Can daemon's be an extinct animal?

[Craig]

I know daemon's can assume the shape of a mythical animal, like a dragon. Do you think that they could be like an extinct animal, like a dire wolf or a saber-toothed cat? A dragon daemon would mean that the person would be very imaginative. What would an animal from prehistoric times mean about the person?

[Daniel]

I don't think whether or not the animal still existed would have much effect on what a dæmon of that form would tell you about its human. The important thing, IMO, is whether or not the dæmon has seen the animal. Even if it existed before, they must be imaginative to become something they've never seen.

[Isobel]

I think a daemon could take the form of an extinct animal. What would that mean? Hmm...maybe that the person was sort of old-fashioned and din't fit in well with modern society? That they like history? I know if the animal is extinct, then the person couldn't have actually seen it, but they could have seen a picture of it, or a model or something.

[Daniel]

same thing with a mythical creature (minus the skeleton, of course). I think it's something different altogether if they actually invented their form.

[Xaphania]

I also think that a Daimon can do it. If it had seen the animal, then it is most likely that it also can transform into it.
But can a dæmon like be animals from  other worlds?... Like af Zalif? (i´m not sure that the Danish translator of Northern lights has that one right... In Danish, it is not a "daemon" it is a "Daimon". And it is pretty funny that you use an æ in daemon, because that is a letter we often use in denmark. And the book is, in danish, not Called "Northen lights" Or in Danish: "Nordlige lys" But "The Golden Compas" or in danish: "Det gyldne Kompas". So I am very much in doubt.... IS it a Mulefa (when theres more of them), and a Zalif (when theres only one)? It is those creatures with wheels in the World Doktor Malone comes to. I will be very angry if the Translator has taken it to lightly, and has changed a great deal about the animals, and creatures.....)
Or is it only possible for a daemon to change into something from its own world, extinkt or not?...

[Will]

Yes, we love the dipthong (æ) here Scandanavian symbols turn up a lot in HDM because of the whole North thing PP has going there.

The translator has got it right, a Zalif is an individual Mulefa.

A 'daimon' is actually a spirit / deity in Greek mythology which bears a great resemblence to our dæmons. There's a topic about it somewhere around here...

I don't think a dæmon could take the form of an animal from another world, simply because s/he would never have seen it! Maybe if the worlds were to trade and people travel between them they could, but this is isn't the case.

[Xaphania]

What i mean is, when Pan and Lyra is back in their own world. Would it then be possible for Pan to transform into a Mulefa?... He has seen them, and been around them, so is it a possibility?....

[Nix]

http://techneaux.mine.nu:82/~gameandwatch/dark/viewtopic.php?t=571&start=90
The whole discussin may answer that[/url]

[jessia]

daemons change according to imitation and convenience. like a child learns by imitating adults, a daemon choses a shape after seeing another's (as pan became a monkey when they still liked mrs. coulter in tgc/nl).

by the way craig, daemon doesn't need to be possessive.

[Carina]

I don't think dæmons can becom sentient being... it would be like having your dæmon in human form, so no on the mufela, but animals from other worlds, hmm I'll have to think about that one...[/i]

[AySz88]

I would think you would need to have to have a personality or emotion associated with the animal...

[Will]

Which wouldn't work with sentient animals really, since they have a wide range of personalities.. Unless, you could say that, for example, humans are greedy destructive etc..