Join two siblings on an exciting journey as they dive into ancient myths and uncover how these tales shaped modern pop culture, all while reading Rick Riordan’s Percy Jackson and the Olympians. New episodes every other Tuesday!
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While the show is on hiatus, we're sharing some episodes from our Bunker 9 Bonus Feed! We'll be back on Tuesday, June 2, 2026! Bunker 9 - Episode 74: We Love Hadestown (w/ Dylan Hunter) Nearly three years ago, we recorded an episode about the myth of Orpheus and Eurydice. Our guest was the fabulous Dylan Hunter, who came on the podcast to discuss the Tony Award-winning Broadway musical, Hadestown . Unfortunately, at the time neither co-host had seen the musical, so the topic was largely tabled. ...
While the show is on hiatus, we're sharing some episodes from our Bunker 9 Bonus Feed! We'll be back on Tuesday, June 2, 2026! Bunker 9 - Episode 82: Liv Albert's Nectar of the Gods Darien impulse-bought a mythology-themed cocktail book! So we invited some friends over to sample a few drinks. Thank you to Kelsey Dody, Dylan Hunter, Melissa Keating, and Dalton Montgomery for helping us mix up an amazingly fun episode! The audio quality is sub-par, but we promise the conversation will be top shelf...
While the show is on hiatus, we're sharing some episodes from our Bunker 9 Bonus Feed! We'll be back on Tuesday, June 2, 2026! Bunker 9 - Episode 96: Which Discworld Book You Should Read (Based on Your Godly Parent) For Darien's birthday episode, DJ let her talk about Terry Pratchett’s Discworld series for a whole hour. Dalton, once The Last Hero is mentioned, skip to 39:48 Support the show No portion of this episode may be used for AI training purposes or to create derivative works without expr...
DJ promised, so here is it: An episode of 12 Days of Musemas on Easter Sunday! On the twelfth day of Musemas for 2023, Darien and DJ have BIG opinions about a video game that follows Ebenezer Scrooge two years after his ghostly Christmas encounter. Support the show No portion of this episode may be used for AI training purposes or to create derivative works without express written permission from the creators and co-hosts Darien Smartt or Davis Smartt....
While the show is on hiatus, we're sharing some episodes from our Bunker 9 Bonus Feed! We'll be back on Tuesday, June 2, 2026! Bunker 9 - Episode 100: Ranking Our 11 Favorite Book Moments Totally, definitely, absolutely our favorite, most loved moments from Rick Riordan's books. Spoilers for everything from The Lightning Thief to Wrath of the Triple Goddess Support the show No portion of this episode may be used for AI training purposes or to create derivative works without express written permi...
“Ramses the Great was f***ing lucky he didn't have the Roman Empire breathing down his neck.” It's the last episode of our Egyptian mythology season. Let's spend it talking about one goddess, one god, and two real dudes. Other topics include a goddess not being associated with the afterlife, the world's first Egyptologist, Darien taking shots at Ramses the Great, using the Patron funds to access Nat Geo articles, Rick Riordan favoring Greek sources for every mythology, DJ advocating for more mas...
“You don't know sh*t, AI!” Time to talk about the Greek and Egyptian crossover short stories that had huge lore implications which haven't been revisited in a decade. Other topics include revisiting the hosts’ issues with Wrath of the Triple Goddess , struggling to identify the exact release date of paperback editions, speculation of cheese, the tonal dissonance of the short stories coming out before Heroes of Olympus finished, Hazel having the potential to be the most powerful person in the wor...
“I’ve mismarketed this episode.” The number one book you should read at least once in your (after)life. Other topics include defining some very important terms of the season, Egyptian funerary text themed Pokémon, offerings Darien would like left for her Ka , 42 Rules you should never break, Ammut mini-episode, a possible Kane Chronicles/Magnus Chase crossover, answering a question from the previous episode, and the New Game Plus of afterlifes. Content Warning: This episode contains mentions of ...
“DJ made a face…” This episode is not for listeners with ophidiphobia. Other topics include the hosts’ aversion to sandbox games, utter confusion regarding Rick Riordan's ancient Egyptian timeline, DJ spoiling episode surprises, Darien's anti-pyramid agenda, and giving Rick Riordan some credit this season. Content Warning: This episode contains mentions of and conversations about snakes, death, dismemberment, being swallowed alive, the afterlife, and world-ending asteroids. Spoilers for Smite , ...
“That Tumblr post was right!” It's time to cover what is arguably the most iconic deity of the Egyptian pantheon: Anubis! Other topics include how the Sadie/Anubis love story would work better if it were more like Howl’s Moving Castle, the return of the siblings wishing Rick Riordan committing harder to his own lore, DJ proving that he has been paying attention the whole time, the return of Wolves Being A Problem, and Darien confessing to having no idea what real life jackals look like. Content ...
“Khonsu sucks. (Affectionate)” Back by popular threat, Tim (he/him) and AJ (he/they) from Standby Podcast return to call down the power of the moon and discuss another pop culture reinterpretation of a mythical deity. Other topics include the Five Male Interests, Bes’s bad wager, youthful ancient hair styles, a defense of divine cannibalism, divine horny jail, Rick Riordan's most indefensible characterization choice, Darien briefly forgetting the existence of Piper McClean, Moon Knight 101, and ...
“She has partied too hard.” This week, the hosts learn the best way to worship Sekhmet (21+ only) and that Hathor is so much more than a sleepy cow. Other topics include Desjardins summoning Sekhmet at a perfectly reasonable time in proportion to the rest of his life, where alcohol appears in the Riordanverse, DJ presenting an insightful linguistic theory, Ancient Egyptian New Year's presents, all the things Hathor was associated with, and Darien putting 2006 on blast. Content Warning: This epis...
“Give me a chubby hippo with a knife!” We finally watched Moon Knight! Other topics include the difference between household gods and royal gods, a new vocab word (apotropaic), a reminder that Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness is still terrible, hippos being both adorable and dangerous, Taweret and the Minoan Genius, and the hosts finally watching Moon Knight. Content Warning: This episode contains mentions of and conversations about death, animal attacks, and breast feeding. Hear our...
“Pigeons; the vultures of the bird world.” PODCAST CHALLENGE: Can two siblings discuss three gods (Hapi, Babi, and Nekhbet) in under 30 minutes? Other topics include justice for vultures, Babi not being able to keep his mouth shut, a Smartt family story about a primate at the zoo, the hosts’ top rivers, a reminder that Nephtys is NOT a water goddess, Rick Riordan making another odd choice, and Darien still being unable to consistently pronounce “Thoth.” Content Warning: This episode contains men...
“Sobek contains multitudes.” We didn't watch Moon Knight, so we're kicking off 2026 with the crocodile god, Sobek! Other topics include narrative boss fights, deities containing multitudes, debate regarding the meaning of Sobek’s name, how gods gain popularity, Darien's fear of crocodiles, and a story of how a crocodile at Zoo Boise got the name Pandora. Content Warning: This episode contains mentions of and conversations about assault, death, and animal attacks. Spoilers for SMITE, Be Cool, Sco...
"What about the dwarf thing?" Y'all want to hear Darien talk about a 900ish page dissertation published in 1989? You're in luck! Other topics include DJ learning new words, 18th-century Egyptologists mucking about, Bes's favorite musical instrument, a 900ish page dissertation published in 1989, and speculation about ancient tattoos. Content Warning: This episode contains mentions of and conversations about death. Spoilers for Mummies Alive! JOIN US FOR MUSEMAS 2025 on Patreon! https://www.patreo...
MUSEMAS RETURNS What better way to celebrate our fourth year of discussing Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol than by ranking all 35 adaptations we've discussed in years past? Where does The Muppet Christmas Carol rank? The answer may shock you. Check out the Animal Animatic of "Link by Link" here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SepcA_xmMZ0&list=RDSepcA_xmMZ0&start_radio=1 Join us for the rest of Musemas 2025!! https://www.patreon.com/musesofmythology About Us Muses of Mythology was cre...
“Let the bird man fight!” Darien played too much Hades 2 , so DJ took over the lesson plan for this week's episode about Thoth! Other topics include Darien continuing to mispronounce a deity’s name even after committing to the correct pronunciation, DJ conflating something Darien said with something Rick Riordan wrote, getting "babooned up,” making something Real through writing, dunking on the Riordan Wiki, and more host rewrites for a series they claimed to enjoy. Content Warning: This episode...
It's not the Thoth episode. But is is an episode from last year's MuseMas, about the BEST adaptation of Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol. Watch VHS Christmas Carol: Live at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ieC-QuFKFVc Learn more about Faces of Hope: https://facesofhopeidaho.org/ Get ready for MuseMas 2025!! https://www.patreon.com/musesofmythology About Us Muses of Mythology was created and co-hosted by Darien and DJ Smartt. Our music is Athens Festival by Martin Haene. Our cover art is by Ranp...
“No dogs on the moon. No dogs in this episode.” A new guest appears on the podcast! Mal from Demigod Debut is allergic to cats and has never read the Kane Chronicles, but she loves and has a deep respect for cats, which is the only requirement for being on the Bastet episode. Other topics include ancient people being just like us, finger knives, great parties with lots of wine, pondering if the gods of the Riordanverse hang out with other pantheons, the complicated history of feline domesticatio...
