The Music of Creation in Middle-earth and Narnia

Middle-earth and Narnia are the two most iconic fantasy realms of all time. They were imagined by J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis, respectively. These two writers and academics were good friends and both devout Christians; Tolkien a Roman Catholic, and Lewis an Anglican.

Although in various details Middle-earth and Narnia are very distinct fictional worlds (sub-creations, as Tolkien would call them), they were both crafted by their authors with a biblical and Christian worldview in mind. Just as our own real universe has not existed from eternity, as some ancient philosophers speculated, but was created by the transcendent, uncreated God “in the beginning” (cf. Genesis 1:1), so Tolkien and Lewis gave their fantasy realms creation narratives to explain their origins. There is in fact a striking connection between these two accounts: Both Middle-earth and Narnia were created through music.

Creation of Middle-Earth

The creation of Arda, the world that contains the land of Middle-earth, can be found in The Silmarillion, specifically in the opening section called the Ainulindalë or “The Music of the Ainur.”

According to Tolkien’s narrative, before the beginning of time Eru Ilúvatar created angelic beings called the Ainur from his thought. He taught the Ainur a mighty theme and “the voices of the Ainur… began to fashion the theme of Ilúvatar into a great music; and a sound arose of endless interchanging melodies woven in harmony that passed beyond hearing.” (The Silmarillion, p.15)

But the powerful Ainu Melkor introduced “matters of his own imagining that were not in accord with the theme of Ilúvatar; for he thought therein to increase the power and glory of the part assigned to himself.” (Ibid, p. 16) As the discord of Melkor spread throughout the Great Music, Ilúvatar himself introduced two more themes, and he admonished Melkor: “Those things which ye have sung, I will show them forth, that ye may see what ye have done. And thou, Melkor, shalt see that no theme may be played that hath not its uttermost source in me, nor can any alter the music in my despite. For he that attempteth this shall prove but mine instrument in the devising things more wonderful, which he himself hath not imagined.” (Ibid, p .17) This story reflects the real universe that we know: for though evil and disorder entered into Creation through the malice of Satan, the almighty God can and will bring about an even greater good that is beyond imagining. Christians believe, with St Paul that “the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing to the glory that is to be revealed to us.” (Romans 8:18)

Ilúvatar then showed the Ainur a fair vision and revealed to them that within the Great Music was contained the history of Arda, with all of its glory and sadness, its triumphs and tragedies. Then Ilúvatar said, “Let these things Be! And I will send forth into the Void the Flame Imperishable, and it shall be the heart of the World, and the World shall Be; and those of you that will may go down into it.” (The Silmarillion, p. 20) Although Melkor and his servant Sauron coveted Arda and worked great evil there, many other Ainur also entered this new realm, becoming the mighty Valar, and their servants the Maiar (among whom was Olórin, also called Gandalf), and they opposed the evil of the Dark Lords and aided the Free Peoples of Middle-earth.

Creation of Narnia

In The Magician’s Nephew, C.S. Lewis recounts the creation of the world where the land of Narnia may be found. Two children from Earth named Digory and Polly (as well as an eclectic cast of other characters) found themselves transported by magic to a region of darkness and emptiness, recalling the opening lines of Genesis: “The earth was without form and void, and darkness was on the face of the deep.” (cf. Genesis 1:2)

In this seemingly empty place, a voice began to sing: “There were no words. There was hardly even a tune. But it was, beyond comparison, the most beautiful noise [Digory] had ever heard. It was so beautiful he could hardly bear it.” (The Chronicles of Narnia, p. 61) A chorus of new voices then joined the First Voice and, at the same instant, a multitude of stars, constellations, and planets appeared! “If you had seen and heard it…you would have felt quite certain that it was the stars themselves which were singing, and that it was the First Voice, the deep one, which had made them appear and made them sing.” (Ibid, pp. 61-62) The song then continued to its climax: “The Voice rose and rose, till all the air was shaking with it. And just as it swelled to the mightiest and most glorious sound it had yet produced, the sun arose.” (Ibid, p. 62)

Finally, the Singer was revealed to Digory, Polly, and their companions: “It was a Lion. Huge, shaggy, and bright, it stood facing the risen sun. Its mouth was wide open in song.” (Ibid, p. 63) As any reader familiar with Narnia could guess, the Lion is Aslan, of course! Aslan continued his song, and with his music he populated Narnia with plants and animals, recalling to mind yet again the Genesis account. (cf. Genesis 1:11-12 and 1:20-25)

That both Middle-earth and Narnia were brought into being through music, an act of speech, is likely no coincidence. Tolkien and Lewis would have been intimately familiar with Sacred Scripture. In Genesis 1, God speaks creation into existence from nothing. In the prologue to his gospel, St. John identifies Jesus Christ as the Word of God, through which the universe was created: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God; all things were made through him, and without him was not anything made that was made.” (John 1:1-3)

The fictional creation myths of Tolkien and Lewis teach us that the Word which brought forth the universe is a thing of unimaginable beauty, like a great and mighty symphony. But even the most exquisite songs performed by human musicians are only a rough echo of the glorious and almighty Word that existed eternally before time began and who in the fullness of time “became flesh and dwelt among us.” (cf. John 1:14) In the Ainulindalë Tolkien writes that “a greater [music] still shall be made before Ilúvatar by the choirs of the Ainur and the Children of Ilúvatar after the end of days.” This should remind us to look forward with expectancy and hope to the day when, as was revealed to St. John, a “new heaven and a new earth” (cf. Revelation 21:1) shall be created, where all of the just shall join the angels in their endless hymn of praise to God.