When cold, bleak winter descended upon Narnia and Jadis the witch began her icy rule, she wanted the creatures to forget everything that had ever happened before. She wanted them to forget about the great tree that once protected them. She wanted them to forget the warmth of summer and the freshness of spring. She wanted them to forget Christmas and dancing and feasts and joy and happiness and love and laughter. Most of all she wanted them to forget the powerful name of Aslan, which, she hated and feared. She wanted them to believe that she was the only human and rightfully queen. So her secret police destroyed any humans that were left in Narnia. And she made sure that all books and documents about past history were destroyed. She did this very cleverly and very thoroughly. (Do you remember that when Lucy Pevensie visited the Faun Tumnus� cave after long ages of ice and snow she noticed a book on the shelf with the title �Is Man a Myth�?) The result was that for creatures that lived later in the golden age of the High King Peter, the history leading up to the rule white witch was mostly unknown. Only a few fragments of documents were saved or discovered in deep vaults in Cair Paravel. In these documents there were a few references to a heroic leader called �Lionstar�. In one parchment called �The Annals of Lantern Waste�, there was a record against the year 1563. The statement was written in very old ink and stated that: �In this year Lionstar battled to save the tree, and he killed the tyrant king Erbert. But Erbert prevailed against the tree.� Then in the year 1564 an entry recorded that: �This year the five heroes of Lionstar have left us.� Then the entry for 1575 states that: �Lionstar was taken by the enemy, but the stone table she could not destroy.� After this there were no more entries. Who was Lionstar? Was he human? Was he a lion? Was he Aslan himself? These fragments however, were not reliable Narnian history. For instance, the dates were strange and did not fit into the more authoritative timelines of Narnia.
To find out more about these �dark ages� before the coming of the white witch, we can turn to the stories and legends that were told at feasts in the woods and glades of Narnia in the ages after the death of the witch. There were many of these tales. The tale of Cor and Corin of Archenland was the best of all and was often recited at Cair Paravel itself. There were many more. They told of giants and dragons, of kings and queens, and lords and ladies. They told of the beginning of the world and the first king and queen. And some told of a legend of Lionstar. There were lots of different stories and legends about Lionstar. One had it that he was really Aslan. Another that he was a dumb lion that came from the western wilds and was made into a talking lion by Alsan. But all the legends about Lionstar agreed that he led Narnia against a wicked king that wanted to destroy the tree. And some agreed that there were five heroes, who were human children that appeared in the woods, helped to defeat the king and then disappeared forever.
This is the legend of Lionstar:- (You must imagine for this that you are sitting in a moonlit, woodland glade in Narnia, after having danced at the midsummer gathering with fauns, dryads, dwarves and talking animals. And after the dance a feast had been provided of summer fruits: strawberries, grapes, apples, melons and all sorts of delicious toppings on them. There had been clotted cream, various preserves and honey to be dripped over them. Then after this there had been hot potatoes with melted cheeses and butter, and corn and tasty vegetables, and various cold platters of meats to choose from. There had been fried mushrooms, and salads with mouth wartering dressings to go with it. Then to finish off; deserts made with ice brought down from the fresh mountaintops and mixed with cream and sweet flavorings to produce the most refreshing ices you had ever tasted. Then there had been drinks of pure mountain water and good wine if you wanted it. And after all that, you had settled down on the banks around the glade where the soft grass grew. And now you are feeling happy and content under the Narnian trees looking out over the lawn that is silver under the moonlight. All around are good and trusted friends that love Aslan. Over there on the other side of the glade is Raneweather the centaur and his sons, and Brostheus the white unicorn is settled down beside you. And now Sosinethenes, the old Faun has stood up to begin the story).
