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The Narnia Code: C. S. Lewis and the Secret of the Seven Heavens

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*****

Richly rewarding and fun to read. Who knew a childhood favorite could be chock-full of scholarly brilliance? When I read Ward's first book, Planet Narnia: The Seven Heavens in the Imagination of C. S. Lewis, I rejoiced to learn of Lewis' subtle and complex literary methods, his "secret," and the rich theological and cosmological theory behind the "The Chronicles of Narnia." And then came this book...

"The Narnia Code" is easy-to-read, informative, and changes everything about what we thought of Narnia. Here, Ward impressively distills his previous scholarly research (which is extensive, to say the least!) in "Planet Narnia" into a fun, for-all-ages introduction to some of the most compelling stories of the twentieth century.

Ward has made what is probably the most impressive literary discovery of our time. He realized that C.S. Lewis' fascination with medieval scholasticism and worldview is connected to almost everything Lewis ever wrote. In short, each of the seven books in "The Chronicles of Narnia" captures or expresses the ethos, the atmosphere or the flavor, of one of the seven medieval planets. Santa Claus isn't random, but a brilliant positioning of a jovial character (joviality is, after all, the ethos of the planet Jupiter).

Clean, humble, and simply brilliant. Get a copy for your children. Get a copy for yourself. And read it before you re-read "The Chronicles of Narnia." It will bless you. If I were capable of guaranteeing this book, I would.

*****

The Narnia Code: C. S. Lewis and the Secret of the Seven Heavens


The Narnia Code is authored by Michael Ward on C.S. Lewis and the code or hidden meaning behind the seven part series: The Chronicles of Narnia. Tyndale House Publishers has provided me with a complimentary copy of this book. There are over 157 pages of intrigue and discussion concerning The Chronicles of Narnia; literature that has literally had a long lasting influence on our thinking. I personally have read many of Lewis' works and have always admired his life's story. Reading this book is a must for Lewis fans.

Some Lewis scholars have suggested this series was linked to classical virtues (e.g. faith, hope, love, justice, prudence, temperance, and courage). Others suggested they all had the unifying theme of the seven deadly sins (lust, gluttony, greed, sloth, anger, envy, and pride). Ward suggests that "none of these ideas proved to be the solution to the riddle." (Ward, pg. 13)

Ward insists that the code is in the seven planets (Jupiter, Mars, Sun, Moon, Mercury, Saturn, and Venus) that played a big part in Lewis' life-long interests and study of Middle Ages and Renaissance literature. Ward recounts that Lewis himself said most of his books were written "tous exo" (Greek) which is to say for "those outside". Lewis consciously uses this type of method so, as Jesus did with his parables, "those outside" may always be seeing and never perceiving. (Ward, pg. 11) Often times while reading the parables of Christ a first reading only reveals a certain level of meaning or understanding whereas a second or third reading will reveal much more.

George Sayer, a close friend of Lewis, said that Lewis or Jack, as he was also called, "never ceased to be secretive." (Ward, pg. 12) In fact, the movie Shadowlands is all about Lewis who got married and told no on what he had done for the most part of a year. Even his close friend, J.R.R. Tolkein, who did not like the Chronicles series, did not know. C.S. Lewis was known for his secrecy and wrote many books, even one of his last books, under different pen names (e.g. Clive Hamilton, N.W. Clerk).

Although chapter two does not discuss the seven planets it does discuss an issue that I wanted to share in this review. Chapter two is called "The Beam of Light" and Ward cites Psalms 36:9 here which says, "in your light do we see light." (ESV) Ward recalls Lewis' work "Meditation In A Toolshed" where he is making the point that we should "consider every question in both ways--both by "looking at" it and by "looking along" it. (Ward, pg. 17) An example given to illustrate this is falling in love. Whose opinion on falling in love would matter the most to you? A man who had fallen in love with a woman who is enjoying and looking along the light of love or the opinion of a scientist or sociologist who are only contemplating or looking at love? We can look at light and it can blind us momentarily; however, we can also look along the light as well and it illumines us or our surroundings. The latter, is when the light is invisible because you no longer see the light but see "by" the light. As Ward points out, Lewis's point was simply this: "Light is not something you see; it's something you see by." (Ward. pg. 19) It is by God's light that we can see thereby.

