“Odin and Mr. Moseby are friends! Canon!” Darien (she/her) and DJ (he/him) enjoy a romp across the nine realms in a series of delightful, medium-stakes adventures in the short story collection 9 from the Nine Worlds. Other topics include disappointing art choices, Hearthstone being a top-tier spell slinger, DJ winning the ship war, Amir’s story getting wildly dark, Schrödinger’s joke, a disappointing portrayal of a Celtic warrior queen, interesting accent choices for talking swords, speculation ...
May 07, 2024•1 hr 17 min•Season 6Ep. 6
“I’m sure—and this is me again, huffing Hopium—he’s got something planned.” Set sail to prevent Ragnarok in Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard: The Ship of the Dead! Other topics include ranking Riordanverse books based on satisfying endings, the injustice of Halfborn Gunderson’s Big Damn Hero Moment happening off-page, the LEGENDARY transcription from Chapter 9 to Chapter 10, the massive crossover story that Riordan is definitely, totally, absolutely going to write… eventually, DJ refusing to ...
Apr 23, 2024•1 hr 10 min•Season 6Ep. 5
“I’m thirty. I don’t hang out with sixteen-year-olds who haven’t been to therapy yet.” The podcast course corrects and dives back into Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard! Other topics include Magnus Chase subverting the expectations for a male hero protagonist, the three-way tie for Worst Parent Ever, an unexpected comparison of an elf and dwarf to heroes of the Iliad, Darien’s struggles to picture settings accurately, how Alex Fierro is a great character who would probably be mean to the hosts...
Apr 09, 2024•1 hr 38 min•Season 6Ep. 4
We're not ending the show! If you read the title, got freaked, and immediately checked the show notes, let us assure you that the announcement isn't the end of Muses of Mythology. Since you're here, we'll give you the short version: The first ten minutes is the start of what was meant to be our Einherjar episode. Then we went off-mic for about 30 minutes to have a serious conversation about some challenges we've experienced recently and the show's future. We're not ending the show. We're not aba...
Mar 19, 2024•1 hr 13 min
“Water? Do you think Odin would serve water?!” Time to begin the journey through Norse mythology in earnest! First stop: Valhalla. Other topics include a brief examination of how far away Iceland is from the rest of the Nordic countries (Thank you, Owen!), a correction on the number of floors in Hotel Valhalla, Odin’s penchant for costumes, a typical day in Valhalla, the best of meats, and the prettiest of trees. Spoilers for Star Trek: The Next Generation, Star Trek: Discovery, Samurai Jack, Th...
Mar 05, 2024•1 hr 8 min•Season 6Ep. 3
“He’ll flood the Earth. So, let’s not do that; we’re in Iceland.” Before we get into talking about Norse mythology, Darien (she/her) and DJ (he/him) spend some time exploring why talking about Norse mythology is so weird. Other topics include the brevity of the Viking Age compared to other mythic eras, when Christianity became all the rage in Scandinavia, Snorri Strurlson being way more than a poet, the challenges in approaching a mythology without any cultural primary sources, and a reminder th...
Feb 20, 2024•1 hr 3 min•Season 6Ep. 2
“Have you heard the theory that Jason Grace goes to Valhalla?” Darien (she/her) and DJ (he/him) leave Greek mythology behind and check into Hotel Valhalla with Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard. Other topics include the perfect timing to branch away from the Percy Jackson books, first-person narrative being Rick Riordan’s greatest strength, the fluctuating timeline of these interconnected middle-grade book series, a quick stop at Pronunciation Station, who gets sent to which mythological after...
Feb 06, 2024•1 hr 34 min•Season 6Ep. 1
"Illuminating the often-overlooked stories of women in mythologies." In this special bonus episode, Darien was joined by author, drawer, and singer Amrita Sen to discuss her musical audiobook, Hidden Women . "Hidden Women is a captivating collection of stories that shines a spotlight on the often-overlooked women who played significant roles in the lives of famous men from well-known narratives. This collection offers listeners a fresh perspective by delving into the untold stories of these rema...
Jan 23, 2024•47 min
Is A Christmas Carol the best Christmas tale ever told? Yes, and we're still 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...
Dec 13, 2023•43 min
“Why is he a bird still?!” From the top of Mount Olympus, we explore the home of the gods and reflect on our journey through Rick Riordan’s Percy Jackson and the Olympians . Other topics include the name for a group of pegasi, Medusa’s inventory management strategy, the correct number of treats to give a multi-headed canine, weirdly specific myths Percy knows versus common ones he doesn’t, the ever-evolving perception of ancient deities, Camp Half-Blood’s strawberry-based economy, and Rick Riodr...
Dec 12, 2023•1 hr 45 min•Season 5Ep. 19
We apologize for the delay in our regularly scheduled programming. We need a bit more time to release the best version of our finale of Percy Jackson and the Olympians. Please accept a very special Patreon episode drop, our ReMyth episode about the first print volume of Lore Olympus, the beloved webcomic by Rachel Smythe. The volume focuses on the first 25 chapters of Lore Olympus , but our conversion does include spoilers for up to chapter 188. (Check it out! https://www.webtoons.com/en/romance...
