Teachers’ Notes
OMNIBUS BOOKS
Forest of Bones
Written and
Illustrated by David Kennett
Teachers’ Notes by Rae Carlyle
OMNIBUS BOOKS
Category
Graphic Novel
Title
Forest of Bones
Author
David Kennett
Illustrator
David Kennett
Publication date
August 2014
Format
208 x 135 mm
Extent
272 pp
Binding
Paperback
Printing
Greyscale
ISBN
978 1 86291 988 4
Previous publications
Author and illustrator
Pharaoh: Death and Life of a God
(Omnibus Books, 2008)
Solo Wildlife series (6 titles)
Contents
Introduction………………..……………………………….
2
About the Author/Illustrator …………. .…………… 3
Activities ……………………….…………………………….. 3
OMNIBUS BOOKS
Previous publications
(Bob Brown and Ben Wood)
Give Me a Home among the
Gum Trees
(Omnibus Books, 2007)
Illustrator
Howzat! A Celebration of Cricket
(Omnibus Books, 2005)
The Roman Army
(Omnibus Books, 2004)
Olympia: Warrior Athletes of Ancient
Greece
(Omnibus Books, 2000)
Teachers’ Notes may be reproduced for use in school activities. They may not
be redistributed for commercial sale or posted to other networks.
Introduction
Set in northern Germany in the early days of the Roman Empire, Forest of Bones tells the
story of Ursus, a Cherusci boy and grandson of the powerful bear-priest Deodar, and his
unlikely but enduring friendship with Canus, the Syrian slave who is the Roman governor’s
dog-boy. The Romans may have successfully defeated the Cherusci before Ursus was born,
and Alaric, their greatest warrior, may lead the local troops who serve as Roman auxiliaries,
but resentment towards the invaders burns strong decades after the battles that open the
story, and Ursus has inherited a full measure of his grandfather’s hatred for the conquering
foreigners. When Ursus and Canus first meet, his hatred of all things Roman leads Ursus to
dismiss Canus out of hand as someone who is only worth scorning and one day killing. But
soon events conspire to change the way Ursus sees the world.
A boy who loves the woods that surround his home, as well as all the creatures
found there, Ursus has been watching and doing his best to capture with pen and ink a
family of wolves. The Romans, however, view wolves as fur coats in need of slaughter, and
when Governor Varus leads a wolf hunt, all but one of the wolves are slain. The sole survivor
escaped only because Canus heard Ursus’ frantic attempts to prevent the slaughter, and
flung himself bodily on top of the last cub. Taking the cub back with him to the Roman
compound, Canus plans to raise him as a companion. Before long Ursus’ love for the wolves
overcomes his hatred of Romans enough for him to venture into the settlement and spend
time with the cub. Overseen by the wise and kindly kennel master, the two boys soon find
that they have more in common than just the wolf-cub they name Heracles, and a friendship
surprising to them both is formed. Ursus even goes so far as to share with Canus the secret
cave filled with wondrous paintings of unknown antiquity that he has told no one else about.
Even after Heracles one day vanishes into the woods and does not return, their friendship
remains.
Meanwhile the Cherusci leader, Arminius, although apparently allied to the Romans,
plots in secret to surprise the Roman legions, their auxiliaries and the animal traders and
other followers of the camp in their march to winter quarters. Completely taken by surprise
and harried on all sides over days, the Romans are finally trapped in a narrow pass in driving
rain, and the slaughter begins. Canus finds his way back from the bloody massacre that has
taken his Roman masters and friends, and with the help of Alaric is reunited with Ursus.
The boys find their lives overturned, loved ones and protectors slain, and their loyalties
called into question. Tired, terrified, and not entirely sure how they survived or managed to
find each other amidst turmoil and war, there is one thing that makes their world a little less
horrific; in the aftermath of battle, Heracles has been freed by the traders who took him
away and the wolf finds them again.
This retelling of the massacre in Teutoberg Forest – one of the Roman army’s most
disastrous defeats involving the loss of Caesar’s legions and their standards, is set against a
story of the ‘civilising’ of ancient forests and their peoples’ cults of sacred worship in the
service of the Roman empire.
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About the Author/Illustrator
David Kennett is a full-time book illustrator and author whose previous books include
Olympia: Warrior Athletes of Ancient Greece, The Roman Army and Pharaoh: Death
and Life of a God, which he wrote and illustrated. Many of his books have been published
internationally. Olympia: Warrior Athletes of Ancient Greece was the winner of the Eve
Pownall Award for Information Books in the Children’s Book Council of Australia Awards in
2001, and in 2003 David was awarded the Centenary of Federation Medal for services to
Australia through literature. David’s work reflects his deep passion for ancient history and
mythology; he draws his characters and scenes from his imagination. Forest of Bones is his
first graphic novel.
Activities
Before Reading the Text
Forest of Bones is set between 9BCE and 9CE, near the Weser River in Northern Germany. At
the time the story unfolds, the region as a whole was known by the Romans as Germania,
and the specific locale was within the lands held by the Cherusci tribe. Kennett carefully
includes enough background information regarding the political and military situation of the
time in his opening chapters for the story to be enjoyable and comprehensible to a reader
with no prior knowledge of the era, but it would be worthwhile before reading to briefly
discuss with the class some of the key historical facts about the early Roman Empire.
Points worth mentioning include:
- The comparative might of the Roman Legions and Roman bureaucracy in contrast to
the rest of Europe.
- The sheer size of the Empire given the constraints of communication and transport
that existed in a pre-industrial society.
- The pattern of conquest and colonisation that Rome was in the midst of.
- The existence and role of the Auxiliary armies.
- The prevailing religious beliefs in that area at that time – Both the Roman and
Nordic pantheons and the totemic tribal religions.
- The existence and role of slaves within Roman society.
Reading the Text
Forest of Bones is a graphic novel, and as such has contains a strong visual narrative that
warrants careful inspection whilst reading the story. Given this, it would be preferable for
students to have individual copies and the chance to read them independently. However,
teacher-led discussions focusing on both the text as well as the impact of the visual narrative
are still vital. Reading the book as a class might in some ways be the less-preferable option,
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but as long as the teacher ensures that there is plenty of opportunity for all students to
examine the illustrations closely throughout the course of the novel, then such a moderated
and directed approach to the novel could be very worthwhile.
Style and Themes
Kennett’s prose throughout Forest of Bones is both clear and compelling. His choice of
language and imagery in the text is a clever echo of the imagery presented in the
illustrations, with the language used evoking vibrant mental pictures of noise-filled colour
and light that are reinforced by the stark strength of the uncoloured illustrations. Kennett
makes good use of both simile and metaphor when describing scenes, and his descriptive
paragraphs are powerful and moving. In contrast, his characters are restrained in their
speech, with much of the dialogue having a matter-of-fact and somewhat understated
quality to it that serves to highlight the intensity of the emotions that the characters are
experiencing during the course of events. There are a variety of themes that run strongly
through the novel. These include the value of friendship and loyalty, conflict, the nature of
right and wrong, the concept of self-identity as a facet of group membership, and judging
others based on their membership of a specific group rather than as individuals.
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Points for Discussion/Activities
Look at the language used to describe the two armies and their battle on pp 13-18.
Compare the description of the Cherusci forces to that of the Roman battle line.
What are the different images that Kennett is creating here, and how does his word
choice affect this?
Consider the use of light as a metaphor and literary motif in relation to the Roman
army. The Roman legions are described several times, and the use of light in these
descriptions is a recurrent theme. (e.g. glittering metal line (p. 18), river of molten
silver (p. 80)). The passage on p. 70 clearly shows the importance and relevance of
light within Kennett’s descriptions. How is this textual feature echoed in the visual
representation? Compare the various images of the Roman and Cherusci armies to
each other, and write a brief paragraph describing the way Kennett has used
background shading, white space, and highlights in his artwork, and the impact this
has on the reader perception of the events when taken in combination with his
written descriptions.