During the Middle Age period each planet, in the pre-Copernician world, had its own special symbol or influence. Ward makes the point, in the remainder of the book that each Chronicle contains symbolisms of each planet. Lewis felt that the universe, as it was understood in pre-Copernician times, was "tingling with life" whereas in post-Copernician times the Classical Physics have given us a universe more like a machine. This tingling of life referred to the way that we have viewed the planets and stars as something special.

What does this have to do with Christ? As Lewis has noted, Christ is the cosmic glue which holds our universe together. (Ward, pg. 20) Ward notes that "from the very start of the Bible, the stars have great significance...Creation story...God creates the stars "for signs and for seasons"...God makes the sun to "rule the day" and the moon to "rule the night" (Genesis 1:14, 16) (Ward, pg. 38) It was the Star of Bethlehem that led the wise men to Jesus; in Judges the stars are portrayed as angels; in Revelations 1:16, 20, 2:1 the Son of Man is holding the "seven stars in his right hand". Ward, who even lived in Lewis' old home and has lectured on him for years, believes that Lewis used the "symbolism of the seven heaven in this world as he wrote the Narnia books...each Chronicle...would embody and express the spiritual quality of on of the seven planets." (Ward, pg. 42) Below I will briefly list each Chronicle and its corresponding planet.

The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe - Jupiter
Prince Caspian - Mars
The Voyage of the Dawn Treader - Sun
The Silver Chair - Moon
The Horse and His Boy - Mercury
The Magician's Nephew - Venus
The Last Battle - Saturn

Since this is a review and not a spoiler I will discuss only one of the Chronicles and its planet - The Voyage of the Dawn Treader. This year (December 2010) Walden Media, who has already produced two of the Chronicles, will also produce their third film about this series, the Dawn Treader specifically. As previously mentioned, Ward believes this Chronicle is about the Sun.

In this Chronicle Caspian, Lucy and the others find a pool on a mysterious island. At the bottom of this pool they can see a life-sized figure of a man made of gold! Even as Edmund edges close to the water the tip of his boots turn to gold. Even the spear Edmund places into the water turns to gold! Everything the water touches turns into gold. The story gets better. Caspian picks up a spray of heather and dips it into the pool. Immediately it too turns into purest gold! Caspian begins to be stricken with greed and attempts to claim the land for himself and even renaming it "Goldwater Island". Edmund has a different plan than Caspian and a tussle erupts. It is at this point that, on the horizon, a huge lion begins to walk at a slow pace..."Nobody dared to ask what it was. They knew it was Aslan!" (Just as the disciples knew Jesus in John 21:12)

As Aslan appears bright and shining as if he was in the bright sunlight even though the sun was in fact gone. Aslan is clearly being portrayed here by means of Sun imagery. The pool that turns everything into gold is seen to be the evil of alchemy. This is why later Reepicheep would call the place "Deathwater Island" instead of Caspian's "Goldwater Island". The evil and desire of worldly riches is overpowering and creates division amongst the characters in this story. Only when they look toward Alsan do they become free of this greed for gold. "Aslan's riches bring life, not death." (Ward, pg. 72)

Lewis teaches us a powerful lesson that can be found in Psalm 19:10. God's ways are "More to be desired are they than gold, even much fine gold; sweeter also than honey and drippings of the honeycomb." It is the riches of God that can fill our longings with the purest and finest gold!

The Narnia Code: C. S. Lewis and the Secret of the Seven Heavens

The Chronicles of Narnia are probably my favorite books of all time. I have loved them since I was a young kid, and I have a box set with all the books. And as an adult I haven't stopped reading them over and over. Many people are fans of C.S. Lewis' The Chronicles of Narnia, and for decades readers and experts alike have tried to figure out what is behind these books. They have a sense of mystery and no one has been able to crack Lewis' "code". Michael Ward thinks he has done just that, and he documents his finds in The Narnia Code.

