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Myths in Context: Gods, Heroes, and Ancient Stories

Myths in Context: Gods, Heroes, and Ancient Stories

By: Myths in Context: Gods Heroes and Ancient Stories
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Myths in Context retells gods, heroes, tricksters, and journeys from ancient and traditional sources, then explains what each story reveals in its own setting. Travel from Demeter's search and Thor's missing hammer to Inanna's descent, Anansi's contests, Māui's struggle with the sun, and the Monkey King's rebellion. Clear, researched mythology with source traditions kept distinct and later retellings identified. Social Sciences World
Episodes
  • Māui Slows the Sun: Making More Time for the Day

    Māui Slows the Sun: Making More Time for the Day
    Sep 24 2026
    The sun moves too quickly for people to finish their work, so Māui and his brothers prepare ropes and travel toward its place of rising. This episode follows one specifically identified Māori telling and keeps its cultural setting clear. Inside this episode: - Why the short day creates a shared problem - Flax ropes, inherited knowledge, and preparation - The journey toward Tamanuiterā - How collective action changes the pace of the day Sources include the New Zealand Ministry of Education's Māori telling and Te Ara, the Encyclopedia of New Zealand. This episode is a researched narrative summary. Historical records may be incomplete, translated differently, or interpreted differently by scholars. We distinguish documented facts, estimates, disputed interpretations, and later stories where material. Corrections are logged and incorporated into future editions. Follow Myths in Context for more researched stories of gods, heroes, tricksters, and journeys from around the world.
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    8 mins
  • Inanna's Descent: The Seven Gates of the Underworld

    Inanna's Descent: The Seven Gates of the Underworld
    Sep 24 2026
    Inanna leaves the great above and passes through seven gates into the realm of Ereshkigal. At every gate she loses another sign of power, and her return requires help, attention, and a difficult price. Inside this episode: - Inanna's preparations for the great below - The seven gates and the removal of power - Ereshkigal, Ninshubur, and Enki's response - The condition attached to Inanna's return Sources include the Sumerian poem Inanna's Descent in the Electronic Text Corpus of Sumerian Literature and Penn Museum scholarship. This episode is a researched narrative summary. Historical records may be incomplete, translated differently, or interpreted differently by scholars. We distinguish documented facts, estimates, disputed interpretations, and later stories where material. Corrections are logged and incorporated into future editions. Follow Myths in Context for more researched stories of gods, heroes, tricksters, and journeys from around the world.
    Show More Show Less
    8 mins
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