Misunderstood Monsters Episode 5: Echidna and Monstrous Mothers

Since this episode is dropping just before Mother’s Day in the US, it seemed like the perfect time to talk about Echidna, the Mother of All Monsters. Or… at least an awful lot of the Greek ones. We'll also look at some other monstrous mothers in Mesopotamian, Norse, and Germanic 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 5

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Stuff to Read:

• Echidna
  • Summaries at Mythopedia and Ancient Origins
  • Quotes from original Greek texts at THEOI
  • Echidna: Half Woman, Half Snake of Greece
• Angrboda:
  • From Vikingr
  • Chaos, and Destruction: The Symbolism of Angrboda in Norse Mythology and Beyond
• Tiamat
  • Summary from World History Encyclopedia 
  • From The Met: Mesopotamian Creation Myths
  • Dungeons & Dragons: The History Of Bahamut And Tiamat
• Grendel’s Mother:
  • Beowulf and Grendel’s Mother

Stuff To Watch: Check out our curated YouTube playlist for this episode!