The Roman fort is described on p. 46 as an enormous, brutal rectangle crouched
upon the hill., while on p. 73 it is described as familiar – just another rectangle, solid,
unmistakably Roman – an eagle’s home dominating the surrounding countryside.
Why do you think Kennett chose to describe it in two such different ways – what
response do you think this sort of language is intended to invoke in the reader? How
do the two illustrations of the fort on the facing pages reinforce this impression?
Forest of Bones contains many descriptive similes and metaphors such as a huge
pillar of one and muscle, who stood his ground unmoving like some rocky headland
upon which the enemy would break and shiver into foam (p. 20). Identify at least one
other metaphor or simile used in the story. Looking at your chosen phrase, identify
the two entities which are being compared. Can you find any other examples in the
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text that are similar in some way? If you can, what is the relevance of there being a
continuing thematic relationship in the text? If you can’t, why do you think this was
a one-off usage of a metaphorical relationship? How is the metaphorical relationship
you chose represented in the illustrations?
Compare Ursus’ conversation with his grandfather about Romans on p. 58 to his
reactions to his grandfather on p. 256. How are they different, and what has caused
this drastic change in Ursus’ thinking? Do you think that Deodar has changed in any
way throughout the course of the book, or is it just Ursus’ perception of him? Give
three reasons why you think that your interpretation is correct.
Symbolism and the Visual Narrative
The visual narrative in Forest of Bones runs predominantly parallel to the written narrative,
with the illustrations for the most part featuring the events and scenes mentioned in the
text. Kennett has used a variety of different techniques and methods to integrate his
artwork with the text. These include full-page illustrations, full page illustrations with
smaller panels overlaid, panels with text wrapped around them, text overlaid on images
which have been faded out, and larger images which are faded out in the areas where text
has been overlaid. Kennett also uses several motifs that repeat with a high degree of
regularity throughout the book, and all of which have a certain degree of symbolic
significance to both the story, and the larger context of the time in which it is set.
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Points for Discussion/Activities
There are three animals repeatedly referred to in Forest of Bones, that play a large
part in both the mythology of the time, and the symbolism apparent in the
illustrations. What are these three animals and what do you think they represent?
(Bear, Wolf, Eagle)
What do Ursus and Canus’ names mean? In what way is this relevant to the
symbolism in the images and text?
Looking at the illustrations, how many repeating motifs can you identify? What are
they, and what role do they play within mythology?
Research the mythology surrounding one of the animals that appears in the
illustrations and write a brief piece summarising your findings.
Paying close attention to the proportions of light and dark used in different
illustrations, as well as the use of crosshatching and clear blocks of single tones, see
if you can find any pattern in the way that Kennett has used different artistic
techniques to convey the emotional impact and tone of the events of the story.
Historical Perspectives
The existence of the Roman Empire, and its policies of expansion by conquest, is an integral
component in the subsequent development of Western Civilisations. It has left a permanent
legacy in terms of language, education, and physical infrastructure across most of Western
Europe, and the effects of its relentless drive to subdue and enslave all other cultures it
came into contact with, as well as its tendency to appropriation of things ranging from
religious beliefs to educational systems, can still be found in at least trace form in many
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cultures and societies existing today. As such, an understanding and awareness of the role it
played in the shaping of human history is both important and valuable, and stories such as
Forest of Bones present vast quantities of information about the society and people of the
time in an interesting and memorable form.
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Points for Discussion/Activities
What are the roles of women in Cherusci and Roman society as shown in Forest of
Bones?
Why do you think that Una was more accepting of the reality of Roman rule than the
men of her tribe? What impact would the occupation of their homeland by Romans
have had on the men of the tribes as compared to the women?
When Una buys Ursus a pen, ink, and parchment, she pays with a valuable piece of
jewellery. Why do you think these things were so expensive in 8CE? Who would
have had use for them, and why?
