Lyra Belacqua

From His Dark Materials

Lyra's representation in The Golden Compass

Lyra Belacqua, the foremost protagonist in the series His Dark Materials, is the young English girl destined to become the second Eve. She was an illegitimate child, resulting from an affair between Lord Asriel and Marisa Coulter. Lyra was raised as an orphan in Jordan College, Oxford. Her dæmon is named Pantalaimon.

Initially, Lyra's disposition was brazen, headstrong, and rebellious. She possessed a penchant for lying and fabricating elaborate stories, which later resulted in her second name, Silvertongue.

The following facts form the basis for Lyra's general description:

A girl of around 11 years
Speaks the English language
Thin build
Height comparatively less than for girls her age
Dark blonde curly hair
Blue eyes

[edit] Background and Life

Lyra was born of an out-of-wedlock affair between Lord Asriel and Marisa Coulter. She was brought up at Jordan College, with the scholars, the professors, and the servants all acting as a sort of collective family. She was raised believing that her father was a Count and that both her parents had died in an airship crash, and that Lord Asriel was her uncle. She later learns the truth about her parentage from John Faa, leader of the Gyptians.

Lyra lived a generally undisciplined life in Oxford. She was clever and curious but extremely independent; as a result, her education was patchy because she applied herself only to subjects that caught her interest. A natural leader, she spent much of her time adventuring in and around the college with her friend Roger Parslow, exploring, pulling pranks, climbing on roofs, and leading clay fights with children from the College, the town of Oxford, and Gyptian families. Her life changes after the arrival of the General Oblation Board and their kidnapping of Roger.

[edit] Character

Iorek Byrnison with Lyra on his back. Promotion statue at the Frankfurt Book Fair 2007. Image: Gwyndon.

Lyra is portrayed as dark-blonde, blue-eyed, and rambunctious. She is thin and short for her age, which ranges from 11 to 13 throughout the books. She is an unruly child and often exasperates those who try to care for her, such as the Jordan housekeeper and her tutors. Though she receives little formal education, she is quick-witted and canny.

When Lyra leaves Jordan College, the Master of the College entrusts to her one of the few remaining alethiometers that has not been captured or destroyed by the Magisterium. Lyra supposes he means her to deliver it to Lord Asriel. However, after a little practice she discovers that she can read the alethiometer by relying solely on her intuition, rather than the years of study that ability normally takes.

Lyra earns the name Lyra Silvertongue when she fools Iofur Raknison, the King of the Panserbjørne, or Armoured Bears, into believing that she is the dæmon of his defeated rival Iorek Byrnison and that she is willing to change sides for the "strongest bear." She thus persuades Iofur (who, contrary to bear nature, is obsessed with the idea of having his own dæmon) to engage in single combat with Iorek rather than release the entire force of armoured bears against him. Despite her faith in Iorek, Lyra fears she may have sent him to his doom against the healthier and better-equipped Iofur, so when she meets Iorek and confesses to what she has done, she fears Iorek will think she has betrayed him. To her surprise, Iorek, impressed and grateful, calls her "Lyra Silvertongue," and destroys Iofur in their duel. She adopts Silvertongue as her new surname, both out of pride that Iorek has gifted her with such a name and because she is estranged from her father after his murder of Roger Parslow.

[edit] Pantalaimon

Pantalaimon (aka Pan); Lyra's Dæmon

Lyra's dæmon, Pantalaimon, is her dearest companion and the embodiment of her soul. In common with all dæmons of children, he can take any animal form he pleases; he first appears in the story in the shape of a moth. His name is that of a saint in the Orthodox Christian Churches, St. Panteleimon, and in Greek means "all-forgiving." He changes into many forms throughout the series, ranging from a leopard to a dragon, but his favorite forms are a snow-white ermine, a moth, and a mouse. Lyra and Pantalaimon must be separated when they enter the World of the Dead, causing extreme pain to both of them. Pantalaimon avoids Lyra for a while afterwards; however, by their separation, the two have gained the ability to be physically distant from each other, a trait only witches and shamans possess. Pantalaimon settles on his final form, a pine marten, when Lyra's friend Will Parry, touches him. Pantalaimon is regularly called 'Pan.'

[edit] Lyra's Destiny

In the first novel of His Dark Materials, Northern Lights (known in the United States of America as The Golden Compass), Serafina Pekkala tells of the prophecy of a girl who is "destined to bring about the end of destiny," at the expense of a great betrayal. The witches' prophecy states that this girl will be able pick the "correct" cloud-pine branch out of several, as indeed Lyra does. It transpires that Lyra's destiny is literally to be the second Eve and to fall into the temptation of the serpent, represented by Mary Malone, who tells Lyra and her friend Will Parry, the series' other main protagonist, about her own first love. When Mary's story kindles passion between Lyra and Will, the catastrophic destruction of Dust is corrected and the universes start to work again in harmony. Lyra fulfills her destiny to "bring an end to death" by leading the ghosts out of the world of the dead. The great betrayal is Lyra's abandonment of Pantalaimon on the beach outside the world of the dead, as described in The Amber Spyglass. An alternate argument is that the foretold betrayal occurs when Lyra leads Roger to Lord Asriel on Svalbard at the end of the first book.

[edit] Lyra in Other Media

[edit] Film

In the film adaptation of the first book, released under the book's American name The Golden Compass, Lyra is portrayed by twelve-year-old London schoolgirl Dakota Blue Richards, who won the role after beating out 10,000 other hopeful candidates.

[edit] Theater

The National Theatre in London put on a two part, three hour long, adaptation of the novels. The play ran twice; in 2003 and 2004. Lyra was played by Anna Maxwell Martin in the first run, and by Elaine Symons in the second. Scottish Youth Theatre have recently (July-August 2007) put on the Scottish premier of the production with Kirstie Steele and Sarah Ord playing Lyra in part one and two respectively.