---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: When I heard the language of men uttered…"
description: "\"“When I heard the language of men uttered by my mare,\" continued Aravis, \"I said to myself, the fear of death has disordered my reason and subjected me..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4d6/c-s-lewis-121_aravis_when-i-heard-the-language-of-men-uttered_1931328.jpg"
---

#  When I heard the language of men uttered by my mare,"…

![“When I heard the language of men uttered by my mare,&quot; continued Aravis, &quot;I said to myself, the fear of death has disordered my reason and subjected me to delusions. And I became full of shame for none of my lineage ought to fear death more than the biting of a gnat. Therefore I addressed myself a…” quote by C.S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4d6/c-s-lewis-121_aravis_when-i-heard-the-language-of-men-uttered_1931328.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4d6/c-s-lewis-121_aravis_when-i-heard-the-language-of-men-uttered_1931328.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4d6/c-s-lewis-121_aravis_when-i-heard-the-language-of-men-uttered_1931328.jpg)

> ““When I heard the language of men uttered by my mare," continued Aravis, "I said to myself, the fear of death has disordered my reason and subjected me to delusions. And I became full of shame for none of my lineage ought to fear death more than the biting of a gnat. Therefore I addressed myself a second time to the stabbing, but Hwin came near to me and put her head in between me and the dagger and discoursed to me most excellent reasons and rebuked me as a mother rebukes her daughter. And now my wonder was so great that I forgot about killing myself and about Ahoshta and said, 'O my mare, how have you learned to speak like one of the daughters of men?' And Hwin told me what is known to all this company, that in Narnia there are beasts that talk, and how she herself was stolen from thence when she was a little foal. She told me also of the woods and waters of Narnia and the castles and the great ships, till I said, 'In the name of Tash and Azaroth and Zardeenah, Lady of the Night, I have a great wish to be in that country of Narnia,' 'O my mistress,' answered the mare, 'if you were in Narnia you would be happy, for in that land no maiden is forced to marry against her will.””

[C.S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis-2/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

A young woman confronts irrational fear of death, is saved by a wise mare, and learns that true freedom lies in a land where no one is forced into marriage.

**In simple terms:** Fear can be irrational; guidance can restore reason.

Key Takeaway

Seek wise counsel when fear overwhelms.

Themes

courage freedom guidance

Mood

reflective hopeful

Type

literary philosophical

When to use this quote

- personal crisis
- decision making
- seeking autonomy

Key Concepts

existential dread self‑discovery mythical guidance

Questions to Reflect On

- How do you confront irrational fears?
- What role does trusted counsel play in your decisions?

A Different Perspective

Fear may persist despite rational arguments.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Death](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/death/) [Fear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fear/) [Fear of death](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fear-of-death/) [Killing myself](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/killing-myself/) [Narnia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/narnia/)

## Related quotes

> [“Although Lasaraleen had said she was dying to hear Aravis's story, she showed no sign of really wanting to hear it at all. She…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis-2/although-lasaraleen-had-said-she-was-dying-to-hear-aravis-s-story-she/)

[C.S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis-2/)

> [“Cut everything superfluous,' Pound had said. 'Go in fear of abstractions. Don't tell readers what to think. Let the action speak for itself.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paula-mclain/cut-everything-superfluous-pound-had-said-go-in-fear-of-abstractions/)

[Paula McLain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paula-mclain/)

> [Zora Neale Hurston said fear is the greatest emotion and I said, 'No my dear sister.' Fear will make us move to save our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sonia-sanchez/zora-neale-hurston-said-fear-is-the-greatest-emotion-and-i-said-no-my/)

[Sonia Sanchez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sonia-sanchez/)

> [I said, "I do not fear those pants with nobody inside them." I said, and said, and said those words. I said them but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dr-seuss/i-said-i-do-not-fear-those-pants-with-nobody-inside-them-i-said-and/)

[Dr. Seuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dr-seuss/)

> [“Your lies don't anger me," Roland said, "but the fear which brings them forth does. Shut thy mouth.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-king/your-lies-don-t-anger-me-roland-said-but-the-fear-which-brings-them/)

[Stephen King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-king/)

