In this episode, we’re looking at the ImpossibleQuest that Commodus called “Stolen Secrets of the Gods”. As I understand it, he was using some knockoff of Mimir’s Well? I guess his inspiration was Odin sacrificing his eye for wisdom – but we’ve talked about that in a couple of episodes already, so let’s look at a couple of other stories featuring the acquisition of forbidden wisdom: stealing fire from the gods, and catching a magical fish.

[Transcript for S4E9]

If you'd like to submit something to our 1001 Stories, just head to the World of Mythik page!

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Stuff to Read:

• Prometheus
  • Prometheus – Mythopedia
  • Prometheus: The Titan Who Defied Zeus and Created Humanity | TheCollector
  • Pandora’s Box: Curiosity, Misfortune, and Hope (Greek Myth) | TheCollector
  • Prometheus - World History Encyclopedia
• Finn MacCool
  • Heroic Biography: Finn McCool - A Giant of Irish Folklore and Tradition - The Brehon Academy
  • Why the Salmon?
  • The Irish legend of Finn Mac Cumhaill and the Salmon of Knowledge

Stuff to Watch: Our curated YouTube playlist for the stories in this episode!

The focus for this episode is the ImpossibleQuest that Commodus is calling “The Never-Ending Boss Fight”. So, we’ll be examining some stories of undefeatable warriors and epic duels. We'll start with a hero who has a centuries-long redemption arc – and along the way, he becomes immortal not just once but multiple times. Then we'll learn the story of a green knight who likes really weird party games, and we'll run through the series of duels that leads up to the end of the Trojan War.

[Transcript for S4E8]

If you'd like to submit something to our 1001 Stories, just head to the World of Mythik page!

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Stuff to Read:

• Sun Wukong
  • Sun Wukong – Mythopedia
  • The real history behind the legend of Sun Wukong, China's Monkey King | National Geographic
  • Journey to the West Research
• Gawain and the Green Knight
  • BBC Radio 4 - In Our Time, Sir Gawain and the Green Knight
  • Sir Gawain - King Arthur's Knights
  • Sir Gawain and the Green Knight: what’s the story?
  • Gawain | Robbins Library Digital Projects
• Trojan War
  • Why Did the Trojan War Last for Ten Years? - GreekReporter.com
  • The myth of the Trojan War | British Museum
  • Major Events in the Trojan War

Stuff to Watch: Our curated YouTube playlist for the stories in this episode!

In this episode, we’ll be exploring tales of sun gods – and their relatives – brought to earth. It… rarely ends well, as one might imagine. We'll start in China, with the tale of Hou Yi and the Ten Suns, then explore some other tales of solar destruction from Greece and Egypt.

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 S4E7]

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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Stuff to Read:

• Hou Yi:
  • From the Smithsonian Institute: Hou Yi and the Ten Suns: A Chinese Folktale
  • Hou Yi at Mythopedia
  • Chinese Sun Myths: Hou Yi Shoots the Sun
  • Sanzuwu, Yatagarasu, and Samjok-o - The Three Legged Crow
  • Yatagarasu | Yokai.com
• Phaethon at Mythopedia and THEOI
• Sekhmet:
  • Sekhmet - Explore Deities of Ancient Egypt
  • Egyptian Past: The Lady of Terror - The Australian Museum Blog

Stuff to Watch: Our curated YouTube playlist for the stories in this episode!