In this episode, the Muses have decreed that we’ll be looking at stories of heroes who were exiled from their homes and had to fight to regain what they had lost. There are a lot of epic tales that feature this theme, and it provides a great opportunity to send the hero on some sort of journey, where they can encounter monsters and challenges and all the exciting conflicts that make a story! We'll start with Sundiata Keita, a hero of the Mandinka people, and then explore a few other heroes from around the world.

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 Comeback Kids Episode 2

If you'd like to share your Comeback Kids story with us, get a Mortal Guardian to help you record it here!

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:

• Sundiata:
  • "The true story behind The Lion King" from the Washington Post
  • Sundiata Keita at World History Encyclopedia and National Geographic Education
  • Some information on Sundiata's descendant, Mansa Musa: National Geographic Education and the BBC
• Robin Hood:
  • The Robin Hood Project - A compendium of many, many original sources, but also has short summaries for each character
  • The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood by Howard Pyle - The Victorian text that is the source for most modern interpretations of the character.
• The Mahabharata:
  • A summary from Owlcation
  • An in-depth look at its history and context from World History Encyclopedia
• Jason and Medea:
  • Jason and Medea from Mythopedia
  • The quest for the Golden Fleece at Greek Mythology and World History Encyclopedia

Stuff to Watch:

• Learn more about the stories in this episode with our curated YouTube playlist!

Cool Images:

Sundiata Keita by Carlos Varejão on ArtStation

Sundiata Keita as he appears in the video game Civilization VI

Some Victorian-era images of Robin Hood:

Reynard the Fox:

Disney's Robin Hood:

A Statue of Arjuna in Bali:

Karna and Arjuna (1899)

Arjuna and a heavenly maiden (1900)

Athena helping to build the Argo (1st century CE, Roman)

Jason arriving in Pelias's palace (1st century AD, Roman)

Medea by William Wetmore Story (1868)

Jason and Medea by John William Waterhouse (1907)

Poster for the 1963 film Jason and the Argonauts

Jason battling skeletons in 1963's Jason and the Argonauts

Season Two of Myths & Muses kicks off with the tale of a hero who lost it all and had to start again somewhere new! Aeneas rises from the ashes almost literally, leaving the destruction of Troy behind and setting off on an adventure that takes him all over the Mediterranean and even to the Underworld. Driving him all the way is his looming destiny: to found a nation whose legacy will last for millennia.

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 Comeback Kids Episode 1

If you'd like to share your Comeback Kids story with us, get a Mortal Guardian to help you record it here!

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:

• Aeneas at Mythopedia and World History Encyclopedia
• The Underworld Adventure of Aeneas
• Aeneas's Trip to the Underworld

Stuff to Watch:

• Learn more about Aeneas with our curated YouTube playlist!

Cool Images:

The Journey of Aeneas (by Simeon Netchev for World History Encyclopedia)

Aeneas Carrying Anchises, black-figure pottery (c. 520 BCE)

Aeneas, Anchises, and Ascanius, by Gian Lorenzo Bernini (1618)

Aeneas Carrying His Father Anchises, by Ludolph Büsinck (1643)

Aeneas Carrying Anchises, by Charles-Andre Van Loo (1729)

The Meeting of Dido and Aeneas, by Nathaniel Dance-Holland (18th century)

Season 2: The Comeback Kid starts on April 25th!

Hello, demigods! I’m Cass, host of the Myths & Muses podcast and daughter of Clio, the muse of history, here to announce that Season 2 will be launching soon!

The Muses have pointed me in a really interesting direction for this season. They sent me on a bunch of research trips over the winter, and then I got home to discover that they’re all a-flutter over … an Egg. But this is not just any egg. It’s a Phoenix Egg. Actually, it’s a bunch of Phoenix Eggs that have just… appeared all over the mythical world this spring.

None of us are… really sure what’s going on with that, but the Muses have proclaimed themselves inspired. They love what the Phoenix stands for: rising from the ashes, from the lowest point of failure and despair – to the bright flames of new life, new beginnings, and reinvention.

What does it mean to fail, pick yourself up, and try again? What gods and heroes have stories of triumphing over adversity that might be inspirational to us? Those are the tales we’ll be exploring in Season 2: The Comeback Kid.

These stories can also provide essential guidance for demigods everywhere, 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 so you’re prepared for the Quests you might face– and if you’re not at camp, you need it even more since you’re out there as a solo hero. Whatever you’re facing, we hope that the stories this season will inspire you.

So make sure you’re subscribed! Episode One will be available to stream or download in one week, on April 25th, 2024!

Until then, stay brave, demigods!