Category: | Our Mythical Childhood Survey

Joan Holub, Suzanne Williams

In this installment, we meet Calliope, the muse of epic poetry. Calliope is new at MOA, and as a new student she is anxious and wishes to prove her worth. She used to live with her sisters, but now she wants to show them that she is already mature enough and perfectly able to take care of herself. “She wanted to stand on her own two feet, to have them see her as the almost-teenager she was!” (p. 27). This is of course a universal feeling shared by almost all adolescents; the need to (...)

literary

YEAR: 2016

COUNTRY: United States of America

TAGS: Amphitrite Aphrodite Apollo Ares Artemis Athena Calliope Cassandra Dionysus / Dionysos Marsyas Medusa Muses Pandora Persephone Pheme Poseidon Terpsichore Urania Zeus

Joan Holub, Suzanne Williams

Echo the Copycat (Goddess Girls, 19)

In this installment, we meet Echo, the forest nymph (Oreiad nymph). We get a chance to be introduced to a different character from the usual goddesses from MOA. Echo loses her tree in a lightning-bolt accident, and blames Zeus by mistake. Her trip to MOA will teach her about friendship, copying and being true to one’s self. Echo finally finds out where she belongs and where she wants to be. Home is truly where your heart is.(...)

literary

YEAR: 2016

COUNTRY: United States of America

TAGS: Amalthea Aphrodite Apollo Ares Artemis Athena Calliope Daphne Echo Hera Heracles Hercules Narcissus Pan Persephone Tiresias Zeus

SIE Santa Monica Studio

God of War

God of War is a video game series created by Santa Monica Studio, an exclusive title for the PlayStation consoles (with the exception of God of War: Betrayal). Individual games have their separate entries, see under the name of each gameIt tells the story of a Spartan warrior – Kratos – and his adventures in the world of ancient Greece.* The series consists of the following games:God of War, 2005 for PS2;God of War II, 2007 for PS2;God of War: Betrayal, 2007 for Mobiles (Ja(...)

electronic

YEAR: 2005

COUNTRY: United States of America

TAGS: Amphitrite Aphrodite Ares Artemis Athena Athens Barbarians Calliope Centaur(s) Cerberus Cronus / Kronos Cyclops / Cyclopes Gorgon(s) Hades Harpies Hydra Labyrinth Medusa Minotaur Olympus Oracles Pandora’s Box Phoenix (Bird) Poseidon Satyr(s) Sirens Spartans Zeus

SIE Santa Monica Studio

God of War II

The story revolves around Kratos, a Spartan hero. The Olympian gods acknowledged his deeds presented in the first game of the series (see the entry for more info), and rewarded him with a seat on the Olympus. Since the day Kratos became the new god of war, he has been leading Sparta against other Greek poleis. The game begins with a cutscene that shows Kratos looking down on Rhodes, a new territory to claim. Athena disagrees with his methods, as he openly sides with one polis and that's why (...)

electronic

YEAR: 2007

COUNTRY: United States of America

TAGS: Argo Argonauts Athena Atlas Atropos Calliope Cerberus Clotho Cronus / Kronos Cup of Invisibility Cyclops / Cyclopes Euryale Fates Golden Fleece Gorgon(s) Griffins / Gryphons Hades Helios Hermes Icarus Jason Lachesis Medusa Moirai Olympians Olympus Pegasus Perseus Phoenix (Bird) Poseidon Prometheus Rhodes Rhodians Satyr(s) Sparta Spartans Theseus Titanomachy Titans Typhon / Typhoeus / Typhaon Zeus

Ready at Dawn , SIE Santa Monica Studio

God of War: Chains of Olympus

The story revolves around Kratos, a Spartan hero seeking to redeem his sins by serving the Olympian gods.During his journey, Kratos receives a number of weapons and magic items. In the God of War: Chains of Olympus there are: weapons – Blades of Chaos given to Kratos by Ares (default weapon), Gauntlet of Zeus forged by Hephaestus; magic – Efreet, an ability to use the spirit of a fiery Djiin, Light of Dawn, orbs of light to hurl and Charon's Wraith, green, ravenous blasting flame(...)

electronic

YEAR: 2008

COUNTRY: United States of America

TAGS: Atlas Basilisk Calliope Charon Eos Graeco-Persian Wars Hades Helios Morpheus Muses Persephone Persians Styx Triton Underworld Zeus

Joan Holub, Suzanne Williams

Hestia the Invisible (Goddess Girls, 18)

