressions of the waxwork images of Jadis' ancestors, it is apparent that while her race started out being gentle and wise, they later became corrupt. This has a parallel in J. R. R. Tolkien
J. R. R. Tolkien
John Ronald Reuel Tolkien, CBE was an English writer, poet, philologist, and university professor, best known as the author of the classic high fantasy works The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings, and The Silmarillion.Tolkien was Rawlinson and Bosworth Professor of Anglo-Saxon at Pembroke College,...
's depictions of the Kings of Númenor
Númenor
Númenor is a fictional place in J. R. R. Tolkien's writings. It was a huge island located in the Sundering Seas to the west of Middle-earth, the main setting of Tolkien's writings, and was known to be the greatest realm of Men...
(Lewis and Tolkien were friends). The hall of waxworks may also be inspired by the underground grotto of mummies in King Solomon's Mines
King Solomon's Mines
King Solomon's Mines is a popular novel by the Victorian adventure writer and fabulist Sir H. Rider Haggard. It tells of a search of an unexplored region of Africa by a group of adventurers led by Allan Quatermain for the missing brother of one of the party...
, an image which Lewis found very powerful. The name "Charn" suggests "charnel house
Charnel house
A charnel house is a vault or building where human skeletal remains are stored. They are often built near churches for depositing bones that are unearthed while digging graves...
," a repository for human skeletal remains.