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Books

Overview

The Golden Compass / Northern Lights

The Subtle Knife

The Amber Spyglass

Lyra’s Oxford

The Book of Dust

General

Philip Pullman

Books about:

Features

The Golden Compass World Premiere

Cannes Filmfestival 2007

Alethiometer

Cartography

Last updated on 8 October 2006

What is the Alethiometer?

In the beginning of The Golden Compass / Northern Lights, Lyra receives an "alethiometer," or "golden compass". Now this alethiometer isn't really a compass. It doesn't point to the North. Instead, it has symbols all over its face, and when Lyra asks it a question, the needle points to symbols that answer her question.

Although there has been a lot of discussion about this topic, Philip Pullman has confirmed that the alethiometer is indeed made of gold, and not of brass, as is mentioned in the books at one point.

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