Malenau: The Disguised Philosophy of CS Lewis

 C.S. Lewis is far from being considered a science fiction author. With its author being better known for his fantasy and theological nonfiction, The Space Trilogy is rarely connected with other works such as The Chronicles of Narnia and The Screwtape Letters. Despite its low profile as far as Lewis’ works are concerned, the trilogy is still rich with strong storytelling and a deep underlying connection to Christian faith. In reality, The Space Trilogy is philosophy disguised as science fiction. The first book in the trilogy, Out of the Silent Planet, exhibits this disguised philosophy beautifully. One creature that becomes central in the story is the eldil. This being is of a higher existence than the other rational creatures on the planet Malacandra (77). Throughout the book, the creature is described in close connection with light and in many ways resembles what we know as angels. A higher form of the eldil, known on Malacandra as Oyarsa, is also introduced and plays an important role in understanding the fall of mankind. Throughout the story, Lewis fleshes out the nature of eldila, their connection to Maleldil (or Jesus), and the silence of Earth with the reign of a corrupt eldil. One character, Augrey, even explains the nature of eldila and the spiritual world through a discussion of “bodies.” By creating such vivid lore for a Biblical being that most people know very little about, Lewis provides the reader with a clear vision of the spiritual world that makes it easier for a person to understand the nature of a fallen Earth.

The first mention of an eldil is when Ransom, the main character, is on his way to help his Hrossan friend Hyoi repair his boat. They pass a young hross who is speaking to someone whom Ransom cannot see, and when Ransom questions the child, she says that she is speaking “to the eldil” (72). Later, Ransom asks Hyoi why he couldn’t see the creature. Hyoi responds that Ransom’s eyes “are different from ours. But eldila are hard to see… light goes through them. You must be looking in the right place and the right time; and that is not likely to come about unless the eldil wishes to be seen” (77).  This description of an invisible, intangible creature is reminiscent of our understanding of spiritual beings. Hyoi also notes that the eldila are hnau, or rational. Although Lewis never specifies what Earth concept one might compare an eldil to, the description of them is almost identical to a conventional conception of an angel. Not only is their physical description telling, however. The eldila are also defined as Oyarsa’s people, and they are shown to be both messengers and guardians (80, 141). Oyarsa, being what one might call a “head angel,” or the ruler of the planet, can be seen as a Michael-like figure. Lewis, however, seems to compare him to a different Biblical figure.

Oyarsa rules Malacandra as a servant of Maleldil, and the people of Malacandra are very clear on the matter of Oyarsa’s authority (70, 93). Maleldil is the Malacandrian name for Christ, and he seems to have appointed a head eldila for every planet (111). (It is worthy of note that the name “Maleldil” includes the word eldil, and therefore a more literal translation of eldil might be “spirit” rather than “angel.”) Multiple times during the book, however, characters talk about the Oyarsa of planet Earth, or the planet Thulcandra. “Thul” means “silent.” Some characters say that Thulcandra’s people do not have an Oyarsa, and other characters maintain that “every one of them wants to be a little Oyarsa himself” (102). The second observation in particular is poignant. Humanity has become so convinced that it is the highest form of intelligence, and people are certain that they themselves are the ultimate authority on right and wrong. In reality, Maleldil is the authority, and figures like Oyarsa carry out that authority. Thulcandra’s head eldil, however, is corrupt. He has corrupted Thulcandra with him, and he has been bound to Thulcandra and unable to communicate with the other planets ever since. Oyarsa refers to him as the Bent One when describing the battle between him and Maleldil’s forces (120). Rather than being depicted as a head angel like Michael, the description of Thulcandra’s leader is a perfect description of Satan. Oyarsa is depicted as an un-corrupt leader on the same level as Satan. With this connection, Lewis beautifully outlines the relationship between God, angels, and the fall of mankind.

Perhaps the most intriguing aspect of Lewis’ eldila is Augrey’s description of them in connection to the spiritual world. He defines bodies as movement: “if it is at one speed, you smell something; if at another, you hear a sound; if at another you see a sight” (94). Such a description is difficult for a reader to wrap his mind around. Human science usually defines “body” as something tangible that is made of particles, and sensations like sound as a wave. Light, however, is theorized to be a bit of both. Augrey seems to suggest that body, for the eldila, is light, and therefore cannot be understood the same way that humans understand “body.” He also notes that the faster something moves, the closer it comes to being everywhere at once (94). He says that the thing that is able to become so fast is the ultimate body, and that the “body of an eldil is a movement as swift as light; you may say its body is made of light, but not of that which is light for the eldil” (95). Augrey goes on to describe the light that eldila know as something that true hnau cannot understand, and he says that light for an eldil is closer to a liquid state than what we call light. Our solids are to them just gasses: “to us the eldil is a thin, half-real body that can go through walls and rocks: to himself he goes through them because he is solid and firm and they are like cloud” (95). Augrey reverses everything that humanity understands about the physical world and applies it to the spiritual world, like a parallel reality or a world on the same plane as our own but experienced as physically opposite. Not only is this explanation intriguing and exciting as fiction, but it also perfectly explains the connection between our world and the world beyond it, and why the two seem to cross into one another so often. Augrey’s explanation helps the reader to understand a spiritual realm that is not often discussed or theorized upon, and it provides for the nature of angels that most teachers and theologians avoid discussing because of its complexity.

Lewis’ depiction of fictional characters as angelic beings helps his readers to understand the nature of true angels and the realm they live in. He describes eldila and connects that description to our understanding of the spiritual, defines Satan and his role in the fall of mankind, and brings the reader to a better understanding of how the spiritual world connects to our own. Even beyond the already brilliant storytelling and fictional creativity, Lewis manages to add even more wealth of meaning to his book by connecting it to a non-fictional concept that otherwise seems almost impossible to understand.

Works Cited

Lewis, Clive Staples. Out of the Silent Planet. Simon and Schuster, 2003.