BBC and HBO series His Dark Materials continued this evening (Sunday, November 24) as Lyra Belacqua (played by Dafne Keen) headed to the North in search of the abducted children. She was accompanied by the Gyptians on her journey as they tried to keep her safe, however, the pair seemed to know more about her important and her destiny. No one told Lyra of her importance but it was clear she was destined to do something big.
What is the prophecy involving Lyra?
WARNING: This article contains spoilers from His Dark Materials and Philip Pullman’s His Dark Materials trilogy
At the start of episode one of His Dark Materials, the prophecy is alluded to.
In the introduction, it states: “This story starts in another world. One that is both like, and unlike, your own.
“Here, every human soul takes the physical form of an animal, known as a daemon. The relationship between human and daemon is sacred.
“This world has been controlled for centuries by the all-powerful Magisterium.
“Except in the Northern wilderness, where witches secretly whisper of a prophecy.
“A prophecy about a child with a great destiny. During the great flood, this child was brought to Oxford.”
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In the books, Mrs Coulter (Ruth Wilson) says: “Lyra will somehow, sometime soon, be tempted as Eve was – that’s what they say. … And now that the church knows that, too, they’ll kill her. …
“Killing is not difficult for them … they’d kill her with pomp and ceremonial and prayers and lamentations and psalms and hymns, but they would kill her.”
Another character tells Farder Coram (James Cosmo): “The witches have talked about this child for centuries past …
“Because they live so close to the place where the veil between the worlds is thin, they hear immortal whispers from time to time, in the voices of those beings who pass between the worlds.
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“And they have spoken of a child such as this, who has a great destiny that can only be fulfilled elsewhere – not in this world, but far beyond.
“Without this child, we shall all die. … But she must fulfil this destiny in ignorance of what she is doing, because only in her ignorance can we be saved. … I am glad to have seen this child before I die.”
So it seems, Lyra must do something great without knowledge of this prophecy, which is why Farder Coram and John Faa (Lucian Msamati) were keen to keep the truth from her.
Fans will have to wait and see how this plays out in the TV show but it looks like it could be a grave secret kept from her for her own safety.
Mrs Coulter also seemed to be well aware of her daughter’s potential to change the course of their world.
In some ways, the prophecy seems to show the tensions between the freedoms of the human soul and the constraints of the Magisterium which seeks to repress humans.