Locations in His Dark Materials
Encyclopedia
This article covers the fictional locations in the His Dark Materials
trilogy by Philip Pullman
.
in a parallel universe to our own, and is the home of the trilogy's young heroine Lyra Belacqua
(or Silvertongue).
The location and layout of Jordan College in the parallel universe is analogous to the location of Exeter College
, Philip Pullman
's alma mater
, in the real city of Oxford
. However, unlike the fictional college, Exeter College is not the oldest (it is the fourth-oldest), nor is it the richest college of the University of Oxford
.
As described by Pullman, the college is something of an exaggerated version of a real Oxford college, rambling above and below ground in a motley selection of buildings, cellars and tunnels constructed over several centuries:
The village has a witch consulate, which the Gyptians went to in order to get support from the witches during their journey. Also, there were two people of interest who lived in the town prior to the Gyptians visit who later left with them: Lee Scoresby, an aeronaut and prospector who had been stranded in the town as a result of a failed expedition, and Iorek Byrnison, an exiled armoured bear whom the people had tricked into working for them as a metalworker with alcohol as payment.
is the location of the panserbjørne palace and the center of the ice bear government. Iorek Byrnison lives there. Unlike most locations in the story, Svalbard is an actual location.
; children are kidnapped and brought there to be subjected to the process.
The first reference to the city appears in the first volume of the trilogy, Northern Lights
, as 'the city in the sky': the city visible in the Aurora borealis, an occurrence which, according to the novel, thins the barrier between the dimension in which the story takes place and the dimension of Cittàgazze. The most expansive description of the city is given as Lyra and Will venture into it and other surrounding universes in The Subtle Knife
. It is also mentioned in the final volume, The Amber Spyglass
. The city is located within a parallel universe different from most others mentioned in the trilogy, and is reached through a "window-between-worlds" created by Lord Asriel
at the climax of Northern Lights.
Cittàgazze is a seaside town, reminiscent of those near the Mediterranean, which seems to have Italian
roots. Its main features are quaint restaurants, parasols hung over circular tables beneath trailing plants, wide cobbled roads, and ancient architecture. However, it should not necessarily be considered "old-world". There is mention of electric devices such as lights and refrigerators and places such as department stores. Thus, the world appears to be similar to ours in some technological achievements while vastly inferior in others such as modern medicine and transportation.
Perhaps its most significant feature is the tower called the Torre degli Angeli (Tower of the Angels in Italian), in which the Subtle Knife resides in the second book. However, the city is also plagued by deadly, ghostly beings called Spectres. They are invisible to pre-adolescents, but once individuals are old enough to see them the Spectres take an interest in them, eating away people's dæmon
s (sometimes believed to represent the soul), thus leaving them zombie
-like and lifeless. Hence, the city is entirely devoid of adults, but is populated by small rag-tag gangs of children. Spectres cluster around children approaching adolescence and consume them the moment they come of age.
The multitude of Spectres in the world of Cittàgazze is due to the constant use of the Subtle Knife in its vicinity. While the knife can create windows to other worlds, each occurrence of this creates a new Spectre. Asriel's opening of the passage from his world to Cittàgazze caused a massive surge in Spectre population, swarming the world with the soul-devouring wraiths.
takes place entirely in this world.
His Dark Materials
His Dark Materials is a trilogy of fantasy novels by Philip Pullman comprising Northern Lights , The Subtle Knife , and The Amber Spyglass...
trilogy by Philip Pullman
Philip Pullman
Philip Pullman CBE, FRSL is an English writer from Norwich. He is the best-selling author of several books, most notably his trilogy of fantasy novels, His Dark Materials, and his fictionalised biography of Jesus, The Good Man Jesus and the Scoundrel Christ...
.
Jordan College
Jordan College is a fictional college. It exists in the OxfordLyra's Oxford
Lyra's Oxford is a short book by Philip Pullman depicting an episode involving the heroine of His Dark Materials, Pullman's best-selling trilogy. Lyra's Oxford is set when Lyra Silvertongue is 15, two years after the end of the trilogy...
in a parallel universe to our own, and is the home of the trilogy's young heroine Lyra Belacqua
Lyra Belacqua
Lyra Belacqua , also known as Lyra Silvertongue, is the heroine of Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials trilogy. Lyra is a young girl who inhabits a universe parallel to our own...
(or Silvertongue).
The location and layout of Jordan College in the parallel universe is analogous to the location of Exeter College
Exeter College, Oxford
Exeter College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England and the fourth oldest college of the University. The main entrance is on the east side of Turl Street...
, Philip Pullman
Philip Pullman
Philip Pullman CBE, FRSL is an English writer from Norwich. He is the best-selling author of several books, most notably his trilogy of fantasy novels, His Dark Materials, and his fictionalised biography of Jesus, The Good Man Jesus and the Scoundrel Christ...
