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Transformation and Asceticism in the Desert and Beyond the Wardrobe

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Transformation and Asceticism in the Desert and Beyond the Wardrobe Volume 33 Number 2 Article 10 4-15-2015 St. Jerome's Narnia: Transformation and Asceticism in the Desert and Beyond the Wardrobe John Gavin College of the Holy Cross, Worcester MA Follow this and additional works at: https://dc.swosu.edu/mythlore Part of the Children's and Young Adult Literature Commons Recommended Citation Gavin, John (2015) "St. Jerome's Narnia: Transformation and Asceticism in the Desert and Beyond the Wardrobe," Mythlore: A Journal of J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, Charles Williams, and Mythopoeic Literature: Vol. 33 : No. 2 , Article 10. Available at: https://dc.swosu.edu/mythlore/vol33/iss2/10 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Mythopoeic Society at SWOSU Digital Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in Mythlore: A Journal of J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, Charles Williams, and Mythopoeic Literature by an authorized editor of SWOSU Digital Commons. An ADA compliant document is available upon request. For more information, please contact [email protected]. To join the Mythopoeic Society go to: http://www.mythsoc.org/join.htm Mythcon 51: A VIRTUAL “HALFLING” MYTHCON July 31 - August 1, 2021 (Saturday and Sunday) http://www.mythsoc.org/mythcon/mythcon-51.htm Mythcon 52: The Mythic, the Fantastic, and the Alien Albuquerque, New Mexico; July 29 - August 1, 2022 http://www.mythsoc.org/mythcon/mythcon-52.htm Abstract Compares “two exercises in Christian myth-making”—C.S. Lewis’s Narniad and The Life of Paul the Hermit, the earliest work of the ascetic St. Jerome. Both are entertaining, and even whimsical at times, and feature communication with intelligent animals and a restoration of Paradise. Both also feature characters who model the value of asceticism and the solitary contemplative life. Additional Keywords Animals in C.S. Lewis; Asceticism; Jerome, St. The Life of Paul the Hermit; Lewis, C.S. Chronicles of Narnia This article is available in Mythlore: A Journal of J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, Charles Williams, and Mythopoeic Literature: https://dc.swosu.edu/mythlore/vol33/iss2/10 S t . J e r o m e 's N a r n i a : T ransform ation a n d Asceticism in th e D esert and B e y o n d t h e W a r d r o b e John Gavin, S.J. Artistic depictions of St. Jerom e (347-420) over the ages generally portray the great fourth century ascetic, scholar, and translator of the Bible as either a curmudgeon or, to our modern eyes, a fanatic. We see in El Greco's paintings, for instance, both the dour visage of a nightmarish schoolmaster and the skeletal frame in the midst of self-flagellation. Such images do find inspiration in the saint's writings—his works include, beyond the translations and brilliant works of commentary, powerful exhortations to the rigors of monastic life and bitter polemics against his numerous opponents —and thus he perhaps deserves the rather unattractive artistic legacy. Yet, this often-grumpy Father of the Church also had his delightful side. His letters can display a touching pastoral concern for his interlocutors, a deep love of friends, and an unflagging sense of justice toward the poor. The whimsical Jerome, however, reveals himself above all in his earliest work, The Life of Paul the Hermit, one of three short biographies of ascetic heroes.1 This peculiar composition includes a dangerous quest, mythical creatures such as fauns and centaurs, intelligent birds and wolves, and even a couple of helpful lions. The reader discovers that Jerome, the legendary fount of invective, turns out to be also a teller of entertaining tales; the reclusive scholar in fact displays the wonder of a child. While Jerome's hagiography was certainly not the inspiration for Lew is's Narniad, a comparison between these two exercises in Christian myth­ making offers new perspectives for consideration.2 In particular, the link between self-discipline and the restoration of creation finds resonances in both authors' tales. In this essay I would like to consider these themes and what they mean especially for our interpretation of Lewis's masterpiece. 1 The three lives—of Paul, Malchus, and Hilarion—are found in the critical edition of Sources Chretiennes (SC) 508. I cite both the page and line numbers. For the English translation see the edition of Carolinne White. 