In this fourth minisode inspired by Percy Jackson and the Olympians from Disney+, we explore the Greek and Roman traditions of prophecy and foretelling.

[Transcript for Minisode 4]

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More on Oracles: 

• More on Oracles:

• Oracle of Delphi: Why Was It So Important To Ancient Greeks?

In this third minisode inspired by Percy Jackson and the Olympians from Disney+, we explore a classic part of a hero's journey: entering the Underworld! The journey that Percy, Annabeth, and Grover take looks a little different from what some classical heroes encountered – although they do encounter some of the same figures and obstacles.

[Transcript for Minisode 3]

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More on the Underworld: 

• 14 Journeys to the Underworld in Greek and Roman Mythology

• Inanna's Descent

In this second minisode inspired by Percy Jackson and the Olympians from Disney+, we get to know the stories behind the monster Medusa. But... is she really as terrible as her legend claims?

[Transcript for Minisode 2]

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More on Medusa: 

• Mythopedia: Medusa

With the release of Percy Jackson and the Olympians on Disney+, the Muses thought our listeners might like to know the stories behind some of the characters and creatures they'll meet in the series!

In Minisode 1, we meet the Furies: goddesses of vengeance, tormenters of the wicked, and protectors of Athens.

[Transcript for Minisode 1]

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More on the Furies: 

• Mythopedia: Erinyes (Furies)

Throughout its evolution, Halloween has remained a time when the world gets a little … well, weird! For one night, the regular everyday world falls away, and it feels like anything could happen. That sense of possibility – maybe both frightening and exciting! – is central to the theme of transformation around this holiday and its central creatures. Whether it’s the world transforming to winter, the dead transforming back to the living world, the human turning into a wolf, the vampire turning into a bat, or you, yourself, turning into Darth Vader or Wonder Woman or a robot or a cat or anything else you can imagine! The idea of change lives behind so many of the myths, legends, and traditions we associate with Halloween -- and that's what we're exploring in this episode!

This episode's interview features Lisa Longo, the administrative mermaid at Mythik Camps, who has also worked as a guide for ghost tours! Lisa shares some favorite ghost stories and shares why she thinks scary stories are something we enjoy.

If you'd like to submit a story or artwork to be featured on Myths & Muses, use this form (with a Mortal Guardian's permission!).

[Transcript for Episode 10]

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Stuff to Read:

• More information about werewolves: 

• The Ancient Origins of Werewolves

• Carnegie Museum's Booseum on Vampires

• The World History Encyclopedia's History of Halloween

Stuff to Watch: 

• Our YouTube Playlist for Episode 10, which includes more information on werewolves and vampires, some unique ghost stories from across the world, and deeper dives into the history of Halloween!

Cool Images: 

An Athenian vase depicting a man in a wolf skin, circa 460 BC:

The "werewolves of Ossory", c. 1200 CE: 

The history of sports is deeply woven into the stories humanity has told, from its earliest days. In this episode, we look at the mythological tie-ins of the Olympic Games, how wrestling shows up in many ancient stories, and a particularly wild sport from Minoan civilization. We also explore some of the most popular modern sports -- and how some of those have ancient origins, too!

This episode's interview features Anna Willenbrock, a Camp Mythik and Camp Half-Blood Brooklyn Counselor who has a deep love of athletics! She's done everything from discus to sword-fighting, and she wants demigods to hear that athleticism can be for everyone.

If you'd like to submit a story or artwork to be featured on Myths & Muses, use this form (with a Mortal Guardian's permission!).

[Transcript for Episode 9]

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Stuff to Read:

• The Olympic Games: 

• The official modern Olympic guide to the ancient games

• Bulls and bull-leaping in the Minoan world

• Viking Games and Sports

Stuff to Watch: 

• Our YouTube Playlist for Episode 9: Featuring an illustrated history of sports, several looks at the ancient Olympics, more on the epic of Gilgamesh, and some modern-day bull-related sports!

Cool Images: 

Ancient stadium in Olympia, Greece:

Olympic Boxers, c. 550 BCE (The Cleveland Museum of Art)

Prize amphora showing horse-racing, c. 510 BCE (The Met)

Heracles wrestling Triton (from theoi.com)

Heracles wrestling Antaeus, c. 150 BCE

Ullr on skis with a bow, 11th century: 

Ullr on skis with his bow, 18th century:

The Bull-Leaping Fresco from the Great Palace at Knossos, Crete, c. 1600-1450 BCE:

Minoan Bull-Leaper statue, c. 1500 BCE: 

Minoan gold ring showing a man leaping over a bull, c. 1400 BCE: 

Music is something that we as humans have used to express ourselves for millennia – and it works its way into many of the stories we tell, too! Many myths speak to the power of music to change minds, charm beasts, and even create magic. In this episode, we explore some famous and some less-well-known tales about mythological musicians and dancers.

This episode's interview features Kelly Branco, child of the Muses and a demigod with quite a bit of experience bringing music to others! You can find Kelly on her website, www.kellybranco.com, or on Instagram @kellybranxo. You can also find her epic playlists on Spotify and listen to "The Sound" on 89.1WFDU-HD3 Mondays and Thursdays 7-9pm.

If you'd like to submit a story or artwork to be featured on Myths & Muses, use this form (with a Mortal Guardian's permission!).

