The Windeby Puzzle: History and Story

By Lois Lowry

Newbery Medalist and New York Times bestselling author Lois Lowry transports readers to an Iron Age world through the suspenseful dual narrative of a boy and girl both battling to survive. In an utterly one-of-a-kind blend of fiction and history, a master storyteller explores the mystery and life of the 2,000-year-old Windeby bog body.

Estrild is not like the other girls in her village; she wants to be a warrior. Varick, the orphan boy who helps her train in spite of his twisted back, also stands apart. In a world where differences are poorly tolerated, just how much danger are they in?

Inspired by the true discovery of the 2,000-year-old Windeby bog body in Northern Germany, Newbery Medalist and master storyteller Lois Lowry transports readers to an Iron age world as she breathes life back into the Windeby child, left in the bog to drown with a woolen blindfold over its eyes.

This suspenseful exploration of lives that might have been by a gifted, intellectually curious author is utterly one of a kind. Includes several arresting photos of archeological finds, including of the Windeby child.

• Language: English
• Publisher: HarperCollins
• Release date: Feb 14, 2023
• ISBN: 9780358672463

Lois Lowry

Lois Lowry is the author of more than forty books for children and young adults, including the New York Times bestselling Giver Quartet and the popular Anastasia Krupnik series. She has received countless honors, among them the Boston Globe–Horn Book Award, the Dorothy Canfield Fisher Award, the California Young Reader Medal, and the Mark Twain Award. She received Newbery Medals for two of her novels, Number the Stars and The Giver.

Book preview

Dedication

For my German family:

Margret, Jürgen, Nadine, and Sinuhe

Contents

Cover

Title Page

Dedication

Part One

History

Part Two

Estrild’s Story

Part Three

History

Part Four

Varick’s Story

Part Five

History

Photo Credits

Bibliography

The Wandsworth Shield Boss

The Windeby Child

The Osterby Man

European Eagle-Owl

Discussion Questions

Selection of Quotes

About the Author

Books by Lois Lowry

Back Ad

Copyright

About the Publisher

Part One

History

Hold it! Stop the engine!

The heavy machinery fell silent. The operator peered down from the cab. Why? What’s wrong?

Look! We pulled up a leg!

Holy— The workers fell silent. They stared at the thing dangling from the metal digging claw.

Think it’s from a stag? one asked, finally.

But they all knew it wasn’t an animal’s leg. It was human.

It was May 1952, on an estate called Windeby in northern Germany. Workmen using modern cutting equipment were removing peat from a small bog the day that one of them saw what he thought at first was a large animal bone. It wasn’t. It was a human lower leg, and they quickly discovered that their machinery had also brought up a foot and a hand. Thinking they had unearthed a crime scene, they turned off their equipment and summoned the police.

A museum curator and his assistants also rushed to the scene. After an examination of what had been found almost five feet below the surface of the bog, they explained to the police that this was not an unsolved murder—at least, not in the usual sense. These body parts, scientists eventually determined, were around two thousand years old, from the first century AD, the time now known as the Iron Age. The workmen had uncovered what was known as a bog body, which means just that: a body found buried in a peat bog. Hundreds of them have been discovered over the last two centuries. The oldest is a Danish woman known to anthropologists as Koelbjerg Woman, who died around 8000 BC.

Peat is a curious substance. It is created in wetlands where vegetation—plants, grasses, moss—never fully decays because of a high acid content. This organic semi-decayed material, peat, builds up over centuries to become a thick, mucky, and waterlogged swamp, or bog. Harvested, compressed, and dried, peat has been used as fuel for countless years; it still is, in some places. In earlier days, chunks of peat were dug by hand, using spades, then dried and piled beside primitive farmhouses. More recently, sophisticated mechanical equipment does the same job of cutting and compressing the substance. Today you can find peat moss, a substance harvested from peat, for sale in garden centers along with fertilizer and compost; adding it to your garden will help the soil retain moisture.

