Dust (His Dark Materials)
Encyclopedia
Dust in Philip Pullman's
trilogy
of novels His Dark Materials
is a mysterious cosmic particle that is integral to the plot. In Northern Lights
, Lord Asriel reveals the origins of the term "Dust" to be from a passage from the slightly alternate version of the Bible
in Lyra's World: "In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return." (Genesis 3:19)
, an elementary particle
that is of fundamental importance. It is invisible to the human eye and cannot be seen without the use of special instruments, such as the amber spyglass or a special film
. While humans cannot see Dust without the use of outside devices, creatures such as the mulefa are able to see dust with their own eyes.
Unlike ordinary particles, Dust is conscious
. It falls from the sky, is attracted to people, and wears off onto objects made by people. This makes it of great interest to the Church, which believes that it may be the physical manifestation of Original Sin
. It is later learned that Dust actually confers consciousness, knowledge, and wisdom, and that Dust is formed when matter becomes conscious. This allows creatures who have the ability to see Dust to identify other sentient and intelligent creatures. An example of this is when the mulefa are able to distinguish Mary Malone as an intelligent being (compared to the other animals), because of the Dust surrounding her.
Dust is life and the living essence of everything from the play 'His Dark Materials' and 'The Golden Compass.'
Dust is also the thing that connects humans to their dæmons. This being is the physical manifestation of the soul that can talk and is in the form of an animal. It sends the Dust to the human to allow the human consciousness. Even in worlds whose people lack apparent dæmons, they still exist, though they typically do not take the form of animals. In some worlds, one's dæmon is the silent consciousness in the back of one's head, that other voice that confers intuition. If the bond between a child and their dæmon is severed (as through Intercision
), both the child and the dæmon will eventually die. If the separation occurs after Dust has settled on the person (that is, after he or she has reached adolescence
), the person simply becomes a lifeless shell.
It is Dust that provides the answers given by the alethiometer, the I Ching
system of divination
and also the computer that Dr. Mary Malone creates in order to communicate directly with these particles by using one's consciousness.
Dust has various names among the various worlds within the trilogy. Dust was previously known (in Lyra Belacqua
's universe) as Rusakov particles after their discoverer, Boris Mikhailovitch Rusakov. It is known also as Shadows in our world (Pullman relates Dust to dark matter
), and the mulefa's word sraf accompanied by a leftward flick of the trunk (or arm for humans).
Angel
s are formed when Dust condenses. Nevertheless, Angels are not in reality the human-like figures they appear to be. They are the physical manifestation of spirit making something 'be'. Because consciousness is the thing that makes us "sin", it can (in theory) be seen as original sin. This is the point of view seen by the Magisterium, and therefore they seek to destroy it. However, they fail to see what the full repercussions of this would be, as they are ignorant to the true nature of Dust. Eliminating it would mark the end of consciousness.
Pullman's allegories are tied together by surface story symbolism depicting warfare between knowledge and religious superstition. These two entities are respectively symbolized by (1) golden dust that drifts down from the sky onto adults and (2) ghostly "specters" that devour the minds of adults while leaving the body unharmed. In the surface story's climax, Lyra (the heroine, symbolizing Satan's Paradise Lost daughter, Sin) and Will (symbolizing Cain, son of Adam and Eve in Paradise Lost) eat some "little red fruits" packed in a lunch for them by Mary (symbolizing the serpent-tempter in the Paradise Lost allegory and Charles Darwin, bringer of knowledge, in the Darwin allegory). The fruits symbolize the Forbidden Fruit from the Tree of Knowledge, fruit that God forbade Adam and Eve to eat. In the original Genesis story and the parallel Paradise Lost story, two things happen. First, Adam and Eve acquire knowledge, which is forbidden by God. Second, they are ejected from the Garden of Eden, where ignorance must prevail. Their ejection is known in Christian theology as The Fall. The reason for their ejection is that they are guilty of Original Sin, which amounts to the acquisition of knowledge.