The Narnia Code by Michael Ward is a book that helps to shed light on the secrets that C.S. Lewis cleverly hid in his beloved Narnia books. Ward has studied Lewis' life for a long time, and after much research the answer dawned on him. He believes he has cracked the code that connects the clever and imaginative books. He outlines Lewis' connections to the seven planets of medieval cosmology- Jupiter, Mars, Sol, Luna, Mercury, Venus and Saturn and how they play into each book of his series.

From a Christian perspective Ward takes us through each book from the Chronicles of Narnia to share his code breaking theory. I loved hearing his ideas and how detailed the stories are to each theme. It was fun to see a little bit into Lewis' life and love of medieval cosmology and how he used that to write one of the world's greatest children's tales.

If you've always been curious about the Chronicles of Narnia you will enjoy this book. I feel like it opened my eyes to so many great new wonders from these books. I just read through the entire series last year, and I'm ready to pick them up again. Michael Ward has opened a whole new view for me, and I believe it's made me even fonder of the Narnia books.The Narnia Code: C. S. Lewis and the Secret of the Seven Heavens

Book Review: The Narnia Code by Michael Ward (Tyndale, 2010)
By Charlie W. Starr
Scholars are required to write lengthy, heavily footnoted tomes, carefully and logically presented, with not even the slightest minutiae left uncovered. In the case of Michael Ward's first book, Planet Narnia, the task was made more difficult by his need to prove a radical and controversial claim: that there is a secret third level of meaning in the Narnia books which Lewis intended and which no one has seen until now. Ward argued logically and with encyclopedic detail that he had indeed made such a discovery. This first book did the hard work, the work of a scholar. Now Michael Ward is back with The Narnia Code: C. S. Lewis and the Secret of the Seven Heavens to take us on the adventure of his amazing discovery, to show us Lewis's secret third level of meaning, and to explain why it matters to the Narnia books and to Christian lives.
When I first learned from Michael that he was writing a popular version of his scholarly book, I wondered how he was going to pull it off. What I have found in The Narnia Code is a readable, refreshing summary, application, and crystallization of his key ideas (with a few new arguments and evidences thrown in as well). I was immediately impressed by Ward's ability to shift from an academic style (his is quite readable even then) to an engaging, almost narrative style. I found myself drawn in on the first page of the book and felt like I was reading a story rather than a non-fiction discussion about stories. I was next impressed by the pace of the book--having read Planet Narnia, I could see Ward whizzing through what were pages of material (in the first book) in a matter of paragraphs in The Narnia Code.
And so, in chapter one, I got an immediate reminder--a highlight of significant points (which never felt like a cursory summary)--of the questions and issues which make Ward's discovery of the Narnia Code so important. To be sure, I wondered if Michael were going a little too "pop" with this popular version of his earlier work given the painful puns in several of the chapter sub-headings throughout the book (for example, "Give Father Christmas the Sack!"), but I never experienced a sense that content, if simplified, was presented in a patronizing fashion. As I said, in chapter one I was reminded of key problems which find their solution in Ward's discovery: how does Father Christmas fit into The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe? Why do some of the Narnia books seem to have strong biblical parallels while others don't? Are the flaws which critics (beginning with Tolkien) talk about really there? Did Lewis just write the books for a lark, or is it possible that their popularity stems from having been far more carefully worked out than critics have so far acknowledged or discerned? Ward tells us succinctly in chapter one why what he's going to reveal in the rest of his book matters.
In chapter two, Ward's narrative style continues as he offers us clues from Lewis's own writings which suggest the existence of a Narnia Code and Lewis's reasons for placing it secretly into his books. Here and throughout the book, Ward does what he did so well in his first book: he offers and then proves his arguments out of C. S. Lewis's own writings. His best argument, from Lewis's concept of the "Kappa Element" in literature, is more clear and forceful here in The Narnia Code than (my memory recalls it to be) in the first book. It's one of many solid proofs of Ward's claim.