's alma mater
Alma mater
Alma mater , pronounced ), was used in ancient Rome as a title for various mother goddesses, especially Ceres or Cybele, and in Christianity for the Virgin Mary.-General term:...
, in the real city of Oxford
Oxford
The city of Oxford is the county town of Oxfordshire, England. The city, made prominent by its medieval university, has a population of just under 165,000, with 153,900 living within the district boundary. It lies about 50 miles north-west of London. The rivers Cherwell and Thames run through...
. However, unlike the fictional college, Exeter College is not the oldest (it is the fourth-oldest), nor is it the richest college of the University of Oxford
University of Oxford
The University of Oxford is a university located in Oxford, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest surviving university in the world and the oldest in the English-speaking world. Although its exact date of foundation is unclear, there is evidence of teaching as far back as 1096...
.
As described by Pullman, the college is something of an exaggerated version of a real Oxford college, rambling above and below ground in a motley selection of buildings, cellars and tunnels constructed over several centuries:
- What was above ground was only a small fraction of the whole. Like some enormous fungus whose root-system extended over acres, Jordan (finding itself jostling for space above ground with St Michael's College on one side, Gabriel College on the other, and Bodley's Library behind) had begun, sometime in the Middle Age, to spread below the surface. Tunnels, shafts, vaults, cellars, staircases had so hollowed out the earth below Jordan and for some yards around it that there was almost as much air below ground as above; Jordan College stood on a sort of froth of stone.
(Pullman, Northern LightsNorthern Lights (novel)Northern Lights, known as The Golden Compass in North America, is the first novel in English novelist Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials trilogy...
)
Trollesund
Trollesund is the main port of the country of Lapland, which Lyra and her Gyptian protectors visited during their journey to Bolvangar.The village has a witch consulate, which the Gyptians went to in order to get support from the witches during their journey. Also, there were two people of interest who lived in the town prior to the Gyptians visit who later left with them: Lee Scoresby, an aeronaut and prospector who had been stranded in the town as a result of a failed expedition, and Iorek Byrnison, an exiled armoured bear whom the people had tricked into working for them as a metalworker with alcohol as payment.
Svalbard
SvalbardSvalbard
Svalbard is an archipelago in the Arctic, constituting the northernmost part of Norway. It is located north of mainland Europe, midway between mainland Norway and the North Pole. The group of islands range from 74° to 81° north latitude , and from 10° to 35° east longitude. Spitsbergen is the...
is the location of the panserbjørne palace and the center of the ice bear government. Iorek Byrnison lives there. Unlike most locations in the story, Svalbard is an actual location.
Bolvangar
The far north location of the research facility where the Magisterium conducts experiments with intercisionIntercision
Intercision is a type of fictional operation in Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials trilogy that separates an individual from their dæmon. In effect, the operation separates the person from his or her soul, while leaving the person alive, though having the behavioral and cognitive characteristics...
; children are kidnapped and brought there to be subjected to the process.
Cittàgazze
Cittàgazze (sometimes abbreviated to Ci'gazze), meaning "City of the Magpies" in Italian, is a fictional city within an unknown world (and parallel universe).The first reference to the city appears in the first volume of the trilogy, Northern Lights
Northern Lights (novel)
Northern Lights, known as The Golden Compass in North America, is the first novel in English novelist Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials trilogy...
, as 'the city in the sky': the city visible in the Aurora borealis, an occurrence which, according to the novel, thins the barrier between the dimension in which the story takes place and the dimension of Cittàgazze. The most expansive description of the city is given as Lyra and Will venture into it and other surrounding universes in The Subtle Knife
The Subtle Knife
The Subtle Knife, the second novel in the book His Dark Materials series, was written by English novelist Philip Pullman and published in 1997. The novel continues the adventures of Lyra Belacqua as she investigates the mysterious Dust phenomenon and searches for her father...
. It is also mentioned in the final volume, The Amber Spyglass
The Amber Spyglass
The Amber Spyglass is the third and final novel in the His Dark Materials series, written by English author Philip Pullman, and published in 2000....
. The city is located within a parallel universe different from most others mentioned in the trilogy, and is reached through a "window-between-worlds" created by Lord Asriel
Lord Asriel
Lord Asriel is a major character in Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials series and one of the main protagonists of Northern Lights.Asriel is a member of the English aristocracy in a parallel universe dominated by the Church...
at the climax of Northern Lights.
Cittàgazze is a seaside town, reminiscent of those near the Mediterranean, which seems to have Italian
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
roots. Its main features are quaint restaurants, parasols hung over circular tables beneath trailing plants, wide cobbled roads, and ancient architecture. However, it should not necessarily be considered "old-world". There is mention of electric devices such as lights and refrigerators and places such as department stores. Thus, the world appears to be similar to ours in some technological achievements while vastly inferior in others such as modern medicine and transportation.
