Episodes

  • Story 87: Baldr’s MistleFOE
    Jul 2 2024

    “Loki is—I’m assuming—an insecure, jealous dick.”

    This week, Darien (she/her) and DJ (he/him) discuss how Baldr, the greatest guy ever, kicked the bucket because Loki just couldn’t deal with not being the center of attention for five minutes.

    Other topics include finally being able to read comments from Spotify listeners, Baldr being the god of ????, Loki being a insecure, jealous dick, the oversimplification of stating that Snorri “made it up,” legal ramifications regarding the age of mistletoe, addressing “Norse Jesus” allegations, and an unexpected but passionate defense of Padmé Amidala in the face of “died from a broken heart” slander.

    Spoilers for God of War (2018), Assassin’s Creed: Valhalla, Baldur’s Gate, Witches of East End, and Marvel Comics lore

    Content Warning: This episode contains mentions of and conversations about death, the afterlife, and murder.

    Madeline Miller’s Song of Achilles 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

    -----------------------

    Support the Show.

    Show more Show less
    1 hr and 10 mins
  • Story 86: We Go to Hel
    Jun 18 2024

    “Snorri’s out here gatekeeping the real Norse mythology.”

    Time to take a journey to Hel, which isn't too far from Midgard! That's fortunate since the dead have to arrange their own transportation.

    Other topics include actually having the soul of the protagonist's mother before trying to make a deal, Darien leaving the recording not once but twice, directions to Hel, extrapolating cultural meaning from the differences in how souls arrive in the afterlife, Snorri doing his own thing (again), the conflicting requirements for a soul being sent to Hel, how Hel and Hades became Hell, and whether or not the Norse people actual had a goddess with the same name as their icy afterlife.

    Spoilers for Thor: Dark World, SMITE, Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice, Thor: Ragnarok, Angela Queen of Hel, Journey into Mystery, Marvel: What If…?, Doom Eternal, Warrior Cats, and Adventure Time: Together Again

    Content Warning: This episode contains mentions of and conversations about death, the afterlife, murder, and suicide

    We Rank Hades Character Designs (Based on Vibes) 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

    -----------------------

    Support the Show.

    Show more Show less
    1 hr and 19 mins
  • Story 85: What Kind of Tree is Yggdrasil?
    Jun 4 2024

    “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

    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 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

    -----------------------

    Support the Show.

    Show more Show less
    55 mins
  • Story 84: Ragnarök is the End (Sort Of…)
    May 21 2024

    “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

    -----------------------

    Support the Show.

    Show more Show less
    1 hr and 8 mins
  • Story 83: 9 from the Nine Worlds, or The One without Magnus Chase
    May 7 2024

    “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 Episode available now on Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/musesofmythology

    Learn more about World Central Kitchen at https://wck.org/


    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

    -----------------------

    Support the Show.

    Show more Show less
    1 hr and 17 mins
  • Story 82: The Ship of the Dead, or This One Made Darien Cry
    Apr 23 2024

    “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

    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

    -----------------------

    Support the Show.

    Show more Show less
    1 hr and 10 mins
  • Story 81: The Hammer of Thor, or The One with Alex Fierro!
    Apr 9 2024

    “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


    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

    -----------------------

    Support the Show.

    Show more Show less
    1 hr and 38 mins
  • Story 8X: A Major Announcement
    Mar 19 2024

    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

    -----------------------


    Support the Show.

    Show more Show less
    1 hr and 13 mins