In this installment, we meet Hestia, the goddess girl of the hearth. Hestia is extremely shy and tries to avoid speaking in class, for example. She even added hoods to her chitons so she can hide her face, calling this “her invisibility strategy” (p. 23). Hestia is extremely private. At school, “keeping her hooded head down and avoiding eye contact with anyone, she managed to ward off conversation.” (p. 29). The humans on earth have a contest to find an “MOA st(...)

literary

YEAR: 2015

COUNTRY: United States of America

TAGS: Aglaia Amphitrite Antheia / Anthea Apollo Ares Artemis Athena Atlas Calliope Dionysus / Dionysos Hades Hephaestus Hera Heracles Hercules Hestia Iris Kydoimos Pandora Persephone Pheme Pygmalion Zeus

Franciszek Kobryńczuk

How Apollo Turned Pierus’ Daughters into Magpies [Jak Apollo zamienił w sroki córki Pierosa]

Apollo, the god of beauty, is also the guardian of the nine Muses, for whom he cares deeply. Pierus, the king of Macedonia and father to nine daughters, states they could take the place of the Muses and be better. Apollo immediately turns Pierus’ daughters into magpies when he hears this boast. In the ending, the lyrical I says that he hears magpies outside his house every day at dawn and believes they are the counterparts of Clio and Erato because they bring him facts and rhymes.(...)

literary

YEAR: 2015

COUNTRY: Poland

TAGS: Apollo Calliope Clio Erato Euterpe Macedonia Melpomene Metamorphosis Muses Pierides Pierus Polyhymnia / Polymnia Terpsichore Thalia Urania

David Pike

Mythical Creatures of Greek Myths (Greek Mythology Stories for Kids, 2)

The book offers three stories that involve mythological animals: Pegasus and the disappearance of Calliope; The Griffin and the Athenian princess of Ilissus (Orithyia) and Chiron and Heracles' poisoned arrow. At the end of each story, there is a shorter explanation of the mythical creature (Pegasus, Griffin, Centaurs): their origin, way of life, related myth and some examples of reception (for example, it is noted that the Griffin is mentioned in Percy Jackson and Harry Potter series).The fi(...)

literary

YEAR: 2018

COUNTRY: United States of America

TAGS: Boreas Calliope Centaur(s) Chiron / Cheiron Erato Griffins / Gryphons Heracles Muses Nephele Pegasus Poseidon Prometheus

Aleksandra Witkowska (Danecka)

Orpheus and Eurydice [Orfeusz i Eurydyka]

Based on: Katarzyna Marciniak, Elżbieta Olechowska, Joanna Kłos, Michał Kucharski (eds.), Polish Literature for Children & Young Adults Inspired by Classical Antiquity: A Catalogue, Faculty of “Artes Liberales”, Warsaw: University of Warsaw, 2013, 444 pp.,online: http://omc.obta.al.uw.edu.pl/omc_catalogue. Orpheus, a famous ancient poet and musician from Thrace, was given the lyre by Apollo himself who made him a master of the arts of music and poetry. The beauty of Orpheus&(...)

literary

YEAR: 1988

COUNTRY: Poland

TAGS: Apollo Aristaeus Calliope Cerberus Charon Eurydice Hades Orpheus Persephone Sisyphus Tantalus Thrace Underworld

Nicolas Duffaut, Hélène Montardre

Orpheus in Hell [Orphée aux Enfers]

Calliope, one of the nine Muses, sings to her baby boy Orpheus who seems to delight in her voice. He grows up to be a child interested in music and indifferent to usual boyish pursuits causing his father to worry. Apollo offers the boy a magic lyre that is supposed to grow with him. Young Orpheus becomes an exceptional musician who plays the lyre, mesmerizing his audiences. When Jason announces his plans to travel to Colchis looking for the Golden Fleece, Orpheus volunteers, to his father astoni(...)

literary

YEAR: 2013

COUNTRY: France

TAGS: Apollo Argo Argonauts Calliope Cerberus Charon Colchis Eurydice Golden Fleece Hades Jason Maenads Orpheus Persephone

June Epstein , Marjorie Howden

The Nine Muses: Five Plays for Ages 11 to 13

“The Nine Muses” (pp. 80–91) gives the title to the collection but it is the only play in the collection with a classical theme.A playscript about Ancient Greece that brings classical composers to Mount Olympus for child performers and audiences. The work includes plans for stage setting, notes on costume and props and a list of classical music to be performed during the performance. “Suggestions for original work” at the end of the play include dramatisations of on(...)

literary

YEAR: 1951

COUNTRY: Australia

TAGS: Ancient Fashion Apollo Calliope Clio Erato Euterpe Greek Gods Greek Theatre Hermes Melpomene Muses Polyhymnia / Polymnia Terpsichore Thalia Urania