> [“It was all about taking the leap of faith. It said that the fear that stops us from doing what we really want, is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/effrosyni-moschoudi/it-was-all-about-taking-the-leap-of-faith-it-said-that-the-fear-that/)

[Effrosyni Moschoudi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/effrosyni-moschoudi/)

> [Thank you,” Skulduggery said to her. “I fear he was about to start insulting me.” “I couldn’t let that happen,” she said. “Your ego…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/derek-landy/thank-you-skulduggery-said-to-her-i-fear-he-was-about-to-start/)

[Derek Landy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/derek-landy/)

> [“Doesn’t do much good,” she’d said, “to fear one kind of death and not another.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victoria-schwab/doesn-t-do-much-good-she-d-said-to-fear-one-kind-of-death-and-not/)

[Victoria Schwab](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victoria-schwab/)

> [A man once asked me why do you not fear? And I said to him, I cannot see fear but I can see death.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-limn/a-man-once-asked-me-why-do-you-not-fear-and-i-said-to-him-i-cannot/)

[Jeremy Limn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-limn/)

> [“My mother once said that fear is like a man who, once burned, is afraid of a glow worm”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nnedi-okorafor/my-mother-once-said-that-fear-is-like-a-man-who-once-burned-is-afraid/)

[Nnedi Okorafor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nnedi-okorafor/)

> [“As the martial artist and actor Bruce Lee said, “I fear not the man who has practiced ten thousand kicks once, but I fear…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-coyle/as-the-martial-artist-and-actor-bruce-lee-said-i-fear-not-the-man-who/)

[Daniel Coyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-coyle/)

> [Some day,' said Smee, 'the clock will run down, and then he'll get you.' Hook wetted his dry lips, 'Aye,' he said, 'that's the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/some-day-said-smee-the-clock-will-run-down-and-then-he-ll-get-you/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [“him. It almost sounded like he’d said, I fear you are becoming one of mine.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elly-blake/him-it-almost-sounded-like-he-d-said-i-fear-you-are-becoming-one-of/)

[Elly Blake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elly-blake/)

> [When I was a kid, FDR on the radio said, 'We have nothing to fear but fear itself.' We should be afraid of fear,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orson-bean/when-i-was-a-kid-fdr-on-the-radio-said-we-have-nothing-to-fear-but/)

[Orson Bean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orson-bean/)

> [“Okay,” I said, fear making my voice weak. “This is bad. This is very, very bad.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-butcher/okay-i-said-fear-making-my-voice-weak-this-is-bad-this-is-very-very/)

[Jim Butcher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-butcher/)

## More by C.S. Lewis

> [“At the moment, then, of Man’s victory over Nature, we find the whole human race subjected to some individual men, and those individuals subjected…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis-2/at-the-moment-then-of-man-s-victory-over-nature-we-find-the-whole/)

[C.S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis-2/)

> [“Isn’t it absolutely essential to keep a fierce Left and a fierce Right, both on their toes and each terrified of the other?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis-2/isn-t-it-absolutely-essential-to-keep-a-fierce-left-and-a-fierce/)

[C.S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis-2/)

> [“All Hell is smaller than one pebble of your earthly world: but it is smaller than one atom of this world, the Real World.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis-2/all-hell-is-smaller-than-one-pebble-of-your-earthly-world-but-it-is/)

[C.S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis-2/)

> [“the greatest service we can do to education today is to teach fewer subjects. No one has time to do more than a very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis-2/the-greatest-service-we-can-do-to-education-today-is-to-teach-fewer/)

[C.S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis-2/)

> [“If the Divine call does not make us better, it will make us very much worse. Of all bad men religious bad men are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis-2/if-the-divine-call-does-not-make-us-better-it-will-make-us-very-much/)

[C.S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis-2/)

> [“The husband is the head of the wife just in so far as he is to her what Christ is to the Church -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis-2/the-husband-is-the-head-of-the-wife-just-in-so-far-as-he-is-to-her/)

[C.S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis-2/)

> [“We use a most unfortunate idiom when we say, of a lustful man prowling the streets, that he "wants a woman". Strictly speaking, a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis-2/we-use-a-most-unfortunate-idiom-when-we-say-of-a-lustful-man-prowling/)

[C.S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis-2/)

