Episode 9: Sports and Athletics

The history of sports is deeply woven into the stories humanity has told, from its earliest days. In this episode, we look at the mythological tie-ins of the Olympic Games, how wrestling shows up in many ancient stories, and a particularly wild sport from Minoan civilization. We also explore some of the most popular modern sports -- and how some of those have ancient origins, too!

This episode's interview features Anna Willenbrock, a Camp Mythik and Camp Half-Blood Brooklyn Counselor who has a deep love of athletics! She's done everything from discus to sword-fighting, and she wants demigods to hear that athleticism can be for everyone.

If you'd like to submit a story or artwork to be featured on Myths & Muses, use this form (with a Mortal Guardian's permission!).

[Transcript for Episode 9]

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Stuff to Read:

• The Olympic Games: 
  • The official modern Olympic guide to the ancient games
  • The history of the games from World History Encyclopedia
  • A look at the Olympic Games from the Metropolitan Museum of Art
• More on bull-leaping: 
  • Bulls and bull-leaping in the Minoan world
  • Bull-Leaping in Bronze Age Crete
  • The Mystery of Minoan Bull-Leaping
• More on other ancient sports: 
  • Viking Games and Sports
  • The Great Wrestling Matches of Myth
  • Wrestling in Mythology: Gilgamesh vs Enkidu

Stuff to Watch: 

• Our YouTube Playlist for Episode 9: Featuring an illustrated history of sports, several looks at the ancient Olympics, more on the epic of Gilgamesh, and some modern-day bull-related sports!

Cool Images: 

Ancient stadium in Olympia, Greece:

Olympic Boxers, c. 550 BCE (The Cleveland Museum of Art)

Prize amphora showing horse-racing, c. 510 BCE (The Met)

Heracles wrestling Triton (from theoi.com)

Heracles wrestling Antaeus, c. 150 BCE

Ullr on skis with a bow, 11th century: 

Ullr on skis with his bow, 18th century:

The Bull-Leaping Fresco from the Great Palace at Knossos, Crete, c. 1600-1450 BCE:

Minoan Bull-Leaper statue, c. 1500 BCE: 

Minoan gold ring showing a man leaping over a bull, c. 1400 BCE: