Muses of Mythology

Latest Episodes:

Story 85: What Kind of Tree is Yggdrasil? Jun 04, 2024

Show notes

“Couldn’t think of a name for an all-knowing eagle.”
Yggdrasil, the World Tree, holds all things in its mighty branches. Even this very podcast episode, which features one extra sleepy host!
Other topics include Snorri Sturluson doing whatever he pleases (again), a reminder that Iceland is very far away from Scandinavia, the hosts’ shocking lack of knowledge about trees, key elements of Norse mythology that are NOT native to Iceland, where the “nine worlds” came from, and how the World Tree might not actually hold all things in its mightly branches.
A 17th-century Icelandic attempt at drawing fours harts and an ash tree: https://handrit.is/manuscript/view/is/AM04-0738/95?iabr=on#page/42v/mode/2up
Learn more about Boise Pride: https://boisepridefest.org/
Spoilers for SMITE, God of War: Ragnarok, Vanheim, Thor, and South Park
Content Warning: This episode contains mentions of and conversations about death by hanging, the apocalypse, volcanic eruption, and ecological decline
Hades 2 (Early Access) Bonus Episodeavailable now on Patreon! 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 Audrey Miller. Find her on Instagram @bombshellnutshellart
Love the podcast? Support us on Patreon and get instant access to bloopers, outtakes, and bonus episodes! Patreon.com/musesofmythology
Tell us what you like most about the show by leaving us a review at Lovethepodcast.com/musesofmythology
Find us @MusesOfMyth on Instagram. Find all of our episodes and episode transcripts at MusesOfMythology.com
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No portion of this episode may be used for large language learning models or generative AI training purposes or to create derivative works without express written permission from the creators and co-hosts Darien Smartt or Davis Smartt.

Story 84: Ragnarök is the End (Sort Of…) May 21, 2024

Show notes

“Ragna-Rock-a-Doodle-Doo.”
All right, let's do this one last time…
Darien (she/her) and DJ (he/him) jump back into Norse Mythology by starting at the very end of all things—or do they?
Other topics include Snorri Sturluson doing whatever he pleases, the Ragnarok Highlight Reel, Darien misremembering key details about an independent live-action/animated musical comedy film from 1991, analyzing if anyone but Odin knows the details of Ragnarok, DJ’s incredible Hadestown-esque approach for a Norse mythology story, what comes after the end of all things, and questioning whether or not Ragnarok has already happened.
Spoilers for Rock-a-Doodle, Thor: Ragnarok, SMITE, DuckTales (2017), and I Obtained a Mythic Item
Content Warning: This episode contains mentions of and conversations about death, the afterlife, physical violence, the apocalypse, religious conversion, warfare, and animal death
Percy Jackson and the Olympians: Chalice of the Gods Bonus Episode available now on Patreon! 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 Audrey Miller. Find her on Instagram @bombshellnutshellart
Love the podcast? Support us on Patreon and get instant access to bloopers, outtakes, and bonus episodes! Patreon.com/musesofmythology
Tell us what you like most about the show by leaving us a review at Lovethepodcast.com/musesofmythology
Find us @MusesOfMyth on Instagram. Find all of our episodes and episode transcripts at MusesOfMythology.com
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Story 83: 9 from the Nine Worlds, or The One without Magnus Chase May 07, 2024

Show notes

“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 about exactly why Annabeth would tell Magnus to leave Jack at Hotel Valhalla, a brief detour into trying to figure out the timeline of the books and various short stories, and the collection being pretty great overall.
Spoilers for 9 from the Nine Worlds, Trials of Apollo: The Tyrant’s Tomb, Trials of Apollo: The Tower of Nero, and Magicians and Demigods
Content Warning: This episode contains mentions of and conversations about death, the afterlife, physical violence, and maiming
Nectar of the Gods Bonus Episodeavailable now on Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/musesofmythology
Learn more about World Central Kitchen at https://wck.org/

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Story 82: The Ship of the Dead, or This One Made Darien Cry Apr 23, 2024

Show notes

“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 let Darien read a whole eight pages, and the hosts’ shared reservations about Magnus and Alex’s relationship (though they absolutely acknowledge these reservations are born out of their own poor relationship experiences).
Spoilers for Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard: The Ship of the Dead, Trials of Apollo: The Tyrant’s Tomb, Trials of Apollo: The Tower of Nero, and Percy Jackson and the Olympians: Chalice of the Gods
Content Warning: This episode contains mentions of and conversations about death, the afterlife, slavery, imprisonment, and torture.
Darien Tells DJ about The Last Fallen Moon available now on Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/musesofmythology

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Story 81: The Hammer of Thor, or The One with Alex Fierro! Apr 09, 2024

Show notes

“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, and confess that, at the end of the day, we just want see Percy Jackson.