> [“Después de cada fracaso, pedid perdón, levantaos del suelo y volved a intentarlo. Muy a menudo, lo que Dios nos otorga primero no es…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis-2/despu-s-de-cada-fracaso-pedid-perd-n-levantaos-del-suelo-y-volved-a/)

[C.S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis-2/)

> [“Then two wonders happened at the same moment. One was that the voice was suddenly joined by other voices; more voices than you could…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis-2/then-two-wonders-happened-at-the-same-moment-one-was-that-the-voice/)

[C.S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis-2/)

> [“Because free will, though it makes evil possible, is also the only thing that makes possible any love or goodness or joy worth having.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis-2/because-free-will-though-it-makes-evil-possible-is-also-the-only/)

[C.S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis-2/)

> [“Laugh and fear not, creatures. Now that you are no longer dumb and witless, you need not always be grave. For jokes as well…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis-2/laugh-and-fear-not-creatures-now-that-you-are-no-longer-dumb-and/)

[C.S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis-2/)

> [“When two humans have lived together for many years it usually happens that each has tones of voice and expressions of face which are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis-2/when-two-humans-have-lived-together-for-many-years-it-usually-happens/)

[C.S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis-2/)

> [“He sees as well as you do that courage is not simply one of the virtues, but the form of every virtue at the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis-2/he-sees-as-well-as-you-do-that-courage-is-not-simply-one-of-the/)

[C.S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis-2/)

> [“If you do not take the distinction between good and bad very seriously, then it is easy to say that anything you find in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis-2/if-you-do-not-take-the-distinction-between-good-and-bad-very/)

[C.S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis-2/)

> [“Now the whole offer which Christianity makes is this: that we can, if we let God have His way, come to share in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis-2/now-the-whole-offer-which-christianity-makes-is-this-that-we-can-if/)

[C.S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis-2/)

[Explore all 1,165 C.S. Lewis quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis-2/)

## More Aravis quotes

> [“Although Lasaraleen had said she was dying to hear Aravis's story, she showed no sign of really wanting to hear it at all. She…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis-2/although-lasaraleen-had-said-she-was-dying-to-hear-aravis-s-story-she/)

[C.S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis-2/)

Browse all 2 Aravis quotes

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "“When I heard the language of men uttered by my mare,\" continued Aravis, \"I said to myself, the fear of death has disordered my reason and subjected me to delusions. And I became full of shame for none of my lineage ought to fear death more than the biting of a gnat. Therefore I addressed myself a second time to the stabbing, but Hwin came near to me and put her head in between me and the dagger and discoursed to me most excellent reasons and rebuked me as a mother rebukes her daughter. And now my wonder was so great that I forgot about killing myself and about Ahoshta and said, 'O my mare, how have you learned to speak like one of the daughters of men?' And Hwin told me what is known to all this company, that in Narnia there are beasts that talk, and how she herself was stolen from thence when she was a little foal. She told me also of the woods and waters of Narnia and the castles and the great ships, till I said, 'In the name of Tash and Azaroth and Zardeenah, Lady of the Night, I have a great wish to be in that country of Narnia,' 'O my mistress,' answered the mare, 'if you were in Narnia you would be happy, for in that land no maiden is forced to marry against her will.”",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "C.S. Lewis"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis-2/when-i-heard-the-language-of-men-uttered-by-my-mare-continued-aravis/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Aravis"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis-2/when-i-heard-the-language-of-men-uttered-by-my-mare-continued-aravis/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4d6/c-s-lewis-121_aravis_when-i-heard-the-language-of-men-uttered_1931328.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4d6/c-s-lewis-121_aravis_when-i-heard-the-language-of-men-uttered_1931328.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4d6/c-s-lewis-121_aravis_when-i-heard-the-language-of-men-uttered_1931328.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“When I heard the language of men uttered by my mare,\" continued Aravis, \"I said to myself, the fear of death…” — C.S. Lewis",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "C.S. Lewis",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis-2/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "“When I heard the language of...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis-2/when-i-heard-the-language-of-men-uttered-by-my-mare-continued-aravis/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis-2/when-i-heard-the-language-of-men-uttered-by-my-mare-continued-aravis/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
