The Alethiometer

The alethiometer is a device from the trilogy His Dark Materials which tells the truth. The word alethiometer comes from the Greek word aletheia meaning truth, so alethiometer means truth measuring instrument. It is described in Northern Lights: "It was very like a clock, or a compass, for there were hands pointing to places around the dial, but instead of the hours or the points of the compass there were several little pictures, each of them painted with the finest and slenderest sable brush". Image File history File links Alethiometer. ... Image File history File links Alethiometer. ... The trilogy (non-North American versions), in order of succession from left to right. ... Northern Lights is a common name for the polar aurorae in the northern hemisphere. ...

To use the alethiometer, the user directs three needles to lie over certain symbols on the face of device, and forms a question in his or her mind. The fourth needle then responds to the question, swinging over different symbols to form answers. Any given symbol may have numerous meanings. The compass provides its answers through the influence of Dust, or elementary particles called shadows (dark matter). Spoiler warning: Dust in Philip Pullmans trilogy of novels His Dark Materials is a fictional form of dark matter (as we call it in our world), an elementary particle that is of fundamental importance to the novels. ... Spoiler warning: Dust in Philip Pullmans trilogy of novels His Dark Materials is a fictional form of dark matter (as we call it in our world), an elementary particle that is of fundamental importance to the novels. ... In astrophysics, dark matter is matter that does not emit or reflect enough electromagnetic radiation to be detected directly, but whose presence may be inferred from its gravitational effects on visible matter. ...

The alethiometer is given to the leading character, Lyra Belacqua, by the Master of Jordan College. He tells her that it is a rare device, being only one of six ever made. Lyra soon finds herself able to use it by intuition, rather than the many years of study normally required. Lyra Belacqua is the heroine of Philip Pullmans His Dark Materials trilogy. ... Jordan College is a fictional college of the University of Oxford which appears in the His Dark Materials trilogy by Philip Pullman. ...

The 36 symbols and some of their meanings:

1. Hourglass, Time, Death, change...
2. Sun, Day, Authority, truth...
3. Alpha and Omega, Finality, Process, inevitability...
4. Marionette, Obedience, Submission, grace...
5. Serpent, Evil, Guile, natural wisdom...
6. Cauldron (crucible), Alchemy, Craft, achieved wisdom...
7. Anchor, Hope, Steadfastness, prevention...
8. Angel, Messenger, Hierarchy, disobedience...
9. Helmet, War, Protection, narrow vision...
10. Beehive, Productive work, Sweetness, light...
11. Moon, Chastity, Mystery, the uncanny...
12. Madonna, Motherhood, The feminine, worship...
13. Apple, Sin, Knowledge, vanity...
14. Bird, The soul (the dæmon), Spring, marriage...
15. Bread, Nourishment, Christ, sacrifice...
16. Ant, Mechanical work, Diligence, tedium...
17. Bull, Earth, Power, honesty...
18. Candle, Fire, Faith, learning...
19. Cornucopia, Wealth, Autumn, hospitality...
20. Chameleon, Air, Greed, patience...
21. Thunderbolt, Inspiration, Fate, anger...
22. Dolphin, Water, Resurrection, playfulness...
23. Walled Garden, Nature, Innocence, order...
24. Globe, Politics, Sovereignty, fame...
25. Sword, Justice, Fortitude, the Church...
26. Griffin, Treasure, Watchfulness, courage...
27. Horse, Europe, Journeys, fidelity...
28. Camel, Asia, Summer, perseverance...
29. Elephant, Africa, Charity, continence...
30. Crocodile (caiman), America, Rapacity, enterprise...
31. Baby, The future, Malleability, helplessness...
32. Compass, Measurement, Mathematics, science...
33. Lute, Poetry, Rhetoric, philosophy...
34. Tree, Firmness, Shelter, fertility...
35. Wild man, Wild man, The Masculine, lust...
36. Owl, Night, Winter, fear...