Parallel events in His Dark Materials symbolize the two events in the Genesis/Paradise Lost story. First, Lyra lives up to the name of the Paradise Lost character she symbolizes (Sin) by reenacting the Bible's act of Original Sin: she eats the symbolized Forbidden Fruit, thereby obtaining knowledge. Will eats too. Their eating the "little red fruits" causes golden dust—knowledge—to suddenly begin drifting down on them. They have symbolically eaten from the Tree of Knowledge; they are drenched in knowledge. Second, they Fall in love. The new Fall (Falling in love) symbolizes the original Fall of Christian doctrine—ejection from Eden, where ignorance must prevail.
When this climactic event occurs—when knowledge begins pouring into the world (as it did when Darwin published his theory of evolution) -- the Church falls into disarray and decline. And the evil specters, representing religious superstition, are vanquished. Knowledge wins the war between knowledge and superstition, symbolized by the clash between dust and the specters.
. Many popular science fiction and self development works, such as What the Bleep Do We Know and the Fritjov Capra's Tao of Physics allude to the possible spiritual
implications.
In His Dark Materials
, Pullman incorporates scientific explanations of Dark Matter and quantum physics with poetic and theological explanations of the nature of the universe and the role of consciousness in it. This popular endeavor is known as quantum mysticism
.
Just as Einstein's Theories of Relativity made a connection between matter and energy that had far reaching implications for our understanding of the universe as a whole, Pullman imagines an intellectual framework that incorporates spirituality and consciousness as the missing piece that connects the observer in quantum mechanics to the experiment. While part of a strong tradition in twentieth century science fiction, Pullman has popularized the notion to an extent not previously achieved, especially by young readers.
Philip Pullman
Philip Pullman CBE, FRSL is an English writer from Norwich. He is the best-selling author of several books, most notably his trilogy of fantasy novels, His Dark Materials, and his fictionalised biography of Jesus, The Good Man Jesus and the Scoundrel Christ...
trilogy
Trilogy
A trilogy is a set of three works of art that are connected, and that can be seen either as a single work or as three individual works. They are commonly found in literature, film, or video games...
of novels His Dark Materials
His Dark Materials
His Dark Materials is a trilogy of fantasy novels by Philip Pullman comprising Northern Lights , The Subtle Knife , and The Amber Spyglass...
is a mysterious cosmic particle that is integral to the plot. In Northern Lights
Northern Lights (novel)
Northern Lights, known as The Golden Compass in North America, is the first novel in English novelist Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials trilogy...
, Lord Asriel reveals the origins of the term "Dust" to be from a passage from the slightly alternate version of the Bible
Bible
The Bible refers to any one of the collections of the primary religious texts of Judaism and Christianity. There is no common version of the Bible, as the individual books , their contents and their order vary among denominations...
in Lyra's World: "In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return." (Genesis 3:19)
Description
Pullman's Dust is a fictional form of dark matterDark matter
In astronomy and cosmology, dark matter is matter that neither emits nor scatters light or other electromagnetic radiation, and so cannot be directly detected via optical or radio astronomy...
, an elementary particle
Elementary particle
In particle physics, an elementary particle or fundamental particle is a particle not known to have substructure; that is, it is not known to be made up of smaller particles. If an elementary particle truly has no substructure, then it is one of the basic building blocks of the universe from which...
that is of fundamental importance. It is invisible to the human eye and cannot be seen without the use of special instruments, such as the amber spyglass or a special film
Film stock
Film stock is photographic film on which filmmaking of motion pictures are shot and reproduced. The equivalent in television production is video tape.-1889–1899:...
. While humans cannot see Dust without the use of outside devices, creatures such as the mulefa are able to see dust with their own eyes.
Unlike ordinary particles, Dust is conscious
Consciousness
Consciousness is a term that refers to the relationship between the mind and the world with which it interacts. It has been defined as: subjectivity, awareness, the ability to experience or to feel, wakefulness, having a sense of selfhood, and the executive control system of the mind...
