Misunderstood Monsters Episode 12: Arachne and Other Spider-Folk

In the final episode of our Misunderstood Monsters season, we explore the story of Arachne: It’s usually presented as one of hubris: a cautionary tale against pride. But can we revisit her story in the light of our Misunderstood Monsters theme? We'll also meet some other spider-folk from across the world, including West Africa, the American Southwest, and Japan, and we'll wrap up the Gauntlet of the Gorgon with a look at how Medusa is having a real moment in modern book publishing.

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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 12

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Stuff to Read: 

• Medusa
  • Middle Grade novels: Medusa and The Gods' Revenge by Katharine Marsh
  • Young Adult novel: Medusa by Jessie Burton
  • Adult novels: Stone Blind by Natalie Haynes, Medusa by Nataly Gruender and I, Medusa by Ayana Gray
  • Book Riot: Medusa: The Gorgon’s Story Adapted 4 Ways
  • How ‘Percy Jackson and the Olympians’ Changes the Book’s Medusa Myth
• Arachne: 
  • On Mythopedia and World History Encyclopedia
  • Madeline Miller: Myth of the Week: Arachne
  • Quotes from original Greek and Latin sources (translated to English) from THEOI
• Anansi: 
  • Myth Matters: A World without Stories and the Trickster Anansi
  • All Stories are Anansi's
• Other Spiderfolk:
  • Neith: The Goddess Who Created the World
  • Wisdom, War, and Weaving: The Egyptian Spider Goddess
  • The Native American Story of Spider Woman: A Journey of Discovery
  • World History Encyclopedia: Iktomi Tales
  • Yokai.com: Jorogumo

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