�The evil King Erbert of Narnia was not entirely human. He made an alliance with the giants of the North. But they could not bear the smell of a great tree that grew in Narnia. Erbert was very greedy for riches and trade with the giants so he thought about cutting the tree down. It was a beautiful, wonderful, magical tree. It was said that it protected Narnia from the northern neevil. The Neevil was a white giantess who was so tall that she stood with her head above the clouds and could see so far that she saw the blessed land of Narnia and hungered to have it for herself. A great centaur opposed the King�s plans and the King had him shut up in a dungeon. However, Aslan came to the beast in a vision and told him to look for a lion with a white star on its forehead somewhere in the western wilds. This lion would fight to save the tree. The good creatures at Cair Paravel helped the centaur to escape. He fled to the western wilds where he found a family of Narnian lions who lived far beyond the great waterfall where Aslan had not bade talking lions to live. The father of the pride showed off his most powerful sons to the centaur but said, �I am the greatest lion and I will lead Narnia into battle.� But the Centaur answered him thus. �It is not you, nor any of these, your sons.� Then another young lion appeared and tossed his brothers in play. The centaur, on seeing a patch of white on the young lion�s forehead quickly anointed him as Aslan�s chosen. The father of the lions overcame the young one by strength and claimed the anointing, as his own for that was how dumb lions behaved. But Aslan came secretly in the night and threw down the father who then humbled himself and blessed the young lion whom they called �Lionstar�. Lionstar was tough, wild and strong. He loved the name of Aslan and he went into Narnia and gathered an army of creatures about him. The army had many adventures before the king heard of them. They overcame a dragon, and threw out a wicked band of outlaws in Lantern waste. But Lionstar led them badly and lost some creatures in battle and his strength dried up. He left his army and wandered alone in the autumn woods and felt humbled and began to know fear. But Aslan sent help. Five human children appeared and Lionstar looked into the woods of their world. Then the king took action and sent an army to destroy Lionstar, but Lionstar led his army up into the mountains to escape. They wintered in a dry cavern that was deep in the mountain ranges. The five human children went with them and they were trained by the dwarves to be warriors. There were two daughters of eve and three sons of Adam.
After a deep winter, that froze solid even the great river, and as soon as the snows began to thaw, Lionstar set out to reach the tree before the king moved. But the two armies met where the tree grew and the king set fires at the base of the trunk to topple it. Before Lionstar could call his army to charge, the lovely dryad of the tree herself appeared. Great was her beauty and wise was her council. As the fires burned around her tree, she blessed Lionstar and uttered a prophesy.
�Four monarchs on four thrones, shall sit by the sea and blood will flow from Aslan�s wound, Then peace will come again.�
With that, she fell to the ground and disappeared. At that moment, with a mighty sound, all the leaves on the tree fell, the fires were extinguished but the great tree was dead. A wind drove the leaves into the faces of the king�s army so that they were, for a moment unsighted, and Lionstar charged. The armies fought the battle of Great-Tree knoll and Lionstar prevailed and he himself killed the evil Erbert. The five heroes led their companies against the foreign knights and corrupt creatures of the king�s army and they prevailed and their�s was the victory.
But hardly was the victory won before the eagles brought news of an army of fifty giants marching from the city of the giants in the far north. Lionstar led his people to the northern marshes where the huge shapes soon appeared over Ettinsmore. Great was their size and mighty was their strength. One giant stood and opposed Lionstar and mocked the Narnians. The five heroes, inspired by a great book of their world took up the challenge. One of the heroes, the smallest of the boys, went forward and felled the giant with a simple sling and stone, and a call on the name of Aslan. Then in a rage the giant army ran down and crossed the Shribble. With a well-laid plan, the Narnians, guided by the Wiggles, passed through the marshes but the giants sank into the soft ground. Then Lionstar finished them off and those who escaped ran up to Ettinsmore where they quarreled together and fought, hitting each other on the head until they became the ancestors of the stupid giants of Ettinsmore.