And that claim is revealed in chapter three of The Narnia Code where the book inspires the kind of interest we'd find reading the climax of a mystery novel. The code which Ward discovered is that Lewis purposely organized his seven Narnia books using ideas and themes, images and symbols associated with the seven planets of the medieval cosmos: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe with Jupiter, Prince Caspian with Mars, The Voyage of the Dawn Treader with the Sun (considered a planet in medieval astronomy) and so on. And after revealing this code to us, Ward smartly turns to the question, "So what?" He tells us why we should be interested in the planets and the heavens, even making biblical connections to them and concluding with Lewis's own belief that the qualities of the planets as envisioned in the past "have a permanent value as spiritual symbols."
What follows then are seven chapters in which Ward shows us how the Narnia Code is played out in each of the seven books, one planet governing each book. Ward offers many of the same solid proofs of the code's existence which he offered in his first book. He gives answers to critical questions like the place of Father Christmas in Wardrobe (he is a symbol of Jupiter) while offering biblical and spiritual applications for the new meanings revealed by the Narnia Code. Among my favorite revelations from the Code are:
1. An explanation for the unity of the two major motifs in Prince Caspian of war and nature--Mars draws them together because he is not merely a god of war but a nature god as well: "Mars Silvanus."
2. An explanation for the presence of so many dragons in Voyage of the Dawn Treader--the Sun god, Apollo is known as Apollo the "lizard slayer" (I also like Ward's revelation of the theme of sanctification in Lewis's use of alchemy in this book).
3. The Mercurial connections in The Horse and His Boy which give a strong interpretation for the unity of the various plot elements in a book which otherwise seems almost random in its plot and its place among the other Narnia books.
The Venus and Saturn chapters were the only ones which did not engage me as much their counterparts in Planet Narnia, though I'm not exactly sure why; I would not, however, call them weak.
If I were to find weakness in Ward's book, it would only be after the fashion of a book critic who feels the compulsory need to say something bad about a book in order to appear fair, objective and haughtily sophisticated. Yes, I would've liked to have seen more of Ward's references to the significance of colors and metals from the first book which do not make it into this one, and yes I would've like to have seen more of Ward's explanation from Planet Narnia about the significance of "the wood between the world" in the new book, but I don't call these criticisms, just preferences.
The closest thing I can get to a negative critique is to point out that Ward didn't say anything about how controversial his discovery is among Lewis critics. In explaining Lewis's plan for the books, for example, Ward writes as if the evidence of Lewis's process were quite clear (when, for example, there are some letters from Lewis which several scholars offer as proof that Lewis had no grand design for the Narnia books). But then I answer my own critique: That's not what this book is for. Ward, answered the questions in his previous book, responded to the evidence (like the letters above) with sound arguments (both in Planet Narnia and since then on the internet), and has effectively answered the questions of scholarly critics since the last book was published. He's earned his stripes and earned the right to release a book which explains his discovery and its significance without getting bogged down in the questions of doubters. Like its predecessor, The Narnia Code reveals greater unity among the Narnia books, reveals greater meaning in them, answers critics who thought they found flaws in the books but really just couldn't read the code, and shows us for the time just how great a literary achievement the Narnia books are.
In the remaining chapters of The Narnia Code, Ward shows us how all seven of the Narnia books are about Christ, something critics have struggled to show for decades. He explains that our love for the books--their constant popularity--stems from Lewis placing deeper and more Christian meanings in them than we realized, but meanings which nevertheless have an impact on us. And he explains (without quite putting it in the words I'm using) how our modern approach to knowledge and truth (an approach even Christians have adopted without knowing it) has missed the mark. Lewis shows us a better (and I would argue more biblical) approach to knowing and truth, not by telling us what it is, but by showing us in an example--the subtle, deep meaningful, semi-conscious (even archetypally unconscious) method of storytelling according to a code never revealed until now.

