Tash (Narnia)
Tash is a male literary character who features in The Chronicles of Narnia.
Contents |
Biography
Tash was a bird-like demonic god who was said to exist in the world of Narnia.
He was a very real and malevolent being who is the antithesis of Aslan. Narnians distastefully describe him as a god or a demon. Tash appears much larger than a man, with four arms and the head of a vulture; his presence brings cold and the stench of death. While the Calormenes offer human sacrifice to Tash, a majority did not actually believe in him.
The Calormene warlord Rishda schemes with Shift the manipulative ape and Ginger the duplicitous cat to concoct a story that Aslan and Tash are the same being, called Tashlan. Many Narnians see that this is ridiculous, given the antithetical nature of Aslan and Tash. King Tirian of Narnia, with two of Narnia's English friends, Eustace Scrubb and Jill Pole, attempt to defend Aslan and Narnia, but they are overpowered by the Calormene soldiers. The conspirators send dissenters "to meet Tashlan" in the stable of Puzzle the donkey, where Calormene soldiers can secretly murder them.
Through these evil actions, the conspirators have unwittingly summoned Tash himself into Narnia. Ginger encounters Tash and barely escapes, but loses the power of speech. A devout Calormene soldier named Emeth enters the stable voluntarily, determined to meet his god. He vanishes into Aslan's Country, where he meets Aslan and realizes where his true devotion lies. Aslan tells him that "all the service thou hast done to Tash, I accept as service done to me", and further explains that "no service which is vile can be done to me, and none which is not vile can be done to him". He explains that Emeth's pious devotion, because it was rooted in a love of justice and truth, was really to Aslan rather than to Tash.
Tirian manages to throw Shift into the stable, and Tash devours the ape. Rishda takes fright at this, and hastily attempts to placate Tash by offering the remaining Narnians as sacrifices, but Tirian drags Rishda into the stable, where Tash seizes him. In the name of Aslan and the Emperor beyond the sea, High King Peter banishes Tash back to his own realm. Tash vanishes, carrying Rishda in his clutches.
Overview
Personality and attributes
In appearance, Tash was said to be in the shape of a man but one with the head of a bird of prey with a cruel curved beak. He was said to possess four arms that were held high above his head that stretched out with five fingers on each of them with these being pointed bird-like claws instead of nails.
The worship of Tash is the only formal religion depicted in the world of Narnia, except that the people of Narnia honour the memory of Aslan, a great lion who was killed and returned from the dead many generations ago. He was shown as being the antithesis of Aslan.
The Tisrocs and Tarkaans and Tarkheenas all claimed descent from Tash.
Powers and abilities
Notes
- Tash was created by C. S. Lewis where he featured in the setting of the The Chronicles of Narnia universe.
Appearances
- The Horse and His Boy: (1954)
External Links
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