Liquor, Tobacco and Drugs In C.S. Lewis'
Chronicles of Narnia

Wine Is a Mocker.

Proverbs 23:31 Look not thou upon the wine when it is red, when it giveth his colour in the cup, when it moveth itself aright. 32 At the last it biteth like a serpent, and stingeth like an adder. 33 Thine eyes shall behold strange women, and thine heart shall utter perverse things.

C.S. Lewis certainly had some strange women in his stories - both "good" and bad. He also uttered extremely perverse things in his books. The poison of "that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan," (Rev. 20:2) is clearly visible in his life. It is hardly surprising then that he was a drunkard.

Lewis' appetite for beer, rum and wine is visible in the fact that the characters consume them regularly in his Chronicles. This is mostly by the good characters. Not only does he put it in the stories, but it is associated in certain cases with revelry and partying. (Photo: Memorial plaque for Lewis at "The Eagle and Child" pub, nicknamed "The Bird and Baby.")

This list will not be complete, but serve to give you an idea of how drinking is being represented for children. In parentheses (with purple text) are the lessons Lewis is teaching and my comments.

The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe.

p.13 "...then the streams would run with wine instead of water and the whole forest would give itself up to jollification for weeks on end." (Contradicts the Promised Land of the Bible which flows with milk and honey. Obviously he has a different hope.)

p. 31 A strange drink is mentioned that is not named. The "White Witch" produces it by magic for Edmund. It is described as "...very sweet and foamy and creamy, and it warmed him right down to his toes." (Alcoholic drinks are often used to warm people, but is this one or not?)

p.69 "Meanwhile the girls were helping Mrs. Beaver...put plates in the oven to heat and draw a huge jug of beer for Mr. Beaver."

p.70 "There was a jug of milk for the children, Mr. Beaver stuck to beer." (From these two quotes we learn that beer is for grown-ups, but they may drink it in huge amounts.)

On p. 105, "Father Christmas" gives Lucy a bottle of cordial. Cordial is another name for a liqueur, which is "made by flavoring brandy, gin or other spirits with...flowers, fruits and leaves." (The World Book Encyclopedia, 1986) They are at least 2 1/2 % sugar and range from 30 to 120 proof. Also, they are medicinal stimulants that invigorate the heart. (This cordial happens to be magical and related to sun worship as we will see later.)

p. 179 "And that night there was a great feast in Cair Paravel, and revelry, and dancing and gold flashed and wine flowed." (This took place when Aslan crowned the four children, so was obviously "blessed" by him. Remember he is supposed to symbolize Christ according to the "party line.")

Prince Caspian

p.204 "...the Telmarine soldiers were...put under lock and key, and given beef and beer." (Not bread and water. In other words they were being treated "pretty well.")

p.205 "Then great wooden cups and bowls and mazers, wreathed with ivy, came the wines..." (This occurs at a "romp" in which Aslan was present, so it is "all right" to drink wine in excess and in a wild party as long as it is "sanctified by the presence of the 'Lord.' " We will learn more later on this particular event and the wickedness Lewis is promoting.)

p.65 "...Puddleglum had a good many sips out of a square black bottle. He offered the children some of it, but they thought it very nasty." [Emphasis added] (So, liquor can be offered to children, but they will not like. But, what if they do? This leaves open ugly possibilities.)

On pages 92-96, Puddleglum, the "adult" leader of the search party drinks liquor at the giants' castle till he is stupid drunk. This is related in great detail. A number of points are made: the giant offers it to cheer him up, the smell and taste are noted, and he "puts it away like a man." He then proceeds to talk gibberish, and the thing is cast as rather comical. The lessons here are self-explaining.

p. 205 The Centaurs are said the have beer as part of their breakfast. (So, beer is something to drink in the morning. Even in the present, decadent age drinking beer for breakfast is viewed as being over-done. This shows where Lewis' heart was. Isaiah 5:11 Woe unto them that rise up early in the morning, that they may follow strong drink; that continue until night, till wine inflame them!)

