Thanks for reading Institute of Magic! If you’ve read any of my previous books, you may have noticed that I have a fondness for including historical places and mythological elements. I did the same with Institute of Magic. Sometimes the history of these things is so interesting that I want to share more, so I like to do it in the Author’s Note instead of the story itself.
Celtic myth plays a large role in Ana’s series. Several side characters are from Celtic myth. Cade is actually Belatucadros, one of the Celtic war gods from Great Britain. Another character from Celtic myth is Muffin, the Cat Sìth, a type of fairy creature. In actually Celtic myth, the Cat Sìth’s name isn’t Muffin (that was my own addition). According to legend, he is supposed to resemble a large black cat with a white spot on his chest. The myth of the Cat Sìth was possibly inspired by the Scottish wildcat. In one British folk tale, the Cat Sìth is considered to be the king of cats. They can even steal your soul, though the Muffin in my books is more interested in stealing fish and jewels.
Muffin is hairless, however, which makes him a bit different. In the fiction wold (as opposed to the one of Celtic myth) he’s the distant cousin of Magpie, a hairless cat from the Spellbound series written by Annabel Chase. I loved Magpie so much that I thought maybe my own series needed a hairless cat, and Annabel was kind enough to approve of Muffin. If you like fun paranormal cozy mysteries and you also liked Muffin, consider checking out Annabel’s series and meeting Magpie.
The rest of the book draws heavily from history. Paris is indeed called the City of Lights (as are many other cities), and long ago, it was founded by the Romans as they spread across Europe. The cemetery of Père Lachaise is the largest in the city and contains a storied history. In fact, it is the most visited cemetery in the world, though of course no one can visit the supernatural section. It was established in 1804 by Napoleon and has grown astronomically since. It has been so popular that bodies are often exhumed after decomposition and their bones stored in the ossuary, where Madame Alamedra performs her ritual.
In addition to having the most famous cemetery in the world, Paris also contains the most famous sewers. They date back to 1370, though it was a much simpler system then. In the years since, it has grown massively, particularly during the 19th century. The modernization of the sewer system at this time led to a decline in epidemics, since sanitation in the city was greatly improved. Starting in the mid 19th century, it became possible to tour the sewers, which you can still do today.
Another historical aspect of Institute of Magic is Pompeii. The famous city was entombed in ash and pyroclastic flow from the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD. Today, it is an amazing place. I chose to set the Pompeii scene in the baths because they were such an important part of Roman history. The baths were a common meeting place for people—both men and women—and it was common to visit the baths daily if you could afford it. In fact, it was so important that the baths were often subsidized by the government and the price was very low. One of the most interesting parts of the baths was the fact that the Romans had developed heated floors. The technology involved a hollow floor through which hot air was forced.
I think that’s it for the history and mythology in Institute of Magic—at least the big things. I hope you enjoyed the book and will come back for more of Ana, Lachlan, Rowan, and Bree!