Myths and Muses: A Mythik Camps Podcast

Misunderstood Monsters Episode 8: Mothman and Other Harbingers of Doom

Our feature monster this week is one whose stories are spun out of urban legends, making him a more recent addition to the monster roster. It’s time to talk about the mysterious Mothman. And while we're at it, we'll meet some other mythological figures of fate, destiny, and bad luck from Greek, Celtic, and Germanic mythologies.

Visit the World of Mythik website to learn more and to contribute your theories to our board!

All stories told on Myths & Muses are original family-friendly adaptations of ancient myths and legends. Stories from ancient mythology can also sometimes deal with complicated topics for young listeners — to the mortal parents and caretakers reading this, we encourage listening along with your young demigods to help them navigate those topics as they explore these epic tales.

Transcript for Episode 8

If you'd like to submit something creative you've done inspired by the stories in Myths & Muses, use this form (with a Mortal Guardian's permission!).

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Misunderstood Monsters Episode 7: The Loch Ness Monster & Other Creatures of the Water

Our feature story in this episode takes us to the Highlands of Scotland, where we’ll meet the elusive Loch Ness Monster, AKA Nessie. We'll also learn about some other Nessie-like creatures across the world, and some different water-dwelling creatures in the British Isles, Scandinavia, and western and central Africa.

Visit the World of Mythik website to learn more and to contribute your theories to our board!

All stories told on Myths & Muses are original family-friendly adaptations of ancient myths and legends. Stories from ancient mythology can also sometimes deal with complicated topics for young listeners — to the mortal parents and caretakers reading this, we encourage listening along with your young demigods to help them navigate those topics as they explore these epic tales.

Transcript for Episode 7

If you'd like to submit something creative you've done inspired by the stories in Myths & Muses, use this form (with a Mortal Guardian's permission!).

Read the rest of this entry »

Misunderstood Monsters Episode 6: The Hydra and Other Serpents

In this episode, it's time to meet some slithering serpentine monsters! We start with the many-headed Hydra, who had the misfortune to be one of Heracles's many targets, but who got the consolation prize of becoming a constellation. Then we'll look at that constellation's story in Mesopotamian mythology and we'll meet an eight-headed serpent-dragon from Japanese mythology.

Visit the World of Mythik website to learn more and to contribute your theories to our board!

All stories told on Myths & Muses are original family-friendly adaptations of ancient myths and legends. Stories from ancient mythology can also sometimes deal with complicated topics for young listeners — to the mortal parents and caretakers reading this, we encourage listening along with your young demigods to help them navigate those topics as they explore these epic tales.

Transcript for Episode 6

If you'd like to submit something creative you've done inspired by the stories in Myths & Muses, use this form (with a Mortal Guardian's permission!).

Read the rest of this entry »

Misunderstood Monsters Episode 5: Echidna and Monstrous Mothers

Since this episode is dropping just before Mother’s Day in the US, it seemed like the perfect time to talk about Echidna, the Mother of All Monsters. Or… at least an awful lot of the Greek ones. We'll also look at some other monstrous mothers in Mesopotamian, Norse, and Germanic mythology!

Visit the World of Mythik website to learn more and to contribute your theories to our board!

All stories told on Myths & Muses are original family-friendly adaptations of ancient myths and legends. Stories from ancient mythology can also sometimes deal with complicated topics for young listeners — to the mortal parents and caretakers reading this, we encourage listening along with your young demigods to help them navigate those topics as they explore these epic tales.

Transcript for Episode 5

If you'd like to submit something creative you've done inspired by the stories in Myths & Muses, use this form (with a Mortal Guardian's permission!).

Read the rest of this entry »

Misunderstood Monsters Episode 4: The Sphinx and Other Ferocious Felines

This episode features that enigma wrapped in a mystery, the Sphinx. We'll discuss her famous riddle and examine how the Greek Sphinx is different from the one you see in Egyptian statues. We'll also look at some of her feline relations across not just Greece but also Persia, Assyria, medieval Europe, and China.

Visit the World of Mythik website to learn more and to contribute your theories to our board!

All stories told on Myths & Muses are original family-friendly adaptations of ancient myths and legends. Stories from ancient mythology can also sometimes deal with complicated topics for young listeners — to the mortal parents and caretakers reading this, we encourage listening along with your young demigods to help them navigate those topics as they explore these epic tales.

Transcript for S3E4

If you'd like to submit something creative you've done inspired by the stories in Myths & Muses, use this form (with a Mortal Guardian's permission!).

Read the rest of this entry »

Misunderstood Monsters Episode 3: Nine-Tails and Other Foxes

This episode explores one of the cleverest monsters on our list: the Nine-Tailed Fox of East Asian mythology! But how do you tell a kitsune from a huli jing from a gumiho? We'll try to sort it all out! The fox's reputation as a trickster is world-wide, though, so we'll also look at foxes in Aesop's Fables, medieval stories from France, and the folklore of Eastern Europe.

Visit the World of Mythik website to learn more and to contribute your theories to our board!

All stories told on Myths & Muses are original family-friendly adaptations of ancient myths and legends. Stories from ancient mythology can also sometimes deal with complicated topics for young listeners — to the mortal parents and caretakers reading this, we encourage listening along with your young demigods to help them navigate those topics as they explore these epic tales.

Transcript for S3E3

If you'd like to submit something creative you've done inspired by the stories in Myths & Muses, use this form (with a Mortal Guardian's permission!).

Read the rest of this entry »

Misunderstood Monsters Episode 2: Fenrir and Other Wolves

In this episode, we talk about monstrous and mythical forms a much-maligned animal: the wolf. We’ll begin with the biggest and most dangerous of them all: the Great Wolf Fenrir from Norse mythology, prophesied to destroy the world by swallowing the sun. We also look at fairy tale wolves, the raijū of Japanese folklore, and the crucial role that wolves play in many stories of indigenous North American cultures.

Visit the World of Mythik website to learn more and to contribute your theories to our board!

All stories told on Myths & Muses are original family-friendly adaptations of ancient myths and legends. Stories from ancient mythology can also sometimes deal with complicated topics for young listeners — to the mortal parents and caretakers reading this, we encourage listening along with your young demigods to help them navigate those topics as they explore these epic tales.

Transcript for S3E2

If you'd like to submit something creative you've done inspired by the stories in Myths & Muses, use this form (with a Mortal Guardian's permission!).

Read the rest of this entry »

Misunderstood Monsters Episode 1: Polyphemus and Other Giants

Welcome to Season 3 of Myths & Muses! This season, we're focusing on monsters -- and, for better or worse, we've had some help in targeting which monsters to focus on from... Medusa. Because she's invited a bunch of them to our camps for our "Misunderstood Monsters" theme. You can see her first letter to us and the "tour poster" for the monsters on the World of Mythik theory board.

We're starting with Polyphemus, the one-eyed monster best known for getting blinded by Odysseus. Polyphemus, the one-eyed giant best known for the role he plays in the story of the Greek hero Odysseus. And because we're not sure we quite trust Medusa to have shown us her whole hand, we'll talk about some other giants from across the world, too!

Visit the World of Mythik website to learn more and to contribute your theories to our board!

All stories told on Myths & Muses are original family-friendly adaptations of ancient myths and legends. Stories from ancient mythology can also sometimes deal with complicated topics for young listeners — to the mortal parents and caretakers reading this, we encourage listening along with your young demigods to help them navigate those topics as they explore these epic tales.

Transcript for S3E1

If you'd like to submit something creative you've done inspired by the stories in Myths & Muses, use this form (with a Mortal Guardian's permission!).

Read the rest of this entry »