Symbol Reader
Become a symbol reader today!!
'kay, everyone know The Northern Lights, the first book of His Dark Materials by Philip Pullman?
Well, if you don't, too bad.
From the book, there is a certain instrument called the Alethiometer, from the greek words alethia, meaning truth, and meter, meaning measurer (not to be confused with metre, meaning measurement). And only Lyra could understand it without the "book" that tells you what the symbols mean.
Now, pretend you have the alethiometer in your hands.
You spin the dials to ask a question:
Griffin-Sun-Angel (Does magic really exist?)
And the alethiometer tells you:
(in order for this one)
Man-Tree-Anchor-Dolphin-Sun-Dolphin-Moon-Griffin-Candle-Compass-Snake-Owl-Bird-Sword and the sequence repeats.
Now, what is the answer to your question?
Answers might vary
***Even though, I might have performed very few wonders with my own alethiometer, I might not be a perfect Symbol Reader, like Lyra***
'kay, everyone know The Northern Lights, the first book of His Dark Materials by Philip Pullman?
Well, if you don't, too bad.
From the book, there is a certain instrument called the Alethiometer, from the greek words alethia, meaning truth, and meter, meaning measurer (not to be confused with metre, meaning measurement). And only Lyra could understand it without the "book" that tells you what the symbols mean.
Now, pretend you have the alethiometer in your hands.
You spin the dials to ask a question:
Griffin-Sun-Angel (Does magic really exist?)
And the alethiometer tells you:
(in order for this one)
Man-Tree-Anchor-Dolphin-Sun-Dolphin-Moon-Griffin-Candle-Compass-Snake-Owl-Bird-Sword and the sequence repeats.
Now, what is the answer to your question?
Answers might vary
***Even though, I might have performed very few wonders with my own alethiometer, I might not be a perfect Symbol Reader, like Lyra***
posted by James Yu at
8:24 PM
7 Comments:
This seems a bit like reading Taro Cards. I looked up Alethiometer on the web and found it has 36 symbols and found a list of them with translations at:
http://www.randomhouse.com/features/pullman/materials/definitions.html
However, that list does not include Angel or Snake.
The message words with their “meanings” is:
(Man-Wild man, Masculine, lust), (Tree-firmness, shelter, fertility), (Anchor-hope, steadfast, prevention), (Dolphin-water, resurrection, succor), (Sun-day, authority, truth), (Dolphin-water, resurrection, succor), (Moon-chastity, mystery, uncanny), (Griffin-treasure, watchfulness, courage), (Candle-fire, faith, learning), (Compass-measurement, math, science), (Snake-), (Owl-Night, winter, fear), (Bird-the soul, the daemon, spring, marriage), (Sword-justice, fortitude, the church)
So … I’d interpret it something like this:
“Man’s animal nature finds hope and strength in the gift of understanding through science while his soul fears the temptations of the devil and wrath of god.”
To the person above:
First, the site you said above only gives 35 symbols' meanings and a snake is the same thing as a sepent...Jeesh.
I thought the first book was The Golden Compass? Followed by The Amber Spyglass, and The Subtle Knife.
And HOW IS THIS A ToM QUESTION??? We were doing SOOOOO good with some actual challenging riddles, and then this comes up...
What a stupid question....
Why haven't we gotten a new question yet?
I just want to point out to the post 3 before me that the first book is in fact "The Northern Lights" but is was changed for the American release.
so umm...does anyone have an answer?
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