Through its incessant themes, intricate plot structures, heroic characters and mystical settings, the medieval era has made a lasting impression on the world of English literature. Considered as one of the richest periods in English literary history, this era's inestimable contributions to subsequent periods are clearly evident in several writings of the modern times. Beowulf and Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, two of the oldest works in English literature still remain as living testaments of the creativity and ingenuity that stemmed from this era. Both tales are penned with themes such as patriotism and bravery and characters with genuine heroism and chivalry; centuries later, those very forms and ideals remain just as important and applicable to the audience of today. They have all surpassed the vastness of time, now catering to a brand-new audience. This fact is certainly evident in C.S. Lewis' literary masterpiece, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe.

Renowned as a prominent medievalist1, C.S. Lewis exemplifies his skill and versatility in a multitude of literary fields ranging from Christian apologetics, scholarly essays, poetry, science fiction, and even literary criticisms. Ho

Lewis is drawing on the major symbols of Western tradition. . . . Of these traditions, the Arthurian is probably the most important to our appreciation of Narnia.

The court of Cair Paravel is apparently derived from the Arthurian court, perhaps as described in the beginning of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, an English romance of the fourteenth century which Lewis loved. He said that he borrowed two of Aslan's characteristics, his brightness and sweet odor, from the Grail itself; the mystic table and stone knife also come from the Grain legends, which are part of the Arthurian myth. The clothes, the armor, the weapons, and the pavilions are medieval; medieval, too, is the ideal of chivalry which the children and the Narnia kings seek to fulfill. (67-8)

Establishing identity is yet another motif in medieval literature and Lewis' work remains true to this aspect, as well. For example, in the epic of Beowulf, a great emphasis is made on kinship bonds; pages are solely devoted to extracting family lineage and characters are often introduced as someone's son. Besides having a solid ancestral heritage, the character is also required to build individual reputation, as well. Beowulf, for example, refers to his great swimming-match with Breca in order to establish his identity and later defeats Grendel in backing up his boasts. Closely connected to the idea of establishing identity is the importance of oral-tradition; from warrior-boastings to bards' tales, this is the sole method of preserving history and its important is evident in the poem of Beowulf.

"Once there were four children whose names were Peter, Susan, Edmund and Lucy," Lewis begins the novel, inviting the reader, as if for a live-presentation (1). "It was the sort of house that is mentioned in guide books and even in histories; and well it might be, for all manner of stories were told about it, some of them even stranger than the one I am telling you now," he further articulates, exploring this very orated style, present in medieval literature (55-6). In introducing Aslan, Mr. Beaver recites a poem, in the very style of a bard's tale seen in the epic of Beowulf. The protagonists, the Pevensie Children, are often referred to as the "sons and daughters of Adam and Eve," tying them to their ancestral heritage. Lewis also leaves room for his heroes to build their own reputation. Peter Pevensie, for example, fights the wolf alone, in order to establish his own identity in the story.

So the children sat on their thrones and scepters were put into their hands and they gave rewards and honors to all their friends. . . . And that night there was a great feast in Cair Paravel, and revelry and dancing, and gold flashed and wine flowed, and answering to the music inside, but stranger, sweeter, and more piercing, came the music of the sea people. (Lewis 199-200)

wever, none brought him more acclaim and commercial success than his seven-volume Chronicles of Narnia, a set of children's tales published between 1950 and 1956. In The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, the second book of the series2, Lewis allures the attention of the reader into a mystical world of unrivaled beauty which he entitles Narnia. He paints his wonderland with medieval magic in every stroke of the quill; every page is adorned with a myriad of whimsical characters ranging from "[o]gres with monstrous teeth, and wolves, and bull-headed men; spirits of evil trees and poisonous plants" (Lew

Some common words found in the essay are:
Witch Wardrobe, Sir Gawain, Moreover Christ, Knight English, Seek Lucy, King Arthur, Green Knight, Beowulf Scandinavian, CS Lewis, Witch Medieval, lion witch, sir gawain, lion witch wardrobe, witch wardrobe, medieval literature, green knight, epic beowulf, gawain green knight, gawain green, sir gawain green, beowulf sir gawain, beowulf sir, cair paravel, poem beowulf, peter susan edmund,
Approximate Word count = 2325
Approximate Pages = 9 (250 words per page double spaced)