In this final episode, we’re going to look at a few stories about recovering from – and remembering – loss. Then, we’ll look back over this Comeback Kids season and think about what it really means for a hero to find their way home – and how that’s not always as easy as it might seem. We start with Achilles, greatest of the Greek heroes, then explore some myths from civilizations around the Arctic Circle.

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 Comeback Kids Episode 10

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:

• More on Achilles and Patroclus:
  • Achilles at Mythopedia and the World History Encyclopedia
  • Patroclus at World History Encyclopedia
  • Q&A with Madeline Miller, author of The Song of Achilles
• On the Northern Lights:
  • Aurora myths, legends, and misconceptions
  • History of the Northern Lights: Myths and Legends
  • Aurora Zone: Mythology of the Northern Lights
• On Nostos:
  • The Journey Home, by Dylan Nathaniel Ozmore
  • Middle Earth Diaries: The Return to the Shire

Stuff to Watch:

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

Cool Images:

The Wrath of Achilles, by Michel-Martin Drolling (1810)

The Triumph of Achilles by Franz von Matsch (1892)

Patroclus and Achilles in Troy (2004)

In this episode, we explore gods who have made sacrifices -- some of them on purpose, for the sake of wisdom or another advantage, and some of them less-intentionally. We'll explore three stories showing just how far Odin will go for wisdom, then we'll find out why Tyr, the Norse god of law and justice, and Nuada, a leader of the Celtic Tuatha Dé Danann, lost their hands. Then we'll finish with a coda to the story of Osiris, Horus, and Set.

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 Comeback Kids Episode 9

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:

• More on Odin:
  • At Mythopedia and the World History Encyclopedia
  • "How Odin Sacrificed His Eye at Mimir's Well"
  • From Norse Mythology for Smart People: Why Odin is One-Eyed, The Mead of Poetry, and Odin's Discovery of the Runes
• About Runes:
  • Futhark Runes: Names, Meanings, and How to Use Them
  • Runes at Norse Mythology for Smart People (includes origins, meanings, and some book recommendations
  • What Are and How to Make Bind Runes
• About Tyr & Fenrir:
  • Tyr at Mythopedia and Norse Mythology for Smart People
  • "The Binding of Fenrir"
• About Nuada:
  • At Mythopedia and Timeless Myths
  • Tuatha dé Danann: The Story of Ireland’s Fiercest Tribe
  • Uncovering the Origins of the Tuatha Dé Danann
• Horus at Mythopedia

Stuff to Watch:

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

Cool Images:

Odin the Wanderer, Georg von Rosen (1886)

Óðinn throws his spear at the Vanir host, by Lorenz Frølich (1895)

Odin Fighting Fenrir, Emil Doepler (1905)

Norse god Tyr sacrificing his arm to Fenrir the wolf, John Albert Bauer (1911)

It’s time to finish up our “come back from the Underworld” mini-series! In this episode, we’ll be covering stories of some mythological figures whose trips to the Underworld were… unintentional. And not of natural causes. But they all manage to come back! Just usually with a little outside help. You'll hear two major stories from Egyptian and Norse mythology, and then a couple of lesser-known tales from Japan and Finland.

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 Comeback Kids 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:

• More on Osiris:
  • At Mythopedia and World History Encyclopedia
  • From the Rosicrucian Egyptian Museum
• A little bit about Demeter, Demophon, and the Eleusinian Mysteries
• More on Baldr:
  • At Mythopedia and World History Encyclopedia
  • The Death of Baldr (Norse Mythology for Smart People)
• More on Onamuji
  • From New World Encyclopedia
  • Ōkuninushi, the Master of the Land
• Lemminkäinen at the Finnish Folklore Wiki

Stuff to Watch:

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

Cool Images:

Statue of Osiris

Osiris and the Egyptian Resurrection (1911 reproduction of ancient tomb wall art)

"Death of Baldr" (c. 1750)

“Baldur’s Death” by Christoffer Wilhelm Eckersberg (1817)

"Each arrow overshot his head" (1902)