Storybook Styles: Mysteries of History

Topic: My Storybook is going to be an exploration of historical mysteries. There are so many places and events in our world that no one knows the truth about, so I'm going to pick four and explain them with a story. I've chosen to write about the lost city of Kitezh, Russia, a fortress that defended itself from an attack by the Mongols by sinking into the sea. (I might write something about people with magic who had to sacrifice their very existence in the world to keep their secret hidden.) My second story will be about Winchester House, a mansion in San Jose California with hidden passages, awkward staircases, and many stories about its peculiar owner, Sarah Winchester. I've also toyed with the idea of doing all four stories over the Winchester House, but I think it'll be fun to explore multiple historical mysteries. My third story (one I'm really excited about) will pull from the legends explaining the mysterious disappearance of three lighthouse men at the Eilean Mor Lighthouse of the Flannan Isles in Scotland. I'd like to read The Lighthouse: The Mystery of the Eilean Mor Lighthouse Keepers, by Keith McClousky, but it's not in any of the libraries in Norman, so I may have to rely on stories/theories from the internet for most of my inspiration, which is fine with me. I'd rather have less of other people's ideas persuading my imagination when I write the stories. My last story will explain the origin of Stonehenge. These theories provide some interesting inspiration, but I'd also like to use some facts to support my story.

 

(Lost city of Kitezh)

Bibliography
1. Pillar of the Sky, by Cecelia Holland (1943)
2. The Legend of the Invisible City of Kitezh and the Maiden Fevroniya by Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov (1905)

Through the Eyes of Reepicheep
The Chronicles of Narnia is one of my favorite series, and Reepicheep, the courageous, tenacious Chief Mouse of Narnia, member of the Most Noble Order of the Lion, is one of my favorite characters. He'll fight a beast twice his size, and he travels to the end of the earth and on to Aslan's country, so naturally, he's the type of mouse who would have seen everything. I would love to tell stories from each of these places with him as the narrator, and as a secondary character. His time in the city of Kitezh could be where he learns his sea navigation (by force, as it sinks), which could lead him on to the lighthouse in Scotland... or I might go in chronological order of each event in history. The stories wouldn't necessarily tie together, other than the fact that Reepicheep adventure'd through them all. After all, he's the type of mouse who would have such adventures.

Random Anthology
Because all of these stories have no connection other than their mysterious place in history, I may write them all as separate short stories with separate characters. I like the idea of telling a Winchester House story from Sarah Winchester's point of view, or from her submissive and perpetually irritated butler's perspective. I'd like to write the lighthouse story from the perspective of an apologetic lighthouse worker, who reveals why the three men left their stations and their family to journey into unknown worlds, or something like that. I think I'd like to do a Stonehenge story from the perspective of a little boy or girl, observing her family or tribe's journey to make the structure. I might write the story of Kitezh from the perspective of someone we already know, like a popular book character or famous person, who was once one of the magical people of Kitezh who had to sink the city to save his/her identity.

God's Journal
Another idea would be to explain each story from the perspective of an omniscient ruler writing in his journal. I picture God watching these stories unfold, and sharing in his private diary why the truths of these tales will never be known on Earth. He's dying to tell the stories, but for some reason, they must all remain a secret. (I'm tempted to "reveal" the location of the Garden of Eden, but I don't even want to go there. Too complicated. Too unknowable.)

Inquisitive Kids are Great! Sometimes.
Another way I could reveal these mysteries would be by explaining them to a small child. I picture someone like my sister (but younger) learning about these historical mysteries and suddenly asking an oblivious parent, "Daddy, who built Stonehenge? What happened to the city of Kitties?" And the father stopping what he's doing and saying, "Well, funny that you ask..." and either pretending to have been there, had relatives who were present at the event, or just making up a story. It could start with their family visiting the Winchester House on vacation, and when they get in the car, the son asks, "Why did the house have so many staircases?" and so the dad makes up a reason. From there, the son buys a book on their road trip and asks about more events in history, or the dad just makes some up.