Many of the features which Hylas and Pirra encounter inside Kunisu, such as the wall paintings, the sacrificial vessel shaped like a bull’s head, and the ivory god, are based on real Minoan artefacts I’ve seen in the museums at Heraklion, Athens, and Archanes, and others. The ivory god was inspired by the “Palaikastro Kouros” in the Archaeological Museum in Sitia. This figure was made of gold, rock crystal, serpentine, and hippopotamus ivory. It was smashed and burned three and a half thousand years ago, but even in his damaged form, he remains an astonishing masterpiece of Minoan sculpture.
To get a feel for how Havoc experiences life, I’ve spent time with four Asiatic lion cubs at Paignton Zoo, where Senior Keeper Helen Neighbour kindly let me get as close to them as even she could get, given the presence of their enormous and very watchful mother; she also answered my myriad questions about their habits and characters. To gain insights into how Echo perceives the world, I’ve visited several falconries and watched countless displays, as well as spending time with peregrine falcons and their falconers at close quarters, to understand the birds’ habits and characteristics. Needless to say, the way Pirra brings up Echo is a bit different from the ways of western falconry as practiced today. I’ve incorporated methods from falconry as practiced in different parts of the world, and also simplified things a bit, to suit the needs of the story.
I want to thank the many people (too numerous to name) who gave me advice and assistance while I was in Crete and Santorini, and in particular, Irini Kouraki and Manolis Melissourgakis, who were my guide and driver respectively in Crete, and without whose local knowledge and kindness I would never have found Kato Syme. I also want to thank Sarah Hesford at the English School of Falconry for letting me get near some fascinating peregrine falcons and for answering my many questions; and Helen Neighbour, Senior Keeper at Paignton Zoo, for giving so generously of her time and letting me get so close to those gorgeous lion cubs. I’m also extremely grateful, as always, to Todd Whitelaw, Professor of Aegean Archaeology at the Institute of Archaeology, University College London, for showing me over Knossos and answering my endless questions on the prehistoric Aegean, as well as providing invaluable guidance on the various Cretan sites I visited alone, and the significance of what I might see there.
Finally, and as always, I want to thank my wonderful agent Peter Cox for his indefatigable commitment and support, and my hugely talented editor at Puffin Books, Ben Horslen, for his lively and imaginative response to the story of Hylas and Pirra.
Michelle Paver, 2014
INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLING AUTHOR
MICHELLE PAVER
is an avid researcher who tirelessly investigates the worlds she creates—traveling extensively in the wild, encountering bears, boars, and wolves, and swimming with dolphins and killer whales. Her bestselling novels bring the past vividly and excitingly to life, including the critically acclaimed Wolf Brother, the first book in her award-winning Chronicles of Ancient Darkness series.
www.michellepaver.com
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