Death of God (Philip Pullman)
March 28th 2008 03:51
From The Amber Spyglass (2000).
In Pullmanverse "God" isn't the creator, but merely the first of the angels (he lied to the angels born after him).
Moreover, angels are physical beings.
"Well, where is God," said Mrs Coulter, "if he's alive? And why doesn't he speak any more? At the beginning of the world, God walked in the garden and spoke with Adam and Eve. Then he began to withdraw, and Moses only heard his voice. Later, in the time of Daniel, he was aged -- he was the Ancient of Days. Where is he now? Is he still alive, at some inconceivable age, decrepit and demented, unable to think or act or speak and unable to die, a rotten hulk? And if that is his condition, wouldn't it be the most merciful thing, the truest proof of our love for God, to seek him out and give him the gift of death?"
Later, having landed her vessel, an "intention craft", Mrs Coulter comes upon God.
Before she could make up her mind which way to go, she heard voices, and withdrew behind a column. The voices were singing a psalm, and coming closer, and then she saw a procession of angels carrying a litter...
Mrs Coulter was close enough to see the being in the litter: an angel, she thought, and indescribably aged. He wasn't easy to see, because the litter was enclosed all round with crystal that glittered and threw back the enveloping light of the mountain, but she had the impression of terrifying decrepitude, of a face sunken in wrinkles, of trembling hands and a mumbling mouth and rheumy eyes.
The aged being gestured shakily at the intention craft, and cackled and muttered to himself, plucking incessantly at his beard, and then threw back his head and uttered a howl of such anguish that Mrs Coulter had to cover her ears.
Skip forward a chapter, and, in the middle of a battle, two children, Will and Lyra, come upon God. The children don't know who he is.
"Oh, Will, he's still alive! But -- the poor thing..."
Will saw her hands pressing against the crystal, trying to reach to the angel and comfort him; because he was so old, and he was terrified, crying like a baby and cowering away into the lowest corner.
"He must be so old -- I've never seen anyone suffering like that -- oh, Will, can't we let him out?"
Will cut through the crystal in one movement and reached in to help the angel out. Demented and powerless, the aged being could only weep and mumble in fear and pain and misery, and he shrank away from what seemed like yet another threat.
"It's all right," Will said, "we can help you hide, at least. Come on, we won't hurt you."
The shaking hand seized his and feebly held on. The old one was uttering a wordless groaning whimper that went on and on, and grinding his teeth, and compulsively plucking at himself with his free hand; but as Lyra reached in too to help him out, he tried to smile, and to bow, and his ancient eyes deep in their wrinkles blinked at her with innocent wonder.
Between them they helped the ancient of days out of his crystal cell; it wasn't hard, for he was as light as paper, and he would have followed them anywhere, having no will of his own, and responding to simple kindness like a flower to the sun. But in the open air there was nothing to stop the wind from damaging him, and to their dismay his form began to loosen and dissolve. Only a few moments later he had vanished completely, and their last impression was of those eyes blinking in wonder, and a sigh of the most profound and exhausted relief.
Then he was gone: a mystery dissolving in mystery.
What was that quote from Eliot's "Hollow Men" again?...
***
In Pullmanverse "God" isn't the creator, but merely the first of the angels (he lied to the angels born after him).
Moreover, angels are physical beings.
"Well, where is God," said Mrs Coulter, "if he's alive? And why doesn't he speak any more? At the beginning of the world, God walked in the garden and spoke with Adam and Eve. Then he began to withdraw, and Moses only heard his voice. Later, in the time of Daniel, he was aged -- he was the Ancient of Days. Where is he now? Is he still alive, at some inconceivable age, decrepit and demented, unable to think or act or speak and unable to die, a rotten hulk? And if that is his condition, wouldn't it be the most merciful thing, the truest proof of our love for God, to seek him out and give him the gift of death?"
***
Later, having landed her vessel, an "intention craft", Mrs Coulter comes upon God.
Before she could make up her mind which way to go, she heard voices, and withdrew behind a column. The voices were singing a psalm, and coming closer, and then she saw a procession of angels carrying a litter...
Mrs Coulter was close enough to see the being in the litter: an angel, she thought, and indescribably aged. He wasn't easy to see, because the litter was enclosed all round with crystal that glittered and threw back the enveloping light of the mountain, but she had the impression of terrifying decrepitude, of a face sunken in wrinkles, of trembling hands and a mumbling mouth and rheumy eyes.
The aged being gestured shakily at the intention craft, and cackled and muttered to himself, plucking incessantly at his beard, and then threw back his head and uttered a howl of such anguish that Mrs Coulter had to cover her ears.
***
Skip forward a chapter, and, in the middle of a battle, two children, Will and Lyra, come upon God. The children don't know who he is.
"Oh, Will, he's still alive! But -- the poor thing..."
Will saw her hands pressing against the crystal, trying to reach to the angel and comfort him; because he was so old, and he was terrified, crying like a baby and cowering away into the lowest corner.
"He must be so old -- I've never seen anyone suffering like that -- oh, Will, can't we let him out?"
Will cut through the crystal in one movement and reached in to help the angel out. Demented and powerless, the aged being could only weep and mumble in fear and pain and misery, and he shrank away from what seemed like yet another threat.
"It's all right," Will said, "we can help you hide, at least. Come on, we won't hurt you."
The shaking hand seized his and feebly held on. The old one was uttering a wordless groaning whimper that went on and on, and grinding his teeth, and compulsively plucking at himself with his free hand; but as Lyra reached in too to help him out, he tried to smile, and to bow, and his ancient eyes deep in their wrinkles blinked at her with innocent wonder.
Between them they helped the ancient of days out of his crystal cell; it wasn't hard, for he was as light as paper, and he would have followed them anywhere, having no will of his own, and responding to simple kindness like a flower to the sun. But in the open air there was nothing to stop the wind from damaging him, and to their dismay his form began to loosen and dissolve. Only a few moments later he had vanished completely, and their last impression was of those eyes blinking in wonder, and a sigh of the most profound and exhausted relief.
Then he was gone: a mystery dissolving in mystery.
***
What was that quote from Eliot's "Hollow Men" again?...
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Comment by Damo
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Comment by Sophie81
But now let me add to this. The story crosses from world to world. There are similar places and people (although not necessarily a correspondence). Could the god that Lyra releases be but one god -- there being others in other worlds? "God" might be, as Kripke would say, a rigid designator, but that does not make god the same nor necessarily even similar in other worlds.
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Comment by Immortek
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Please find us here: IMMORTEK.com Physical Immortality Community
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Comment by Anonymous
If you love your god so much wouldn't you want to end his pain especially since he seemed relived to die.
and I don't recall him hating god.
Comment by Rice
The author doesn't need to believe in something to write about it. That makes no sense - I'm sure he doesn't believe that we all have daemons that hang about us in the form of an animal either.
What he can do, though, is take ideas we have and subvert them, so that we may see them through a different light. Which is what he's done here. Personally, I think it's magnificent.
Comment by Anonymous
Great books though, and Im looking forward to the discussions that ensue when the third movie comes out. Man, the hardcore christians are gonna be PISSED! But closed minded people always are when they feel their small minded opinions are being threatened
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Comment by godrealized
Who becomes immortal? One who after intense meditation is able to live longer compared to a normal human being or one, who does not have to manifest a body again and again and rests in peace in kingdom of god (termed Baikuntha in Hinduism)... not kingdom of heaven! Negating karma forever is reaching stage of immortality in human form!