History Literature / TheChroniclesOfNarnia

* LegendaryInTheSequel: Thanks to NarniaTime, occurs to the main characters in nearly every book; they may return to Narnia to find that thousands of years have passed and their adventures from the last time are treated as history or even legend. In ''Prince Caspian'' when the Pevensies return to Narnia it's treated as more or less equivalent to King Arthur returning to present-day Britain (many people even believe they are a myth). Taken even further in ''The Last Battle'': Tirian is dumbfounded that Digory and Polly are still alive in our world, because they are part of Narnia's ''creation myth'', so it's almost like meeting Adam and Eve.

More recently, the first three (by publication order) have been filmed as the start of a series intended to adapt all seven books; First by Creator/{{Disney}}, later [[Creator/TwentiethCenturyFox 20th Century Fox]][[note]]Which, ironically, would be bought out by Disney in 2019, thus giving them full ownership of all three movies[[/note]], and Walden Media through the work of Creator/PerryMoore spending several years acquiring the rights for Walden. ''Film/TheLionTheWitchAndTheWardrobe'' came out in late 2005, ''Film/PrinceCaspian'' in 2008, and ''Film/TheVoyageOfTheDawnTreader'' in late 2010. Creator/{{Netflix}} bought the rights to all seven books in 2018 intending to make their own set of shows, to be helmed by ''WesternAnimation/{{Coco}}'' co-writer Matthew Aldrich. In July 2023, it was revealed that [[Greta Gerwig]] was hired by Netflix to write and direct at least two Narnia films. The reboot is currently in pre-production.

More recently, the first three (by publication order) have been filmed as the start of a series intended to adapt all seven books; First by Creator/{{Disney}}, later [[Creator/TwentiethCenturyFox 20th Century Fox]][[note]]Which, ironically, would be bought out by Disney in 2019, thus giving them full ownership of all three movies[[/note]], and Walden Media through the work of Creator/PerryMoore spending several years acquiring the rights for Walden. ''Film/TheLionTheWitchAndTheWardrobe'' came out in late 2005, ''Film/PrinceCaspian'' in 2008, and ''Film/TheVoyageOfTheDawnTreader'' in late 2010. Creator/{{Netflix}} bought the rights to all seven books in 2018 intending to make their own set of shows, to be helmed by ''WesternAnimation/{{Coco}}'' co-writer Matthew Aldrich.

** In "Voyage of the Dawn Treader", the third chapter is "The Lone Islands", followed by "What Caspian did there".

** The first two chapters are ''The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe'' are "Lucy looks into a wardrobe", and "what Lucy found there".

%%* AnIcePerson: The White Witch.

* ArcherArchetype: Susan is the graceful, ladylike, slightly haughty Queen famous for her archery, though she hates to use it in actual combat. Queen Lucy is the tomboy who goes to war with the men and fights alongside the other archers in Narnia's army. Jill Pole, by the last book, develops into a scaled-down version of the ForestRanger; King Tirian notes both her accuracy with the bow and her skill at moving silently through the woods, especially at night.

* FantasyCounterpartCulture: The Calormen Empire is often compared to the Persians or the Turks.

** The Calormen royalty as well; whatever other faults you can lay at their door, are also directly involved in politics and battles. When the JerkAss prince (unable to leave his city because of a curse) becomes Tisroc (king), he makes peace with his neighbors, because he knows better than to let his lords win glory in battle while he's stuck in the palace - "for that is the way Tisrocs get overthrown".
* SapientSteed: Inevitable when you have sentient and {{Talking Animal}}s, and particularly important in ''Literature/TheHorseAndHisBoy'', where two of the protagonists are horses. However, it's noted that this is something not done except in times of need.

* TalkingAnimal: Narnia is full of them and some like the Beavers act like [[CivilizedAnimal Civilized Animals]]. It's important to note however that there are ordinary "dumb" animals which can be used for labour and be butchered for meat; but killing and eat a talking beast is a grave offence, and so is mistreating them -- King Tirian ''kills'' a Calormene soldier who dared to whip a talking horse. Aslan was the one who created the Talking Beasts; they were originally ordinary animals that he granted the gifts of speech and intelligence and he still does so centuries after Narnia's creation - Reepicheep and his followers are descended from the mice that freed Aslan from the White Witch's ropes, and were given the gift of speech in gratitude. However, Aslan can also take the gift of speech away; [[spoiler:In "The Last Battle" those talking animals that reject him or betrayed Narnia to Calormen become dumb beasts.]]
* TrappedInAnotherWorld: With the slight twist that characters who stay in Narnia age normally-- quite considerably in the Pevensies' case-- but SnapBack to their original ages when they return to Earth. Also, finding a way back home is never a goal of anyone's quest in Narnia, with the possible exception of Uncle Andrew in ''The Magician's Nephew'', who tries to steal Digory's "homeward" ring.

