Eric Fesmire
Mixture of Myths
Lots of writers have commented on the mixture of different mythological creatures and figures that are found in the Chronicles of Narnia. Various gods and goddesses existing from different mythological traditions interact and cohabit the world of Narnia. The story Lewis tells of his own conceiving of Narnia has this mixture quality. the image of a Faun standing by a modern lampost holding an umbrella on a snowy day reveals Lewis' deep imagination and integration in the mythos of the world. Only someone as learned as Lewis in myth could have come up with such an integrated story.
Still, despite the imaginative genius, many argue that this takes away from the story. By mixing and matching myths, piecing them together in an almost unnatural way, Lewis is combining elements that were never meant to be combined, confusing the original images and stories. In this way, Lewis' mythology in Narnia is borrowing from tradition but creating its own unique myth. It cannot be said to come from any tradition by itself but from the collective mythos of the world. Narnia is not a direct descendant of the Greek and Roman narratives, but rather nods to them in its pursuit of creating a new myth.
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