. It falls from the sky, is attracted to people, and wears off onto objects made by people. This makes it of great interest to the Church, which believes that it may be the physical manifestation of Original Sin
Original sin
Original sin is, according to a Christian theological doctrine, humanity's state of sin resulting from the Fall of Man. This condition has been characterized in many ways, ranging from something as insignificant as a slight deficiency, or a tendency toward sin yet without collective guilt, referred...
. It is later learned that Dust actually confers consciousness, knowledge, and wisdom, and that Dust is formed when matter becomes conscious. This allows creatures who have the ability to see Dust to identify other sentient and intelligent creatures. An example of this is when the mulefa are able to distinguish Mary Malone as an intelligent being (compared to the other animals), because of the Dust surrounding her.
Dust is life and the living essence of everything from the play 'His Dark Materials' and 'The Golden Compass.'
Dust is also the thing that connects humans to their dæmons. This being is the physical manifestation of the soul that can talk and is in the form of an animal. It sends the Dust to the human to allow the human consciousness. Even in worlds whose people lack apparent dæmons, they still exist, though they typically do not take the form of animals. In some worlds, one's dæmon is the silent consciousness in the back of one's head, that other voice that confers intuition. If the bond between a child and their dæmon is severed (as through Intercision
Intercision
Intercision is a type of fictional operation in Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials trilogy that separates an individual from their dæmon. In effect, the operation separates the person from his or her soul, while leaving the person alive, though having the behavioral and cognitive characteristics...
), both the child and the dæmon will eventually die. If the separation occurs after Dust has settled on the person (that is, after he or she has reached adolescence
Adolescence
Adolescence is a transitional stage of physical and mental human development generally occurring between puberty and legal adulthood , but largely characterized as beginning and ending with the teenage stage...
), the person simply becomes a lifeless shell.
It is Dust that provides the answers given by the alethiometer, the I Ching
I Ching
The I Ching or "Yì Jīng" , also known as the Classic of Changes, Book of Changes and Zhouyi, is one of the oldest of the Chinese classic texts...
system of divination
Divination
Divination is the attempt to gain insight into a question or situation by way of an occultic standardized process or ritual...
and also the computer that Dr. Mary Malone creates in order to communicate directly with these particles by using one's consciousness.
Dust has various names among the various worlds within the trilogy. Dust was previously known (in Lyra Belacqua
Lyra Belacqua
Lyra Belacqua , also known as Lyra Silvertongue, is the heroine of Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials trilogy. Lyra is a young girl who inhabits a universe parallel to our own...
's universe) as Rusakov particles after their discoverer, Boris Mikhailovitch Rusakov. It is known also as Shadows in our world (Pullman relates Dust to dark matter
Dark matter
In astronomy and cosmology, dark matter is matter that neither emits nor scatters light or other electromagnetic radiation, and so cannot be directly detected via optical or radio astronomy...
), and the mulefa
Angel
Angel
Angels are mythical beings often depicted as messengers of God in the Hebrew and Christian Bibles along with the Quran. The English word angel is derived from the Greek ἄγγελος, a translation of in the Hebrew Bible ; a similar term, ملائكة , is used in the Qur'an...
s are formed when Dust condenses. Nevertheless, Angels are not in reality the human-like figures they appear to be. They are the physical manifestation of spirit making something 'be'. Because consciousness is the thing that makes us "sin", it can (in theory) be seen as original sin. This is the point of view seen by the Magisterium, and therefore they seek to destroy it. However, they fail to see what the full repercussions of this would be, as they are ignorant to the true nature of Dust. Eliminating it would mark the end of consciousness.