Perhaps its most significant feature is the tower called the Torre degli Angeli (Tower of the Angels in Italian), in which the Subtle Knife resides in the second book. However, the city is also plagued by deadly, ghostly beings called Spectres. They are invisible to pre-adolescents, but once individuals are old enough to see them the Spectres take an interest in them, eating away people's dæmon
Dæmon (His Dark Materials)
A dæmon is a manifestation of a person's soul in the Philip Pullman trilogy His Dark Materials. Humans in every universe are said to have dæmons, although in some universes they are visible as entities physically separate from their humans, and take the form of animals, while in other universes...
s (sometimes believed to represent the soul), thus leaving them zombie
Zombie
Zombie is a term used to denote an animated corpse brought back to life by mystical means such as witchcraft. The term is often figuratively applied to describe a hypnotized person bereft of consciousness and self-awareness, yet ambulant and able to respond to surrounding stimuli...
-like and lifeless. Hence, the city is entirely devoid of adults, but is populated by small rag-tag gangs of children. Spectres cluster around children approaching adolescence and consume them the moment they come of age.
The multitude of Spectres in the world of Cittàgazze is due to the constant use of the Subtle Knife in its vicinity. While the knife can create windows to other worlds, each occurrence of this creates a new Spectre. Asriel's opening of the passage from his world to Cittàgazze caused a massive surge in Spectre population, swarming the world with the soul-devouring wraiths.
Lyra's World
The world in which Lyra and most characters in His Dark Materials come from. Northern LightsNorthern Lights (novel)
Northern Lights, known as The Golden Compass in North America, is the first novel in English novelist Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials trilogy...
takes place entirely in this world.
Will's World
- Our own world or dimension, explored in The Subtle KnifeThe Subtle KnifeThe Subtle Knife, the second novel in the book His Dark Materials series, was written by English novelist Philip Pullman and published in 1997. The novel continues the adventures of Lyra Belacqua as she investigates the mysterious Dust phenomenon and searches for her father...
and The Amber SpyglassThe Amber SpyglassThe Amber Spyglass is the third and final novel in the His Dark Materials series, written by English author Philip Pullman, and published in 2000....
Mulefa World
- A world inhabited by the Mulefa, and Tualapi, large white birds. Savannah and prairie climate. Explored in The Amber SpyglassThe Amber SpyglassThe Amber Spyglass is the third and final novel in the His Dark Materials series, written by English author Philip Pullman, and published in 2000....
The Cittàgazze World
- A mediterranean world, explored in The Subtle KnifeThe Subtle KnifeThe Subtle Knife, the second novel in the book His Dark Materials series, was written by English novelist Philip Pullman and published in 1997. The novel continues the adventures of Lyra Belacqua as she investigates the mysterious Dust phenomenon and searches for her father...
and The Amber SpyglassThe Amber SpyglassThe Amber Spyglass is the third and final novel in the His Dark Materials series, written by English author Philip Pullman, and published in 2000....
The Land of the Dead
- The underworld, explored in The Amber SpyglassThe Amber SpyglassThe Amber Spyglass is the third and final novel in the His Dark Materials series, written by English author Philip Pullman, and published in 2000....
. Anyone who has ever died is sent here, and their ghosts are guarded by Harpies
Republic of Heaven
- The name given to the world in which Lord AsrielLord AsrielLord Asriel is a major character in Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials series and one of the main protagonists of Northern Lights.Asriel is a member of the English aristocracy in a parallel universe dominated by the Church...
builds his army in preparation with war against The Authority. The only known inhabitants prior to the Republic forces are cliff ghasts, like those in Lyra's world. The land is mountainous and shows signs of volcanic activity. Not to be confused with the metaphorical Republic of Heaven.
Minor Worlds
- Three worlds are briefly glimpsed when Will is experimenting with the knife in The Amber SpyglassThe Amber SpyglassThe Amber Spyglass is the third and final novel in the His Dark Materials series, written by English author Philip Pullman, and published in 2000....
. One contains a desert, the second contains an industrial city where the factory workers are in chains, and the third contains a meadow inhabited by blue bison-like grazers. - Will, Baruch, and Balthamos escape from the Regent Metatron by cutting through to a moonlit beach in yet another world.
- Will opens a world with a tropical rainforest when demonstrating the subtle knife's powers to Iorek Byrnison. While rescuing Lyra from Mrs. Coulter's cave in the Himalaya of Lyra's world, he cuts through a world where the moon shines brightly over insect-infested ground the colour of bleached bone.
- Will, Lyra, Tialys, and Salmakia reach the world of the dead from a world with what looks like a Dutch or Danish farmstead, where the villagers have just been massacred by armed soldiers and their village razed (this conflict is never explained).