Myths and Muses: A Mythik Camps Podcast

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!

This episode, we’ll explore stories inspired by the ImpossibleQuest that Commodus is calling The Contest of Godly Strength. So, when I think about gods and heroes who have performed feats of incredible strength, there are really two who leap immediately to mind. One of them is Heracles, who we’ve talked about a lot on this podcast – and another is the Norse god Thor. I'll tell some of their stories, as well as introducing you to the bronze giant Talos and the Malaysian hero Badang!

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 Episode 6]

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:

• The Tale of Utgarda-Loki from Norse Mythology for Smart People
• Thor's Adventures in Jotunheim
• Talos at THEOI and Mythopedia
• Antaeus at THEOI and Mythopedia
• Badang the Magnificent
• The Legend of Badang: When Strength Carved History

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

In this episode, we’re going to look at the ImpossibleQuest he’s calling “The Witch’s Test.” Now, mythology is full of witches, sorcerers, mages, and other magical types – but they don’t all put heroes to specific tests. In Greek mythology, Circe and Medea do more to help Odysseus and Jason than to test them, and other witches like Grimhilde in Norse mythology are just interested in getting their own way, by whatever means necessary – the heroes are just obstacles to them. There are some, though, who take it upon themselves to make heroes prove themselves. So let’s hear a few of their stories!

Visit the World of Mythik website to learn more and to contribute your theories to our board!

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 Episode 5]

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:

• BBC: Baba Yaga: The Greatest Wicked Witch of All?
• Baba Yaga at the World History Encyclopedia
• Who is Baba Yaga?
• Vasilisa the Beautiful: A Russian Fairy Tale
• Marya Morevna
• Louhi, Mistress of Pohjala

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

For this episode, we’re going to dig into what Commodus is calling “The Hunt for the Lost Treasure”. We start with one of Shahrazad's own stories: The tale of Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves. Then, we explore some lost cities -- some of which are purely fictional, and some of which have some very real history and archaeology behind them!

Visit the World of Mythik website to learn more and to contribute your theories to our board!

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 Episode 4]

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:

• Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves
• The Search for the Lost City of Zerzura
• Discover the Hidden History of Tomb Robbing in Ancient Egypt
• Tomb Robbing in Ancient Egypt - World History Encyclopedia

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

Now we'll focus on the ImpossibleQuest called “The Hunt for the Lost Beast”. And right away, there are… a lot of things that could mean! What sort of beast? How did it get lost? Do we want to find it to save it or…… the opposite of saving it?

We start with mythology's most famous beast hunt: the tale of the Calydonian Boar. Then we'll explore the Arthurian Questing Beast and learn about gods and spirits of the hunt as they appear in cultures across the world!

Visit the World of Mythik website to learn more and to contribute your theories to our board!

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 Episode 3]

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:

• The Story of the Calydonian Boar Hunt
• Atalantaand Meleagerat Mythopedia
• The Questing Beast: The Legendary Arthurian Creature
• The Questing Beast at The Camelot Project
• Ochoshi at Beyond Roots and Original Botanica
• Erlang Shen at Mythopedia
• Mielikki, the Finnish Goddess of the Forest

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

For this episode, we’re focusing on the Quest that Commodus is calling “The New Labors of Hercules”. So, what might that mean? Maybe we can figure it out – or at least get some kind of idea – by examining the old Labors.

Most of the Labors of Hercules feature fantastical creatures of some kind, and we’ve talked about some of them in prior episodes. But we did sort of have to speed-run through them, so let’s look at a few more in-depth now.

Plus, if you haven't received this year's prophecy from our Oracle yet, you can hear it in this episode!

Visit the World of Mythik website to learn more and to contribute your theories to our board!

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 Episode 2]

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:

• The Summer Prophecy
• Commodus's ImpossibleQuest Flyer
• Hercules

• Mythopedia
• What were the 12 Labors of Hercules?
• Crotalum:

• Commodus

• Why did the Emperor Commodus wish to become Hercules?
• Commodus as Hercules

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

Welcome to Season 4 of Myths & Muses! This summer, the epic storyteller and cycle-breaker Shahrazad has taken the liberty of signing us up for some ImpossibleQuests. I know that might seem a little odd. But here’s what I know about Shahrazad: When she makes a plan, it works. Whatever she has in mind for us, I know she wouldn’t be putting us in this position if she didn’t think we could take on the challenge. And I’m sure she’ll have our backs along the way.

In case you don't know why I trust Shahrazad so much on this, though, I'm using this first episode to tell you her story. The rest of the season, I'll be doing my best to guide you all based on the titles of the ImpossibleQuests we'll apparently be facing at camp this summer.

Visit the World of Mythik website to learn more and to contribute your theories to our board!

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 Episode 1]

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:

• Scheherazade: the story of a storyteller | Art UK
• Heroines, Stories, and Shahrazad - The Carterhaugh School of Folklore and the Fantastic
• Arabian Nights: Scheherazade
• The Arabian Nights retold by Wafa' Tarnowska with illustrations by Carole Henáff (Picture book, 8+, Lebanese author; available on Hoopla)

Season 4: Vicious Cycles starts on May 7th!