Dust as a Symbol of Knowledge
His Dark Materials is widely recognized as an anti-religious work. Some of its anti-religious material is overt, but most is covert, hidden in symbolism. Most of the symbolism takes the form of three intertwined allegories. Like all allegories, these use surface story characters and events to symbolize characters and events in other narratives. In Pullman's case, the other narratives are (1) C. S. Lewis's The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, (2) John Milton's Paradise Lost, and (3) an original Pullman tale about conflict between Charles Darwin and Christian missionaries. Dust relates to the second and third narratives.Pullman's allegories are tied together by surface story symbolism depicting warfare between knowledge and religious superstition. These two entities are respectively symbolized by (1) golden dust that drifts down from the sky onto adults and (2) ghostly "specters" that devour the minds of adults while leaving the body unharmed. In the surface story's climax, Lyra (the heroine, symbolizing Satan's Paradise Lost daughter, Sin) and Will (symbolizing Cain, son of Adam and Eve in Paradise Lost) eat some "little red fruits" packed in a lunch for them by Mary (symbolizing the serpent-tempter in the Paradise Lost allegory and Charles Darwin, bringer of knowledge, in the Darwin allegory). The fruits symbolize the Forbidden Fruit from the Tree of Knowledge, fruit that God forbade Adam and Eve to eat. In the original Genesis story and the parallel Paradise Lost story, two things happen. First, Adam and Eve acquire knowledge, which is forbidden by God. Second, they are ejected from the Garden of Eden, where ignorance must prevail. Their ejection is known in Christian theology as The Fall. The reason for their ejection is that they are guilty of Original Sin, which amounts to the acquisition of knowledge.
Parallel events in His Dark Materials symbolize the two events in the Genesis/Paradise Lost story. First, Lyra lives up to the name of the Paradise Lost character she symbolizes (Sin) by reenacting the Bible's act of Original Sin: she eats the symbolized Forbidden Fruit, thereby obtaining knowledge. Will eats too. Their eating the "little red fruits" causes golden dust—knowledge—to suddenly begin drifting down on them. They have symbolically eaten from the Tree of Knowledge; they are drenched in knowledge. Second, they Fall in love. The new Fall (Falling in love) symbolizes the original Fall of Christian doctrine—ejection from Eden, where ignorance must prevail.
When this climactic event occurs—when knowledge begins pouring into the world (as it did when Darwin published his theory of evolution) -- the Church falls into disarray and decline. And the evil specters, representing religious superstition, are vanquished. Knowledge wins the war between knowledge and superstition, symbolized by the clash between dust and the specters.
Similar Works
The significance of relating dark matter to spirit is that it provides a spiritual solution to the quest to combine quantum physics and general relativity, popularly known as the Theory of EverythingTheory of everything
A theory of everything is a putative theory of theoretical physics that fully explains and links together all known physical phenomena, and predicts the outcome of any experiment that could be carried out in principle....
. Many popular science fiction and self development works, such as What the Bleep Do We Know and the Fritjov Capra's Tao of Physics allude to the possible spiritual
Spirituality
Spirituality can refer to an ultimate or an alleged immaterial reality; an inner path enabling a person to discover the essence of his/her being; or the “deepest values and meanings by which people live.” Spiritual practices, including meditation, prayer and contemplation, are intended to develop...
implications.
In His Dark Materials
His Dark Materials
His Dark Materials is a trilogy of fantasy novels by Philip Pullman comprising Northern Lights , The Subtle Knife , and The Amber Spyglass...
, Pullman incorporates scientific explanations of Dark Matter and quantum physics with poetic and theological explanations of the nature of the universe and the role of consciousness in it. This popular endeavor is known as quantum mysticism
Quantum mysticism
Quantum mysticism is a term that has been used to refer to a set of metaphysical beliefs and associated practices that seek to relate consciousness, intelligence or mystical world-views to the ideas of quantum mechanics and its interpretations...
.
Just as Einstein's Theories of Relativity made a connection between matter and energy that had far reaching implications for our understanding of the universe as a whole, Pullman imagines an intellectual framework that incorporates spirituality and consciousness as the missing piece that connects the observer in quantum mechanics to the experiment. While part of a strong tradition in twentieth century science fiction, Pullman has popularized the notion to an extent not previously achieved, especially by young readers.
See also
- The Book of DustThe Book of DustThe Book of Dust is an upcoming novel by Philip Pullman. It will be a companion novel to the His Dark Materials trilogy, and will feature Lyra Belacqua as a main character. The story will take place two years after the events of Lyra's Oxford and will tie into that book...
, a forthcoming Pullman novel in the same series.