Spoilers for Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard: The Hammer of Thor, Trials of Apollo: The Hidden Oracle, and Trials of Apollo: The Burning Maze

Content Warning: This episode contains mentions of and conversations about death, the afterlife, transphobia, child abuse, torture, adultery, child death

Kingdom Hearts Adventure Logs available now! https://www.patreon.com/musesofmythology

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Story 8X: A Major Announcement Mar 19, 2024

Show notes

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 abandoning our journey into Norse mythology. However, we'll only be dedicating one season to Norse myths. We're going to spend the next few episodes covering the rest of the Magnus Chase books. Then we will restructure our episode topics, combining elements of Norse mythology into single episodes that we feel will best result in a quality listening experience.
That's the big announcement. After that, we dropped in a 2022 Patreon bonus episode about A24's The Green Knight because we didn't want to leave you without a proper episode.
It's a weird one. The energy is all over the place. We haven't felt like ourselves recently, and it's been really hard. But we're excited about this decision and the direction we're taking this season.
Thank you so much for your patience and support. We're reworking the show because of our listeners. We aren't ready to end this adventure with you just yet.
We'll be back in your ears on Tuesday, April 2, to talk about Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard: The Hammer of Thor.
Until then, don't be like Zeus!
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 Audrey Miller. Find her on Instagram @bombshellnutshellart
Love the podcast? Support us on Patreon and get instant access to bloopers, outtakes, and bonus episodes! Patreon.com/musesofmythology
You can also leave us a 5-star rating and review on your favorite podcatcher at Lovethepodcast.com/musesofmythology
Find us @MusesOfMyth on Instagram. Find all of our episodes and episode transcripts at MusesOfMythology.com
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Story 80: Let’s Check Into Hotel Valhalla Mar 05, 2024

Show notes

“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, The Grimm Adventures of Billy and Mandy, Hades, Mad Max: Fury Road, Wonder Woman, Thor: Love and Thunder, Invincible
Content Warning: This episode contains mentions of and conversations about death, the afterlife, animal death, alcohol consumption, war, and murder.
We Check Into the Hazbin Hotel Bunker 9 Bonus episode available now! 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 Audrey Miller. Find her on Instagram @bombshellnutshellart
Love the podcast? Support us on Patreon and get instant access to bloopers, outtakes, and bonus episodes! Patreon.com/musesofmythology
You can also leave us a 5-star rating and review on your favorite podcatcher at Lovethepodcast.com/musesofmythology
Find us @MusesOfMyth on Instagram. Find all of our episodes and episode transcripts at MusesOfMythology.com
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Story 79: The Edda-ting of Norse Mythology Feb 20, 2024

Show notes

“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 that the hosts know so little and are learning more all the time.
Got a wonderful resource you want to share with us? Shoot us an email at musesofmythology@gmail.com
No spoilers in this episode.
Content Warning: This episode contains mentions of and conversations about forced religious conversion, implied book burning, death, self-mutilation, and flooding.

Let’s Plan Annabeth’s Trip to Disney World Bunker 9 Bonus episode available now! 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 Audrey Miller. Find her on Instagram @bombshellnutshellart
Love the podcast? Support us on Patreon and get instant access to bloopers, outtakes, and bonus episodes! Patreon.com/musesofmythology
You can also leave us a 5-star rating and review on your favorite podcatcher at Lovethepodcast.com/musesofmythology
Find us @MusesOfMyth on Instagram. Find all of our episodes and episode transcripts at MusesOfMythology.com
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Story 78: The Sword of Summer; Or Magnus Chase Gets a Life Feb 06, 2024

Show notes

“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 afterlife, a not-so-speedy run through the various quests of the book, and a shocking revelation about one of the co-hosts not finishing the book before recording this episode.
Spoilers for The Sword of Summer and The Hammer of Thor
Content Warning: This episode contains mentions of and conversations about suicide, death, the afterlife, animal attacks, Islamaphobia, drowning, and gun violence
Bunker 9 Bonus episodes about Percy Jackson and the Olympians on Disney+ available now! https://www.patreon.com/musesofmythology
Throwback to Darien talking about Riordanverse afterlives on Through the Mist: https://open.spotify.com/episode/5r7u7cNgonTLl4T1C2yjdy?si=6DrxSlE4QJ-NRHRwKJyG7w
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 Audrey Miller. Find her on Instagram @bombshellnutshellart
Love the podcast? Support us on Patreon and get instant access to bloopers, outtakes, and bonus episodes! Patreon.com/musesofmythology
You can also leave us a 5-star rating and review on your favorite podcatcher at Lovethepodcast.com/musesofmythology
Find us @MusesOfMyth on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook. Find all of our episodes and episode transcripts at MusesOfMythology.com
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Hidden Women: A Conversation with Amrita Sen Jan 23, 2024

Show notes

"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 remarkable women, showcasing their strength, resilience, and unique experiences. Hidden Women ultimately celebrates the strength, resilience, and agency of these remarkable female characters."
Find more of Amrita at https://amritasenbooks.com/

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