Gyptians

Gyptians are a fictional ethnic group in Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials trilogy. In the world where Lyra Belacqua comes from, they are roughly analogous to gypsies. The name gyptian, like gypsy, is derived from Egyptian, the original English name for the Roma.

Unlike real-world gypsies, gyptians are water-travelers. They mainly live aboard boats traversing the canals and rivers of England. They have gatherings in the fens of Norfolk where important matters are decided. They also have connections with salt-water sailors.

Gyptians are an honorable people, and appear to owe debts to Lyra Belacqua's father, Lord Asriel. When they are made aware of the excesses of the Church researchers at Bolvangar they do their best to stop them.