At night, in a peat bog, gases produced by the bog materials ignite when they encounter oxygen, creating flickering lights that scientists call bioluminescence. Not surprisingly, folklore and ghost stories sometimes portray the phenomena as sinister spirits, beckoning to travelers. No question, peat bogs are spooky, sometimes dangerous places. And, as the German peat-cutters discovered in 1952, they contain secrets.

The high acid content that permeates a peat bog, combined with the climate in northern Europe, creates an odd kind of refrigerated morgue. Bodies placed in a bog decompose very, very slowly. Although the thick skull remains intact, smaller bones eventually disintegrate while at the same time, the bog chemicals preserve the skin, hair, and nails. Found centuries later, some of the dead are said to resemble deflated rubber dolls. There are expressions on their faces, and the men have stubble on their chins. Some have trimmed fingernails, and hair carefully braided and arranged.

Most of the bog bodies, sadly, had died violent deaths. Their remains tell us that. There is evidence of horrific injuries: bashed skulls, nooses around their necks, stab wounds. We don’t know why. Were these people criminals, singled out for execution? Or perhaps they may have been sacrificial victims, chosen to assuage the gods, to ensure a better harvest? In the first century AD, Christianity had not yet made its way to northern Europe. But the people of that era had pagan gods—Wotan, Donar, and Nerthus, the earth mother, among others—whom they tried to please with rites and rituals. Human sacrifice was occasionally one of those.

Young, the anthropologists announced, after studying the body that had been carefully removed from the Windeby bog in 1952. That was rare. Most of the bog bodies found until then had been adults.

Adolescent female, they decided. A young girl, maybe thirteen. Small in stature, they could tell, though much of her lower body had been destroyed by the weight of the peat and the machinery of the peat-cutters.

She wore no clothes except a small animal hide around her neck and shoulders. And she had been blindfolded. A strip of cloth, intricately woven to create a pattern of brown, yellow, and red, encircled her head and covered her eyes.

She had no wounds, no indications of violence. The expression on her face was serene. Her hair, what remained, was blond. But mysteriously, the left side of her head had been shaved.

The laboratories and museums that contain and study the bog bodies have given them names based on the places where they had been found. Lindow Man and Worsley Man were discovered in England. Tollund Man, Grauballe Man, and Elling Woman, in Denmark. In Ireland: Gallagh Man and Clonycavan Man. North Germany had uncovered Damendorf Man in 1900. And now, this slight, golden-haired teenager. They called her Windeby Girl.

Each of us has a story. I do, you do, my mailman does; so does the frail elderly neighbor, the woman who waits on me at the supermarket, and the boy who just rode past me on a bicycle.

Our stories each have a beginning, middle, and—eventually—an ending. We have adventures along the way. We have moments of anger and despair, times we are bored and distracted, spells of quiet contentment, and other times when we are overwhelmed by joy.

We live out our stories in various locations. Some of us, perhaps, end where we start, without ever having explored other realms. Others find it hard to stay put.

Me? I was born on a tropical island. I moved, later, to a big city, then to a small town, then to another city in a different country, then to another, and another, and another. I had siblings. Along the way, I was educated. Eventually I married and had four children. I lived in different kinds of houses: big ones, small ones, old ones, new ones. I had dogs and cats, several horses along the way, and once (briefly) a pet raccoon. A bicycle and another bicycle . . . and cars, and more cars, and more. I went back again for more education. I chose a career. My children grew up. One died. I loved, and I was loved. I grew old.

Those facts are not particularly interesting. But when I embellish them with the details that surround each fact—and what those details meant, how important they were—then the story is filled out, and raises questions, and takes on meaning, and the story gradually becomes me.

Part of the me is a storyteller. I like to pry open doors, and peer into corners, and figure out all the whys that make people who they are.