Dec 05, 2023•1 hr 6 min
“Oh my God, the winds are real?!” It’s the big one. This whole season has been leading up to The Iliad. Buckle up, dear listeners, because we brought in a real Iliad kid. Emily Garber (she/her), classics scholar(ish) and co-host of The Monster Donut podcast, shares the kind of insight about The Iliad you’d usually have to pay tuition to get. And so the episode is the length of a decent college lecture. Enjoy! Other topics include dividing Greek classical scholars into two camps, how The Iliad wa...
Nov 28, 2023•1 hr 54 min•Season 5Ep. 18
“You can’t be precious about your interpretations of a text that was so unstable.” Returning guest and temporary co-host Megs Peterson (they/them) comes aboard to discuss the many rich, valid interpretations of Achilles and Patroclus’ relationship and how it’s not necessary to have a strict definition of said relationship to value their bond—but the homophobic interpretations are automatically wrong. Other topics include similarities between the deaths of Patroclus and Jason Grace, who is really...
Nov 21, 2023•1 hr 47 min•Season 5Ep. 17
“Hesiod definitely didn’t have a problem with women.” Pandora gets blamed for everything. Literally, Hesiod decided the first human woman is responsible for every bad thing in the world. Quinn Albert (she/her) joins the podcast to discuss the terrifying implications of stories that blame women for the suffering of men. Also, charm bracelets! Topics include Hesiod’s account from the worst side of TikTok, Hermes’ incredible epitaph, justice for the goddess Pandora, the insidious plot to erase or d...
Nov 14, 2023•1 hr 21 min•Season 5Ep. 16
“You were never going to take us to McDonald’s, Zeus!” Rick Riordan created a rather bizarre portrayal of Prometheus. But what else is new? The Ancients also presented dramatically different versions of the fire-thieving Titan of foresight. Let’s talk about all of them and Mary Shelley, too! Talking points include who is really to blame for Luke Castellan’s fate, Zeus being a brat about getting tricked by Prometheus, dolphin culture, that time some CW writers decided Artemis was totally in love ...
Nov 07, 2023•47 min•Season 5Ep. 15
“Rivers are goofily important.” Life thrives around rivers, and fandom thrives around fan creators. This week, we’re joined by special guest DisenyBeans (Bri) to discuss the potamoi (AKA River Gods). Talking points include minor spoilers for Chalice of the Gods, the importance of cutting those plastic can holder rings up, a friendly reminder to STAY OUT OF CANALS, rivers as primordial kings, that time Achilles straight up fought a river, and the AMAZING fandom merch you can order from DisneyBean...
Oct 31, 2023•1 hr 15 min•Season 5Ep. 14
“Persephone is not a minor goddess.” Our residency in the Underworld ends with some quality time spent with Queen Persephone. Talking points include Rick Riodran’s wildly different portrayals of Persephone in various stories, DJ’s season-based headcanon to explain the wildly different portrayals, Darien ruining another beloved mythic name etymology, Persephone always being queen of the underworld and goddess of spring, and the importance of examining culture alongside myth. LAST WEEK! Leave us a...
Oct 24, 2023•1 hr 34 min•Season 5Ep. 13
“Guess we know who planned the menu for this one.” The other half of Camp Half-Pod, writer and Dolphin Girl Erin Moynihan (she/her), joins the show to reexamine Demeter’s reputation as mythology’s biggest helicopter parent. Talking points include which godly parents actually care about their demigod children, projecting difficult parental relationships onto Demeter in the Taking of Persephone story, speculation about Demeter’s opinions of the gluten-free movement, the most unexpected puzzle game...
Oct 17, 2023•1 hr 16 min•Season 5Ep. 12
It's our birthday week! Our gift to you, dear listeners, is a sneak behind the Patreon paywall! (Our gift to ourselves is an extra week to get back on schedule!) Learn more about SAGE at https://www.sageusa.org/ "What if Mulan had to travel to the Underworld?" This week's journey through the Twisted Tales series takes DJ and Darien to somewhere they've never been before: Chinese mythology. Woefully unprepared but incredibly excited, the siblings dive into Reflection by Elizabeth Lim. Major spoil...
Oct 10, 2023•1 hr 3 min
"I just love Hades as a character." In antiquity, the wise refrained from even speaking the name of the god of the underworld to avoid drawing his attention. Today, Manasa (she/her) from Camp Half-Pod joins us to talk about Hades a whole lot! Talking points include the staying power of childhood favorites, translations of The Iliad, the chilling power of marble, and pinpointing exactly when SMITE lore became completely unhinged. Get more Manasa on Camp Half-Pod at https://linktr.ee/camphalfpod R...
Oct 03, 2023•59 min•Season 5Ep. 11
“William Shakespeare? The playwright?" Do you get déjà vu? Podcast favorite Robert Gaymer (they/them) returns for what can only be described as an episode remake. We’re heading back to the Underworld to thoroughly examine its landscape, citizens, and infrastructure. Talking points include the various rivers that make up Underworld topography, controversial judges, creative ways to pay the ferryman, and why death feels less scary if the afterlife is bureaucratically organized. Review Rally! Leave...
