Peter Aperlo - The Unofficial Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard Companion: The Norse Heroes, Monsters and Myths Behind the Hit Series

Text copyright 2015 Peter E. Aperlo. Illustrations copyright 2015 Valentin Ramon. Concept and design copyright 2015 Ulysses Press and its licensors. All rights reserved. Any unauthorized duplication in whole or in part or dissemination of this edition by any means (including but not limited to photocopying, electronic devices, digital versions, and the Internet) will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.

Published in the United States by

Ulysses Press

P.O. Box 3440

Berkeley, CA 94703

www.ulyssespress.com

ISBN: 978-1-61243-520-6

Library of Congress Control Number 2015937568

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

Acquisitions Editor: Casie Vogel

Managing Editor: Claire Chun

Editor: Phyllis Elving

Proofreader: Lauren Harrison

Design: what!design @ whatweb.com

Production: Jake Flaherty, Sohayla Farman

Cover images: boat Santi0103/shutterstock.com, coins Route66/shutterstock.com, Viking man Catmando/shutterstock.com, grunge background HorenkO/shutterstock.com, gold background t_kimura/istock.com

Illustrations: Valentin Ramon

IMPORTANT NOTE TO READERS: This book is an independent and unauthorized fan publication. No endorsement or sponsorship by or affiliation with Rick Riordan, his publishers, or other copyright and trademark holders is claimed or suggested. All references in this book to copyrighted or trademarked characters and other elements of books by Rick Riordan are for the purpose of commentary, criticism, analysis, and literary discussion only. The works of Rick Riordan referenced in this book are publications of Disney Hyperion Books, and readers are encouraged to buy and read these books.

CONTENTS

Call them Vikings or call them Norsemen, chances are youve seen plenty of these guys in pop culture over the years. Movies, TV, books, and comics are filled with the thrilling and often bloody adventures of these shaggy, seagoing barbarians. And with them come amazing stories of heroes, gods, and monsters.

The characters and themes of Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard, the new series by Rick Riordan, are based on stories from Norse mythology. Author Rick Riordan is well known for his mythological adaptations. A former middle-school history and English teacher from Texas, he is the author of the popular Percy Jackson and the Olympians series of books.

For this latest series, Riordan introduces a hero named Magnus Chase, a young boy living on the streets of Boston. After years of not knowing who his father is, Magnus is told by a mysterious stranger that hes a descendant of one of the Norse gods. The world as he knows it changes dramatically as he is thrown into a world where the gods, monsters, trolls, and heroes of myth are real. His mission is to prevent Ragnarokthe end of the world.

The gods, giants, trolls, heroes, and happenings in Magnus new world are all based on classic tales straight out of Norse mythology. In these stories youll find crafty gods, brave heroes, and horrific monsters. Youve probably already heard some of their names, such as Odin, Thor, and Loki. Others may be new to youlike Bodvar Bjarki. Youll experience deeds that are comical as well as gruesome, some that are incredibly noble, and others that are simply mystifying.

From the creation of the world to the final battle between the gods and the forces of evil at Ragnarok, these are stories that are crucial to know if you want to fully understand the adventures and perils that lie ahead for Magnus Chase.

A thousand years ago, the Vikings and other people of northern Europethe region we now know as Scandinaviarecorded vibrant sagas and poems. They collected an impressive array of stories revolving around ancient myths and beliefsand amazingly, these were preserved at a time when many ancient tales were lost as the region converted to Christianity.

The Vikings themselves are often seen as lawless terrors and masters of hit-and-run tactics that made them the scourge of an entire continent. Looting, burning, and killing seemed to be their main pastimes, carried out with savage zeal. But what if that wasnt the whole story?

This book dispels some of the misconceptions about these fascinating people. Well show how their culture was every bit as sophisticated as the so-called civilized peoples around themand even more sophisticated in terms of the peoples voice in government, and sometimes even womens rights. Well explain how the Vikings built powerful kingdoms that challenged their neighbors on an equal footing. Youll see how, in the midst of the Dark Ages when most Europeans never left their villages, these adventurous Scandinavians explored and traded all the way from Asia across to North America.

Some elements may remind you of other traditions youre familiar withGreek, Roman, and Celtic, for example. But I think youll agree that the Norse myths have a certain energy and vitality that sets them apart. These stories hold a unique place in our shared cultural heritage and are worth dusting offwhether youre becoming reacquainted with them or just now discovering them for the first time.

Onward!

There was never an ethnic group called the Vikings. If you try to look up Vikingland on any map, ancient or modern, you wont find it. No one ever spoke Vikingish. Who, then, are these Vikings we see so often in books, cartoons, and movies?

The word Viking comes directly from Old Norsethe language they did speak. Vik means a small bay or inlet, while ing means a person. This Bay-Person was a pirate and a raider, someone who roved the seas in search of goods to plunder. Viking targets included monasteries filled with priceless gold and silver ornaments and relics; farmsteads rich with cattle, food, and even people to sell as slaves; and well-defended, walled towns ripe to be sacked. Sometimes the Vikings actually traded goods (ill-gotten or not) with the folks they encountered, rather than fight them.