2 These works are both myths above all in their manner of offering "permanent object[s] for contemplation." See McGrath, "Divine Truth" 61. Mythlore 33.2, Spring/Summer 2015 111 John Gavin, S.J. The Myth of Paul the Hermit Scholars generally believe that Jerome composed the Life during his sojourn in Syria in the mid-370's.3 The motivations behind the composition have puzzled readers, since the work explicitly invites comparison with the wildly successful and influential Life of St. Antony by St. A thanasius of Alexandria, an earlier work that contributed to the conversion of St. Augustine. Jerom e's Paul, for example, claims to surpass Athanasius's Antony as the original and exemplary spiritual warrior. Thus it has been read attentively for its insights into Jerome's distinct vision of Christian asceticism and its goals. While some argue that Jerome sought to provide a Christian hero who would inspire the intellectuals of his upper-class, intellectual circles—the simple, but polished Latin style of the tale and the hero's own familiarity with classical tradition suggest this reading—the popular elements of the story were certainly meant to attract a wider audience.4 He clearly drew upon pre-existing stories and legends surrounding the titular saint and presented them in a form that would both entertain and inspire. It has been noted, for example, that Jerome borrows images of the "weird"—bizarre, striking examples of the supernatural and magic found in ancient romances—in order to embellish his tales and enchant his readers.5 The story of Paul may be summarized as follows. He was a highly educated and wealthy young man from the Lower Thebaid in Egypt, who initially fled his home to escape the violent third century persecutions. He made his way further and further into the wilderness, until he discovered the ideal residence: a cave shielded by a luscious palm tree and moistened by a fresh spring. He settled in the site and dedicated himself to a simple life of prayer and fasting, renouncing his wealth and dressing himself in palm leaves. Fast-forward a century. Antony, the great desert ascetic lauded as the first of his kind, receives word in a dream that in fact there exists a monk greater than he. At dawn, the elderly spiritual athlete sets out to find the mysterious Paul, uncertain of his way, but trusting in divine inspiration. Lost, he prays for guidance and receives it in the form of a centaur, who, though bereft of speech, grunts and points Antony in the right direction. Later he encounters a faun, who brings him food and makes the following speech: 3 On the dating of the Life see Kelly 60; Rebenich 32. 4 On the debate surrounding Jerome's intentions see Coleiro 163; Rebenich 36-38. 5 On the "weird" in ancient literature see Coleiro 172-173. Rene Aigrain classifies Jerome's lives as examples of the "historical novel" in vogue at the time: an edifying work that would mix elements of the fantastic into the tale. See Aigrain 297-298. 112 Mythlore 126, Spring/Summer 2015 St. Jerome's Narnia: Transformation and Asceticism I am a mortal creature, one of the inhabitants of the desert whom the pagans, deluded by various errors, worship, calling them fauns, satyrs and evil spirits [Faunos, Satyros et Incubos]. I am acting as an envoy for my tribe. We ask you to pray for us to the Lord we share, for we know He came once for the salvation of the world, and his sound has gone out over the whole earth. (SC 160, 10-15; White 78-79) Antony praises God for allowing the once savage beasts to speak and delights as the faun scampers away. After days of travel, Antony begins to despair, until he spots a she- wolf entering a cave. He follows her, but stumbles on a stone, causing the resident, Paul, to close the door to his home in fear. Antony calls out to Paul, begging him to open the door and receive him: "If I do not get what I want, I shall die here in front of your door!" (SC 164, 23-25; W hite 80). At last Paul opens the portal and the two ascetics embrace and begin to discuss spiritual things. At one point a raven delivers a loaf of bread for them to share, and the two enjoy a simple meal complemented by water from the spring. At last Paul informs his visitor that he is close to death and missions Antony to return home and bring the cloak of the Bishop Athanasius for his burial. Distraught, Antony reluctantly leaves the dying ascetic and sets out for the cloak. During his hasty return to Paul's cave, with only three hours of walking left, Antony witnesses angels bearing Paul's soul to heaven. Weeping, he begins to run and arrives at last to find the dead body in a kneeling position of prayer. After recovering from his grief and exertions, he wonders how he might bury the corpse, when suddenly two lions appear from the desert. Instead of devouring Antony, they proceed to dig a grave with their claws and then seek a blessing for their labors.
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