White Witch's Castle
The White Witch's Castle stands as the central stronghold of tyranny in Narnia, a place where the Witch's power is concentrated and where her victims are turned to stone. It is a small castle, described as being "all towers; little towers with long pointed spires on them, sharp as needles," which in the moonlight look "like huge dunce's caps or sorcerer's caps." The castle is situated on a little plain between two hills, and Edmund Pevensie first sees it after following a smaller river that flows into the great river near the Beavers' dam. The house is surrounded by a high wall, and the only entrance is a huge arch with great iron gates that stand wide open.
Appearance and Atmosphere
The castle's exterior is forbidding, with its needle-sharp spires and long shadows cast on the snow. Inside, the courtyard is filled with dozens of stone statues—satyrs, wolves, bears, foxes, cat-a-mountains, tree spirits, a centaur, a winged horse, a dragon, and a giant—all standing "perfectly lifelike and also perfectly still" in the moonlight. The interior is a long, gloomy hall with many pillars, also full of statues, lit only by a single lamp. The atmosphere is one of deathly silence and cold, with the only light coming from a dim lamp near the Witch's throne. The castle is described as "dark, horrible, fusty," and its dungeons and winding stairs are searched during the liberation.
Key Events and Inhabitants
Edmund Pevensie arrives at the castle after betraying his siblings, crossing the frozen river and entering through the arch. He is met by a stone lion that he initially fears, but which he later defaces with a pencil, scribbling a moustache and spectacles on it. Inside, he finds the Witch seated behind a single lamp, and he reports the location of his brother and sisters. The Witch then orders her sledge prepared and sends Fenris Ulf, the Chief of her Secret Police, to kill the Beavers and the children. Later, the Witch attempts to kill Edmund in a dark valley near the castle, but he is rescued by Aslan's forces. The castle itself is the site of the Witch's final defeat when Aslan, after his resurrection, leaps over its wall with Susan and Lucy on his back, landing in the stone courtyard. Aslan then breathes on the statues, restoring them to life, and the liberated creatures, led by Giant Rumblebuffin, break down the gates and walls, allowing them to march to the final battle.
Liberation and Aftermath
The liberation of the castle is a transformative event. Aslan breathes on each statue, starting with the stone lion, and the color and life return to them, turning the courtyard from a "deadly white" museum into a "blaze of colours" filled with happy roarings, brayings, and songs. The castle is ransacked, with every door and window opened to let in light and spring air. Mr. Tumnus is found among the statues and joyfully reunited with Lucy. Giant Rumblebuffin smashes the gates and part of the wall with his club, allowing the entire company to leave. The castle, once a symbol of the Witch's power, is left empty and open, its dark places flooded with light. After the Witch's death, the castle is no longer a threat, and the liberated Narnians march to the final battle at the Fords of Beruna.
