Mythos & Logos

Part two of our Irish series brings us to the legendary Celtic Otherworld! Known as Emain, Tir na nÓg, or the Land of Youth, many stories in Irish mythology take place in the legendary Otherworld. When the veil between worlds is particularly thin, you may hear the enchanting sound of music, or see golden apples on the bough... But look out! Those who journey to the Otherworld never come back the...

Our three part season filmed in Ireland begins! Fionn mac Cumhaill (Finn McCool) is likely the most famous figure in Irish mythology, leading the legendary band of warriors known as the Fianna (Fenians) through an epic mythic cycle. On his adventures, Fionn encounters a giant, a fire-breathing goblin, and a magic fish containing all the world's knowledge. Maybe the Salmon of Knowledge can expl...

In most mythologies, people come from the earth; the Pawnee come from the stars. Join in conversation with Matt Kuruks'irari Jim as we explore Pawnee mythology, cosmology, culture, and spiritual medicine. Together, we uncover a picture of a unique Indigenous American culture at the intersection of tradition and modernity. Mythos & Logos are two ancient words that can be roughly translated...

The Phoenix is one of the most well-known mythical creatures in the world, and holds a special place in many hearts due to its symbolism of resurrection. Dying in flame and rising from the ashes, the Phoenix is likely the world's most iconic symbol of rebirth. But many tellings miss what may be the most important part of the Phoenix myth; the dignity and honor with which it treats its past sel...

Buddhist sutras tell of a distant future, where the teachings of the Buddha we know have been entirely forgotten. This future city, ruled by a benevolent, wise king, is a utopia, where people want for nothing and live for over 80,000 years. But even this paradise is still in need of a teaching, that nothing lasts forever. This is the world of the future Buddha Maitreya, also known as Metteyya, the...

Mythos & Logos are two ancient words that can be roughly translated as “Story & Meaning." Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/mythosandlogos There were too many art credits to fit in this description, but you can view them all in the description on YouTube: https://youtu.be/uL3wYie6h3w

Niina’s Book: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0GMCXWX2XThank you to Niina Mielipaiva of fairychamber.org for joining to teach us about the culture, mythology, and symbolism of the Sámi, indigenous people of Northern Europe. Niina shares highlights from her new book, "Mythology of the Sámi: Minorities Within Minorities," along with history and her personal experience exploring her Forest Sámi...

00:00 Introduction 00:07 Merlin, from the Nuremberg Chronicle 00:20 Merlin by Aubrey Beardsley 00:24 Prince Arthur Educated by Thomas Pennant 01:03 The Mad Prophet 01:18 Fresco "Iwein" by Hartmann von Aue, photo Thomas Wozniak, Creative Commons 01:37 Alauda arvensis Nest, photo Beentree, Creative Commons 01:48 Battle of Crécy by Loyset Liédet 01:59 Geoffrey of Monmouth, The Life of Merli...

We live in a world filled with both light and darkness, and it is in our darkest times that we need the greatest compassion. Written by a Buddhist monk from Medieval (Heian Period) Japan, this horror story brings us a woman who transforms into a demon known as an Oni. Yet the demon-woman's story challenges us to find hope, even in the darkness of her life. Mosaic Family Services is dedicated t...

While we often look to the past for an example of a better world, our counterparts living in the ancient world did the same, viewing even their time as a fallen one, ruled by greed. Greek and Roman authors such as Hesiod and Ovid detailed the decay of the world from original perfection in the myth of the Golden, Silver, Bronze, and Iron Ages, and the philosophy of Plato, in his Statesman dialogue,...

In the Amazon Basin, in the interior of Brazil, systems of ritual and belief have existed for thousands of years unknown to most Brazilians. When the Villas-Bôas brothers established contact with the people of the Xingú less than 100 years ago, they became advocates for the indigenous people to the Brazilian government and society for the culture's preservation. We look at the stories shared w...

Aboriginal Australian cultures existed separate from the rest of the world for thousands of years. Their stories tell of verifiable events from millennia ago; they also tell of a time outside of time, called the Dreaming. Stories from the Dreaming, also called Dreamtime, are deeply connected to the earth, and tell of our connections to it as well. The stories presented here give perspectives from...

In this podcast conversation we are joined by New Orleans native and historical cemetery/spooky tour guide Christian as we explore traditions of life and death in America's most haunted city. We explore how the blend of European, Native American, and West African cultures in New Orleans led to unique expressions of spirituality such as Voodoo and what popular culture gets wrong about it; scandals...

The Frog Princess is a classic fairy tale that is present in many storytelling traditions, especially concentrated in the Slavic cultures of Eastern Europe. Ugliness and beauty mix in a striking tale that leads to the renewal of a kingdom, a marriage, and the hero himself. As we will see in a Russian version, the story of the Frog Princess is packed with symbolism which ties the strange world of f...

This podcast conversation goes in-depth on the Oracle at Delphi and her influence on Western culture and Christian theology. We explore historical figures like Socrates, Xenophon, Alexander the Great, Saint Paul, and Julian the Apostate to follow the links in the chain of Western philosophy back to the Prophetess of Apollo, and the appearance of her and Pagan gods in the Bible. Many thanks to Matt...

The ancient Irish site of Newgrange is a neolithic tomb and a mythic womb. featuring at the heart of stories which have been told for thousands of years. These two stories of Newgrange, also called Brú na Bóinne, and its inhabitants, the Tuatha Dé Danann or old gods the Dagda, Boanne, Aengus, and Cáer, demonstrate the ancient Irish view of nature as cyclical, and offer us a glimpse at something mo...

We interact with objects in our surroundings every day; but it's not every day that you see an umbrella sprouting legs, instruments playing themselves, or theatrical masks transform into many-faced monsters. These are examples of tsukumogami, Japanese mythical creatures that are objects come alive. In some sources they are friendly, in others they march in the infamous Night Parade of 100 Demo...

The Sun is a major figure in Cherokee mythology; the world depends upon her light and warmth, but is at the mercy of her brutal heat when she is slighted by her brother, the Moon. In this story, recorded from the Eastern Band of Cherokee in the late 19th century, a plan to stop the Sun from burning the world leads to the death of her daughter, and a plan to bring her back from the Ghost Country. C...

Pleased to host Matt Benjamin, friend of the channel, YouTube host, and author of the new novel We Are Icarus on the podcast to discuss his new novel in an authentic, unsponsored conversation. Matt’s novel explores timeless philosophy through a futuristic sci-fi dystopia setting. Join us as we discuss the timeless power of story, explore Ancient Greek philosophy and mythology, explore the creative...

A philosopher has the unique challenge of expressing that which is beyond us through the limitations of language. For many, this is done through a series of logical arguments; for the Taoist philosopher Zhuangzi 莊子 the Way of Nature, called Tao 道 is best approached in another way, through the powerful, poetic language of metaphor. Zhuangzi sets the tone through the marvelous image of the mythol...

In the ancient days of Greek and Roman mythology, the story was told of Phaeton, the son of the sun god Helios (often equivocated with Apollo) who asked his father to command the chariot of the sun on its journey across the sky. The power of the god was too much for this mortal, and his bold attempt to wield it nearly destroyed all of creation. Today we wield many of the same powers once attribute...

This powerful story from the Kirikir?i:s, most commonly known as the Wichita & Affiliated Tribes (historic inhabitants of North Texas, Oklahoma, and Kansas) is one that is very important today. We explore the Wichita cyclical understanding of history, from the cosmic and mythological scale to the personal, through two fascinating women and the always impressive Thunderbird. Mythos & Logos are two...

The story of Lycaon (also spelled Lykaion, Lykaon) has been told by many dating back to Ancient Greece, where it was attested in works like Pausanias' Description of Greece, Apollodorus' Library, and Hyginus' Astronomica, and across centuries and civilizations through works like Ovid's masterpiece Metamorphoses. Lycaon's attempt to deceive the gods leads to a terrifying transfo...

Spiritual seekers from across religious traditions have had profound experiences within the natural world. Comparing the role of nature in selected Jewish, Christian, and Muslim teachings demonstrates the harmonious role that nature serves in the Abrahamic religions. Jesus' parables of the sower and the fig trees in the Gospels show how we can be inspired by the natural world to change ourselv...

Hans Christian Andersen's original telling of The Little Mermaid is probably very different from the one you know. The mermaid's transformation is far less pleasant, there is no mention of true love's kiss, and what is she doing with that knife? A close reading and a look into the life of Hans Christian Andersen, a liminal figure caught between two societies, shows a powerful message t...