A Brief Comparison of Literary Magic

“’It means, ‘ said Aslan, ‘that though the Witch knew the Deep Magic, there is a magic deeper still which she did not know. Her knowledge goes back only to the dawn of time. But if she could have looked a little further back, into the stillness and darkness before Time dawned, she would have read there a different incantation. She would have known that when a willing victim who had committed no treachery was killed in a traitor’s stead, the Table would crack and Death itself would start working backward. And now…” (The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe Chapter Fifteen, Deeper Magic from Before the Dawn of Time)

“’But I knew, too, where Voldemort was weak. And so I made my decision. You would be protected by an ancient magic of which he knows, which he despises, and which he has always, therefore, underestimated – to his cost. I am speaking, of course, of the fact that your mother died to save you. She gave you a lingering protection he never expected, a protection that flows in your veins to this day. I put my trust, therefore, in your mother’s blood…Your mother’s sacrifice made the bond of blood the strongest shield I could give you.” (Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix Chapter Thirty-Seven, The Lost Prophecy)

I was struck with the similarities in these two passages over the summer when I read the Potter series for the fourth time through, this time my UK version. Wow, I don’t know how I missed it before, but Lewis’s and Rowling’s words are so in sync with each other. Granted, I’m sure Rowling has read Lewis, but I can find no where that she says she had a copy of Lion, Witch, Wardrobe open next to her while she wrote this section of Phoenix. It just goes to show that truth is truth, and God’s truth will spill out in the most seemingly unlikely of places. I know JKR is a Christian and I’m sure her church life, while not super American evangelical, will naturally come out in her writing. As I look at these passages together, I can’t but laugh at the scores of parents who allow there children to read the Chronicles of Narnia, but shun Potter because it contains “magic.”

I could go on with more examples of not only Lewis’s use of incantational magic in his stories. I could point out that Tolkien’s Gandalf is indeed called a “wizard” and for all intents and purposes uses “magic” on more than one occasion. I could go on about Madeleine L’Engle’s science fiction works and the roles Mrs. Whatsit, Mrs. Who, and Mrs. Which play in aiding Meg. All of these authors are Christians and they all employ the use of magic in their writings.

I’ll leave this post with some wisdom from L’Engle, “‎"When we write a story, we must write to the absolute best of our ability. That is the job, first and foremost. If we are truly Christian, that will be evident, no matter what the topic. If we are not truly Christian, that will also be evident, no matter how pious the tale.”