When I read for the first time about the Windeby Girl, I was consumed with curiosity. Who was this small-in-stature, middle school–age blond person? She seemed so like my own young self. I thought back to seventh grade, when in gym class we girls were asked to line up by height. I trudged to the end of the line, knowing that as always I was the shortest, the smallest of my classmates. Sure, there were some who were only slightly taller; we shorties giggled, poked at each other, and peered down the line, which grew gradually until at the other end stood the girls I envied, the ones who were already taller and more mature. I would grow, of course, and by the time I was, oh, fifteen or so, I was full-size and more self-confident.

But the Windeby Girl never had that chance. Why not? What had happened to her?

I began to think about jigsaw puzzles, how one examines each piece, looking for clues of shape and color, until things fit together and the entire picture emerges. I wanted to solve the puzzle of this young girl, to learn her story.

Some of that story had been already been determined by science. Radiocarbon dating

Reviews for The Windeby Puzzle

[foggidawn · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

In 1952, a body was found in a German peat bog -- an adolescent's body, about 2,000 year's old. Lowry takes the bare facts imparted by the remains and spins a story one way and then another, based on the region's history, the observations of archaeologists, and technological advances that have revealed more details since the discovery. The result is two well-written novellas bookended by brief but edifying historical notes. We know how the story will end, either way, but in spite of that, Lowry's tales are both touching and uplifting. Recommended for readers who enjoy stories set in ancient history.

[juliestielstra · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

As a writer of historical fiction, I was immediately intrigued by this book by an excellent writer whose other books I've admired. HF writers ponder endlessly the liberties and boundaries one might take and make with history as we turn it on our fiction lathes. So I was very interested in what Lowry was doing with this one. In the course of interweaving historical facts and her imagination, she confronts directly the problem of interpretation, of error, of gaps in information, and how our own values and feelings can color or distort them in the stories we create.She begins with a summary of information about "bog people" - who they were, how they might have gotten there, what a bog is, etc. She outlines Iron Age people and what they might have been like, and describes the actual young person found in a north German bog whose story she proceeds to imagine: a pubescent girl, frustrated by the drudgery women and girls are subjected to in her village, and proceeds to disguise herself to be recognized as a warrior among the boys. There is a proto-feminism imposed on Estrild's story, which might be appealing to a modern reader (and which I frequently see in historical fiction), but which is fairly unlikely, and brings her [SPOILER] to a fatal punishment.But wait! It turns outs that with modern technological analysis, the youngster from the bog was not a girl, but a rather frail boy. So Lowry re-imagines the story with that as a base, and gives us a hunchbacked orphan boy named Varick struggling to survive as a forger's servant. He too dies eventually, a natural death from illness and neglect. Varick's story fits better with the "facts" as we can know them - less dramatic, surely, but more convincing.The writing is sometimes pedestrian and, especially with Estrild, can feel a bit too much like a lecture or a polemic. Some reviewers have been aghast at the idea of having kids read a book where the hero/ine dies (but then, these days, there are so many topics being deemed "unsuitable" for young readers that it's getting pretty depressing). But this is the Iron Age - people were lucky to make it to adulthood, and this forlorn young body in the bog didn't. I'm not sure how well this story will go over with its intended audience (I'm not a parent or a teacher or a youth librarian). But I will stand by its value as an interesting example of how a novelist struggles with history, how to tackle the death of the young, the authority of faith and religion over humans, and Lowry's honesty in working it through, before our eyes. I'd think this is a good one for parents to read with their kids - lots to talk about here!

