Shamans, Daemons and other Guides - "The Golden Compass"; and real Roma, Gypsy Belief Systems

How and why did we evolve from a benign concept of animal guides, companion souls, or daemons; to the malignant. This benign one, the bear, is from our back yard, snacking on sunflower.

Then see "progress" - by so-called advanced civilized institutions that morphed the helpful guides into malignant beings, leading us astray, or doing evil unto us.

Here, note the nice bear concept turned into the evil "hairy one," from our collection of copies of old German prints, all now out of print. The new characterization as bad, and "the hairy one," stems apparently from a mistranslation from the Hebrew by Wycliffe - see .angelfire.com/empire/serpentis666/Daemon.html.

The bear is also hairy, but that was not bad until later, apparently.


If you see the film, "The Golden Compass," you will find the concept of guide companions to humans fleshed out. And it relates to the concept and location of the soul.

The soul. The soul. Is it inside us or out, open to interference from the outside, or not.

In the film, "The Golden Compass," see //uk.reuters.com/article/entertainmentNews/idUKL115262120071211; the soul goes with the person, but beside or near, with symbiotic responses, reciprocal; the existence of a soul as guide to independent thought, is to be fostered, or suppressed - a theme in the film.

Click here to see another - a fine daemon found at Gibraltar, looking for his human (that to be another movie) and who attached to this one easily - Gypsies, Roma, Gyptians post.

Daemons. Of interest here is the history of daemons, and if they really relate to Roma - since the film also shows Gyptians with daemons. The characters' souls in the film accompany the people in the form of animals that stay close (except for some exceptions) and, in children, can change form. The soul is not internal in the film. The word "Daemon" is used to refer to the soul-animal - it feels the person's pain, as the person feels the pain inflicted on the daemon. Symbiotic.

These can simply be "familiar spirits." See //www.bartleby.com/68/28/1728.html. Do a search for "daemon" at this site, and see the ancient concepts, including Greek and Egyptian - //www.jungcircle.com/muse/plato.htm. It is like a "genius" concept, an envoy and an interpreter. They can be merely intermediaries. See .angelfire.com/empire/serpentis666/Daemon.html.

For contemporary Roma belief, see this Czech Republic website on "Religion Among the Roma" at //romove.radio.cz/en/clanek/18906. Read about the souls surviving death, as in many other religions. Souls are also intermediaries, calling to mind the "daemon" concept of such long standing in the world. Their only "saint" is Sara-la-Kali, see

Questions raised: Are animal guides benign or malignant, or need they be either if they are companion souls, and what is the nature of daemons?

Summary: Many cultures tie wisdom of our fellow sentient beings to our own wellbeing. And the term "daemon" has historical ties with benevolence, guardian angels; at least neutrality, as a go-between, man and the gods,. See the Greek and other cultural references here. So, malevolence and fear came later, with institutional needs for them.

Roma, Gypsies. Shamans and animal symbolism also appear in roma belief, see www.journeyfolki.org.uk/FolkArts/SpiritualityShamanism/tabid/687/Default.asp. There has long been an affinity for working with certain animals, such as the horse and the bear, as trainers and traders, and providers of entertainment, see ://www.geocities.com/~Patrin/occupations.htmm (scroll down to animal training).

CONTEMPORARY AND TRADITIONAL DAEMONS - secular and religious. Several applications.

Computer Daemon: In our computer world, a daemon is a program running in the background. See Unix reference at ://www.freebsd.org/copyright/daemon.html. The site addresses the negative connotations that the term "daemon" or "demon" now have:

The Unix handbook, says the site, says: daemon is the older form of the word, a daemon does not itself tilt toward good or evil, but instead "serves to define the person's character." Other cultures, here the Greek, used the term for a personal guardian angel function - with "eudaemonia" meaning "the state of being helped or protected by a kindly spirit."

So, Unix uses the term to cast itself in that role. Hear! Hear! Well done. If you are not a geek, go to Wikipedia at ://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daemon_(computer_software).

The "ae" in daemon is a digraph, linguistically. See //www.bartleby.com/68/44/1844.html. If the letters are connected into one form, they become a ligature. See ://www.bartleby.com/68/52/3652.html. You knew that.

Biblical Demons: Azazel is a name used on several occasions. Read about it at at ://www.deliriumsrealm.com/delirium/articleview.asp?Post=100; www.jewishencyclopedia.com/view.jsp?letter=A&artid=2203. See also Hello, Fodder, Scapegoats post. The history of "scapegoat" and the mistranslation of "Azazel" are addressed there. So much on a mis-application of a concept.

Greek demons. See ://www.britannica.com/eb/topic-149915/daimon. A Platonic sense of demon is as an intermediary between man and gods. See www.wordinfo.info/words/index/info/view_unit/629.