This summer, the demigods of Mythik Quests have been challenged to take on ImpossibleQuests(TM)! What does that mean? Well... We're not quite sure yet. They're called things like "The New Labors of Hercules" or "The Hunt for the Lost Beast" -- and while some of those titles might seem like the point at a certain story, we know nothing's ever quite as it seems when it comes to a Quest. So, I’m going to do my best to prepare you with stories both familiar and strange!

With these stories, we hope demigods everywhere will be ready to face down challenges of all kinds, whether you’ve found your way to a camp or not. So if you are at Camp Half-Blood, Camp Jupiter, Daring Girls, or Camp Mythik this summer, you’ll need this information to prepare for the ImpossibleQuests – and if you’re not at camp, you need it even more since you’re out there as a solo hero. These things sound like they could drag in demigods and heroes from all over.

So make sure you’re subscribed! Episode One will be available to stream or download in two weeks, on May 7th, 2026! In the meantime, you can hear Shahrazad's messages and see the list of the season's Quests in the demigods-only portal on our website.

Until then, stay brave, demigods!

In the final tie-in minisode for Disney's Percy Jackson and the Olympians Season 2, we look at the magical item that drove the action of that season: the Golden Fleece.

[Transcript for Minisode 8]

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More on the Golden Fleece:

• Jason at Mythopedia

• His story from TedED, on YouTube

• Chrysomallos at THEOI
• The Ancient Kingdom of Colchis

In this minisode, drawing from Disney's Percy Jackson and the Olympians Season 2, we ask: Are you a good witch, or a bad witch, Circe?

[Transcript for Episode 7]

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More on Circe:

• Circe at Mythopedia
• Circe at THEOI
• Madeline Miller, author of adult fantasy novel Circe, shares a photo essay
• "Searching for the Lost Location of the Isle of Circe, Enchantress of Odysseus"

Our tie-in minisode series for Percy Jackson and the Olympians Season 2 continues! This time, we meet Tantalus -- the worst substitute teacher ever -- and find out more about his background and his legacy.

[Transcript for Minisode 6]

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More on Tantalus:

• From Mythopedia
• From World History Encyclopedia
• The Torment of Tantalus: Animated Video

With the release of Season 2 Percy Jackson and the Olympians on Disney+, the Muses thought our listeners might like to know the stories behind some of the characters and creatures they'll meet in the series!

In Minisode 5, continuing our previous tie-in series, we enter the fast and furious world of chariot racing.

[Transcript for Minisode 5]

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More on Chariot Racing:

• Homer - The Iliad: Book XXIII
• From World History Encyclopedia: Chariot Racing in Ancient Rome

Ramses II fighting in a chariot at the Battle of Kadesh, 1274 BCE

Ceremonial chariot of Tutankhamun, c. 1330 BCE, found in his tomb:

A Hittite war chariot, c. 1650-1250 BCE:

Assyrian war chariot, c. 640 BCE

Diagram of the Roman Circus Maximus, from DK Ancient Rome:

The Circus Maximus as it appears today:

In the final episode of our Misunderstood Monsters season, we explore the story of Arachne: It’s usually presented as one of hubris: a cautionary tale against pride. But can we revisit her story in the light of our Misunderstood Monsters theme? We'll also meet some other spider-folk from across the world, including West Africa, the American Southwest, and Japan, and we'll wrap up the Gauntlet of the Gorgon with a look at how Medusa is having a real moment in modern book publishing.

Visit the World of Mythik website to learn more and to contribute your theories to our board!

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 Episode 12

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:

• Medusa

• Middle Grade novels: Medusa and The Gods' Revengeby Katharine Marsh
• Young Adult novel: Medusa by Jessie Burton
• Adult novels: Stone Blind by Natalie Haynes, Medusa by Nataly Gruender and I, Medusa by Ayana Gray
• Book Riot: Medusa: The Gorgon’s Story Adapted 4 Ways
• How ‘Percy Jackson and the Olympians’ Changes the Book’s Medusa Myth

• Arachne:

• On Mythopedia and World History Encyclopedia
• Madeline Miller: Myth of the Week: Arachne
• Quotes from original Greek and Latin sources (translated to English) from THEOI

• Anansi:

• Myth Matters: A World without Stories and the Trickster Anansi
• All Stories are Anansi's

• Other Spiderfolk:

• Neith: The Goddess Who Created the World
• Wisdom, War, and Weaving: The Egyptian Spider Goddess
• The Native American Story of Spider Woman: A Journey of Discovery
• World History Encyclopedia: Iktomi Tales
• Yokai.com: Jorogumo

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

Our feature monster for this episode is that curiosity of the Caribbean – and other regions across Central America and the American Southwest – El Chupacabra. We'll explore its relatively recent identification and its potential mythological roots in Taino and Aztec stories. We'll also introduce a few other cryptids of the Americas!

Visit the World of Mythik website to learn more and to contribute your theories to our board!

