Myths & Monsters

An exploration of the stories that have gripped European imaginations for centuries, revealing the fascinating and unexpected history behind them.
Heroes & Villains
S1 E1

The strange Slavic story of Ivan and Koschei the Deathless; the origins of King Arthur and the wizard Merlin; Odysseus resists the song of the Sirens; Sigurd and his battle with the dragon Fafnir.

The Wild Unknown
S1 E2

The tragic Greek myth of Actaeon, who stumbled upon the goddess Artemis; the Celtic Otherworld, an idyllic place of magic and beauty; the Kraken; venturing into the woods of the Brothers Grimm.

War
S1 E3

Romulus and Remus; Vikings and the Valkyries who ushered them to the next world; the Trojan War; how Homer's "The Iliad" influenced Alexander the Great; Vlad the Impaler.

Love and Betrayal
S1 E4

The medieval romance of Tristan and Isolde; how the abandonment of Dido by Aeneas paved the way for Rome; Norse attitudes of sex and marriage in "Lay of Thrym"; Medea murders her children.

Change & Revolution
S1 E5

The role of myths and legends in the establishment of the rules of society, as well as the punishments that result from the violation of the rules.