Questions tagged [his-dark-materials]
For questions about the "His Dark Materials" trilogy of fantasy novels, coming together to form an epic, by Philip Pullman comprising Northern Lights (1995, published as The Golden Compass in North America), The Subtle Knife (1997), and The Amber Spyglass (2000). Use with the relevant book tag where appropriate.
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Can other people in our world see Kirjava?
I've just finished watching series 3 of His Dark Materials (haven't read the books). During the course of the series...
Happy to have answers either from the books, from Phillip Pullman, or from the ...
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Why didn't Lyra ask the alethiometer who Father Gomez was and what he was doing there? [closed]
In The Amber Spyglass, after Dr Malone observed the man with the rifle casing out the mulefa village and then told Lyra and Will about the man, why didn't Lyra ask the alethiometer who the man was and ...
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How did the Gyptians bring a whole ship to the mulefa world?
I couldn't wait for the third season of His Dark Materials series so I read the whole trilogy.
My question is this: In The Amber Spyglass, how did the Gyptians bring a whole ship into the mulefa world ...
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Looking for Philip Pullman quote re imaginary numbers and possibly daemons/dæmons
Besides the term 'imaginary numbers' being used in the actual books:
Adam and Eve are like imaginary numbers, like the square root of minus one… If you include it in your equation, you can calculate ...
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What is the significance of counting stones in The Subtle Knife?
After Lyra and Will obtain the subtle knife, Tullio, the young man who stole the knife in order to ward off Specters, is attacked and exhibits some odd behavior:
Then he [Tullio] turned away and ...
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Do "ordinary" animals exist in the world of "His Dark Materials"?
In Lyra's home world in both the "His Dark Materials" HBO series and the Golden Compass 2007 movie, aside from daemons in animal form, we only see bears which can talk and have human-like ...
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Who talks through the Cave/alethiometer?
In the world of His Dark Material, it is known that uncountable angels exist. If the Cave/alethiometer can talk to these beings, then which one of them "picks up the call"? Is it ever shown ...
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Has Philip Pullman ever released or endorsed a complete list of symbols for the alethiometer?
Has Philip Pullman ever released or endorsed a complete list of symbols for the alethiometer, along with one or two suggested meanings? I've found this link through Reddit, but I don't know whether it'...
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Can the bond between humans and daemons ever be restored after intercision in His Dark Materials?
I've been watching His Dark Materials on HBO and was particularly disturbed by last night's episode, "The Daemon-Cages." It showed a number of the daemons in cages, which had been cut away from their ...
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Do People have pets in Lyra's world?
In the Lyra's universe people have a daemon, an animal version of themselves. However do they also have normal animal pets (Cats, dogs etc) or does the deamon fill this role?
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How does Lyra get from Svalbard to Oxford?
Is there any explanation of how Lyra gets from Svalbard in her world to Oxford in Will's world (in The Subtle Knife)? All subsequent travel between worlds through the windows has the traveler ending ...
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Why didn't Will continue to make windows and fight the Spectres?
Major spoilers, this question is about the end of The Amber Spyglass. I won't put everything into a spoiler block.
At the end of The Amber Spyglass, Will and Lyra (and an angel) discuss whether there ...
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Why did the Dust stop flowing away when Lyra and Will realized their love for each other?
In The Amber Spyglass, by Philip Pullman, Lyra and Will realize they love each other, and kiss.
Doctor Mary Malone suddenly sees the Dust stop flowing away, and instead it is eddying and swirling ...
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Is Diania real?
In The Book of Dust, the first part and most of the second part have a matter-of-fact style. The "magical" aspects of Pullman's world (dæmons, Dust, talking bears etc) are treated by the characters as ...
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Why does Mrs Coulter’s hair change colour between La Belle Sauvage and His Dark Materials?
My daughter (credit where due) was struck by Mrs Coulter’s hair changing colour between La Belle Sauvage and His Dark Materials – do we know anything about why?
In His Dark Materials1, the third ...
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Who made the alethiometer and how?
In Northern Lights, the alethiometers were said to have been made in Prague in the 17th century, and it is later suggested that their creation is parallel to the Scientific Revolution in Europe in our ...