[Transcript for Episode 8]

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Stuff to Read:

• Orpheus on Mythopedia and World History Encyclopedia

• the Australian bullroarer

Stuff to Watch: 

• Our YouTube Playlist for Episode 8: Featuring demonstrations of ancient Greek dance, the apsara dance of Cambodia, the Vietnamese lithophone, the Finnish kantele, and many stories about myths and music!

Cool Images: 

Euterpe and Terpsichore from a fresco in Pompeii, c. 70 CE

Euterpe, by Simon Voulet, c. 1640: 

Greek vase with muse playing the phorminx, a type of lyre, c. 440 BCE

Recreations of Greek lyres from Luthieros:

1845 calotype photograph of the Irish harper Pádraig Dall Ó Beirn

A modern Celtic harp: 

Two modern five-string kanteles: 

"The Kantele Player" by Pekka Halonen, 1892:

Apsara dancers at the Bassac Theatre in 2012:

With summer at an end, the Muses have asked me to do an episode focusing on going back to school! As you might imagine, the Muses are all big fans of education. So many of the artistic things they inspire get studied in schools – books and poems and movies and paintings – but they also know that learning can inspire creativity. In this episode, we'll explore some stories about famous mythological teachers -- the figures who helped heroes become heroes -- and about some other gods of wisdom, knowledge, and learning.

This episode's interview features Jordana Elias, daughter of Aphrodite and National Program Director for Plato Learning. In her mortal guise, Jordana has also worked as a classroom teacher! She shares insights on how teachers prepare to go back-to-school and assures us that they do not, in fact, hibernate in their classrooms.

If you'd like to submit a story or artwork to be featured on Myths & Muses, use this form (with a Mortal Guardian's permission!).

[Transcript for Episode 7]

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Stuff to Read:

• More about Chiron from Mythopedia and the World History Encyclopedia

• A short audio version of Scáthach’s training of Cu Chulainn (8:15)

• An overview of Seshat at the World History Encyclopedia.

• More on Yggdrasil and Odin's sacrifice upon the tree

Stuff to Watch: 

• Our YouTube Playlist for Episode 7: Featuring more on Chiron, Cu Chulainn, Athena, Thoth, and Orunmila!

Cool Images: 

Possible location of Scáthach's school (from Undiscovered Scotland)

Reproductions of images of Seshat and Thoth from temple walls: 

Seshat by Yliade on DeviantArt

Orunmila by Noire 3000 / James C. Lewis

Orunmila by Christopher Pompey on ArtStation

Oden som vandringsman, or Odin as Wanderer by Georg von Rosen (1886)

Whether it’s dogs, cats, birds, fish, lizards – all kinds of pets today are a frequent inspiration for artistic expression, from Instagram photos to movies. And that’s always been true. As long as humans have had pets, we’ve wanted to work them into the stories we tell! In this episode of Myths & Muses, we look at some of mythology's most daring dogs and fabulous felines.

This week's interview features a very special guest, joining us straight from the depths of Tartarus!

[Transcript for Episode 6]

If you'd like to submit a story or artwork to be featured on Myths & Muses, use this form (with a Mortal Guardian's permission!).

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Stuff to Read:

• Cerberus on Mythopedia

• "No, Internet, Kerberos is Probably Not 'Spot'"

• "Cats in Ancient Egypt: The Wild Companions Who Became Gods"

Stuff to Watch: 

• Our YouTube playlist for Episode 6, featuring spotlights on Cerberus, hellhounds, Japanese train station cats, and more!

Cool Images: 

The Third Princess with her Cat, from The Tale of Genji, by Tsukioka Settei (18th century)

The Story of Nippondaemon and the Cat, by Utagawa Toyokuni (1835)

Hazy Moon Cats, by Utagawa Toyokuni (1846)

Maneki-neko in Tokyo (2005)

A collection of maneki-neko: 

Our demigods are known for their swordplay, so it's only natural that we devote an episode of the podcast to the arts of war and battle! Epic fights have played a role in so many amazing stories from mythology through the ages, from the poems of Homer to modern movies. In this episode, we talk about the key PVP fight of the Trojan War, between Hector and Achilles, as well as several other major fights from Egyptian, Aztec, and Chinese mythology.

This week's interview features Laine Flores, who works for Hermes as a logistics coordinator for Plato Learning, making sure that all our demigods get their swords and shirts every summer! But elsewhere in life, Laine is an expert in stage combat! Learn all about what that means in this episode.

If you'd like to submit a story or artwork to be featured on Myths & Muses, use this form (with a Mortal Guardian's permission!).

[Transcript for Episode 5]

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Stuff to Read:

• The Battle of Hector and Achilles: 

• Read the original story from the Iliad!

• Aztec creation story

Stuff to Watch: 

• Our YouTube Playlist for Episode 5, featuring more on the Trojan War and the Aztec myth of the Five Suns, as well as some of the epic mythological battles we didn't get the chance to talk about in this episode. Please note: Because of the subject matter of this episode, there are some depictions of bloodshed in the context of ancient warfare. Mortal Guardians may want to watch first to make sure it's suitable for their demigods!

Cool Images: 

Achilles Slays Hector, painting by Peter Paul Rubens (c. 1630)

Eric Bana as Hector and Brad Pitt as Achilles in Troy (2004)

From the throne of a statue of King Sesostri I, showing Horus and Seth binding together the symbolic plants of Upper and Lower Egypt. ca. 1961 -1917 BCE. 

Quetzalcoatl and Tezcatlipoca, art reproduced from the Codex Borbonicus (c. 1500)