“Some day you will be old enough to
start reading fairy tales again.”
-C.S.
Lewis
In the days leading up to Easter
Vigil, I have been thinking over what has brought me to this point in my life.
How did I get here? It is journey whose foundations were laid as far back as
the very first time I saw the animated Redwall series on PBS.
I still get goose bumps when I
hear that opening music.
Because of the TV show, I picked
up the first Redwall book and that was my first love. My young mind was utterly
entranced by the adventure, the battles between good and evil, and the peace
and joy of Redwall Abbey.
It was only recently that I
discovered that Brian Jacques was Catholic, though that fact did not surprise
me (the stories are set in an Abbey afterall!). I do not know how devout
Jacques was, but I do know that Catholicism affected his writing. There is no
obvious religion within the stories, despite the Abbey, places with names such
as St. Ninian’s, etc., etc. Language is a powerful thing and the language in
Redwall laid the foundation in my young mind to love the beauty of the Catholic
Church, though I could not have known it at the time. I was putting monks and
religious orders in my own writing long before I even considered looking into
the Catholic faith.
Not long after reading Redwall, I
would read C.S. Lewis and Tolkien. I was firmly lost to a love of story and fantasy
after that. In fact, I think it is safe to say that I was lost to the Catholic
Church after reading The Lord of the Rings. I would not know it until much
later, though.
I highly recommend Brian Jacques’
Redwall series for kids from about the ages of 8 to 14. Or, if you are an adult
who is old enough to begin reading fairy tales again, perhaps you should pick
it up for yourself.
Nai Eru lye mánata!