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In the first book of "His Dark Materials", why didn't Lyra ask the alethiometer what the Gobblers were doing?
I'm reading THE GOLDEN COMPASS by Phillip Pullman. Lyra, John Faa, Farder Coram, and just about everyone else wonders what the Gobblers are doing with the children they've been stealing, but they ...
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Difference between 'intercision' in Northern Lights and being attacked by a Spectre?
In Northern Lights, children (and the adult nurses) undergo intercision at Bolvangar. Many of the children die, but some like Tony Makarios survive (if only for a time) and adults definitely survive. ...
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Why do Will and Lyra's personalities not change in the world of the dead in Northern Lights without their Daemons?
In The Amber Spyglass, Will and Lyra (& Chevalier Tialys and Lady Salmakia) must leave their Daemons behind when they cross the river into the world of the dead. If Humans in His Dark Materials ...
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What are the differences between the dæmons of adults and children?
What are the differences in adult and child dæmons other than that adult's daemons can't change form.
I assume there are other differences because in "The Northern Lights" (Golden Compass in US) it ...
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What passages were removed or changed from the North American version of His Dark Materials?
Wikipedia claims:
North American printings of The Amber Spyglass have censored passages describing Lyra's incipient sexuality.
Which has made me wonder about any and all changes to the NA version ...
user31178
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Where do baby daemons come from?
In the His Dark Materials trilogy, each person in Lyra's world has a daemon, which seems to be a part of their soul. Where do these daemons come from? Are they birthed by other daemons or do they ...
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Are all worlds at the same point in time?
In His Dark Materials, Lyra comes from a world where Catholicism and Protestantism apparently merged into one mega church that continues to exert great control over all aspects of life even into the ...
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Can "His Dark Materials" be read objectively? [closed]
I have asked this question on other websites, but I keep getting conflicting answers, so I figured I would ask here.
I'm a Christian. I first read the "His Dark Materials" trilogy when I was in 5th ...
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His Dark Materials - Mythology and Symbolism Behind Dæmon Forms
Has Philip Pullman or any canon source with respect to the series provided any background information on how a character's personality "maps" (ie: in a computing/logical sense) to a particular animal?
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Why do dæmons in "His Dark Materials" never assume combat forms
One thing that I found particularly odd in the "His Dark Materials" trilogy is why none of the demons, while they're still capable of changing forms, never assume a useful form like a lion (which does ...
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Why don't the spectres in HDM attack Mary Malone?
In Amber Spyglass it is mentioned that the spectres dont attack Mary. Do we ever learn why this is?
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How is Mary Malone "the serpent"?
In The Subtle Knife, the shadows tell Mary Malone she must play the part of the serpent, and later it is clarified she has to play the same part to Lyra that the serpent did to Eve in the garden. ...
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Can it be true that Panserbjørnes don't have daemons and have no afterlife?
Iorek claims that bears have no daemons and just flat out die (don't go to the afterlife) when they die. But Will and Dr. Mary Malone (from our Earth) have daemons they don't know about; and of ...
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Why do Panserbjørns speak English?
Is there a backstory to explain why the bears speak English? In Golden Compass it doesn't even seem like they have their own native language (I haven't read further). Why would that make sense (in-...
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What exactly was the choice Lyra was prophesied to make?
In the His Dark Materials trilogy, the last book spends much of its time going on about the prophesy that Mrs Coulter overheard the witch talking about, regarding the choice Lyra was going to have to ...
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What are the anti-Church messages in the "His Dark Materials" trilogy?
His Dark Materials contains criticisms of a controlling church and forced removal of free will. Some of the parallels of the Magisterium to controlling hierarchies of cardinals and bishops can't be ...
JoseK
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Why is "His Dark Materials" by Philip Pullman considered by some as anti religion?
I've read somewhere that His Dark Materials by Philip Pullman are attacked by many religious figures. I have only seen the movie "Golden Compass" but I would like to find out some more information as ...
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Is the movie rendition of the Golden Compass significantly different from the book?
I've seen some reviews which claim that all religious related subtext was subdued or removed from the movie. Did this result in a movie which is significantly different from the book?
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