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Title Objects

These are the primary objects used in the 'His Dark Materials' trilogy. As I update, I will add lesser objects, such as naptha lamps to the list.

The Alethiometer (The Golden Compass) A device driven by Dust that is able to answer questions formed in the mind of the user. It is a symbol reader, with each symbol having an infinite number of meanings. A skilled user forms their questions by imagining how far down the particular meaning they are searching for is on the ladder of meanings for that symbol, and must old the three levels in their mind while the alethiometer makes its response by stopping on a symbol for each number of times that the meaning is down on the ladder of meanings. There are massive books in the libraries of Lyra’s Oxford dedicated to the countless meanings of the symbols. In the ‘His Dark Materials’ books, this is the object used by Lyra to help her on her quest. She uses it to trick Iofur, to learn about Will, and countless other times.

The Subtle Knife A knife build by the Guild of Cittagazze, the philosophers who lived in the Torre Degli Angeli. One edge of the knife is able to cut through any object, while the other edge is so sharp that it can cut between the very fabric of the worlds. The bearer of the subtle knife is instructed in how to feel with their mind the minute openings between the worlds, into which they may insert the knife to cut an opening wide enough to cross. Bearers should always close windows once they are done using them, as it allows Dust to escape. However, this is not always the case. The Subtle Knife is used by Will in the second and third books to travel among the different worlds. Once, he breaks it when he thinks of his mother. The knife breaks because it cannot cut through the love between him and his mother. Iorek is able to repair the knife, but it is not as long as before, and slightly weaker. At the end of The Amber Spyglass, Will brekas the knife again, this time on purpose, to prevent himself and anyone else from ever travelling freely among the worlds. To break the knife the second time, he thinks of Lyra, and the knife falls to pieces on the ground, wet with the rain from another universe.

The Amber Spyglass Probably the least important of the three objects mentioned in the books, the Amber Spyglass is built by Mary Malone from the sap of the wheel pod trees. Through the amber-like sap, Mary is able to see the movement of Dust. Other than that, the Amber Spyglass has no use.

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