What image inspired C.S. Lewis’s idea for The Chronicles of Narnia?

A faun carrying an umbrella and parcels in a snowy wood inspired C.S. Lewis’s idea for The Chronicles of Narnia.

Lewis later explained that the image had been in his mind since childhood. Around the age of sixteen, he imagined a faun walking through a snowy forest with an umbrella and packages. Decades later, that image helped generate the opening of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe.

The faun became Mr. Tumnus, the first Narnian creature Lucy encounters after entering the wardrobe. The snow, umbrella, and parcels all appear in the famous early scene.

This origin story concerns the initial imaginative spark, not a complete plot outline. Lewis developed the wider mythology, characters, and Christian themes gradually while writing the series.