Aslan



Aslan, the Great Lion was the creator and ruler of Narnia. It was often repeated that he was "not a tame lion", since, despite his gentle and loving nature, he was powerful and could be dangerous. He was also the central, almighty deity of Narnian Christianity, son of the Emperor-Over-The-Sea and also the King of the Wood.

Creation
When human children Digory Kirke and Polly Plummer emerged from our Earth into the unborn World of Narnia, they witnessed, with Jadis from the World of Charn, a cab-driver named Frank, and his horse Strawberry, the Creation of Narnia. Aslan was the only living thing on the dark landscape, singing and thus causing the word around him to grow and begin the birth of life on the world. Beasts emerged from the ground along with trees, plants, and other Narnian species.

Aslan gave power to certain dumb beasts in order to form the council of highly intelligent, talking beasts of Narnia (including Strawberry who was renamed Fledge and grew wings). Aslan was arisen to Godlike status amongst all of these new Narnians. Frank became the first ruler of the Kingdom of Narnia. His second son became the first ruler of the neighboring country of Archenland, and the evil Jadis was ultimately banished to the north by Aslan.

Aslan's creation of this world "Narnia" was in fact merely a copy of his own land, Aslan's Country, which he duplicated in this way in order to be able to pick those who would be awarded salvation and thus only allow those he could trust and respect into his own world...leaving the others to quite possibly be condemned&mdash;although to where is never fully explained, but it is hinted to be the land of Tash.

White Witch's Usurpation


900 Narnian-years after Narnia's "birth", Jadis returned to Narnia, seized power, and ruled for one hundred years, punishing her disloyal Narnian subjects by magically placing a seemingless endless Age of Winter upon them for a complete century.

However, the Narnian creatures and people barely lost faith in their lord Aslan, always hoping he would return and defeat the "White Witch", which had become Jadis' new title.

However, Aslan summoned the Pevensies, a group of four British children from Earth to save Narnia. They learned of Narnia's predicament and soon were leading Aslan's Army in the skirmish at the Stone Table, with Aslan's thankful return.

Aslan dealt with the Witch so that he be killed and the others spared. However, when the Witch executed him, he was resurrected, proving he was the Narnian savior, and led the Narnians to victory in the Battle of Beruna where he personally killed the Witch.

Aslan's Missions
During all of the following stories of Narnia's history, from King Caspian X's struggle for power to the rescue of Prince Rilian, Aslan guided Narnian heroes and adventurers from Earth to protect the world and defend it from evil.

When Narnia was destroyed in Narnian-year 2555, Aslan judged every creature who has died. It turned out Aslan's Country is the real Narnia and the one that was destroyed was merely a copy.

Nature and Appearence
Generally Aslan takes the form of a great talking lion, symbolic of his role as 'king of the beasts', as most of Narnia's inhabitants are talking animals. However he has also taken the form of a cat (in The Horse and His Boy), an albatross and a lamb (both in The Voyage of the Dawn Treader).

Portrayals in film and television
In the 1988 BBC television adaptation of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, Aslan was voiced by Ronald Pickup.

In the 2005 film The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, he is voiced by Liam Neeson.

Trivia



 * Lewis origianally did not intend for Aslan to appear in any of the books, until the form of a lion appeared to him in a dream one night.
 * Lewis attempts to convey something of the ineffable mystery of the divine by frequently reminding his readers that "Aslan is not a tame lion."
 * The books also make reference to an Emperor-over-the-Sea, whose son Aslan is said to be; this further highlights his Christ-like status. The Emperor-over-the-Sea is similar to Eru Ilúvatar of J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth, in His separation from His creation, or considerable equivlent to God.
 * The words "aslan" and "arslan" are Farsi for "lion", with the word later being adopted in Turkish; it was used as a title by a number of rulers, including the notorious Ali Pasha.
 * Aslan appears in all seven books of the Chronicles of Narnia
 * Aslan represents Jesus Christ, according to the author, C. S. Lewis