Serafina Pekkala

Lore & Background

Serafina Pekkala commands a clan of witches who are defined by their capacity for flight and their deep connection to the natural world. This intervention occurs after Lyra discovers the Gobblers are experimenting on children by severing their bond with their dæmons through a procedure called intercision. The witches represent a significant military force within the multiverse, capable of operating in extreme environments like the Arctic where Lord Asriel conducts his research. Their involvement marks a turning point where supernatural allies unite against the Church's secret project, demonstrating that the resistance is not limited to human children but spans across species and worlds.

In Their Own Story

The rescue at Bolvangar serves as the defining moment for Serafina Pekkala in the first novel, Northern Lights. After Lyra Belacqua is captured and taken to the research station where she reunites with her friend Roger, the situation appears dire until the arrival of her rescuers. The text states that "Lyra and the children are rescued by Scoresby, Iorek, the Gyptians, and Serafina Pekkala's flying witch clan." This coalition breaks the hold of the Gobblers, who were funded secretly by the Church to perform intercision on children. Later in the trilogy, specifically in The Amber Spyglass, her role expands as she aids Will Parry. Alongside Iorek Byrnison and Lord Asriel's Gallivespian spies, Tialys and Salmakia, Serafina helps rescue Lyra from a cave where Mrs Coulter had hidden her to protect her from the Magisterium. This action is taken while the Church seeks to kill Lyra before she yields to temptation.

Reader's Guide

Serafina Pekkala functions as a pivotal supporting character who facilitates movement and combat across the trilogy's multiverse setting. She is introduced in Northern Lights as the leader of the flying witch clan that rescues Lyra from Bolvangar, establishing her as an active participant in the fight against the Church's child abductors. Her alliance with the human protagonists deepens in The Subtle Knife and culminates in The Amber Spyglass, where she assists in saving Lyra from Mrs Coulter's custody.

Did You Know?

• Serafina Pekkala's flying witch clan rescues Lyra and the other children from the Gobbler research station at Bolvangar in Northern Lights.
• The witches join forces with Lee Scoresby, Iorek Byrnison, and the Gyptians to break the Church's hold on the abducted children.
• In The Amber Spyglass, Serafina helps Will Parry rescue Lyra from a cave where Mrs Coulter had hidden her.
• The witches operate as part of a broader coalition that includes armoured bears and Gallivespian spies in their fight against the Authority's forces.