Gallivespian

Gallivespian is a species of human in Lyra's world.

Some notable Gallivespians are:

• Chevalier Tialys
• Lady Salmakia
• Lord Rok

Description

These creatures are essentially humanoid, but also very different from a normal human, and they come from an alternate universe; they have been crossing between universes by use of windows either manually made, or by the use of the Æsahættr.

Gallivespians are tiny, no higher than the width of a man's hand. Both genders have spurs on the backs of their heels which can be dug into an enemy to deliver a poison that will paralyse and cause intense pain for many days. This poison builds up in their heels over time, and so cannot be used frequently.

Gallivespians due to their size are used invariably by Lord Asriel of the books as spies. They have been crossing the universes to join Lord Asriel under his banner in the rebellion against The Authority. They come from a world where "big people" (humans) and "little people" (the Gallivespians) are constantly at war. The humans in their world, most of which serve The Authority, have been trying to exterminate the Gallivespians for ages, believing they are demonic.

Gallivespians are proud and arrogant by nature, compensating for their small size with their massive egos. They seem to possess little subtlety, and they are good spies only due to their size

Gallivespians use a fictional species of dragonfly for their transport. They carry larvae with them, which may be cultivated into a fully grown dragonfly in a short time. Once it has grown, they may ride on its back until the end of its short life. Gallivespians themselves also have a very short life, living no more than about ten years.

In The Amber Spyglass, the two Gallivespians that are most important are the Chevalier Tialys and the Lady Salmakia, male and female twin-spies respectively. They are sent to protect and watch Lyra, the protagonist, and Will Parry, the second protagonist, Lyra being Lord Asriel's daughter. They are also instructed to bring them back to Lord Asriel, especially considering that Will is the bearer of Æsahættr, which is said to be the only thing that can win Lord Asriel's rebellion. Tialys and Salmakia eventually befriend and help Will and Lyra before they die. The only two other named Gallivespians in the story are Lord Roke, commander of the spies in Lord Asriel's Adamant Tower, the central fortress for the rebellion, and Madame Oxentiel. who succeeds to Lord Roke's position after his death.

Name source

The name appears to be derived from that of an insect, the gall wasp, and the word "vespa", which is Italian for wasp. This creature forms a round, shiny, often colored chrysalis on a tree in the Dead Sea region of the Middle East. Although there are other explanations of the name, this object has been called the "apple of Sodom" in literary guides. So it would seem to be with a bit of sarcasm that Pullman chose this name.