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!

Our feature story in this episode takes us to the Highlands of Scotland, where we’ll meet the elusive Loch Ness Monster, AKA Nessie. We'll also learn about some other Nessie-like creatures across the world, and some different water-dwelling creatures in the British Isles, Scandinavia, and western and central Africa.

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 7

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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The "Surgeon's Photograph":

Stuff to Read:

• Nessie:
  • Visit Inverness: The Loch Ness Monster
  • History Channel: The First Sighting of the Loch Ness Monster
  • NPR: 55-year-old camera set up to track the Loch Ness monster found in Scotland
  • The Official Loch Ness Monster Sightings Register
  • The Loch Ness Centre
• Kelpies:
  • Historic UK: The Kelpie
  • Ancient Myth in Modern Art
  • Folklore of Scotland: Kelpies
• Jormungandr and the Kraken
  • Jormungandr at World History Encyclopedia
  • Jormungandr: The Midgard Serpent in Norse Mythology
  • Ancient Origins: Jörmungandr: The Misunderstood Midgard Serpent of Norse Mythology
  • Sea monsters and their inspiration: serpents, mermaids, the kraken and more
• Ninki Nanka
  • Gambian Folktales: The Ninki Nanka
  • BBC: The Hunt for Gambia's Mythical Dragon
  • CNN: Here be monsters: The search for Africa’s mythical beasts
  • Coffee and Creatures: It’s Hard to Keep Things Straight With the Ninki-Nanka
• Mokele Mbembe
  • Cryptid Archives: Mokole-Mbembe
  • Sightings Of The Legendary Mokele-Mbembe "Dinosaur" Of The Congo Are Increasing. What Is Going On?
  • How Stuff Works: Mokele-Mbembe: The Truth Behind Africa's Mythical River Monster

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

In this episode, it's time to meet some slithering serpentine monsters! We start with the many-headed Hydra, who had the misfortune to be one of Heracles's many targets, but who got the consolation prize of becoming a constellation. Then we'll look at that constellation's story in Mesopotamian mythology and we'll meet an eight-headed serpent-dragon from Japanese 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 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:

• Hydra:
  • At Mythopedia and Perseus at Tufts
  • Original Greek literature quotes about the Hydra
• Bašmu & Ninurta:
  • More on Bašmu
  • Ninurta at World History Encyclopedia
  • Enki and Enlil
• Yamata no Orochi:
  • From yokai.com
  • The Eight-Headed Eight-Tailed Serpent

Stuff to Watch: Check out our curated Youtube playlist for this episode!