What do you think Varus means on p. 163 when he says when this place is a province
in fact as well as name.? How might a place become a province of the Empire? What
would have to change and why for the Cherusci lands to become one?
In any society there are different groups of people with conflicting viewpoints.
Identify as many different groups as you can that are mentioned in the story. Make a
chart detailing the various groups and what you think their wishes and priorities are
regarding the Roman occupation. Where possible use evidence from the text or
illustrations to support your conclusions.
Plot Construction and Viewpoint
The fact that Forest of Bones is a graphic novel is of great relevance when looking at the
textual narrative structure. The written viewpoint frequently shifts between characters,
interspersed with authorial narrative voice, in a sequence of textual vignettes which echoes
the analogue nature of the visual presentation of story. The story is for the most part
sequenced chronologically, with the only real exception being when events are occurring
simultaneously. Written in the third person, narrative voice is used predominantly to set the
scene, or to describe events, whilst the motivations and feelings of the characters are
conveyed either through the dialogue, or more explicitly in the segments where the
viewpoint is following a particular character’s perspective. Kennett has cleverly constructed
his two narrative structures, visual and textual, so that each reinforces the messages
conveyed by the other, and with subtle interleaving of narrative undertones mirroring the
graphical ones.
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Points for Discussion/Activities:
Why might the author have chosen to use a third person narrative structure? What
is the advantage of this type of approach to a narrative?
How many different viewpoints are presented in the novel?
Is it possible to identify a person, or group of people from whose perspective some
of the different illustrations are drawn? (Hint: start by looking at the two
illustrations of the fort on pp 46 and 73 as discussed above.)
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The action of the story follows any specific viewpoint for varying lengths of time, and
for passages of greatly variable duration. Why might some viewpoints only be
presented for a single paragraph, whilst the story follows another character’s
perspective for several pages at a time? What is the benefit to both the narrative
flow, and to reader understanding of events? Can you see any patterns in which
characters and types of characters are followed for longer intervals? Why might the
author have chosen to do this?
Creative Activities
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Draw a picture of a swallow. It might be worthwhile to search online for photos and
videos of swallows first.
Research prehistoric cave paintings, looking specifically for the animals which Ursus
drew for Cyrian. Compare images and artists impressions of the prehistoric versions
of elephants (Wooly Mammoths) with their modern day counterparts. Create a
cave-art mural for the wall of your classroom.
Research the layouts of Roman forts from the early days of the Roman Empire. Look
at the aerial view of the Roman fort as it appears on pp 74 and 75, and compare it to
your research. Design a modern day version of a Roman fort and draw a map and an
aerial view of it.
Cyrian tells Canus the Cretan story of the Minotaur, while Sulla shares the story of
Romulus and Remus with Canus, and the tale of Heracles with Canus and Ursus.
o What is the difference between a Myth and a Legend?
o Are these stories myths or legends?
o Research Roman myths and legends, choose one, and retell it in graphic
novel or comic strip format.
Eagles, wolves, and bears are animals that are seen as important to different groups
within the story, and appear in the illustrations in motif form. Choose an animal that
you think is in some way relevant to you, or representative of your cultural group,
and design a motif featuring it.
It takes many days to unload the supplies for the fort. If you were in charge of
provisioning a fort with 100 people for one month, what supplies would you want?
Make a comprehensive list of specific supplies, including estimates of the quantities
needed. Share your reasoning for your choices and your estimates.
English is a Germanic language, but contains many words with Latin origins, as well
as others that are essentially unchanged from the original Latin words. Research
Latin influences on English, and make a list of ten words that you did not know had
Latin roots. ( lists of English words of Latin origin can be found at
http://www.enhancemyvocabulary.com/word-roots_latin.html, and
http://wordinfo.info/unit/3277 )
Write Herakles’ story, from the perspective of the wolf, starting from his last walk
with the boys and ending with their reunion.
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