Peter Aperlo is the author of the book Introduction to Norse Mythology for Kids. His many other books include The Unofficial Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard Companion. He is also an archaeologist.
Q: What inspired you to write this book about Norse mythology?
A: When I was in second or third grade, I had a paperback encyclopedia of Greek myths. I read that thing from cover to cover countless times until I knew something about each and every entry. My aim was to make something as useful and as inspiring as that was for me, but with the Norse gods and heroes.
I also wanted maps, illustrations, and to talk a little bit about the society that produced these stories; that history was incredibly important for the development of Europe in the Middle Ages, and doesn't often get covered sufficiently in schools.
Q: How did you research the book, and what did you learn that especially
surprised you?
A: My advisor in grad school at UCLA was Prof. Jesse Byock, one of the foremost experts on Icelandic sagas, so to say I was pretty familiar with the subject matter would be an understatement! It was more a matter of going back and getting reacquainted with the specifics.
For the myths, I relied on our three big primary sources: The Poetic Edda, The Prose Edda, and Heimskringla (and their indexes); the last two were written by Snorri Sturluson, an Icelandic chieftain-priest from the 13th century--so he deserves a lot of the credit!
For the cultural content, I still have a decent reference library for all things Viking at home; however, I checked that against any new discoveries discussed in trusted sources on the internet.(smithsonianmag.com, sciencenorway.no, en.natmus.dk, among others.)
If I was surprised by anything, it was digging back into the poetry and rediscovering how effective it is, even for us in the modern age. There are passages that are incredibly funny, while others are deeply moving, and all are composed with a cleverness and skill that debunk the "shaggy barbarian" image some might have of Viking Age Scandinavians.
I regret not including more of it in the book, but any moderately deep dive would've quickly become too advanced for what this work was meant to be.
Q: Do you have a favorite Norse myth or hero?
A: My favorite myth has to be the story of Thor's journey to Utgard, where he and his companions get bamboozled by the illusions conjured up by the giant, Utgarda-Loki.
Not only is it a satisfying tale (with its Twilight Zone ending), but it really shows off how imaginative, unbounded, and just plain out there Norse mythology can be. A globe-encircling serpent disguised as a cat? A drinking horn connected to all the world's seas? You can't make this stuff up!
Q: What do you hope kids take away from the book?
A: I hope kids see that the heroes and gods--even the "good" ones--are not perfect beings. They can be vain, selfish, greedy, or jealous, just like real people. That makes them relatable, even when separated from us by such a long stretch of time.
And it's rare when that bad behavior doesn't result in dire consequences, so there are some valuable lessons to be learned.
But if one kid walks away from the book knowing that Vikings didn't wear horned helmets, I'll consider my work done.
Q: What are you working on now?
A: I'm working full-time as an archaeologist right now, but have started a novel. No Vikings in this one, but plenty of magic.
Q: Anything else we should know?
A: Writing this book led me ultimately to being a writer and mythology consultant on the Netflix series Twilight of the Gods. I'm really proud of that work, but it's definitely for an older crowd!
--Interview with Deborah Kalb
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