Before the dawn of time

[King_Erlian]

A plot twist which has always bothered me, which I don't think has been discussed before...

In LWW, Aslan tells Susan and Lucy that the White Witch's knowledge only went back to the dawn of time, and if she could have looked a little further back into the stillness and the darkness before time dawned, she would have known about the Deeper Magic. But in MN, she was there before the dawn of time. She, Digory, Polly, Uncle Andrew, the Cabby and Strawberry found themselves standing in empty darkness for an unspecified (though presumably measurable) amount of time before they heard Aslan's song begin. So why didn't she know about the Deeper Magic?

[PhelanVelvel]

That has always bothered me as well. The only thing I can think of to possibly remedy it would be that something actually happened before Jadis, Digory, Polly, and the rest arrived. Maybe he's referring to the stillness and the darkness before ANYTHING was there. Sort of like an observer effect: by virtue of them even being there, they disrupted some deeper magic and therefore could not observe it. In the quote he says "if she could have"; it's possible that no one could have besides Aslan. Perhaps "Time dawned" when there were consciousnesses (aside from Aslan) there to witness it, and the stillness and the darkness ceased to be still and dark enough for that Deeper Magic to reveal itself.

[jewel]

Never thought of that. Very interesting. So much to learn from Narnia on here.
That is the thing about fantasy. It doesn't all seem to match it up in it's stories.

[HelenP]

Hi everyone,

I haven't posted for ages but thought I would put in my four-pennorth on this one. Have you considered that "before the dawn of time" may not necessarily only refer to the Narnian world? Aslan may be referring to time prior to the creation of all worlds - we know he is fully conversant with everything that happens in our world and "is known by another name there" VDT last chapter. We also know that in Aslan's country all other worlds are joined on to his land.
Happy reading
Helen