Lady of the Green Kirtle
This article includes a list of general references, but it lacks sufficient corresponding inline citations. (March 2017) |
Lady of the Green Kirtle | |
---|---|
1990 BBC miniseries | |
In-universe information | |
Race | Unknown (Northern Witch) |
Title | Queen of Underland |
Nationality | Underland |
The Lady of the Green
Overview
The Green Lady has kidnapped Prince Rilian, son of King
She understands that Eustace, Jill, and Puddleglum have been sent to rescue Rilian, and meets them as they head north from Narnia. She slyly directs them to the giants' castle Harfang for the Autumn Feast, and bids them explain that she salutes the giants by them; for she knows that "man-pies" are a traditional dish for this feast and that this is an easy way to get rid of her adversaries.
When the three unexpectedly turn up instead in her own domain, she attempts to dull their senses and critical thinking through hypnotic magic. She very nearly convinces them that neither Narnia nor the Earth truly exist, but Puddleglum successfully counters the illusion.
She finally uses her shapeshifting skill to transform into a gigantic green serpent, but the Prince recognizes her serpent form as the same one that killed his mother ten years earlier, and after a brief struggle, he strikes off her head.
The Green Lady and the White Witch
The story never makes clear who the Green Lady really is or where she comes from. The Silver Chair includes her among several "Northern Witches", a group that evidently also includes Jadis, the
The speculation is probably reinforced by the set of character sketches included in some later editions of the books. One sketch describes Jadis as "completely evil, even in The Silver Chair." Since it is the Lady of the Green Kirtle who appears in The Silver Chair, some conclude that this must refer to the Green Lady. This theory has influenced adaptations of the books; for example, actress Barbara Kellerman portrayed both The White Witch and The Lady of the Green Kirtle in the BBC series The Chronicles of Narnia. The character sketches, however, are recent additions to the books; they were not written by Lewis, and, in this regard, are not supported by Lewis's text. Lewis scholar Peter Schakel even writes that the character sketch "states incorrectly that the Queen of Underland is an embodiment of Jadis".[1]
The mechanics of how Jadis could return are never made clear, since she is killed at the end of
Literary inspirations
Carina Rumberger-Yanda suggests that the Lady of the Green Kirtle may be associated with the eponymous character of John Keats's Lamia.[4] Like Lamia, the Lady is sometimes a snake, and sometimes "a maid / More beautiful than ever... Spread a green kirtle."[5]
Her transformation into a serpent:
Her arms appeared to be fastened to her sides. Her legs were intertwined with each other, and her feet had disappeared. The long green train of her skirt thickened and grew solid, and seemed to be all one piece with the writhing green pillar of her interlocked legs.
echoes the description of Satan's transformation in Milton's Paradise Lost:
His Armes clung to his Ribs, his Leggs entwining
Each other, till supplanted down he fell
A monstrous Serpent on his Belly prone...[6]
Adaptations
In the 1990 BBC production of
In the 2010 film The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, the DVD commentary states that the power behind the Green Mist was the Lady of the Green Kirtle, even though she is not shown in the film.[citation needed]
In July 2014, the official Narnia website allowed fans the opportunity to name the Lady of the Green Kirtle. The winning name was to be selected by Mark Gordon and David Magee for use in the cancelled film version of The Silver Chair.[citation needed]
Notes
- ^ Schakel, p. 146.
- ^ Ford, p. 464
- ^ Ford, p. 456.
- ^ Carina Rumberger-Yanda, "Nothing Yet in Its True Form: Shifting Portrayals of Female Villains in C. S. Lewis’ Chronicles of Narnia." In Pursuit of Truth.
- ^ John Keats, "Lamia," lines 185-188.
- ^ John Milton. "Paradise Lost, Book 10". lines 512–514.
References
- Lewis, C. S. (1953). The Silver Chair. London: Geoffrey Bles.
- Sammons, Martha (1979). A Guide Through Narnia. Wheaton, Illinois: ISBN 0-87788-325-4.
- Lovell, Steven (2005). "Breaking the Spell of Skepticism: Puddleglum versus the Green Witch". In Bassham, Gregory; Walls, Jerry L. (eds.). The Chronicles of Narnia and Philosophy: The Lion, the Witch, and the Worldview. Chicago: ISBN 0-8126-9588-7.
- Schakel, Peter J. (2005). The Way into Narnia: A Reader's Guide. Grand Rapids, Michigan: William B. Eerdmans.
- Ford, Paul F. (2005). The Companion to Narnia: A Complete Guide to the Magical World of C. S. Lewis's The Chronicles of Narnia. ISBN 0-06-079127-6.