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Did Aslan eat?

The cultures, creatures, geography — anything about the books!

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Re: Did Aslan eat?

Postby Ithilwen » Aug 06, 2012 2:17 pm

Aravanna wrote:I don't think we should take Aslan lightly when he says that he could swallow someone up. Although at the same time, the image that comes to mind where the animals and men that vanished into his shadow to the left in LB, so I suppose it depends on the context for whether I think Aslan is literally eating people.

And I would also like to add that I think Jesus is literally going to be leading the battle and doing all the fighting at his second coming. And Bible is pretty graphic on that front. It talks about birds gorging themselves on the flesh of the armies the rider kills. Not exactly neat and tidy... or tame.

Just a quick note to clarify. The reason I think the passage is metaphorical is not because I don't believe Aslan is able to eat people. Nor is it because of a belief that Christ isn't capable of holy violence. The reason I don't take that passage literally is because of the context of the passage.


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Re: Did Aslan eat?

Postby mm1991 » Nov 15, 2012 10:18 pm

If Aslan is representing God, God does not need to eat. He can, but it is not necessary. Therefore, same with Aslan.

I don't think Aslan ever hunted. Aslan, like God, just is. No need for survival things like nutrition.

But yes, he CAN eat, or devour (depending on the situation).
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Re: Did Aslan eat?

Postby Purpleotter » Nov 26, 2012 7:08 pm

mm1991 wrote:If Aslan is representing God, God does not need to eat. He can, but it is not necessary. Therefore, same with Aslan.

I don't think Aslan ever hunted. Aslan, like God, just is. No need for survival things like nutrition.

But yes, he CAN eat, or devour (depending on the situation).

Agreed. I don't recall him hunting in the books or in the movies. Aslan also represents Jesus, right so if Jesus ate in the New Testament, was there some similar aspect to that in the books? Just curious.
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Re: Did Aslan eat?

Postby queenviolet » Jan 04, 2013 7:22 am

I even can't figure it out....did he sleep or eat??? Didn't they have feasts and he ate with them...IDK. I wish that C.S. Lewis left an explanation of how every character in each of his books did every single day. Did they all have a routine or did they do diffferent things every day. I don't know. It all lies in the late C.S. Lewis's mind. :(( :(( :(( The world may never know! :D :D :D
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Re: Did Aslan eat?

Postby Aravis Narnia » Jan 04, 2013 4:32 pm

Wow, thank you for all the answers. It has been a while since I last came here. Very thought-provoking. I do not even know if C.S. Lewis thought about this- or the implications. All I knew was that when He was talking to Jill about swallowing up people, He was certainly talking in metaphors- like He always does.
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Re: Did Aslan eat?

Postby puddleglum32 » May 15, 2013 1:06 pm

I think that since Aslan was represented as Jesus, and Jesus had to eat as he was flesh and bone , I think Aslan did. God was represented as the "emperor" over the sea. So he wasn't God in the books. I don't think Jesus ate after he died and he had a glorified body. So maybe Aslan didn't after he died? Just a thought.
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Re: Did Aslan eat?

Postby Varnafinde » May 15, 2013 3:38 pm

puddleglum32 wrote:I don't think Jesus ate after he died and he had a glorified body.


Well, he did at least once - when he suddenly appeared to the disciples and they feared that he was a ghost, he asked them whether they had anything to eat. They gave him some fried fish, and he ate it as they watched.

And I guess that when they met him at the sea in Galilee, before he asked Peter three times whether he loved him, he might have eaten with them at the meal they had.

I do not think that he would need to eat anything to sustain that body, so I'm not quite sure why he would eat, other than to demonstrate that he could. Perhaps that was the only reason.
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Re: Did Aslan eat?

Postby puddleglum32 » May 15, 2013 5:49 pm

Varnafide wrote
I do not think that he would need to eat anything to sustain that body, so I'm not quite sure why he would eat, other than to demonstrate that he could. Perhaps that was the only reason.

True, I think he did this just to make the disciples more comfortable and to be close to them. Maybe Aslan did this with with the children or his followers.
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Re: Did Aslan eat?

Postby AnimalOfNarnia » Sep 06, 2013 2:07 pm

An interesting qustion.

What he said to Jill is entirely possible, of course. Leweis remarks that Aslan's tone isn't that of a braggart or as a warning meant to scare Jill, so I assume it is the truth. I initially assumed he actually did swallow "cities and realms". While not out of the question (he is Aslan! ;) ) he could, as glumPuddle pointed out, be referring to the population in general.
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Re: Did Aslan eat?

Postby Cleander » May 07, 2019 3:26 pm

As puddleglum32 observed 6 years ago,I could see him eating with the Narnians as a sign of his willingness to fellowship with them. After all, he identifies with the Talking Beasts of Narnia, even though he can change forms (or become invisible). So even if he doesn't need to, he might eat just to keep them company.
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