Shadows on the Aegean (81 page)

The reign of Senwosret/Joseph coincided with a time in Crete/Santorini when palaces were destroyed—a time when the volcano
was starting its preeruption show and we have very few facts. A perfect placement for Atlantis and nearly nine hundred years
before classical Greece.

The Phaistos disk is on exhibit in the Heraklion Crete Museum. As of this writing it is undecipherable. However, it bears
striking similarities to an astrological chart of Crete from late summer to early spring.

Prion diseases—including kuru, mad cow disease, Creutzfeldt-Jacob disease, and other spongiform encephalopathies—are frightening
and true. All the symptoms portrayed in
Shadows
are accurate, based on medical journals and books. In the fall of 1997, Stanley Prusiner, who gave the prion its name, received
the Nobel Prize.

The Clan Olimpi was the pantheon of Mount Olympus, loosely disguised. Classical mythology has dark, bloody roots, and many
of the characters, names, and traits reflect that shadowy genesis.

Preclassical religion on many shores was goddess based. The earliest goddess in Crete was a pentad deity named Hera. She created
and destroyed and ultimately was awarded the life of her consort, who was also her son. Owing to the obvious classical association,
the mother-goddess needed a new name in this book. I chose Kela, a derivative of
kalos
, which is Greek for beautiful or charm. Phoebus was Apollo’s first name. Dion is short for Dionysus. Arus is Ares. Nestor
is a Greek name meaning “traveler,” appropriate for Hermes. Selena is the ancient personification of the crescent moon. Atenis
was Athena, who in preclassical times was a local patron goddess of craftsmen.

Irmentis was Artemis, a goddess whose roots are blood-soaked in preclassical mythology. The plant
Artemisia absinthium
(wormwood) is named after her, and I gave her character an absinthe addiction. It brings on madness and visions and quells
sexual desire, characteristics for which chaste Artemis was known. Because of its bitterness it is consumed with something
sweet. At the turn of the twentieth century, it was poured over sugar. Irmentis drank it with honeycomb.

Artemis was originally a vampiric figure. I gave fact to the myth by infecting her with porphyria, the disease from which
the legends of vampires and werewolves grew. Greek folklore is filled with vampire tales: those who drink blood, can’t abide
the sun, whose gums draw back from their teeth, and who actually sweat blood. All of these are traits of acute porphyria.

Santorini was declared in the mid-1800s to be the most vampire-ridden place in the entire world. This was possibly a result
of the embalming effects of the soil. The custom then (and today) on Santorini is to bury the deceased in the dirt, then dig
up the body a short interval later for formal interment. In premodern times, if the body was not sufficiently decomposed,
they claimed it had become a vampire.

According to fable the Scholomance was a school of life where all the secrets of nature, magic, and power were taught by the
devil in person. Only ten students were admitted at a time. Nine were released to their homes, the tenth detained as payment.
Masonic legend attributed Dionysus with first teaching these skills, in addition to architecture and masonry.

Aztlan is the name of the mythological birthplace of the Aztec civilization. More than any other culture, Aztecs are associated
with Atlantis. Because of this association and the theory of Aztecs being the descendants of the Atlanteans, I incorporated
assorted Aztec features into my Aztlan. The Pyramid of Days with 365 steps was borrowed, as was the feather-edged ceremonial
cloak, the calendar, and the obsidian blade vow ritual. The reasoning behind Aztlan’s cannibalism is similar to the Aztecs’,
and it fits modern understanding of the psychology of cannibalism. Essentially, the deceased have power that should be consumed.
This consumption is a great honor and a religious rite.

The purpose and method of Minoan bull dancing has been explored by dozens of authors. The nice part of fiction is that one
can suppose and theorize. Astrologically, the world had just left the Age of Taurus. During that time period, bulls were worshiped
the world over.

If Atlantis and Egypt had enjoyed the close relationship that I portray, they might well have shared a common faith, namely
worshiping Apis. The Serapeum in Egypt was built for the mummies of Apis bulls. Cretan legend and mythology is filled with
tales of bulls, from the Labyrinth to Zeus’ capture of Europa. Plato asserts the elders of Atlantis chased the sacred bull
through the palace with staves and nooses.

The ritual of baptism in bull’s blood, as described, is still practiced on the Aegean isle of Lesbos. To this day, churches
in the Aegean have bullhorn-shaped belfries.

Normandi Ellis’s beautiful interpretation of the Book of the Dead,
Awakening Osiris
, was especially useful and inspirational for the Egyptian scenes.

Six books guided me on this journey:
Unearthing Atlantis
by Charles Pellegrino; Edith Hamilton’s
Mythology; The Pyramids, an Enigma Solved
by Davidovits and Margie Morris;
Pharaohs and Kings a Biblical Quest
by David Rohl; Fodor’s
Greece;
and the most provocative glimpse into the Minoan mind I’ve ever found,
The Thread of Ariadne
by Charles Herberger.

Did Atlantis exist as a superior culture? I propose that archaeology and history testify that it did. Their superiority was
only in their understanding of science, commerce, and society, as opposed to mainland Greeks, who were still living in huts.
Did they circumnavigate the globe, discover chemistry, have an understanding of engineering, medicine, even aerodynamics and
timekeeping? Allegedly, the library in Alexandria had scrolls attesting to all these things. Whether the Egyptians, the Chinese,
or a culture like the Aztlantu discovered them first, we will possibly never know. The importance is to realize that ancient
people did more, went farther, and were much more sophisticated than we believe.

