Pylea
Encyclopedia
In the fictional universe
established by the television series Angel
, Pylea is a world in an alternate dimension where demon
s are the dominant life form and humans are treated as animals to be used as beasts of burden or even food. In fact, the Pylean word for humankind appears to be "cow." It is notable as the home world of the character Lorne, who fled in search of a more peaceful existence elsewhere.
on Pylea are different in such a way that the light of its two suns are not harmful to vampire
s, which are referred to by the natives as "Van-Tal." Van-Tal also differ from earthly vampires in that they have a reflection and they evince an even more demonic visage and personality when they "vamp out." When Angel does so in Pylea, he loses control over his emotions and body.
and epic quests, where heroes and champions are expected to prove their worth regularly in perilous circumstances.
A negative aspect of the society is its intense xenophobia
, which is marked by the Pylean demons' adverse reaction to mention of details of non-Pylean anatomy (for instance, the fact that other species might keep their hearts in their chest, rather than their buttocks). Hellhounds, which are a danger in Angel's dimension, have been domesticated in this one.
While Pylean society has no concept of music some Pyleans appear to use ritual dance to express deep emotion, as when the character of Numfar (played by series creator Joss Whedon
) is told by his mother to do "the dance of joy", "the dance of shame" and "the dance of honor." Pyleans are shown incapacitated by the sound of singing. Lorne can also produce harsh sounds disorienting to many life forms.
Humans who ran away from their owners, such as Winifred Burkle
, were hunted diligently to discourage uprisings. The penalty for this was apparently death, and it was implied that the slaughtered "animal" would be consumed as any other.
At least some of the demons of Pylea are capable of mating with humans, although having "cow blood" was considered a terrible stigma. The Groosalugg
, a champion in the mold of Conan the Barbarian
, had to strive long and hard to overcome the shame of his human heritage, made all too clear by his handsome looks, which were considered revolting by his world's standards.
The plight of Pylean humans may be improved by the events following the end of Angel's second season, when the priests were deposed and Groosalugg briefly takes the throne. He was later overthrown and replaced by a republic
an government.
Buffyverse
The Buffyverse, also known as the Whedonverse or Slayerverse , is the shared fictional universe in which the TV series Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel are set. This term, originally coined by fans of the TV series, has since been used in the titles of published works, and adopted by Joss...
established by the television series Angel
Angel (TV series)
Angel is an American television series, a spin-off of the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer. The series was created by Buffys creator, Joss Whedon, in collaboration with David Greenwalt, and first aired on October 5, 1999...
, Pylea is a world in an alternate dimension where demon
Demon (Buffyverse)
In the fictional Buffyverse established by Buffy and Angel, a Demon is a kind of nonhuman life form separate from the animal kingdom.The definition raises complex issues. Roughly speaking, the series uses demon to describe any creature that isn't a god, robot, unmodified human, or standard...
s are the dominant life form and humans are treated as animals to be used as beasts of burden or even food. In fact, the Pylean word for humankind appears to be "cow." It is notable as the home world of the character Lorne, who fled in search of a more peaceful existence elsewhere.
Laws of metaphysics on Pylea
The laws of metaphysicsMetaphysics
Metaphysics is a branch of philosophy concerned with explaining the fundamental nature of being and the world, although the term is not easily defined. Traditionally, metaphysics attempts to answer two basic questions in the broadest possible terms:...
on Pylea are different in such a way that the light of its two suns are not harmful to vampire
Vampire (Buffyverse)
Vampire, in the fictional world of the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel, is a species of demon which inhabits and animates a human corpse...
s, which are referred to by the natives as "Van-Tal." Van-Tal also differ from earthly vampires in that they have a reflection and they evince an even more demonic visage and personality when they "vamp out." When Angel does so in Pylea, he loses control over his emotions and body.
Demons
Pylean demon society is pseudo-medieval and other than the treatment of humans, would seem familiar to most fantasy enthusiasts. It is a realm of swords and sorcerySwords and Sorcery
Swords and Sorcery is a 1963 anthology of fantasy short stories in the sword and sorcery subgenre, edited by L. Sprague de Camp and illustrated by Virgil Finlay. It was first published in paperback by Pyramid Books...
and epic quests, where heroes and champions are expected to prove their worth regularly in perilous circumstances.
A negative aspect of the society is its intense xenophobia
Xenophobia
Xenophobia is defined as "an unreasonable fear of foreigners or strangers or of that which is foreign or strange". It comes from the Greek words ξένος , meaning "stranger," "foreigner" and φόβος , meaning "fear."...
, which is marked by the Pylean demons' adverse reaction to mention of details of non-Pylean anatomy (for instance, the fact that other species might keep their hearts in their chest, rather than their buttocks). Hellhounds, which are a danger in Angel's dimension, have been domesticated in this one.
While Pylean society has no concept of music some Pyleans appear to use ritual dance to express deep emotion, as when the character of Numfar (played by series creator Joss Whedon
Joss Whedon
Joseph Hill "Joss" Whedon is an American screenwriter, executive producer, director, comic book writer, occasional composer and actor, founder of Mutant Enemy Productions and co-creator of Bellwether Pictures...
) is told by his mother to do "the dance of joy", "the dance of shame" and "the dance of honor." Pyleans are shown incapacitated by the sound of singing. Lorne can also produce harsh sounds disorienting to many life forms.
Humans
Pylean humans are controlled by yoke-like mystical collars. A device controlled by the demonic priests of the realm gave them the ultimate power of potentially slaying all the enslaved "cows" at once, through the medium of said collars. The enslaved were expected to act like animals and were not permitted to speak.Humans who ran away from their owners, such as Winifred Burkle
Winifred Burkle
Winifred "Fred" Burkle is a fictional character created by Joss Whedon and introduced by Shawn Ryan and Mere Smith on the television series Angel. The character is portrayed by Amy Acker.-Character history:...
, were hunted diligently to discourage uprisings. The penalty for this was apparently death, and it was implied that the slaughtered "animal" would be consumed as any other.
At least some of the demons of Pylea are capable of mating with humans, although having "cow blood" was considered a terrible stigma. The Groosalugg
Groosalugg
The Groosalugg, nicknamed Groo, is a fictional character on the WB network's series Angel. He appeared in seasons 2 and 3, and is portrayed by Mark Lutz.-History:...
, a champion in the mold of Conan the Barbarian
Conan the Barbarian
Conan the Barbarian is a fictional sword and sorcery hero that originated in pulp fiction magazines and has since been adapted to books, comics, several films , television programs, video games, roleplaying games and other media...
, had to strive long and hard to overcome the shame of his human heritage, made all too clear by his handsome looks, which were considered revolting by his world's standards.
The plight of Pylean humans may be improved by the events following the end of Angel's second season, when the priests were deposed and Groosalugg briefly takes the throne. He was later overthrown and replaced by a republic
Republic
A republic is a form of government in which the people, or some significant portion of them, have supreme control over the government and where offices of state are elected or chosen by elected people. In modern times, a common simplified definition of a republic is a government where the head of...
an government.
Translations
- The Pylean word for 'hedgehogHedgehogA hedgehog is any of the spiny mammals of the subfamily Erinaceinae and the order Erinaceomorpha. There are 17 species of hedgehog in five genera, found through parts of Europe, Asia, Africa, and New Zealand . There are no hedgehogs native to Australia, and no living species native to the Americas...
' apparently means something dirty in English. - "Lo-lath ch-owrng ne bruun" means "I may be prepared to shout a joyful chant."
- "Kaya-no-m'tek" means "May you orally please the gods," though Fred thought she was saying "May your words please the gods."