A Hydrophobic Society

[~Lava~]

Though not completely hydrophobic in the truest since of the word. The Telmarines certainly did fear most water. My question is why do you guys think a race of Pirate suddenly became afraid of the sea and fearful of running water. I understand maybe the reason for encouraging fear of the sea with regards Aslan, but why and how for running water. The book doesn't say that the fued with the dryads carried over to the naiads too, nor would dealing with just calm water have helped them since naiads were "well women". Any thoughts?

[PrinceOfTheWest]

Don't forget they were generations removed from their sailing heritage. And Dr. Cornelius clearly explains why they were afraid of the sea and the water - Aslan came from the sea, and the spirits (or "ghosts", as the Telmarines called them) came from the water.

[Copperfox]

It was less about water than about supernatural beings. The Telmarines are embodiments of the dry, materialistic philosophy Mr. Lewis had seen developing in England in his lifetime; that's why they ran schools that were like English schools. They didn't want to believe in anything that fell outside their familiar categories...until the day when the dreaded words were heard:

"Miss Prizzle, there's a LION!!"

[MrBob]

I agree with Copper. Their fear of the sea had everything to do with the Emperor-Over-the-Sea. They may not have believed in the Narnian religion, but the Telmarines were affected by it so much so that they even invented stories surrounding the forests that were near the Great Ocean.

They let their superstitions overrule their common sense. It was a wonder they were not invaded from the sea. They would have had no knowledge of a marine invasion until it was too late. The Calormenes, the Lone Islanders, or Galmines, or Terabinthians, or whoever, could have ammassed a large army at the water's edge before going inland to attack.

MrBob

[~Lava~]

This still doesn't explain why they would learn swimming in calm water and have wells but be afraid of running water. It would have been dreadfully awkward if one of the Telmarines had go down to their well and ran into one of the "well-woman" naiads going about her business at the top of their well.

[EveningStar]

The term you seek is THALASSOPHOBIC. For Thalassophobia is fear of the sea. Now if they had a hard time taking a drink from the well, you might make a case for hydrophobic. ;)

[Into the Wardrobe]

It's amazing the lengths that the Telmarine race went to in order to avoid Aslan and the beings he created in Narnia that they didn't understand. Yet, for mankind it's normal. They want to avoid God because of their guilt , their fear, and their own wants. It is so natural to do this....to find ways to hide and be distracted from where the focus needs of life should be. Tis a good lesson in the Prince Caspian.

[inkspot]

They didn't want to believe in anything that fell outside their familiar categories...until the day when the dreaded words were heard:

"Miss Prizzle, there's a LION!!"
LOL! I love that part! :p
It's amazing the lengths that the Telmarine race went to in order to avoid Aslan and the beings he created in Narnia that they didn't understand. Yet, for mankind it's normal. They want to avoid God because of their guilt , their fear, and their own wants. It is so natural to do this....to find ways to hide and be distracted from where the focus needs of life should be. Tis a good lesson in the Prince Caspian.
Very good point, Julie! I just saw Ben Stein's movie about the suppression of Intelligent Design theory in the academic world, and at the end Richard Dawkins, author of The God Delusion and a complete Darwinist/atheist, was saying that there could be Intelligent Design, but only if the Designer were an alien from another planet not a supernatural being! He was so adamantly against God, He was twisting the limits of his own pragmatism into nonsense. He is forcing himself to believe and talk foolishness rather than even open the door to the possible existence of God.

So it was with the Telmarines: they forced themselves to believe and talk nonsense rather than even open the door to the possible existence of Aslan.

[Into the Wardrobe]

It is astonishing Inky. I feel sorry for that guy, trying so hard to hide from the truth. If God is God, then we can't be God...and that scares the daylights out of people. It would mean handing over control to another and acknowledging that this world isn't as much ours to do with as we please as we think it is. Sure, the Lord gave it to us...but He can't be bumped out of the story and His ways and Lordship still apply. Thus people want to hide. The lengths they go to are astonishing. John 1:1-14 come to mind there...especially vs 10, 11, & 12, "He was in the world and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God."

[MrBob]

"So it was with the Telmarines: they forced themselves to believe and talk nonsense rather than even open the door to the possible existence of Aslan."

Or did they, Inky? If they truly did not believe in the existence of Aslan, they would have had no reason to be afraid of the sea. The superstitions they possessed led credence to their fear of Aslan while at the same time openly rejecting the very idea of such a being. You don't fear what you don't believe to be true.

MrBob

[inkspot]

Yah, good point Mr Bob.
:)
There was a basis for their fears.

[onlymystory]

I wonder if the fear was inherited from their original ancestors. Sure the first Telmarines were pirates on earth. But think about that...they were pirates, humans, from a time when technology didn't exist, who crossed a portal from earth into Narnia during a point in a sea voyage. I'd be terrified of returning to sea for fear of what else it might bring. And then that fear is handed down through generations until it becomes superstition and legend and a very, very deep fear.