// ll Hourglass in wooden stand An hourglass, also known as a sandglass or sand timer, is a device for the measurement of time. ... The Sun is the star of our solar system. ... Alpha and Omega is an appellation of Jesus in the book of Revelation (22:13) where he is also called the first and the last, the beginning and the end. ... Phillip Huber (L) and David Alexander of the Huber Marionettes perform with marionettes hand-made by Huber for scenes for the feature film Tillamook Treasure 2005 Marionette in Prague A marionette is a type of puppet moved by strings, as in a puppet show. ... Serpent is a word of Latin origin (serpens, serpentis) which is ultimately derived from the Sanskrit term serp, that is normally substituted for snake in a specifically mythic or religious context, in order to distinguish such creatures from the field of biology. ... A cauldron (from Latin caldarium, hot bath) is a large metal-made pot (kettle) for cooking and/or boiling over an open fire, usually attached to a hanger with the shape of an arc. ... A stocked ships anchor. ... The Annunciation - the Angel Gabriel announces to Mary that she will bear Jesus (El Greco, 1575) An angel is a supernatural being found in many religions. ... // A helmet is a form of protective clothing worn on the head and usually made of metal or other hard substance, such as Kevlar, resin fiber, or plastic typically for protection of the head in combat, or in civilian life, from sports injuries, falling objects or high-speed collisions. ... The term Beehive can refer to several different things: Beehive (beekeeping) is a human-provided structure in which bees are induced to live and raise their young. ... Adjective lunar Bulk silicate composition (estimated wt%) SiO2 44. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Binomial name Malus domestica Borkh. ... Orders Many - see section below. ... Percentages are relative to US recommendations for adults. ... Subfamilies Aenictinae Aenictogitoninae Aneuretinae Apomyrminae Cerapachyinae Dolichoderinae Dorylinae Ecitoninae Formicinae Leptanillinae Leptanilloidinae Myrmeciinae Myrmicinae Nothomyrmeciinae Ponerinae Proceratiinae Pseudomyrmecinae Ants are social insects that belong to the same order as the wasps and bees. ... Binomial name Bos taurus Linnaeus, 1758 Cattle (often called cows in vernacular and contemporary usage, or kye as the Scots plural of cou) are domesticated ungulates, a member of the subfamily Bovinae of the family Bovidae. ... A collection of lit candles on ornate candlesticks A close-up image of a candle showing the wick and the various regions of the flame. ... The cornucopia (Latin Cornu Copiae), also known as the Horn of Plenty, is a symbol of food dating back to the 5th century BC. In Greek mythology, Amalthea raised Zeus on the milk of a goat. ... Genera Bradypodion Calumma Chamaeleo Furcifer Brookesia Rhampholeon Chameleons (family Chamaeleonidae) are squamates that belong to one of the best-known lizard families. ... Typical cartoon representations of thunderbolts A thunderbolt is a traditional expression for a discharge of lightning or a symbolic representation thereof. ... Genera See article below. ... This article is about the walled garden in its original horticultural sense. ... A globe This article is on a planet-representation device. ... Swiss longsword, 15th or 16th century Look up Sword in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Composite of Pomeranian heraldic charges of griffins. ... Binomial name Equus caballus Linnaeus, 1758 The horse (Equus caballus, sometimes seen as a subspecies of the Wild Horse, Equus ferus caballus) is a large odd-toed ungulate mammal, one of ten modern species of the genus Equus. ... Species Camelus bactrianus Camelus dromedarius Camels are even-toed ungulates in the genus Camelus. ... Genera and Species Loxodonta Loxodonta cyclotis Loxodonta africana Elephas Elephas maximus Elephas antiquus † Elephas beyeri † Elephas celebensis † Elephas cypriotes † Elephas ekorensis † Elephas falconeri † Elephas iolensis † Elephas planifrons † Elephas platycephalus † Elephas recki † Stegodon † Mammuthus † Elephantidae (the elephants) is a family of pachyderm, and the only remaining family in the order Proboscidea... Genera Mecistops Crocodylus Osteolaemus See full taxonomy. ... Genera Alligator Caiman Melanosuchus Paleosuchus Alligators and caimans are reptiles closely related to the crocodiles and forming the family Alligatoridae (sometimes regarded instead as the subfamily Alligatorinae). ... The term baby can refer to: an infant a very early computer—the Small-Scale Experimental Machine, nicknamed Baby a musician – Brian Williams – who performs under the name Baby. ... Compass in a wooden box A compass (or mariners compass) is a navigational instrument for finding directions on the earth. ... The lute is a plucked string instrument with a fretted neck and a deep round back. ... The coniferous Coast Redwood, the tallest tree species on earth. ... The wild man is a formal character presented in masks and dances of Native Americans in coastal British Columbia. ... Families Strigidae Tytonidae Ogygoptyngidae (fossil) Palaeoglaucidae (fossil) Protostrigidae (fossil) Sophiornithidae (fossil) Synonyms Strigidae sensu Sibley & Ahlquist Owls are solitary, mainly nocturnal birds of prey. ...

Trivia

• A scholar who has mastered the art of reading the alethiometer is referred to as an alethiometrist.

• The resemblance of the device to a large compass caused the American publishers of the first book, originally entitled Northern Lights, to retitle the book The Golden Compass. Philip Pullman later explained the mix-up in a quotation that can be found on this fan site.

PENIS Compass in a wooden box A compass (or mariners compass) is a navigational instrument for finding directions on the earth. ... The Golden Compass redirects here. ... Philip Pullman CBE (born October 19, 1946) is an English writer. ...

External links

• http://www.bridgetothestars.net/index.php?d=encyclopaedia&p=alethiometer
• http://neonavis.com/neonavis/#anchaleth