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Hello! I hope that you are doing well! (I don’t think that there is currently a thread for this discussion.)

While I was rereading The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe, a question occurred to me. I’ll preface this by saying that this calls for a supposal. And while I know that Aslan says that we can never know what could’ve happened, it is fun to speculate.

What would have happened if Edmund had been with the Pevensies when Father Christmas came to visit? What would he have received? Now, this could happen in several scenarios. First, suppose that Edmund had still been planning to betray his siblings to the White Witch but had still gone on with them to the Stone Table. Would Father Christmas still give him anything? Would he have exposed Edmund’s treachery to his siblings or tried to convince him to join Aslan’s side (granted, this may not have worked, given that Edmund was still under the enchantment from the Turkish Delight)?

In a second scenario, suppose that Edmund had never fallen into the White Witch’s clutches and the Pevensies were called into Narnia by Aslan to free the land from winter (similar to the premise of Prince Caspian). In this scenario, Edmund would not have been under the White Witch’s spell and wouldn’t have tried to betray his siblings. What gift from Father Christmas would he receive then, assuming Father Christmas still paid a visit? Given that each gift the siblings received were tailored to their strengths (and what they were called by Aslan to do), I assume that Edmund wouldn’t have gotten a sword and shield like Peter. His future title as king was “ Edmund the Just,” so maybe his gift would hint at that.

I know that the forgiveness and sacrifice of Aslan that Edmund was given was far greater than anything his siblings received from Father Christmas, but I like to imagine what physical gift Edmund might have received.

~Wanderer Between Worlds

Interesting discussion idea!

I wonder if it's possible that Edmund would have been given the bow and arrow that Susan received? It's hard to imagine because we associate those items so much with Susan, but given her personality and how much she hates having to kill anything (which we see especially in Prince Caspian), they may have been better used in Edmund's hands while Susan watches the battle from a distance (perhaps with a gift of a spyglass?) and winds the horn to direct aid.

Now, on the other hand, if Edmund had been party to the visit from Father Christmas and still had treachery in his heart... hmm, I suppose he might have gotten a lump of coal.

Wanderer Between Worlds wrote:His future title as king was “ Edmund the Just,” so maybe his gift would hint at that.

~Wanderer Between Worlds

I wonder if he might have got something like a mace, which could double as a weapon and a scepter (which is often seen as a symbol of royal judgement/justice.)
I'd love to see a mace made with the same lion motif Peter's sword has!

On a tangential note, I like how Edmund never did receive a gift. It's clear that in all ways, Edmund was forgiven and welcomed back after he returned, and he was ultimately a good king, but there were still consequences to his treachery. I'm not saying this to try to back out of the hypothetical - on the contrary, it's a really fascinating question!

In that case, Edmund has already received the 'ultimate' gift, right?


Personally, in such a hypothetical case, I'd wish Father Christmas would give him something to help him in the growth towards becoming 'the Just'. Perhaps an amulet that forces another to speak the honest truth. Or a key that is able to open up any lock to 'uncover what was once hidden'.

In my personal comedic fantasy it would be a giant judge's hammer. I would have loved seeing Edmund swing around a enormous hammer against a minotaur.

Justin of Archenland wrote:In that case, Edmund has already received the 'ultimate' gift, right?

I love that — what a perfect way of putting it! Yes, it's true his wrongdoing has the consequence that he never got a special gift from Father Christmas like the others did, but there's no evidence that it haunted him for the rest of his life and that he was meant to go on feeling guilty or less worthy than his brother and sisters. One of my favourite passages in The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe is after Edmund has been rescued and the Witch comes to claim her right to kill him, which of course results in Aslan offering his own life instead. This is even before Edmund has seen what Aslan's sacrifice will lead to, but even after spending only a little time with the Lion so far, it's clear his heart is already being changed and redeemed:

"You have a traitor there, Aslan," said the Witch. Of course everyone present knew that she meant Edmund. But Edmund had got past thinking about himself after all he'd been through and after the talk he'd had [with Aslan] that morning. He just went on looking at Aslan. It didn't seem to matter what the Witch said. (p. 149 in the 1998 HarperCollins edition)

"Edmund had got past thinking about himself" — that's surely a big part of his transformation and redemption, which as you say is a greater gift (and a more needed one!) than anything else. In fact, sometimes when I'm tempted to go on feeling guilty about bad things in my own past, I remember that scene and remind myself "Stop thinking about yourself and just keep on looking at Aslan!"

Justin of Archenland wrote:Personally, in such a hypothetical case, I'd wish Father Christmas would give him something to help him in the growth towards becoming 'the Just'. Perhaps an amulet that forces another to speak the honest truth. Or a key that is able to open up any lock to 'uncover what was once hidden'.

In my personal comedic fantasy it would be a giant judge's hammer. I would have loved seeing Edmund swing around a enormous hammer against a minotaur.

Good one! But I think something related to him being "the Just" would be more appropriate — I like your ideas, especially the amulet of truth (which of course would reflect on how Edmund himself had to learn to be honest and unselfish).

I love that — what a perfect way of putting it! Yes, it's true his wrongdoing has the consequence that he never got a special gift from Father Christmas like the others did, but there's no evidence that it haunted him for the rest of his life and that he was meant to go on feeling guilty or less worthy than his brother and sisters. One of my favourite passages in The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe is after Edmund has been rescued and the Witch comes to claim her right to kill him, which of course results in Aslan offering his own life instead. This is even before Edmund has seen what Aslan's sacrifice will lead to, but even after spending only a little time with the Lion so far, it's clear his heart is already being changed and redeemed:

I completely agree with what you're saying here, and I would like to actually add the small piece right before the confrontation between Jadis and Aslan:

As soon as they had breakfasted they all went out, and there they saw Aslan and Edmund walking together in the dewy grass, apart from the rest of the court. There is no need to tell you (and no one ever heard) what Aslan was saying, but it was a conversation which Edmund never forgot. As the others drew nearer Aslan turned to meet them, bringing Edmund with him. “Here is your brother,” he said, “and — there is no need to talk to him about what is past.” (p. 74 in the MacMillan edition)

To me, those two parts combined show the ultimate gift that we're discussing here. He was absolved from his guilt and accepted by Aslan. That is at least what I believe the conversation is about and I feel the Walden adaptation put this in quite well.
Looking at the later presence of Edmund in the series, I have no reason to believe he still held a sense of guilt after LWW. Only a cautious wisdom because of what he had been through. I believe that he, next to Lucy, truly knew Aslan and I believe these moments started his love for the Lion.

(which of course would reflect on how Edmund himself had to learn to be honest and unselfish).

I hadn't looked at it from that perspective. Thanks for enhancing my ideas!