Judeo-Christian. The demon becomes malignant. See www.wordinfo.info/words/index/info/view_unit/629; and //www.angelfire.com/empire/serpentis666/Daemon.html

Native Americans. Start on the topic by reading about Native American animal spiritual guide concepts the Manataka Indian Council, //www.manataka.org/page291.html.

The Gyptians of "The Golden Compass", 2007 film - Concepts

Role in film, "The Golden Compass," for Daemons, Animal Guides. This topic may be new to people just beginning to look seriously at gypsy culture. A belief in animal guides of some kind appears in many cultures world-wide. The concept of animal familiars appears to have a role also in Roma belief, see post at Gypsies, Roma, Gyptians - Daemon information post.

However, given the distinctions and taboos about unclean and clean animals, see //www.tribe-roman-morga.com/religion.html, not just any animal would take that role. Need to learn more here. In the film, the animal guides or externalized souls help define the character, set it in clear perspective. If that is part of Romani religion, not clear yet.

In the film, the demon is kindly when the person is kindly, cruel when the person is cruel.

Here, at Gibraltar, is the brother of the daemon of the film character Mrs. Coulter. He is wondering sadly what went wrong with her anyway, that also pulled bis brother down.


Religion. Good site here, for many topics. Go to http://www.geocities.com/~Patrin/beliefs.htm.

Origin. Where did the Gypsies come from. The name "Gyptians" has been used for Gypsies, and suggests an understanding of origins believed in the past. The Gypsies are tcalled that in the film, "The Golden Comass. In the Middle Ages, Gypsies were believed to have come from Egypt, thus the name "Gypsy." See www.mtsu.edu/~baustin/gypsies.htm. Deeper study, however, shows origins in India. For a comprehensive history, see //www.geocities.com/~Patrin/history.htm. The amount of fact presented in the film depiction, however, is debatable as to the water-life.

Film Gyptians are real Gypsies in important respects. In the 2007 movie, "The Golden Compass," there are Gyptians - a group assuming a role similar to that of Gypsies, traveling in clans, some settled, very much apart, in lifestyle and beliefs, from the mainstream that persecutes as heretics any who think freely. See "The Golden Compass" at any of the sites that come up with a search for it.

Water Culture? Not European.
The "Golden Compass film group of "Gyptians" (from the book series, including "Northern Lights,") live on waterways in England or Scotland, and that apparently makes them fictional. I find no authority for that way of life there, as water people, nomads of the canals, wayfarers, even with the full panoply of Hollywood lineage in the film. See //www.hisdarkmaterials.org/srafopedia/index.php/Gyptian. Use this site also to look up individuals, including John Faa, but check out what is fiction and what is fact - what authority over the Gyptians, Gypsies in Scotland in the 16th Century here, did Faa have. Wikipedia so far says not real, see //en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gyptians.

Read the British reviews, and news of current political and employment issues regarding real Gypsies at //eupolitics.einnews.com/news/uk-roma-minority.

John Faa - A real 18th Century traditional Gypsy hero in his way, and a character takes on some of his bio in the movie. Hear the ballad at www.contemplator.com/child/johnnyfa.htm. See the post here about Johnny Faa at Gypsies, Roma - Johnny Faa.

The Samoyede or Samoyeds - In the movie, fighting folk of the far north. In real life, Asian nomads whose breed of dog is recognized by the American Kennel Club, see www.akc.org/breeds/samoyed/index.cfm. Read about the Samoyede or Samoyeds and their Dogs at //www.samoyed.org/samoyede_people.html. Here is their ancient migration path across Asia - at //uralica.com/samoyed.htm. More of the culture at www.britannica.com/eb/topic-723912/Taymyr-Samoyed

The taking of Gyptian babies - by the Goblers - those outsiders who took Gyptian children not only from the Gyptians who travel, but from the Gyptians who are "settled" as well, those who do not travel. So - the Gyptians here are divided just as other land Gypsies, into the travelers and the settled.

Stealing children is not a new theme for history or fairy tale, and some have the Gypsies making changelings, another topic another day. For contemporary: See this site for an account of the acceptability of the practice as long as it is for the good of the children, but who decides and on what grounds. To save the children?? //www.dissidentvoice.org/Articles/Trefil.htm. See the Romanian orphanage overflow, at this site, and do a search for "gypsy" and a Gypsy child being smuggled, how many more or is this it? at://iwpr.net/?p=bcr&s=f&o=247598&apc_state=henibcr2000

Do see the film - For a change, see Hollywood's Gypsies as heroes. A theme is promotion of independent analysis, conclusions, thinking? Dust plays a role. The special dust promotes free thinking. Interesting idea - A good dust-up. Dust is already part of our language. Made from dust. Dust to dust. Religious. Dust bunnies. The housekeeping daemon. Or, a way to the animal guide concept here - your dust bunny as your guide. Dust R Us. Stardust and Hoagie Carmichael. What is more mainstream than dust? Fairy dust. Do we want our children's thinking to be free of free? Are we so afraid that if they think and research, they may find out things.