In THE SILVER CHAIR, the three main characters stumble through a ruinous city in a snowstorm; only later, looking down from a great height, do they realize that all the channels and walls they traversed were spelling out the very sign they were looking for: "UNDER ME." Reading either of Ward's books, PLANET NARNIA or THE NARNIA CODE, is a rather similar experience. With Ward's help the long romp through the seven books of Narnia (much more pleasant than trudging through a snow storm, of course) can be seen as from a great height or distance. And what do we see; what does Ward show us? What, in fact, good readers of Lewis can't believe they didn't see years ago -- the medieval heavens that delighted Lewis's fertile mind and formed the core of his academic life. We stand dumbstruck at any number of things -- our own blindness, Ward's audacity, his thoroughness, and his complete success.

Though his insights are just a few years old and the field of Lewis studies is large and growing, Ward's view of the Narniad seems poised to sweep the field. Alan Jacobs, author of THE NARNIAN, treats Ward's view as established fact in the new Cambridge Companion to Lewis -- high and serious praise indeed.

If you find PLANET NARNIA, which I believe is essentially his PhD dissertation, daunting, this is the book for you. It is masterful; virtually every page brings a gasp of "Oh, how clever!"; and, for adult readers for whom Narnia is a familiar country, it offers an experience close to seeing Narnia again for the first time.

When Tyndale e-mailed me offering to send me a complimentary copy of Michael Ward's book The Narnia Code, I was wary. Was this going to be a conspiracy theory book claiming that CS Lewis wasn't really a Christian? I had no need for a book like that. However, after doing a little research I found out that Ward is a big fan of CS Lewis and even lived at the Kilns, Lewis' old home. He wasn't going to slander Lewis' name. I gave Tyndale the go ahead.

In The Narnia Code, Ward explains his theory that CS Lewis based each of the books in the Chronicles of Narnia on one of the pre-Copernican planets--the sun, the moon, Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn. Lewis was extremely familiar with the medieval views of the heavens, in which the Earth was the center of the universe and everything else circled around it. Each planet had certain characteristics attributed to it, which Ward claims go along with the Narnian Chronicles. For example, Prince Caspian has the spirit of Mars, the war planet. In most of the books the greatest evidence of the spirit of the planet is found in how Aslan is portrayed.

I have to admit, Ward makes a good case. His theory explains some of the random things Lewis put in the Narnia books, like Father Christmas appearing in The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, and Bacchus appearing in Prince Caspian. I wouldn't go to my death defending his ideas, but I do think what he said is possible. The evidence he gives makes sense.

The Narnia Code is a good read for any Lewis fan (and you'll want to be familiar with The Chronicles of Narnia before reading The Narnia Code). As someone who is quite familiar with Lewis, I learned quite a bit, not only about the Chronicles of Narnia, but also about his science fiction trilogy (of which I'm a huge fan), and Lewis himself. Ward also touches on history and science. Really, it's quite the informative book. It is, however, a bit on the academic side. It reads a little like a very long research paper, but an interesting research paper. Interesting, but not intriguing--it was easy to put down, and sometimes I would forget to pick it back up for a while. Once I did pick it back, however, I almost always found something interesting in it.

If you're like me and have a wall hanging made from the pages of The Magicians' Nephew, give this book a try. Okay, even if you don't have Narnian themed décor I think you'll still enjoy it.

I grew up loving C.S. Lewis's The Chronicles of Narnia. As I got older, I also read some of his other works, including The Space Trilogy, Mere Christianity, and Till We Have Faces. I even took a class on Lewis in college. I've long listed Lewis as one of my favorite authors, so I jumped at the chance to review Michael Ward's The Narnia Code: C.S. Lewis and the Secret of the Seven Heavens. I'm so glad I did.

An adaptation of Ward's own Planet Narnia, The Narnia Code shows how Lewis based each of the Narnia chronicles on one of the seven planets (as they were known in medieval times). In defending his theories, Ward draws not only from the Chronicles themselves but also from Lewis's other writings (making me very glad I'd previously read The Space Trilogy!), other scholars' writings about Lewis, and Roman mythology. Though I never would have made these connections on my own, they are quite apparent when the evidence is laid out by Ward.

The Narnia Code is easy to read and understand, and it gives great insight into the beloved Chronicles. I highly recommend this book to anyone who's ever read the Narnia books; it will deepen your appreciation for Lewis and give you a longing to read the books again in light of this new information!

