“Then he [Aslan] isn’t safe?” said Lucy.
“Safe?” said Mr. Beaver; “don’t you hear what Mrs. Beaver tells you? Who said anything about safe? ‘Course he isn’t safe. But he’s good….”
–The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe
Inspiration has struck again! While I had been planning on introducing you to other setting elements in and around the Citadel, instead I feel the need to return to the cosmic battle between Good and Evil that shapes Alyria. I have shown you the dragons and discussed their evil. Now it is time to show you the other side of the war.
I find it frustrating that the portrayal of Good is usually so weak in many different places. Images of Evil in fantasy conjure up mighty armies, hideous monsters, and mighty magics. Images of Good, on the other hand, end up being cutesy, pretty things. Tweeting birds. Dancing fairies. Glowing rainbows. Bleh. Not much of a contest, is it? Don’t we usually see the evil despoiling orcs/ur-viles/Trollocs/whatever rampaging through the delicate beauty that is supposed to represent Good? I have to tell you, if Good is truly just composed of the delicate nature so often portrayed, there is not much hope for the world. Instead, I would like to offer a different image.
I have spent so much time rambling about The Book of the New Sun that I have not given sufficient credit to the other major inspiration for Alyria. This other source is none other than The Lord of the Rings. Now, I know that in this “enlightened” age, it is considered acceptable to disrespect the good Professor for his tale. It is also the norm for many to misinterpret his work. Certainly The Lord of the Rings is not perfect; the good Professor can be fairly long-winded at times and his poetry is sometimes lacking. However, The Lord of the Rings understands one very critical point: fantasy is about morality. Something that impressed me about the trailer that I saw for the upcoming movie is that this concept is actually captured and expressed. The Lord of the Rings is about corruption and holiness, the sacred and the profane, Good and Evil. It is about counting the cost to do Good and the violent, violent struggle between the two. Those that draw the roots of hack-and-slash fantasy to The Lord of the Rings miss the point dreadfully. Frodo was not just “going adventuring”; he was embarking on the ultimate struggle against Evil, both without and within.
Recently I reread The Lord of the Rings in order to gain further insights for Alyria and something struck me that I had not previously noticed. In short, the Ents impacted upon my mind for the first time. For those of you who do not know, Ents are a race of beings that stand somewhere between tree and animal. They were created in order to guard the trees and shepherd them. They live as long as trees and have the patience to match. “Mustn’t be too hasty” is their motto. And yet, if their anger is aroused, it is terrifying. In The Lord of the Rings they are finally stirred to war against the traitor wizard Saruman, who lives in Isengard, a natural fortress carved from the very mountains. This does not stop them, though, as they are fully capable of tearing off large chunks of stone with their bare hands, just like a tree can split stones with its roots. They emerge from the woods and, when attacked from within, assault the very stones, tearing apart the walls that protect Isengard. They level this great fortress with their bare hands. The description of the wreckage is astounding. The level of violence unleashed by the Ents is almost beyond belief. In fact, it is a little frightening
As I was reading this, a thought entered my head. “And these are the good guys!” It was a fascinating thought. Here was a picture of good far removed from the normal images of sylvan glades and butterfly wings. Instead, the image was closer to a pent-up storm, unleashed in titanic fury. Here was a terrifying, frightening picture of Good.
C.S. Lewis understood this as well when he created his character Aslan the Lion for the Chronicles of Narnia. Anyone who has read these books can attest to the power of this single character to grasp the imagination. Aslan is completely good. In fact, he is the wise, rightful ruler of the land of Narnia and all lands beyond. He loves his subjects very much and takes good care of the children who are brought into Narnia. And yet…. He can be the most terrifying character in the book, too. His gentleness does not in any way imply his weakness. If anything, it shows that his tremendous strength is under complete control. This paints a wonderful picture of Good.
Why should Good be terrible? It is quite simple actually. I think that most of us would acknowledge that we do not attain to the moral standards to which we are called. True Good is also true justice. Could any of us, even at our best, measure up to the exacting standard of Good? And could we honestly face the consequences of that assessment without fear? In its own way, Good is more terrifying than Evil ever could be.
This seemed important enough to put into Alyria. Certainly there are other elements of Good that will still be discussed, but the element that formed from this encounter is the unicorns. The unicorns are the avenging angels of Alyria. Radiant in their glory and power, they war against the forces of the dragons, executing justice on the wicked and preserving the needy from destruction.
I chose the symbol of the unicorn because of its mythic impact. It is unfortunate that in recent days the unicorn has been reduced to a cutesy creature that frolics happily under a rainbow on the front of a little girl’s school folder. The original image of the unicorn was much more powerful. A wild and untamable creature, the unicorn fought all those who sought to capture it, allowing only a virgin maid (an image of purity) to touch it.
Bringing this image into Alyria adds weight to the battle between Good and Evil. One can almost see a dragon and unicorn in bloody combat, the unicorn’s glorious radiance a blinding contrast to the dragon’s ugliness. Or perhaps a unicorn charging through the streets of the Citadel, bringing a violent murderer to a well-deserved end. Or perhaps a unicorn appearing to a sick woman, bestowing a healing touch with its horn. It is a strong and powerful image, but most definitely an image of Good. This symbol carries both the beauty of Good as well as the true terror of Good.
Much is made of dark settings these days. In many ways, it seems as though we are in love with darkness. Alyria is certainly a dark setting. However I believe that the true strength of dark settings is to show the true glory of the light. So into my world I place the unicorns, the bearers of unspeakable glory, bringers of mercy, and executors of holy vengeance. Good has arrived on the battlefield in full array and its glory and majesty is set in stark relief by the darkness with which it is contrasted. Are you ready for it?
Are you sure?