[sundancer_2 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Since Lois Lowry is one of my all-time favorite authors I had to read her newest book of course. I got through it all in one sitting as it was an extremely easy read and engaging. I don't think I've ever read anything like it. Lowry gives us a peak behind the curtain into how she researched the details for this book and wove history together with fiction quite seamlessly. The book transported me to the places the characters walked and I felt their feelings as Lowry is a vivid, masterful storyteller. I really enjoyed both stories but I was left wanting something more with both tales which is why I only gave the book three and a half stars. I usually give three stars if I really enjoyed the book but it wasn't anything that stood out from other books I've read and then four stars if I REALLY enjoyed the book and it was one of the best I've ever read. Five stars is reserved for my favorites of all time. SPOILER: I so desperately wanted to know what possessed Estrild to believe that anyone would call her name if she lined up with the young wanna-be warriors. At best they would probably say, "What are you doing wearing men's clothing? You can't be a warrior you silly girl." The author built off of Tacitus’ cryptic statement that Iron Age people could be put to death for "disgracing their bodies." I'm amazed that being so young no one questioned her or interrogated or even gave her a proper trial. They simply immediately sentenced her to death! It didn't seem right. It seemed barbaric and inhuman of the people to strip her naked in front of everyone... men, women, and children included. People who were present did not come to witness this horrific treatment of a young girl. They should have stood up to the people in charge carrying this out. They shouldn't have watched this take place. I just found it so far-fetched that they wouldn't even ask her why she did it or if she regretted it. Their actions seemed so heartless, savage, and heathenish. I also found it odd that the boy would commit suicide at the end. Wouldn't he try to get better? Or am I misunderstanding exactly how he died?

[blbooks-14314 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

First sentence: Cool wind. Day start. One bird a-twitter. Warblers newly back now, settling in, after winter in a warmer place. Planting time soon. Then the birds would be everywhere: noisy, pecking for the seeds, for the insects. Eggs in the nests: speckled eggs they were, the warblers' nests in the high grasses. Dark, still. But the land was alive: waking, whistling with breeze through the grasses and murmuring with creatures emerging from sleep. Premise/plot: The Windeby Puzzle is a blend of history and fiction. [I did NOT know this heading into the book. Because it does effect the pacing and flow of the narrative, potential readers should know this up front]. Lois Lowry lets readers into the process--her craft--of writing a new book. This book was inspired by discovery of the Windeby bog body back in the 1950s in Northern Germany. For decades--literally decades--it was assumed to be the body of a thirteen year old girl. New research, however, have shifted conclusions. It is now believed to be the body of a malnourished/sickly sixteen year old boy. Lowry alternates HISTORY and fiction. The first history-fiction section assumes that it is a thirteen-year-old girl. Lowry creates the character of Estrild. What led to her death? Was she a human sacrifice? Was she executed? If she was executed, then what was her crime? What would her life have been like? The second history-fiction section takes a turn. If the bog-child-body was a boy, what was HIS story???? Varick was a character--Estrild's best friend--from her first story. But this time around, he is the star of the show. What was HIS life like? What led him to the bog?Both fictional stories are set in the Iron Age. My thoughts: I can honestly say that The Windeby Puzzle is unlike Lowry's previously published children's books. I've read plenty of them--though not all of them. It isn't really similar to any other children's books I've read either. That is neither good nor bad. (It just is.) Will it appeal more to adults than children? Maybe. Will it appeal to children at all? I don't know. It's set in ancient history--the Iron Age, and in Northern Germany. The blend of history and fiction is unique. But is it unique in a way that is likely to make children--elementary, middle grade--excited to pick it up and keep turning pages???? I don't know. I suppose if you've got someone in your life that is interested in archaeological digs, ancient cultures, and ancient history, perhaps. OR if perhaps someone who really wants to understand author craft. In getting a glimpse of HOW a story comes together and how the author works to bring her book to life. This book is definitely taste-specific! Will it appeal to adults? Again, I can't say that it is one that would automatically have broad appeal. The author is incredibly gifted and prolific. There will be some readers--perhaps myself included--who will read ANY title Lowry publishes no matter the subject matter, no matter the reviews, just because ANY book has to be good, right???I am curious to see the reviews start coming in for this one. I am. (I am not always.) Will readers like it? love it? hate it? Find it dull or boring? Or will they find all the nerdy details fascinating? Personally, I preferred HIS story to her story. I did not need [yet another] story of a [young] girl who was a feminist over a thousand years ahead of her time who was going to make a stand because girls [and women] have rights and should be treated equally. Those stories always seem out of place, and Lowry admits that her characterization is way out there and not at all realistic. Both stories are set first century AD.