The Horse and His Boy

p. 37 "And I became merry with her and gave her wine to drink; but I had mixed such things in her cup that I knew she must sleep for a night and day." (Avaris uses alcohol to drug her maid. This shows that alcohol is useful in drugging someone, something that is still practiced upon occasion. Also, there is some indication that alcohol goes with becoming merry with a female, an idea that is presented constantly by the alcohol industry.)

p. 71 "There was also a little flagon of the sort of wine that is called 'white'..." (White wine is good. Also, this was for a boy.)

p. 75 "Then I took them to a wine shop and got them some and they all sat down and drank till they fell asleep." (Wine will put you to sleep if you drink enough, so drink a lot if you want to go to sleep. Corin uses wine here to escape from his captors, which re-enforces the above message that it can be used to trick people for personal gain. This sounds rather more like the daughters of Lot in Genesis 19. What an example for the kiddies.)

p. 213 "And the wine flowed and tales were told and jokes cracked." (Wine flowing is part of having "a good time" or partying.)

The Voyage of the Dawntreader.

p. 10 "...said Caspian to one of the sailors, 'Bring spiced wine for their majesties.' " (It is to serve special people.)

p. 20 On Caspian's boat we find "...casks of water, beer and bottles of wine." (It is a necessary staple and to be drunk 2 to 1 over water.)

p.44 "Command a cask of wine to be opened that your men may drink our health." (Use wine to "drink people's health.")

p.139 "But the magician himself drank only wine and ate only bread." (This diet is special for magicians.)

p.147 "And they had races, and bottles of wine were lowered down to them from the ship as prizes." (Wine is a prize.)

p.166 "And the smell of the fruit and the wine blew towards them like a promise of all happiness." (Wine promises happiness.)

p.100 "And when some rum had been served out, they even raised a cheer." (Rum cheers.)


The Last Battle

p.14 "A bowl of wine for the noble centaur. The centaur raised the bowl and said, 'I drink first to Aslan and truth..." (If taken in line with the so-called "allegory of Christianity," this means it is all right to drink to God and truth! Repulsive!)

p.147 "Aslan raised his head and shook his main. Instantly a glorious feast appeared on the dwarfs' knees...and each dwarf had a goblet of good wine in his right hand." (So, here we have "God" serving out wine and no distinction made as to whether it is alcoholic or not.)



Tobacco

Lewis portrays smoking as a sort of "good old boy" thing done by the manly sort of characters such as dwarfs, the "marsh-wiggles," etc. Now it is generally accepted among Christians that smoking is unacceptable for several reasons.

1) It is known to kill and destroy the body. 1Corinthians 6:19 What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? 20 For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's.

2) For that reason it cannot be done "heartily, as to the Lord..." Colossians 3:23, nor "to the glory of God." 1 Cor. 10:31.

3) It is terrible stewardship because of the cost. Proverbs 3:9 Honour the LORD with thy substance... Philippians 4:19 But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus. Lewis is propagandizing to children. The tobacco industry owed him a cut of the profit. (I wonder if anyone ever thought to sue his estate for damages for being influenced to smoke by his books? :-)

In parentheses (with purple text) is the lesson Lewis is teaching.

Prince Caspian

p. 34 "...the Dwarf produced a pipe about the size of his own arm, filled it, blew a great cloud of fragrant smoke and said, 'Now.' " (Pipe smoke is fragrant, that is to say, nice and appealing.)

The Silver Chair

p. 60 "He...lit his pipe. Marshwiggles smoke a very strange, heavy sort of tobacco (some people say they mix it with mud) and the children noticed the smoke from Puddleglum's pipe hardly rose in the air at all. It trickled out of the bowl and downwards and drifted along the ground like a mist. It was very black and set Scrubb coughing." (Now this is a strange description. I am suspicious that it could be a description of some kind of drug or other. If someone knows what this "tobacco" might really be, please send email. Also, we see that smoking makes people cough, which is accurate enough.)

(When you visit the links please use discression also be aware they do use drug references though we do not endorce the use or sale of them on their web sites they are references to show examples.)

Letter From A Reader - January 2006

I am assuming since the term "bowl" is used, it has something to do with hashish or bongs, since bongs are sometimes called "bowls".

