The land of the dead was a desolate land in the world of the dead. Ghosts reached the land of the dead by the boatman's ferry. Souls, or dæmons, could not enter the land of the dead and were left behind.
History
The land of the dead was ruled by the Authority and guarded by harpies who tormented the ghosts.
When Lyra Silvertongue and William Parry entered it, they had to leave their dæmons behind. Afterwards they could, in a similar fashion to witches, go long distances from their dæmons.
Will made a window from the land of the dead to the mulefa world. Lyra convinced the harpies that they should guide the ghosts to the window in return for true stories.
Behind the scenes
- Pullman's land of the dead was inspired by the underworlds of Homer and Virgil.[1]