#pantalaimon

[kaizsche]

What does it do? It tells you the truth. HIS DARK MATERIALS, 1.01: LYRA'S JORDAN

[three-atoms]

Art for The Book of Dust Volume 2: The Secret Commonwealth

By Ivan Sergeev

[casualavocados]

Little grocery shops and bakeries stood between jewelers and bead-curtained doors opening into private houses, where wrought-iron balconies thick with flowers overhung the narrow pavement, and where the silence, being enclosed, was even more profound. The streets were leading downward, and before very long they opened out onto a broad avenue where more palm trees reached high into the air, the underside of their leaves glowing in the streetlights. On the other side of the avenue was the sea.

HIS DARK MATERIALS • Cittàgazze The Subtle Knife / Chapter 1: The Cat and the Hornbeam Trees

[dreamingpartone]

at that place we sat together today again, I'll go to where you're going

[kirjavas]

Through the summer and the fall We had each other, that was all Just she and I together Like it was meant to be

— When She Loved Me, Sarah McLachlan

[aura2023]

Lyra silvertongue from His dark materials. A drawing while i was figuring out how to set up the joycon with clip studio .

[alicenthighstower]

HIS DARK MATERIALS 3.06 The Abyss | 3.08 The Botanic Garden

+ bonus:

[nooowestayandgetcaught]

lyrawill + sleeping outside together

[madisoncounty]

CHAOS FAMILY + NAME MEANINGS (insp)

[his-darkmaterials]

Lyra & Pan 3.03 THE INTENTION CRAFT

[yousharknotpass]

lyra 🫶

[drawkaya]

Lyra

[three-atoms]

HIS DARK MATERIALS S3E08: The Botanic Garden

[casualavocados]

And I think Lyra's even braver than me. She can be. But, sometimes she's not. She's the best friend I've ever had. You know that? Not that I've had many friends. You're her best friend, too.

HIS DARK MATERIALS 2.07 | Æsahættr

[tragicotps]

Lyra, Marisa and Asriel + having a moment with their daemon/soul

[kirjavas]

lyra and her death: on overcoming mental illness

tw: mental illness, depression, suicide mention

after rewatching all of his dark materials, i wanted to touch on something i noticed in the final season that i hadn't picked up on before, and that is how lyra's journey to the land of the dead reflects her mental health.

in the secret commonwealth, lyra is likely dealing with depression as well as recovering from her trauma of separating from pan, which has clearly taken a toll on their relationship. and i think there was a deliberate choice to bring this character arc forward into season three of the show, when it wasn't really there in the books. the amber spyglass highlights the theme of loss of innocence and and moving away from childhood, which was made even more explicit by lyra being an older teenager in the show. this was also depicted by a more obvious change in lyra and pan's relationship that we didn't see in the books until the secret commonwealth. the two of them argue much more than usual in the first few episodes, and they don't seem to be on the same page, particularly when it comes to the land of the dead.

since lyra and pan are one being, this shows us that lyra's mind is divided and she is not at ease with herself as much as she used to be—a feeling that is very natural as she awkwardly transitions from child to teenager. but i also think it goes deeper and may reflect a level of self hatred we haven't seen from lyra before. she's always been sure of herself and this is reflected by how much she loves and cares for pan. but in season three she becomes more dismissive of him and guided by a different part of her that is leading towards roger. there are obvious parallels to be drawn between her and mrs coulter, who in contrast has gone from abusing her dæmon to becoming more allied with him. mrs coulter's treatment of the golden monkey represents her discomfort with herself/her soul, but when both their intentions match that is when their relationship is healthier.

in the land of the dead, pan and will both seem to be afraid/cautious of the idea of death, whereas lyra shows no fear in summoning her own death and making a journey she may never return from (cue an incredible shot of lyra's death standing between her and will... till death do us part anyone?? but i digress).

it's really interesting how this slightly different dynamic kind of sets up their inevitable separation, as the episode foreshadows that there will be a heavy price to pay for bargaining with death. rather than it coming as a complete shock like in the books, it feels like a punch to the gut with the realisation that lyra and pan are no longer on the same path (and haven't been for a while). lyra chooses roger, a symbol of childhood, but ironically she also chooses to grow up in leaving part of herself behind.

i might be reading too much into these scenes but i think there's a strong suggestion that a part of lyra wants to die—perhaps to join roger, perhaps because her guilt makes her feel like she deserves it. later on, lyra's hallucination of pan and the scene with the harpies only emphasises this. the harpies target the thoughts at the back of her mind, telling her that she has ruined the lives of those she loves and she is in the land of the dead only to soothe her own guilt.

i also strongly suspect that upon freeing the ghosts, some part of lyra was healed knowing that she helped roger. she seems to bring a bit more of herself back after she reunites with him, in taming the harpies and telling stories. ultimately i think this accomplishment gives lyra enough strength to make another devastating sacrifice when she is separated from will forever. i honestly don't think she could have done it if she hadn't had the closure and relief of completing her mission to make amends with roger.

like... GOD. lyra is such a tragic character and i both love and loathe the show for introducing some of these elements. bring on the book of dust adaptation.