Sep 26, 2023•1 hr 28 min•Season 5Ep. 10
“I get to talk about the Sandman now!" We hope you're well-rested because this week's episode is about the god of dreams, Morpheus! Who is definitely, totally, absolutely a legitimate figure from ancient Greek mythology and the god who put Manhattan to sleep in The Last Olympian . Talking points include cringe couple pet names, Harley Quinn and Poison Ivy being #Goals, the importance of enthusiastic consent, DJ's recent bought of organ mutiny, and a new Podcast Giveaway! Leave us a happy review ...
Sep 19, 2023•1 hr 2 min•Season 5Ep. 9
“That's some BIG AroAce vibes, kid." It's time to give the goddess of home and hearth her due! This week, Darien (she/her) and DJ (he/him) discuss the Top Three Hestia Moments in the Rick Riordan Books (Spoiler: There are only three Hestia moments). Talking points include why the home is not passive but something heroes fight for, how the hosts know nothing about Giants from Greek myth, Luke as a Son of Hestia rewrite, and everything being Zeus’ fault (of course). Spoilers for Hades, Lore Olympu...
Sep 12, 2023•57 min•Season 5Ep. 8
"Thetis had to be always on her grind." Mythology has a lot of terrible dads. For once, let's talk about an excellent mother! Thetis did the MOST for her son, Achilles (even when she probably shouldn't). But as Darien (she/her) and DJ (he/him) learn, not even a goddess can save her son from a prophecy. Other topics include Achilles having no chill, DJ's stance on the Ares v. Apollo Flying Chariot Conflict, Darien coming dangerously close to saying a popular myth retelling isn't good, and the min...
Sep 05, 2023•46 min•Season 5Ep. 7
DJ overcame a fate that took out Houdini—but he's still recovering from the experience. Please enjoy this Unlocked Patreon episode from Bunker 9 in which Darien and DJ dunk on Percy's terrible presents outlined in a 2022 Read Riordan post ( https://rickriordan.com/2022/08/happy-birthday-percy/ ). Note: DJ was totally correct about Chainsaw Man popping off. Spoilers for Percy Jackson and the Olympians, Heroes of Olympus, and Trials of Apollo About Us Muses of Mythology was created and co-hosted b...
Aug 29, 2023•32 min
“What are morals to a dolphin?" Darien (she/her) and DJ (he/him) journey under the sea and get to know important members of Poseison's court: Amphitrite, Triton, and Delphin. Talking points include mythological evidence that Amphitrite wouldn't be mean to Percy, how Triton's fishtail directly led to the transformation in how sirens are depicted, and an awful lot of dolphin facts. Spoilers for Lore Olympus and SpongeBob SquarePants Content Warning: Sexual assault, kidnapping, murder, and adultery...
Aug 22, 2023•43 min•Season 5Ep. 6
“‘No one touches her!’” Katie (she/her) from The Dam Snack Bar podcast joins the show to discuss the fate of Andromeda and present such piping hot takes as, "The Damsel in Distress trope isn't bad, actually." Talking points include Andromeda possibly being the earliest known damsel in distress, Darien fondness for an incredibly unpopular ship, DJ’s hero complex, Katie’s favorite fictional love interests, and why it’s okay to have a little problematic content in your fiction (as a treat). Find mo...
Aug 15, 2023•1 hr 7 min•Season 5Ep. 5
"Because horse." Would you believe this episode was originally going to feature a talking horse? Fortunately, we got Owen from Through the Mist to come back instead! And he's bringing all his knowledge of the lore and a fabulous theory regarding the true heritage of pegasi in the Riordanverese. Talking points include Pegasus' brother being just a guy, anatomically accurate pegasus, how to properly ride a winged horse, and an unexpected defense of the map design in COD4: Black Ops Zombies. Find m...
Aug 08, 2023•51 min•Season 5Ep. 4
"Guess who was the father." It's been five books, so we guess we have to talk about Kronos now. Good thing Robert Gaymer (they/them) of TheDamMemePage is here to help get through the mess that is the Names of the Titans. Talking points include which Titan had what job, the value of the name "Kruke," the reason why the Titanesses sat out the Titan War, and DJ's correct and brain-melting observation about stars and constellations. Spoilers for Trials of Apollo, Lore Olympus, Borderlands, Final Fan...
Aug 01, 2023•1 hr 18 min•Season 5Ep. 3
"Nico breaks Percy out of jail." Darien (she/her) and DJ (he/him) finish their conversation about The Last Olympian –for real this time! Topics include the curse of Achilles making Percy a full-on superhero, whether Luke went to the "Middle Place," if the armpit is a good weak point, a direct call out of Seaweed Brain podcast, and much bemoaning over Luke saying THAT. Please note: This episode was recorded before the release of The Sun and the Star . All thoughts regarding the relationship betwe...
Jul 25, 2023•59 min•Season 5Ep. 2