* EthnicGod: Aslan is considered the ultimate king of all Narnians, whereas Tash is the god worshipped by all Calormens. However this is subverted in ''Literature/TheLastBattle'', which explains that these two are the [[GodOfGood gods of good]] and [[GodOfEvil evil]] respectively, and anyone who adopts these aspects worships their respective being, regardless of the name they use.

* AuthorAvatar: Professor Kirke, admitted by Lewis himself, although Kirke is also an [[NoCelebritiesWereHarmed avatar]] of Lewis's own [[EccentricMentor old tutor]], W. T. Kirkpatrick, (as is [=MacPhee=] in ''That Hideous Strength'').

* BattleDiscretionShot: In the book, the climatic battle between Peter and the White Witch ''is not shown; it is told second hand.'' The film actually shows the battle, with the result being a iconic battle scene and what is generally agreed to be the most epic and memorable scene of the movie.

* TrappedInAnotherWorld: With the slight twist that characters who stay in Narnia age normally-- quite considerably in the Pevensies' case-- but SnapBack to their original ages when they return to Earth. Also, finding a way back home is never a goal of anyone's quest in Narnia.

* ExtremelyLengthyCreation: After the series was concluded, Lewis wrote an essay revealing that he had had the image of a Faun carrying an umbrella and parcels in a snowy forest since he had been about sixteen, then later decided to try to make a story out of it when he was about forty (though this first attempt was quickly abandoned), before finally completing the first book when he was was fifty.

* DelayedCreation: After the series was concluded, Lewis wrote an essay revealing that he had had the image of a Faun carrying an umbrella and parcels in a snowy forest since he had been about sixteen, then later decided to try to make a story out of it when he was about forty (though this first attempt was quickly abandoned), before finally completing the first book when he was was fifty.

After the series was concluded, Lewis wrote an essay revealing that he had had the image of a Faun carrying an umbrella and parcels in a snowy forest since he had been about sixteen, then later decided to try to make a story out of it when he was about forty (though this first attempt was quickly abandoned), before finally completing the first book when he was was fifty.

''The Chronicles of Narnia'' are a series of seven books by Creator/CSLewis, telling the history from its creation to its ending of a land where [[TalkingAnimal animals talk]], where a [[FantasyKitchenSink varied collection of creatures from European folklore]] lives, and where a number of children have heroic adventures under the guidance of [[UsefulNotes/{{Jesus}} the great Lion, Aslan]]. Though "Narnia" is sometimes used to describe the whole world, it is strictly speaking a northern [[TheMiddleAges mediaeval European-style]] kingdom of that world; it is bordered by Archenland on the south (beyond which lies the [[ArabianNightsDays quasi-Arabian]] empire of Calormen), by Ettinsmoor on the North, by Lantern Waste on the West, and by the Great Eastern Sea on the East, beyond which is Aslan's Country.

* TokyoIsTheCentreOfTheUniverse: Aside from ''Dawn Treader'', all the books' antagonists' plans involve Narnia in one form or another. [[JustifiedTrope Justified]], in that Narnia was the first country made in the other world, and therefore the one most special to Aslan.

The first four books are in chronological order, but the fifth takes place [[{{Interquel}} inside the last chapter of the first]] (as it takes place during the Pevensies' reign of Narnia which was originally only touched upon), and the sixth is a prequel to the series. ''The Chronicles of Narnia'' were actually not originally intended to be a seven volume series. After the success of the first book, Lewis [[ExpansionPackWorld wrote two more]], to complete a trilogy. Thus ''Literature/PrinceCaspian'' and ''Literature/TheVoyageOfTheDawnTreader'' form a [[TwoPartTrilogy natural pair]], telling a single more or less connected story within the larger series. When demand continued, Lewis wrote another two books, then a "prequel" describing Narnia's beginning, and finally ''Literature/TheLastBattle'', in which the land of Narnia is brought to its own close, giving the series a definite ending.

TelevisionSerial adaptations of the first four books have all been televised by the BBC and released on DVD (in some places as [[CompilationMovie Compilation Movies]]). ''Lion'' was also the subject of an earlier TV adaptation on ITV in 1967 (now largely [[MissingEpisode lost]][[note]]Two of the ten episodes still exist[[/note]]) and an AnimatedAdaptation [[WesternAnimation/TheLionTheWitchAndTheWardrobe1979 in 1979]]. Unfortunately, the BBC master of ''Lion'' was apparently lost to unknown causes several years ago, so the best quality copies of that series left are the [=DVDs=][[note]]there were also VHS tapes[[/note]]. A radio adaptation by Creator/TheBBC also successfully adapted all seven books, originally broadcast between 1988 and 1997.