***I received a complimentary copy of this book for review from Tyndale House Publishers. I was not required to write a positive review, and the opinions expressed are my own.***

I didn't read The Chronicles of Narnia as a child. {I know I really missed out!} But in college after buying the books for my fiance at the time, I decided to read them. {Plus the movie looked really good!} I recognized the imagery of Christ as Aslan but could tell there were deeper meanings to the stories. Ward attempts to explain his theory of The Narnia Code based on Medieval Astronomy. Once he lays the ground work, it actually makes a lot of sense and he writes in a way that even I could understand what he is trying to say.
If you have ever been interested in the layers of the stories in The Chronicles of Narnia, I highly recommend this book. I was truly blown away and think anyone who enjoyed the stories and appreciates CS Lewis` work will love and respect this book and author. This book will prompt you, as it did me, to reread the Chronicles and there you will notice the "influences" of the Sun and Moon. You will see how Lewis inter twines the heavens worshiping God to Narnia reflecting His ever present glory.

Tyndale House Publishers has provided me with a complimentary copy of this book.

Do you remember when you first read "The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe" by C.S. Lewis? Many people, like me, trace their love of fantasy fiction back to that moment. As I gobbled up each of the seven books of the Chronicles of Narnia series, I entered a world of knights, chivalry, valor, magic and wonder -- that awakened in me a fresh wonder at the divine influence in all of life.

As I went on to other fantasy tales, largely by Christian authors such as J.R.R. Tolkien and Stephen Lawhead, I encountered more intricate worlds and elaborate tales than what I found in Narnia. But the overt symbolism in the first Narnian tale, hinted at so much more beneath the surface of the Narnia tales. Reading Lewis' space trilogy I once again encountered symbolism that I couldn't quite grasp, but that was alluring and powerful nonetheless.

So a few years ago, when I learned of a new book by Michael Ward entitled "Planet Narnia: The Seven Heavens in the Imagination of C. S. Lewis", I was captivated and just had to get it. That scholarly tome, whose hardback edition boasted 347 pages and almost 60 pages of endnotes, was a delight to work through. Bit by bit, Ward shared the thrill of his discovery -- the long sought after, unifying key to the Narnia stories. It was a bit of a chore to go through all the scholarly citations, but along the way I learned a great deal about all of Lewis' works, not just the Narnian chronicles.

Now, however, the fruit of Ward's scholarly research is available for a wider, general market audience. Based on an earlier documentary/DVD, Tyndale House has published an accessible paperback entitled "The Narnia Code: C. S. Lewis and the Secret of the Seven Heavens".

I was able to pick up this smaller book from Tyndale. It's only 191 pages with an easy to read font. To be sure, some of the finer points from Planet Narnia don't find their way into the condensed edition. Still, one will find all the joy (and significance) of Ward's discovery, a fascinating explanation of the pre-Copernican planetary model, and a detailed exposition of each Narnian chronicle according to the new insights gained from Ward's study. The interested reader could certainly move on from "The Narnia Code" to "Planet Narnia" if he or she so chose, but most will be satisfied by the tale as told in the smaller work.

I don't want to ruin the book by explaining in detail all of Ward's discoveries. I will just note that he finds a planetary connection between Lewis the scholar's appreciation for the pre-Copernican view of the planets as influencing mankind in various ways, and Lewis the author's intricate method of creating a unique atmosphere that permeates each of his seven Narnian tales.

I can say this, however, you will be convinced by Ward's discovery. And it will give new life to the Chronicles of Narnia. You'll never read them the same way again. And Christ's glory will be seen anew in all its wonder, illuminated in many small yet wonderful ways by Lewis' intricate crafting of these wildly popular stories.

Disclaimer: This book was provided by Tyndale House Publishers for review. The reviewer was under no obligation to offer a favorable review.

Just like its "Big Brother" Planet Narnia - The Narnia Code is full of information and insight into Lewis and his expansive, cosmic, view of things, and the intriguing thesis of how Lewis wove the Narnia tales around the Seven Heavens. A recommended book for all!