AR

(this link will take you outside the site.

http://www.wellcoolstuff.com/thestore/BA1.html

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=%22bong
+bowl%22&btnG=Google+Search

Letter From A Reader - March 2005

I've Never heard of mixing mud in with tobacco, but, before the Lord converted me, I was with a witchcraft coven. This instance of adding things to tobacco brings back painful memories. At some of the ceremonies, drugs played a major part, and occasionally, potions were placed in the tobacco to induce visions. Also, Black smoke was used for the conjuring of "spirits". It was run through a container of dry ice to make it stay low to the ground, like smoke does when it's chilled. I don't know if this was exactly what Lewis was referencing, but Judging from the...research...it could have been. I hope that this information helps... A. W.

Editor: This is a revealing insight. It is certainly possible that Lewis was aware of this. Though I found no evidence that he was active in a coven, his wide knowledge of occult doctrines and practices certainly could have included this type of thing. The fact that the smoke was black and drifted along the ground in both cases is very curious. It almost seems too much to be a mere coincidence. Also, it is interesting to note that Puddleglum was a froggish type being. Remember what John said in Revelation 16:13, And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs come out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet. Even if Lewis did not intentionally arrange this odd combination in his story, it certainly has the fingerprints of Satan. Once again we see the way paved for acceptance of witchcraft practices and activity.


Hashish

Here we come to a very strange thing that C.S. Lewis included in his story. As if the references to liquor and tobacco were not enough, he makes a very covert reference to hashish, or marijuana.

When Edmund meets the White Witch she gives him first a strange drink, as described previously. She then asks him what he would like best to eat, and to his reply, makes him a box of Turkish Delight by means of her magic. Lewis portrays Edmund as eating this greedily, and the more he eats the more he wants it - implying addiction. This is explained in that the witch (or Queen) knows that the Turkish Delight is "enchanted" and that once a person has tasted it, they will want more and more of it and, if allowed to, would eat themselves to death. She promises Edmund all the Turkish Delight he can eat for the rest of his life if he will bring his sibling to her, and he leaves after begging for just one more piece. (p.32-36; The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe)

Lewis' Turkish Delight is not an enchanted candy from fairyland, though. In the book Marihuana: The First Twelve Thousand Years by Ernest Abel (New York and London, Plenum Press, 1980), we find out where Lewis quite likely got his "inspiration" for "enchanted" Turkish Delight.

"As in India, local officials in Egypt were alarmed at the large numbers of inhabitants who used hashish directly or in confections, many of which were exported to Europe. Among the variety of confectionery treats containing hashish that were sent abroad were 'Turkish Delight,' square pieces of hashish containing sugar and gelatin which were a particular favorite of the students at Cambridge University in England.(p. 133.)

"It was not that the English were above using drugs that altered consciousness, but rather that they were more content with alcohol, and saw little need to experiment with mind-altering drugs. Those who did were either members of minority groups, artists, writers, criminals, or students. It was the isolated cases that came to the attention of the press and gave the impression that hashish was rampant in parts of England.

"One such case took place in 1886 in the dormitories of staid old Cambridge University. According to a newspaper report, some students had obtained 'Turkish Delight' and not being experienced users of the hashish-laden confection, had taken an overdose and became ill as a result. Oxford also had its share of cannabis users. (pp. 165-166.)"(1)

As we shall see further on, Lewis' Chronicles of Narnia are nothing more than a manual of witchcraft for children. What Lewis is doing here is introducing the use of drugs in sorcery. This is commonly used in the Craft. However, the secret meaning here will only be recognized by the "initiate," so what is the big deal? Simply this, the seed has been planted, and if given the proper attention by the devil's servants, human or otherwise, it can later be developed into something. There are probably quite a few children who would be foolish enough to try "Turkish Delight" or something similar "just like in The Chronicles of Narnia." As a matter of fact, kids have been given drugs in candy. What an "interesting" lesson for the kiddies from Mr. Lewis!

Acts 8:11 And to him they had regard, because that of long time he had bewitched them with sorceries.

(1) http://www.discovery.org/lewis/67-09evil.htm [Note: Ye doubters, please also see this same "candy" showing up in the writings of Louisa May Alcott. She also knew about this. Perilous Paly]

Some information for this article was obtained from a documented paper written by an unknown author. We wish that we could give the proper credit, but the Lord knows who they are, and will reward them properly on that day!