Did they destroy themselves? Ultimately every culture has cannibalized itself. Egyptian, Greek, Roman, Byzantine … or perhaps
the Atlanteans simply made awful real estate choices, seduced by the fertile volcanic soil. Like any people, they lived their
lives, birthed, wedded, and died, unaware they were mythology in the making.

So, we sail into the Mediterranean.

Suzanne Frank

October 19, 1997

Dallas, Texas

D
OZENS AND DOZENS OF PEOPLE
graciously shared their thoughts, expertise, and wisdom during the creation of this book. My thanks to those who have read
for me, in part or in full: Melanie, Barbara, Eric, Erick, Dan, Dana, David, Dwayne, Diane, Hanne, Joe, Rob, Rene, River,
my mother, and my class. Your perspective and ideas have been invaluable. Thank you for your time and patience.

I cannot possibly name all my on-line acquaintances who asked, “Have you thought of this, Suz?” or introduced a concept or
an angle for further exploration. Thanks most especially to Matt, for the zebrafish, which led to the crab; Jason, for the
information on the Urim and Thummim; Gary, for the gorgeous map; Dan, for the unpaid job of publicist/cheerleader/linguist
extraordinaire; John, for how to run well; Eric, for prophets and pirates; River, for hunting and fighting; and Ira, for many
long talks, hysterical laughter, and literary perspective.

Deep thanks to Diane Frank, my research scientist, who excels at explaining complex ideas in bite-size pieces; who gamely
tracked down resources and articles on prions; who spent days with me in the University of Washington library as I read journal
after journal. Diane, you are a goddess! Thanks also go to Dr. Farrell R. Robinson for unveiling the human brain to me. Literally.
He showed me how to cut open a skull, how to extract a brain, what it feels like, what it smells like, what it looks like,
and what it sounds like, (No, I didn’t taste it.)

Always, thanks to my parents. They explored Mt. St. Helens in Washington because I needed to see another volcano; they collected
all references to preclassical Greece and phoned me when I needed to watch the Discovery Channel; they listened to my ranting
and raving about diseases, mythology, alchemy, ad nauseam. They asked questions that made me think harder. Most significant,
they never doubted I could do it.

Heartfelt thanks to Susan Sandler and Jessica Papin, my editors at Warner. Special heaping thanks to Susan, who said, “Antioxidants
are old hat. Get another disease.” Thus she inspired my search for prions. She also keeps me writing in actual English, and
she always gets it. Enormous thanks to Jessica, who kept the
psyches
of my characters consistent, who always asks for explanations for the “historically impaired” and jumps into my worlds with
both feet. These women saw my vision, they encouraged its depth, and most important, they trimmed away the fat and challenged
me to work harder, stretch farther. Thanks to Jackie for her time and insightful V-reader comments. Thanks to Theresa Pantazopoulos
for the
Reflections
publicity and the great support of the Warner reps.

A special thanks to Evan Fogelman. Without him there wouldn’t be a trilogy.

Thanks to Beth and the staff at Hotel Kavalari in Santorini. It’s truly the most amazing place to stay, with stunning views
of the caldera and close to the heart of the town. Beth gave her time and knowledge of the island and its
shadowy
sides. Thanks to Kathy Stamm, who actually
got
us to Greece, despite the winds, the strikes, and the Athens airport.

Blessings on you all!

S
HADOWS ON THE AGEGEAN

“I
MAGINATIVE
. C
REATIVE
. I
NGENIOUS
. E
NGROSSING
.
S
UZANNE
F
RANK HAS
GIVEN HER READERS A BRILLIANTLY WRITTEN MAGICAL STORY
.”

—C
LIVE
C
USSLER
, author of
Flood Tide
and
Treasure

“S
UZANNE
F
RANK HAS ABSOLUTELY SURPASSED HER DEBUT BOOK WITH THIS
SECOND NOVEL OF RAPTUROUS ROMANCE AND HIGH ADVENTURE
.”

—B
ERTRICE
S
MALL
, author of
Deceived

“A
N EXOTIC, EROTIC, BREATHTAKING ADVENTURE … WONDROUSLY
CONCEIVED, BRILLIANTLY EXECUTED
. I
LOOK FORWARD WITH GREAT EAGERNESS
TO
S
UZANNE
F
RANK’S NEXT BOOK
!”

—B
ARBARA
W
OOD
, author of
The Prophetess

“F
ASCINATING, FUNNY, INTELLIGENT, AND PROFOUNDLY ORIGINAL
….
I
COULDN’T PUT IT DOWN.
”

—R
ICHARD
B
ODE
, author of
Beachcombing at Miramar

“A
TOUR DE FORCE OF IMAGINATION
, SHADOWS ON THE AEGEAN
BRINGS
A MAGICAL WORLD TO BRILLIANT LIFE
. M
ASTERFULLY TOLD
.”

—D
OUGLAS
P
RESTON
and L
INCOLN
C
HILD
, authors of
Riptide
and
The Relic