And so Lionstar took care of Narnia for there were no humans left to be kings or queens. The dwarves, using huge sections of the trunk of the great tree, carved four thrones without joints and inlaid the wood with gold and jewels. These were set on the dias in the great hall of Cair Paravel to await the coming of the four monarchs. It is said that the wood still had some magic in it that protected Cair Paravel from harm. A huge stone monument was set up where the tree had been and on it was carved all the ancient wisdom that could be found. The five heroes were made lords and ladies but Aslan soon took them back to their own world and Lionstar knew them no more. Without the tree to protect it, and with no King, Narnia began to fall prey to pirates and outlaws and at last to enchantment. �Where is Aslan�, cried Lionstar, �And why does he not come and lead us himself.� Yet Aslan did not appear. In the north the leaves on the trees began to change colour and then fell though it was summer, and the river Shribble froze solid and snow fell. The enchantress who had called up the winter soon appeared from beyond Ettinsmore with her wolves and demons and claimed to be queen. Terrible was her beauty and cold was her heart. As more and more of Narnia fell into her enchanted winter, Lionstar had the stone monument at tree knoll moved east. Then Lionstar fought the enchantress, who was no more, but no less than a witch. It was Lionstar�s last battle. The witch overcame him and scattered his army. And some say that she turned him into stone as he was about to spring on her and that he stood in her castle for a hundred years. But some say the witch killed him. After the defeat, Lionstar�s followers gathered together in great sadness. It was then that the centaur that had anointed Lionstar had a vision. As they stood on a certain hilltop, he saw a wounded lion against the red, morning clouds in the eastern sky. That day they laid the great stone from tree knoll at the place where the lion was seen. A good giant laid it flat on four stone pillars, just as the day ended and the first snowflakes were beginning to fall. The witch came there and tried to destroy the stone but because it had some tree magic in it she could not. It was left, battered and weathered, through the long snowy years though the witch used it sometimes for her foul practices for she loved to destroy good things and good creatures. The castle by the sea, she never visited for the tree magic in the thrones was too strong.�
But these things are only legends and nobody really knows if Lionstar ever existed. He became like King Arthur in our world and the Narnians told stories of him that became more and more fantastic. But someone put the stone table there, and the tree was gone in High King Peter�s time. And why did the witch not destroy Cair Paravel? And who was the lion in the courtyard of the white witch�s castle and what was his story? Well, if he was Lionstar, then imagine his joy when he was turned back to flesh and bone and he saw Aslan for the first time; golden and alive and warm. And if he was Lionstar, have no doubt that after the defeat of the white witch by Aslan himself that Aslan took Lionstar to be with him beyond the end of the world. And there he lives happily, forever.
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The blessing given by Aslan to the five heroes of Lionstar as they departed from Narnia:- �Sir!� said Ben �Are you Aslan?� �I am!� said the golden lion in a glad voice. �Come! Fear not! I was with you when you came into this world, I am with you now, and I will always be with you in the future. This is my promise to you and I cannot lie.� The children approached him with fear, but it was the sort of fear that you might have when you step closer to something like a beautiful waterfall. You want so much to get close to it but it is so powerful that it could kill you. They were all trembling as they bowed down on their knees and felt that they could not arise and look at such a wonderful being face to face. �You have fought well, and helped my servant Lionstar to achieve all that he should,� said the Lion and he breathed onto them all. After this, each child felt stronger and able to stand before him and look into his eyes. �We�ve sure wanted to meet you sir!� said Laura. �But I guess we didn�t really know it.� �And I have wanted to meet you,� he said. �But I could not come, till you let me.� The children were a little confused by this but none dared to ask him to explain. �I will explain the meaning whenever you seek it,� he said. �But now it is time to go.� �Are you really going to send us back?� asked Peter. �Peter Dwarfsword!� said the Lion looking at Peter. �Giant-slayer! I have come to send you back to your world but do not be sad child. Now that you have met me, you will always know me. Courage Peter. There are many giants to slay in your world; giants of ignorance and greed and cruelty.� �But Sir!� exclaimed Ryan �We gotta do a work here that Lionstar sent us to do first.� �Ryan the Terrible,� said he. �Mighty in battle. The giant who has roamed these parts will soon leave the kingdom and return to his own city. But you must return to fight for your own nation. Terrible things are coming upon your world and you and your nation must stand, and having stood, stand again. You must bear my name in that world lest it be forgotten.� Next it turned to Ben. �Ben Brightshield! Defend my people. Support my followers in your world. Bare the shield that I shall give you there, use it well my son.� �Susan Braveheart,� it said, bringing his face low, and close to hers. �You have known me from when you were a small child. As you grow in your world, remember Narnia. Nourish others with my peace and joy. I give to you the secret of my life.� Finally, he turned to Laura. �Laura! Child of your country. Be strong. Be true. In the times that are to come, your own nation will need valiant women that are true hearted and without guile. Remember, child, all that you have learned here and remember also that you have heard my words.� �Before you go through the door I give to you a message for your nation.� The Lion turned to Laura and Ryan, the two who were from America, and said. �Listen to my words. Be quiet, and do not be afraid. If you do not continue in faith you cannot endure.�
(There is a manuscript that tells the full tale of Lionstar and if anyone is interested I could let him or her have a copy.)
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