Harpies' Truth

Guardians of the Land of the Dead, as depicted in Series 3.

In His Dark Materials the harpies are the guardians of the Land of the Dead, where they harass the ghosts without mercy. They hunger for information and knowledge in the form of stories and appear to have the supernatural ability to know when they are being lied to. In The Amber Spyglass a bargain is struck: instead of wickedness, the ghosts will tell the harpies true stories from their lives, and in exchange the harpies will take them to the window Will has opened into the world of the mulefa.

Quick Facts

First appearance: The Amber Spyglass

Lore & Background

Gracious Wings, previously called No-Name, is chief of the harpies in the Authority's employment. Before Lyra and Will came, she and the other harpies tormented the ghosts with all the mistakes those ghosts had made when they were alive; she later confesses that the wickedness of the ghosts was the only nourishment the Authority gave them. The Chevalier Tialys and the Lady Salmakia bargain with her, and the harpies agree, since along with the nourishment of true stories they would keep their honour by performing a useful and respected task.

Reader's Guide

The harpies are entitled to question arriving ghosts, requiring them to tell the stories of their lives and any knowledge they have gained. They may deny a ghost guidance to the portal if it has "nothing of value" to tell (and is old enough to be expected to) or if it lies. In the television series the harpies have large bird-like bodies and reptilian faces, and Gracious Wings and her fellow harpies are voiced by Emma Tate.