MYTHS & MONSTERS


Episode #101 – "Heroes & Villains"
The episode reveals the strange Slavic story of Ivan and Koschei the Deathless; the origins of King Arthur and the wizard Merlin; the journey of Odysseus as he resists the beautiful songs of the Sirens; and, finally, to Sigurd and his battle with the dragon Fafnir. These stories are given context through the work of contemporary mythologist Joseph Campbell (1904-1987).

Episode #102 – "The Wild Unknown"
Threaded through this episode is the tragic Greek myth of Actaeon, who stumbled upon the goddess Artemis, the Celtic Otherworld — an idyllic place of magic and beauty — and on the trail of the scariest monster of the deep: the Kraken. Finally, we venture into the woods of the Brothers Grimm, revealing the dark and disturbing roots of their famous stories.

Episode #103 – "War"
This episode delves into the violent story of Romulus and Remus, then on to the brutal Vikings and the Valkyries who ushered them into next world. We also hear tales of the Trojan War; explore the influence of Homer's Iliad on Alexander the Great; and, end in 15th-century Romania, hearing the tales of the bloodthirsty ruler Vlad the Impaler – the inspiration for Bram Stoker's legendary Count Dracula.

Episode #104 - "Love And Betrayal"
Love is a universal and powerful emotion, but it can also be destructive. Lust can destroy; betrayal can wound. Such often-irrational forces ask questions of any society. This episode tells the medieval romance of Tristan and Isolde, whose love affair threatened the fate of their kingdom. We explore how the abandonment of Dido by the hero Aeneas paved the way for Rome. We see how Norse attitudes to sex and marriage were expressed in the burlesque farce the Lay of Thrym. And, we meet Medea, guilty of the darkest crime of love and passion – the murder of her own children.

Episode #105 - "Us And Them"
How does a community form? How does it survive and adapt to change? This episode details the role myths and legends have played in establishing the rules of society and the punishments for those who break them. The Pied Piper of Hamelinis an old tale of social norms ignored and punished. The agreed upon deal with the mysterious piper is not fulfilled and the town's children pay the price. But what are the origins of the legend? We also investigate the longevity of legendary outlaw Robin Hood, examine how stories of magic and malice led to the horrific witch trials of Bamberg, Germany, and explore how the bizarre Victorian urban legend of Spring-Heeled Jack was a nightmarish response to rapid social change in 19th-century Britain.

Episode #106 - "The End Of All Things"
Death is a frightening, unsettling prospect for us all. Myths and legends help express and explore those anxieties. But they tell us about more than mortal fear alone, for in a culture's tales of death, we can see what it is they value in life. In this final episode, we tell the ancient Greek myth of Antigone, who defied the laws of her land to bury her dead brother. We meet the most beloved and perfect of the Norse gods, Baldr, whose fate it was to die, despite how he was revered. We examine the apocalyptic flood narratives found so frequently in myth, and we explore our enduring fascination with the undead, tracing the history of the vampire back to its roots in Eastern Europe, and asking why these dark figures still exert such a hold on our imagination.