Episode 6: Pets

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!).

Stuff to Read:

• Cerberus on Mythopedia
  • "No, Internet, Kerberos is Probably Not 'Spot'"
• An introduction to Garm and Xolotl
• Bastet on Mythopedia
  • "Cats in Ancient Egypt: The Wild Companions Who Became Gods"
• "Cats in Japanese History and Art"
• "The fascinating history of Japan's railway station cats"

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: