"It's all Zeus' fault." Let's kick off the final book in Rick Riordan's Percy Jackson and the Olympians . Darien (she/her) and DJ (he/him) have so many thoughts about this book that it became the podcast's first two-parter! Topics include who has a claim on loot (magical, flying chariot loot, or otherwise), the tragedy of mortals who cannot let go of the gods, how the deaths of underdeveloped characters can still be sad, and why Zeus is totally to blame for all this mess. Spoilers for The Last O...
Jul 18, 2023•51 min•Season 5Ep. 1
Get a taste of Darien's new podcast! Welcome to the inaugural episode of Eragon and Back Again! Hosts Darien Smartt (she/her) and Lucy Hart (she/her) dive into the world of Alagaësia and explore the Inheritance Cycle by Christopher Paolini. Join us as we explore themes, foreshadowing, and narrative techniques that will give you a whole new appreciation of this childhood favorite. As professional writers, we provide an insightful look into the series and share our personal experiences with the bo...
Jun 07, 2023•47 min
NEW PODCAST COMING WEDNESDAY, JUNE 1, 2023 Two adult writers revisit a childhood favorite and journey through Christopher Paolini's Inheritance Cycle! It's a weekly podcast about adventure stories and writing tips, with plenty of laughs along the way. Keep up with the show on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/eragonpod/ Send an email to EragonPod@gmail.com Support the show No portion of this episode may be used for AI training purposes or to create derivative works without express written p...
Jun 01, 2023•50 sec
“Pan went back to the primordial god soup.” We close out season four with an episode about Pan! Which means it's finally time to answer a question from the beginning of the season: What counts as "the wilds?" Beloved past guest, podcaster, and meme maker Robert Gaymer returns only to be dragged into a fierce debate! Other topics include Grover’s arc from follower to activist leader, the many myths of Pan’s parentage, the time Pan and Apollo faced off in a battle of the bands, Robin Hood’s famous...
Apr 11, 2023•1 hr 16 min•Season 4Ep. 18
"Ethics are optional." Our favorite grad student Lochlyn (she/her) joins the pod to discuss the incredibly creative and ethically ambiguous mythological inventor Daedalus! Was he just one guy? Was he really from Athens? And what was up with the nephew murder? Other talking points include the bizarre human impulse to feel threatened by greatness that is not one's own, Chiron not being the worst teacher ever, why Daedalus should have been a son of Hespestaus, and mild slander towards a decades-old...
Mar 28, 2023•1 hr 5 min•Season 4Ep. 17
“You think you know wrestling?!" Darien (she/her) and DJ (he/him) know nothing about wrestling. If only someone would show up and help them get through this episode about wrestling! Other topics include deadly bearhugs, reused plot lines, kayfabe, and Darien's heel turn to becoming the villain of the podcast. Learn more about the Malala Fund at https://malala.org/ Check out TheCrystalConman on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheCrystalconman Spoilers for Heroes of Olympus, Professional wrestli...
Mar 14, 2023•1 hr 8 min•Season 4Ep. 16
“The most Sad Girl in the Rick Riordan books.” Experiencing heartache? Maybe skip this episode for now. Darien (she/her) and DJ (he/him) present their most melancholy episode yet by discussing Calypso. She’s sad, she’s pretty, and she’s nothing like her mythic source material in The Odyssey. Other topics include Darien being weirdly cool with age gaps getting explained away in fantasy romance stories, DJ being weirdly into hella-sad relationship tropes, the Leo Valdez Defence Club, the decor of ...
Feb 28, 2023•1 hr 12 min•Season 4Ep. 15
“Hephaestus is our protagonist, so we’re on his side right now.” Leo the GeekScorpio (he/him) returns to discuss the god of the forge, Hephaestus! And that means DJ, once again, gets to dunk on Eternals (2021). Other topics include wedding anniversary gifts, reorganizing the Periodic Tables of Elements, DC Hephaestus being a secret-keeping bro, Pandora’s Box v. Pithos, and the correct way to impart divine knowledge without undermining human ingenuity. Check out Leo on Gaming Theater Presents at ...
Feb 14, 2023•1 hr 21 min•Season 4Ep. 14
“Riddles are hard! Even Tolkien.” The Sphinx arrives from a distant land, which means it’s time for a battle of wits! DJ (he/him) challenges the listeners to a riddle contest. Darien (she/her) did not come prepared. Other topics include conspiracies surrounding ancient sculpture techniques, math tricks for solving riddles, Darien’s favorite riddle answers, and how “What is in my pocket?” is absolutely not a riddle—and that’s okay. Spoilers for Assasin’s Creed: Odessey, Class of the Titans, Sabri...
Jan 31, 2023•56 min•Season 4Ep. 13
“He gets bodied by an eleven-year-old!” King Minos was a malevolent tyrant who became a judge of the Underworld because he happened to be a son of Zeus. Talk about a nepo baby. In this week’s episode, DJ presents the single example he could find of King Minos in modern pop culture. Then Darien throws out the script to present her essay on the ancient Minoan civilization. Enjoy the ride, folks. Other topics include Ghost Minos’s very bad plan, undecipherable texts, archeological scandals of the 2...
Jan 17, 2023•40 min•Season 4Ep. 12
“Don’t fly too close to the sun.” Let’s fly into 2023 with a big myth that doesn’t have much to it. In fact, it really is just the one thing. But the story of Icarus flying too close to the sun has permeated storytelling for centuries. So, naturally, Darien and DJ take the opportunity to discuss how much they dislike Eternals (again). Other topics include a vague understanding of video game lore based on the lore of a different video game, musical lyrics, graphic novels that hit just a little to...
Jan 03, 2023•45 min•Season 4Ep. 11
“I will watch Troy BURN!” After finally escaping the Labyrinth, the siblings come face to face with what might be the scariest goddess of all: Hera. Fortunately, writer and podcaster Megan Peterson (they/she) is here to provide literary insight, historical context, and biting wit. Other topics include the Cold War and the American Nuclear Family, lessons about dangerous men, women’s footraces that are sixth shorter than the men’s division, Achilles beating up a literal river, DJ not being good i...
Dec 20, 2022•1 hr 25 min•Season 4Ep. 10
Is A Christmas Carol the best holiday story ever told? Yes, and we're not taking feedback at this time. Enjoy the first episode of our special Patreon Holiday Event: 12 Days of Musemas! Listen to the rest of the series over the next 11 days at Patreon.com/musesofmythology Spoilers for A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens 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 ...
Dec 13, 2022•1 hr 4 min
“Have you heard about the Ship of Theseus?” We’ve talked about the Labyrinth. We’ve talked about the Beast of the Labyrinth. We’ve talked about the woman who navigated the Labyrinth. Now, we finally discuss the hero who gets all the credit: Theseus. Bad news, y’all. He’s actually pretty cool. Owen from Through the Mist returns to talk about all the other things Theseus should be known for. Will Owen send us all into an existential crisis again? Tune in to find out. Other topics include Ancient G...
Dec 06, 2022•1 hr 19 min•Season 4Ep. 9
“There’s nothing there, so I’m projecting onto Ariadne so hard!” Quinn from The Monsterous Woman Pod joins the show for an episode about Ariadne. Not Theseus, Dionysus, Medea, Renya’s sister, Quinn’s niece, or Megara from Disney’s Hercules . Ariadne. Seriously. Other topics include Theseus, Dionysus, Medea, Renya’s sister, Quinn’s niece, and Megara from Disney’s Hercules. Find more of Quinn! The Monstrous Woman Pod: https://linktr.ee/themonstrouswomanpod OnQuinnsAndNeedles Instagram: https://www...
Nov 22, 2022•1 hr 22 min•Season 4Ep. 8
“Run! Just run! Go!” Darien (she/her) and DJ (he/him) are trapped in a labyrinth! Which is totally fine cause it turns out a labyrinth is just basically a really long hallway. So, why did Theseus need help navigating it to slay the Minotaur? Turns out, Daedalus really is just that good. Other topics include not-so-hot takes about the Frozen level in Kingdom Hearts 3 , DJ’s maze-solving superpower, a probably terrible synopsis of a horror movie no one in this episode has seen, and a mysterious De...
Nov 08, 2022•57 min•Season 4Ep. 7
“If you can't make your own goat's blood, store-bought is fine.” Darien (she/her) and DJ (he/him) find themselves haunted by another podcast! Tim (he/him) and AJ (he/they) from Standby Line have materialized to socialize over ghosts, shades, and happy haunts of all shapes and sizes. Other topics include the nuances of cheating death, how children of Hades operate as ghosts, that one time Bianca Di Angelo totally haunted Percy Jackson by accident, and ghost law (a topic we know frighteningly litt...
Oct 25, 2022•1 hr 35 min•Season 4Ep. 6
IT'S OUR BIRTHDAY!!! Muses of Mythology turns two this month! We're celebrating by unlocking special bonus episodes from Patreon, giving listeners new episodes every week! This week, we're unlocking our very first Remyth episode, previously only heard by our Podcast Hero and God-tier level Patrons. In this episode, we discuss the 1997 Disney animated masterpiece Hercules and argue that, hey, this is actually a pretty solid myth adaptation for the times. Major spoilers for Disney's Hercules . Con...
Oct 18, 2022•1 hr 11 min
“I’m pretty sure—with very little evidence to support this—that nymphs and satyrs are the same species.” Women in mythology deserve more respect, and nymphs are no exception. In this episode, Darien (she/her) and DJ (he/him) examine how nymphs went from revered nature goddesses to helpful but unimportant NPCs. Then, the show briefly becomes an episode of Through the Mist as the siblings try to figure out if a nymph spawns when a satyr dies and becomes a plant. Other topics include Percy’s anime ...
Oct 11, 2022•1 hr 1 min•Season 2Ep. 5
IT'S OUR BIRTHDAY!!! Muses of Mythology turns two this month! We're celebrating by unlocking special bonus episodes from Patreon, giving listeners new episodes every week! Let's start with a hiatus favorite: DJ tells Darien about one of the books in the YA Disney AU Twisted Tales series. Go the Distance: A Twisted Tale by Jen Calonita asks the question, "What if Meg had to become a Greek god?" The answer is awesome. Major spoilers for Go the Distance and Disney's Hercules . Content Warning: This...
Oct 04, 2022•53 min
“Why? Why?!” The podcast finally gives Grover Underwood and all satyrs their proper due! Darien (she/her) and DJ (he/him) talk about Percy and Grover’s friendship, the difference between Greek satyrs and Roman fauns, and… Wait. What’s with all this art featuring naked, horse-tailed men balancing wine goblets on their genitals? Spoilers for Go the Distance (A Twisted Tale), This is the End, Good Omens, Supernatural, Tenacious D and the Pick of Destiny, South Park, Lore Olympus, and Cat in the Hat...
Sep 27, 2022•49 min•Season 4Ep. 4
“Can I talk about Good Omens?” Who’s a good boy? None of these hounds of damnation, that’s for sure. Darien (she/her) and DJ (he/him) dive into the infernal realms to discuss hellhounds of all shapes and sizes — but mostly big, black, and red-eyed. Other topics include why Cerberus both is and is not a hellhound, the lack of hellhounds in Africa, the most upsetting creature origin story, and that time wolves sieged Paris. Spoilers for Supernatural, Call of Duty: Black Ops, Adventure Time, Helluv...
Sep 13, 2022•58 min•Season 4Ep. 3
"You've seen my ex!" In this episode, Darien (she/her) and DJ (he/him) agree that the Greek Empusa is probably not the direct inspiration for the modern vampire. So obviously, they spend most of the episode talking about vampires! (Mostly Marceline the Vampire Queen) Other topics include Darien recounting the plot of Dracula , Jenny Nicholson’s two-hour video essay on The Vampire Diaries , drinking shades of red versus sparkling in the sun, scary sexy monster ladies, dramatic readings of award-w...
Aug 30, 2022•55 min•Season 4Ep. 2
"Nico, you're eleven and you need a nap!" Muses of Mythology has arrived! Darien (she/her) and DJ (he/him) kick off the new season by getting lost in the Labyrinth—and getting into fierce debates about godly parental roles, Camp Half-Blood culture and safety, and why Pan might be their least favorite character. What Once Was Mine, A Whole New Wolrd, and As Old A Time Twisted Tales Bonus Episodes up at Bunker 9: Patreon.com/musesofmythology Learn more about The Cabin at https://www.thecabinidaho....
Aug 16, 2022•1 hr 48 min•Season 4Ep. 1
It's our last episode for The Titan's Curse ! We finish with the death of Zoë Nightshade and the fantastical world of constellations. Then we wrap with a Major Announcement! Other topics include stellarfication, the logistics of monarchy in The Lion King , the science behind identifying constellations, DJ's favorite Final Fantasy XIV class, and far too much conversation about Sesame Street. We will return on Tuesday, August 16! Spoilers for Minecraft, Final Fantasy XIV, Stardust, The Princess an...
Jun 21, 2022•59 min•Season 3Ep. 13
Atlas is a titan who was forced to hold the sky on his shoulders for all eternity. So, how did the name become associated with big books of maps? Darien (she/her) and DJ (he/him) explore that and more in this week's episode! Other topics include old-timey maps, who really killed Zoe Nightshade, finding Australia, video game skins, and Mickey Mouse. Spoilers for Smite, Wishbone, Shrek, Mario Odyssey, Five Nights at Freddy’s, The Legend of Zelda: Windwaker, and Majora’s Mask Content Warning: This ...
Jun 07, 2022•47 min•Season 3Ep. 12
DRAGONS That's it. That's the description. Okay, the episode also includes why How to Train Your Dragon is the best film trilogy, DJ trying to trick the show into being about Norse mythology, Darien's favorite dragon story, and a fierce debate over whether or not Charizard is a dragon. Spoilers for Smite, Heroes of Olympus, Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard, Hard Core Leveling Warrior, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Call of Duty Black Ops 3, The Dragon Tamers, Nidhogg, and BPM. Content W...
May 24, 2022•53 min•Season 3Ep. 11
Athena has entered the podcast! Goddess of wisdom, warfare, architecture, strategy, and pretty much everything Ancient Greek culture cared about. Athena isn’t just some goddess. She just, like, better than other girls, ya know? Other topics include who invented how gods solve their problems, Athena versus Ares, real brain children, art featured in every American history book, and why Greek philosophers kind of sucked. Spoilers for Smites, Hades, and Wonder Woman (2017) Content Warning: This epis...
May 10, 2022•56 min•Season 3Ep. 10
Listen. This started out as a normal episode about Talos with Owen (he/him) from Through the Mist podcast. But then somebody (Darien) had to go and ask if the giant robot was alive. And all Tartarus broke loose. Other topics include who invented Mythomagic, Hephestaus being a big nerd, bronze men from the Bronze Age, maintenance hatch placement on giant robots, alive versus sentient, Oxford dictionary definitions, why Pinnochio wanted to be a real boy, and Transformer reproduction. Find Owen and...
Apr 26, 2022•1 hr 18 min•Season 3Ep. 9
Time to celebrate the ultimate Messy Bitch™: Aphrodite! Sam (she/her) from The Chaos-Cast joins the pod to discuss Aphrodite as the goddess of self-love, beauty being in the eye of the beholder, and why a mortal man will NOT get away with stabbing a goddess. Other topics include what reality TV shows the gods watch, horses vs wolves, quality character designs, when video game nudity doesn’t suck, and why Hercules the Animated Series deserves more love. Learn more about National Center for Famili...
Apr 12, 2022•1 hr 7 min•Season 3Ep. 8
