“So, in Finland, witches are not automatically treated as bad?”
“No.” She shakes her head once, more of a slowly shifting movement. “Witchcraft is a very big part of Finnish history, culture, and religion. Though we had good witches, and black magic was not allowed.”
“Where is Mount Kyöpeli?” asks another, not waiting to be called upon but pitching the question in the ensuing silence.
She turns her eyes in that direction, still meandering as she talks, the images on the large screen changing in a series of slow dissolves, giving backdrop to her words.
“You can only get there by flying and magic. It is said to be located in a secret place, close to the border of Tuonela, the Finnish land of dead.’
“It is also said that it is actually possible physically, or even mentally, to travel in Tuonela and go have a chat with your dead friends and relatives and other people,” she carries on, a curve to her lips. “There are tales that witches and sages have traveled there to learn long lost lore and spells. Only problem is that it’s very hard to get back from there. There are many guardians. Cats are but one example in our own world.”
I draw from many sources and lore in my book, Dance of the Butterfly. It was important to me to show varying perspectives. This is also part of why I chose to set it in a very cosmopolitan city. There are many subtle (and not so subtle) references that weave into the overall puzzle of the story.
Please visit my Amazon Author Page for both books in the series. Thank you.
Dance of the Butterfly 