“I didn't dig too deep because I didn't want to see pictures of scorpions!” If this episode was just about Serket, it would be 15 minutes long. So, she's being joined in this episode by another goddess! Can you guess who? (DJ sure can!) Other topics include DJ’s delivering some excellent wordplay, Darien's deep fear of even digital scorpions, divine support in the marriage bed, DJ guessing Darien's attempt at a twist, a shout-out for Shucked, Darien struggling to pronounce the word “sphere,” and...
We're dropping a seasonally-appropriate spooky episode from the bonus feed because we REALLY want a third Hellaween graphic novel. It's our hope that hearing our discussion of the first volume will encourage you to read it yourself! And then read Hellaween: Spellbent! And then follow author Moss Lawton on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/dinolich/ and tell them how much you loved their books and want to read another one! A witch, a werewolf, and a vampire go to Hot Topic! And that's not even ...
“Ma’at’s not being done right…” This episode about it's a roundup episode featuring Geb, Tefnut, Shu, and Nut!! One of these could have been its own episode. Can you guess which?? Other topics include DJ ruining the Geb section of the episode, Wikipedia’s citations proving the article wrong, Darien having the hardest time with names, homophones, and a really neat astrophysicist. Content Warning: This episode contains mentions of and conversations about gun violence, death, and the afterlife. Spo...
“You’re supposed to represent power!” This episode about Egyptian mythology also includes history about The Great Race for Mercy, during which Darien mistakenly refers to an important sled dog as “Fox” when his name was actually Togo. Deepest apologies. Those responsible have been sacked. Other topics include many Horus Variants, a Peregrine Falcon PSA, Young Horus as a symbol of hope, a very cool-sounding festival tradition that was probably pretty meh actually, strategic connections to godly i...
“Sets’s favorite food: [**censored**]” Our first guest of season seven!! Charlie (they/them) from Of the Eldest Gods (and other shows) joins the main feed for the first time to unpack Set, god of chaos, storms, and the outsiders. Other topics include better examining growth chaos as a tool for good and stagnant order as evil, Uncle Amos’ trauma being dismissed for the sake of a cool ending, Darien spiraling out while trying to research this episode, a very icky way of determining the rightful ki...
“He was a very leaky mummy.” This week, we bring an episode about Osiris that's a serving of mozzarella sticks without sauce sides. Feel free to bring your own sauces!! Other topics include relitigating the podcast stance that the gods should have been shaped by their contemporary human hosts, the origins of the pharaoh's royal symbols, Rick Riordan using fanfic as a source again, a fish’s favorite snack, and the answer to life, the universe, and everything. Content Warning: This episode contain...
“What do you call a haunted house in Egypt?” Isis. Protector of Pharaohs. Guardian of the Dead. Goddess of Magic. Perhaps the most influential of all Egyptian deities. So, what’s the deal with that whole getting rid of Ra to put her husband on the throne, thing? Not very Ma’at of her, if you ask us. Other topics include the fear-amids, mythological details regarding the timing of the Snake Bite Incident, a trouble pattern of choices made by Rick Riordan, where the name “Eset” comes from in SMITE...
“My boy Osiris did nothing wrong.” Nephthys: Wife of Set, goddess of the river. Right? Other topics include names for Egyptian musical groups, Nephthys’ very stylish hat, winged-women being a good look, the most surreal group of midwives, the shifting trend of sibling marriage, late editions to the Nephthys myth, Darien not being even remotely fluent in German, another rewrite of The Kane Chronicles, things Riordan would rather do than get Apollo out of Olympus. Content Warning: This episode con...
“They don't got Ra on their side.” Catch a ride in one of your two posh solar rides and explore the many aspects of Ra. Other topics include giving Riordan too much credit about why Ra would care about Walt, Darien taking taking a hard stance regarding the historical accuracy of the Genesis flood narrative, a call for someone to edit a few pages of the Riordan Wiki, the difference between scarab beetles and “shoe bugs,” the three seasons of Ancient Egypt, and why Ra was the only god who got old....
The hosts delve into the fundamental ancient Egyptian concepts of Ma'at, representing cosmic and societal order, and Isfet, symbolizing human-induced chaos. They discuss the Pharaoh's crucial role in maintaining Ma'at and critique Rick Riordan's portrayal of these themes in The Kane Chronicles, highlighting missed opportunities for deeper exploration. The episode also touches on the personification of Ma'at as a goddess, her role in creation myths, and the broader presence of order and chaos in various mythologies and modern pop culture.
