Last weekend I started to lead you all on a CS Lewis Narnian Trail. Part of that trail was through East Belfast and the Mountains of Mourne. It’s an area known as the ‘real-life Narnia’ as the scenic beauty inspired CS Lewis to write about the land of Narnia. In fact, if this is your first visit here you can read and view the pictures here. However, just let me finish off our little trip around the Mournes with the following:
Giants and Stone Tables
Northern Ireland is known for its myths and legends especially of giants. And like myself ‘Jack’ would have been told those stories as a child. Furthermore, the Legananny Dolmen in Co Down is supposed to mark a giant’s grave. Moreover, the word ‘dolmen’ is an ancient name meaning a ‘Stone Table’.
As for the big boulder overlooking Carlingford Lough at Rostrevor – it’s quite a stone! Supposedly the famous giant Finn McCool got into a fight with Ruscaire the Ice Giant. That’s what I was told as a child! This is supposed to be one of the boulders they threw at each other across the Lough. Its called the Cloughmore Stone or as the locals call it ‘The Big Stone’.
I spent many a Saturday afternoon up at the Big Stone on family picnics.
That part of Rostrevor that overlooks Carlingford Lough is my idea of Narnia” ~ C.S. Lewis.
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by JPS gallery Panoramio
Our Meeting With Digory
Eventually, we headed back into East Belfast again. This time to the Holywood Arches and just wait till you see who we bumped into.
No other than Digory!
The artist Ross Wilson, states that the sculpture seeks to ‘capture the great ideas of sacrifice, redemption, victory and freedom for the sons of Adam and the daughters of Eve’ that lie at the heart of The Chronicles of Narnia.
“The image of the man walking towards the wardrobe is a stylized heroic image of C. S. Lewis representing the searcher: an almost ‘everyman’ setting out to find Aslan. I hope it will be seen as a pointer as well, to show that sometimes the greatest things can be found in the unlikeliest of places, a wardrobe, a world beyond a wardrobe”.
Ross Wilson “The chair may be used as a vehicle of transport; as the viewer is seated on the bronze chair they travel through Lewis via imagination to Narnia”.
- The Searcher Centenary Sculpture
- CS “Jack” Lewis – Ulsterman
- Writer, Scholar, Teacher, Christian
- Born 1898, Reborn 1931
Narnian Trail – Wall Murals
Little Lea
Kimberly
Rosie, I really enjoyed this post, as I did your last one. I love CS Lewis, Narnia, and all the stories. It's fun to see the various places and attractions. Thank you so much for the tour! PS – awesome video, too!
Curbstone Valley Farm
What a lovely and informative post Rosie. The Cloughmore Stone really is quite remarkable, it had to have been hurled by a giant, there simply couldn't be any other explanation! I love the sculpture. Sitting on the chair is one thing, but didn't you just want to step through wardrobe, to see what's on the other side?
fairegarden
Hi Rosie, this is simply marvelous! Thanks for showing us the giant rocks, the sculpture and the murals, with so much helpful info about them. I love the myths of your land and the Narnia stories, now they are even more alive thanks to your post. 🙂
Frances
noel
Aloha rosie,
wow that photo of the cloughmore stone in the twightlight timeframe does feels like a real scene from Narnia…great capture.
i love that bronze with the wardrobe and the funny girl sitting down on that chair…oh thats you right?
Floridagirl
Oh, Rosie, those stone formations are wonderful! I can see how they inspire tales of giants. You live in a fascinating, magical part of the world. How great to be able to experience the inspiration behind C.S. Lewis's literary genius! I wonder why they did not film the movies there. Hmmm…
Carol
What a treat for insomnia! Love this man's genius and have wonderful memories of reading his books to my son. Terrific post Rosie.
AaronVFT
Very fascinating and wonderful. It's looks like a fun place to visit.
Noelle
Hi Rosie,
Oh, I wish I had been able to go with you!!!
It is easy to see where he got many of his inspirations from the beautiful countryside. The stone table is so impressive.
Thank you also for the mention of my post. I was thinking of creating a new one with his church in Oxford and his grave that I took pictures of. I will link back to your post if that is okay 🙂
Gail
Thank you for sharing~The stone monoliths are marvelous and the Cloughmore Stone is incredible…Giant tossed stones! gail
Meredith
Wow, Rosie, I feel like I've just seen the real Stone Table. 🙂 I'll have to send the link to this post to my sister; we were both Narnia addicts as children (and I even reread the whole series a few years back — good writing has no age limit!)
The countryside there is absolutely stunning. Of course, when I read the books I was envisioning everything based on what I knew of forests and fields here in North America, and this is one of the great successes of Lewis' books, I believe, that they may be nearly universally applied with a little imagination. 🙂
April Lorier
Like Noelle, I wish I had been able to go with you on this fantastic trip! And I'm particularly happy that Caroline featured you on her Card Blog!
Part I and Part II should be submitted for an award, Rosie. They are both sure-fire winners!
Blessings, my friend! April
maiaT
Very interesting post Rosie, thanks for sharing. I like those giant stones too.
Have a great weekend!
Tatyana@MySecretGarden
I did enjoy the trail! Thank you Rosie!
DoanLegacy
What a wonderful and informative post, Rosie..I enjoy the video and your photos very much! It must be a great experience to be there.
Catherine@AGardenerinProgress
I'm glad to see part 2, it was really interesting. Seeing these posts reminded me of how much I loved the Narnia books.
Andrea
Hi Rosie, those are wonderful posts, you send us the evidences of old. If you will read the books of Secharia Sitchin, you will see the truth behind the peopling of the earth, to substantiate the psalm you posted from the Old Testament. It is not fiction. BTW, the lady on the chair is lovely. May she be fully blessed!
Gardening in a Sandbox
Thank you for taking us along on your trip. I saw Belfast only in the dark on the way to the airport. I do remember my two trips on the ferry across the Irish Sea. One was a calm day and one was a hairy ride in a fierce gale. Valerie
A Garden of Threads
Thank for taking me on a tour, I hae been to Belfast for 15 years, need to revisit soon. Have a wonderful day.
Thoughtfully blended hearts
So happy to have found you through Mary's Mosaic Monday blog….beautiful blog posts!!!
Vee
Oh how fantastic to see these pictures and to read your post. I enjoyed immensely. As a C.S. Lewis fan, I find it all immensely interesting. And I know a few others as well and will send them along, too.
leavesnbloom
Thanks everyone for the lovely comments – these Narnia posts sure have been quite popular – and thankyou all for the messages saying that you will link back to this blog with your own articles. Yhat is much appreciated.
I will try and get over to all your blogs tommorrow.
ellen b.
Oh this post is so fabulous! We love C.S. Lewis at our house and Tolkien and Dorothy Sayers…When we were in Oxford we had to visit the Bird and Baby (Eagle and Child) We walked the walk that Tolkien and Lewis walked and hunted down other haunts. It is our goal to visit Ireland sometime before we die and I'll have to make some notes …
eileeninmd
Wonderful post and I enjoyed the tour and your great photos. I would love to see it all someday myself.
Marian
Better late than never – I loved it too! Thank you.
Pix Muse
Vee told me of your post. It is very lovely.
Gentle hugs,
"Auntie"
"Pix Muse" blog
"Autumn burned brightly, a running flame through the mountains, a torch flung to the trees." ~~Faith Baldwin
Pat @ Mille Fiori Favoriti
I visited Belfast, Ireland this past spring and had afew blog posts about it. It was athrill to see the area where CS Lewis was born and the Wardrobe Statue in East Belfast! I enjoyed your posts about CS Lewis very much!