Name That Monster
This month on “Name That Monster,” name the half-human, half-bovine creature birthed by Queen Pasiphae of Crete after a technology-assisted dalliance with a very attractive bull. Another hint: this creature was trapped in a labyrinth where he was fed Athenian war tributes until Theseus came along to end his life.
If you said Minotaur, you got the species, but not the name. According to ancient sources, his mamma called him Asterion.
In fact, here’s baby Asterion sitting in his mother’s lap:
I learned this from a fascinating episode of the podcast, Let’s Talk About Myths, Baby! [PG-13 for language] in which host Liv Albert interviews Dr. Cora Beth Fraser about her research, story variants that are more sympathetic to Asterion, and resources that apply lessons from mythology in the neuro-divergent community.
Dr. Fraser is developing a site called Asterion, which aims to help neurodivergent people in Classics in three areas: support, resources, and community. Definitely to be added to the Mythoversal resources page.
Becoming Hercules Update
So far, 16 Episodes of Becoming Hercules have been made public on a regular weekly schedule. People have read it. People seem to like it. I’m glad that people are having fun with it, and I’m having a lot of fun putting it out as well.
The most recent episode starts the fifth story arc, called “Byuh,” which focuses on the character of Alkis. I’m pleased to announce that the end of “Byuh” will mark the end of the project’s preview season. Ah, but what has it all been a preview of?
If you’ve read the story this far, I’d love for you to tell me what you think of the characters, their story, and my interpretation of the world in which they live.
After “Byuh,” Becoming Hercules will be becoming something else. I’d love to hear what you’d like to see in the bigger and better phase that comes next.
Stay tuned to find out more.
—Greg R. Fishbone, Mythology Disruptor
Mythoversal brings inclusion to Greek mythology by broadening representation, amplifying marginalized identities, and reversing centuries of gatekeeping and erasure.
Our entry point to Mythoversal Hellas is the multicultural city of Thebes, where we disrupt and deconstruct Greek, Hellenic, Roman, and Byzantine sources to create a mythic environment that's inclusive, inviting, and relevant. This is the setting for Becoming Hercules, which provides a window into the past and a mirror for today. Non-US readers, click here for an Access Guide to learn about Amazon’s location-gated content restrictions and how to bypass them.
I actually used the 'did you know the Minotaur' had a name bit recently, but I've researched a lot for a story I'm writing. I'm going to give that podcast a listen as my story is more sympathetic to Asterion as well.