Myths, Games & Meaning
What do Greek gods, video games, and popular culture actually have in common?
I'm Dr Dani Shalet. In Myths, Games & Meaning, I sit down with scholars, performers, storytellers, and creatives to explore how ancient myth keeps resurfacing in the culture around us today. We look at how these stories move from antiquity into video games, films, books, and the worlds we build through play.
From Medusa to Middle earth, from the Hero's Journey to Tomb Raider and Baldur's Gate, we dig into the threads that shape contemporary storytelling, and the ways we express our hopes, fears, and identities through storytelling and imagination.
If you're drawn to mythology, folklore, narrative design, or the tales woven through the games and stories we love, you'll feel right at home here.
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About the Host:
Dr Dani Shalet is a theologian, mythologist, educator, and lifelong gamer who explores how humans make meaning through story, from ancient legend to modern games. She brings a warm, thoughtful approach to conversations with actors, scholars, creatives, and fans, drawing on her academic background to make complex ideas feel accessible, cosy, and alive.
Through Myths, Games & Meaning, she invites listeners into a queer aware, emotionally intelligent space where narrative, culture, and identity meet.
New episodes released throughout the year.
Myths, Games & Meaning
The Journey Begins: Dorothy, the Hero’s Journey, and Why Myth Still Matters
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In the very first episode of Myths, Games & Meaning, Dr. Dani Shalet is joined by Dr. Chris Deacy and Dr. Paul March-Russell to explore the enduring power of myth in our lives.
Using Dorothy’s journey in The Wizard of Oz as a guide, they unpack the hero’s journey as a recurring narrative structure and consider how myth continues to shape culture, identity, and the stories we tell ourselves.
The conversation touches on Joseph Campbell’s lasting influence, the importance of gender perspectives in understanding hero narratives, and the role of myth in helping us make sense of contemporary challenges. They also ask what happens when myths are treated as absolute truth, and what dangers arise when stories stop being questioned.
Join us as the journey begins, tracing the path from yellow brick roads to the myths we live by every day.
We would love to hear from you.
Music: Intro and outro — Spirits of the Woods by Rotem Moav.
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