Myth Dynamite: A podcast on all things myth

A Master's degree commentary by Anna

That's right, students are writing about us for their literal degrees *single tear*

 

Launched in July 2020 by two KCL alumna, Myth Dynamite is a podcast on Greek and Roman mythology. Despite the threat of being obscured by the overwhelming number of new podcasts materialising out of the lockdown, the first two seasons have gained a positive response and a loyal following. Rather than focusing on narrating the ancient stories, the aim of the conversational podcast according to one of its hosts is to explore myths and their variations and reception ‘in all their grimy glory’.

 

The podcast is designed to appeal to those without a wider understanding of Greek mythology as well as to listeners already familiar with the ancient stories, and to combat the frequent perception of Classics as an elitist and outdated subject through an admittedly less than child-friendly look at ancient stories and characters. The two hosts are united in their passion for their subject as well as their clear delight in the obscure, shocking and often bizarre aspects of the world of myth.

 

Each episode of the podcast takes a theme, character or place from ancient mythology to explore in detail, and the conversation ranges from discussion of ancient sources to the continued relevance and influence of mythology in the modern world. The hosts clearly enjoy the production, and their enthusiasm is infectious as they treat mythological figures and stories from the ancient world with reference to pop culture and contemporary issues, and discussion of the reception of myth ranges from Guerilla Girls to the politics of Donald Trump, the sculptures of Bernini and the K-pop band BTS.

 

Myth Dynamite plays into the current mainstream popularity of reinterpretations of the Greek myths in popular fiction, in the work of authors such as Madeline Miller, Pat Barker and Natalie Haynes, as well as the popularity of other mythological podcasts and radio programmes such as Natalie Haynes’ popular Stand up for the Classics. Female authors and presenters, including Sarah and Abi of Myth Dynamite, are keen to highlight the way in which the classical tradition and the reception of ancient myths since the Renaissance has been informed by misogyny and elitism and to explore the implications of this tradition for modern reception of myth. The existence of the podcast itself demonstrates the way in which ancient world has become a vehicle through which to explore issues of gender, sexuality and race in the modern world.

 

The successful principle of the podcast is essentially two good friends engaging in a funny and often irreverent discussion about the world of myth, exploring how ancient myths developed and how they are constantly shaped by their reception and imbued with new meaning.