Digory Kirke

"Why don't they teach logic at these schools?"

- Digory Kirke

Digory Kirke (1888-1949) was a human male from London who traveled to Narnia. He was one of the few humans, along with Polly Plummer, to witness both the creation and destruction of Narnia.

Biography
As a young boy in London, England, Digory lived with his Aunt Letty and Uncle Andrew (Letty and Andrew were siblings, not spouses). It was during this time that Digory befriended Polly, which led to his first trip to Narnia.

Decades later, when he was known to the Pevensies as Professor Kirke, his wardrobe became the door by which Lucy, Edmund, Peter and Susan entered (and later exited) Narnia.The wardrobe itself was carved from a tree he planted as a child after the tree had been blown over by a storm. When Lucy told the others about her visit to Narnia, Digory was the first person to believe her, perhaps recalling his own trip to that world. He never told them of his trip there as a young boy and unless Aslan told the Pevensies of his trip, they may have never known of his adventures there.

The following years, it was said Digory lost his fortune, which explains why Edmund and Lucy stayed with their cousin Eustace Scrubb when their parents went abroad.

He died in 1949 along with Polly, Peter, Edmund, Lucy, Eustace, and Jill Pole, in a railway accident in London.

Digory, along with the six others who perished in the accident were known as the Seven Friends of Narnia. He was often heard saying, "What do they teach them at these schools?"

Witnessing the Creation of Narnia
While as a young boy, he and Polly Plummer first visited Narnia via magic rings. His Uncle Andrew made the rings that allowed its wearers to travel to other worlds (of completely different universes) by passing through the Wood Between the Worlds. Uncle Andrew first tricked Polly into trying on the ring. When she disappeared, Andrew blackmailed Digory to try to retrieve her with another ring. After passing through the Wood Between the World and finding Polly, the two decide to jump into a random pool. This pool led to Charn where Digory broke an enchantment, accidentally releasing its evil empress Jadis (later known as the White Witch), who followed Digory and Polly back into the Wood. Though she was weak there, the empress managed to arrive with Digory and Polly back in London by the use of chain-magic.

Jadis caused a good deal of commotion in the city which led Digory, Polly, Andrew, and Jadis, along with a cab driver and his horse, to the newly born world of Narnia. It was here that the world's creator, Aslan, sent Digory on a journey which saw a magical tree, The Tree of Protection, grow in Narnia, keeping Jadis from attacking Narnia for centuries. Digory took a piece of fruit from tree back to Earth and gave it to his mother to eat, healing her of her illness. When the fruit was eaten to its core, Digory took the core and planted it in his yard. The tree that grew as a result as the same tree that he used to create the wardrobe that sent the Pevensies to Narnia.

Witnessing the Destruction of Narnia
During the final days of Narnia, King Tirian called the Seven Friends of Narnia, who were all on Earth, for help. Digory suggested that they can only enter Narnia was by using the rings his uncle made years ago. Peter and Edmund were tasked to retrieve them; the other five took a trip by train to meet them. The trip led to the railway accident which took the lives of all seven, however. It was through this accident that they were sent to Narnia one last time, each one feeling no pain from the accident but instead feeling invigorated by being in Narnia.

As the final battle came to its conclusion, bringing with it the destruction of Narnia, Digory and the other seven friends, accompanied Aslan and those faithful to him into Aslan's Country where they would live forever.

Digory Kirke