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 Episode 11

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:

• El Chupacabra

• American Natural History Museum: Modern Myths
• How Stuff Works: El Chupacabra: Legend, Sightings & Facts
• National Geographic: Chasing chupacabras? You may find something even more extraordinary here.

• Xolotl:

• Xolotl: Aztec God for the Motion of Life
• X is for Xolotl (Folktales of Endangered Species)

• Cryptids:

• Cryptids of North America
• Map of Cryptids in America
• Squonkapalooza Festival

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

Images:

The Minotaur is a total icon, one of the fiercest and most well-known monsters in Greek mythology. So what’s his story? We'll explore it, plus meet some astonishing bovines from other cultures, such as the Mesopotamian Bull of Heaven and Donn Cuailnge, the bull at the center of Irish mythology's greatest battle.

Visit the World of Mythik website to learn more and to contribute your theories to our board!

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 Episode 10

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:

• The Minotaur

• On Mythopedia and World History Encyclopedia
• Quotes from original Greek and Roman sources (translated to English!)
• Theseus and the Minotaur: More than a Myth?
• Ashmolean Museum: Myths of the Labyrinth
• The Labyrinth Society
•

• The Bull of Heaven

• From World History Encyclopedia
• From The Metropolitan Museum of Art
• Epic of Gilgamesh, Tablet VI

• The Cattle Raid of Cooley

• An Táin Bó Cúailnge: Ireland’s National Epic
• Irish Road Trip: The Legend of the Cattle Raid of Cooley
• On Mythopedia: Cu Chulainn
• English translation of "The Combat of Ferdiad and Cuchulain" from An Táin Bó Cúailnge

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

It's a very special bonus episode of Myths & Muses! We're interviewing Rob Rokicki, who you listeners might know from The Lightning Thief: The Percy Jackson Musical. He's also behind Monstersongs, a synthesis of art, music, and performance that is right in line with our summer theme of Misunderstood Monsters. Listen as he discusses the stories that inspire him, the heart that goes into his work, and his own memories of summer camp.

About Our Guest: Rob Rokicki is a New York based writer and composer/lyricist whose songs “live at that perfect intersection of musical theatre and radio rock” (Adam Gwon). Rob wrote the music, lyrics and co-orchestrated the Broadway show The Lightning Thief: The Percy Jackson Musical (book by Joe Tracz). The show was nominated for Lortel, Off-Broadway Alliance, and three Drama Desk Awards, including Outstanding Musical, before touring across North America. The original cast recording had the highest pre-sale in Broadway Records history and the show is licensed globally.

Our feature monster for this episode is that hairy hide-and-seek champion of the cryptids: Bigfoot. We'll also look at some of his possible origins in the tales of Indigenous North Americans, as well as the tradition of the "wild man" in China, Roman mythology, medieval Europe, and Scottish folklore. And we'll learn a little more about Enkidu, the companion of Gilgamesh in Mesopotamian mythology.

Visit the World of Mythik website to learn more and to contribute your theories to our board!

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 Episode 9

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:

• Bigfoot

• How the Bigfoot Legend Began
• Bigfoot Was Investigated by the FBI. Here’s What They Found
• BFRO Geographical Database of Bigfoot Sightings & Reports

• Before Bigfoot:

• BBC: The true origins of Sasquatch
• American Museum of Natural History: Beyond Bigfoot
• World History Encyclopedia: Tsul'kălû', The Slant-Eyed Giant

• Enkidu and Gilgamesh: World History Encyclopedia: Gilgamesh
• The Chinese Yeren
• Wild Men of the Ancient World: Legends Across the Globe Tell of a Humanoid Beast – Are They Real?
• Am Fear Liath Mor

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

Our feature monster this week is one whose stories are spun out of urban legends, making him a more recent addition to the monster roster. It’s time to talk about the mysterious Mothman. And while we're at it, we'll meet some other mythological figures of fate, destiny, and bad luck from Greek, Celtic, and Germanic mythologies.

Visit the World of Mythik website to learn more and to contribute your theories to our board!

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 Episode 8

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:

•

• Mothman:

• Smithsonian Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage: An Ode to a Hometown Creature: Mothman of Point Pleasant, West Virginia
• Paranormal West Virginia: The Legend of Mothman
• The Mothman Festival

• Banshee:

• Irish Myths: What Is a Banshee? The Mythic Origins of Ireland’s Most Infamous Shrieking Spirit
• The Irish Post: Exploring Irish Mythology: The Banshee
• History Cooperative: The Banshee

• Spectral Dogs:

• 6 Folktales about Black Dogs
• Britain’s Black Dog Legends – 7 Spooky Canines & Hellhounds
• ‘They called them the demon dogs’- the Cwn Annwn, Welsh Hounds of Hell

• Wild Hunt:

• Norse Mythology: The Wild Hunt
• History Today: The Wild Hunt of Odin
• Monster of the Week: The Wild Hunt

• Moros:

• At THEOI and Olympoi

Stuff to Watch: Our curated YouTube Playlist for this episode!