Fate & Fabled

Hawaii's Fiery Lovers to Enemies Myth

Not all marriages are love stories, and some of them are meant to end. The Hawai’ian volcano goddess Pele was briefly and disdainfully married to the half-pig demigod Kamapua’a before their ugly breakup. This story will allow us to comment on rising divorce rates from a modern feminist angle that sees the advantages of more women having the freedom to leave bad marriages.

Hawaii's Fiery Lovers to Enemies Myth

10m 47s

  • Paradise on Earth: We Built Our Very Own Utopia: asset-mezzanine-16x9

    Paradise on Earth: We Built Our Very Own Utopia

    S3 E9 - 16m 48s

    Utopias are the everything bagel seasoning of myth devices because they are born out of something everyone everywhere can relate to: the desire for a better existence, even one currently out of our mortal reach.

  • It’s Never Turtles All the Way Down: asset-mezzanine-16x9

    It’s Never Turtles All the Way Down

    S3 E8 - 8m 38s

    Several mythologies from around the world imagined that the world sits on the back of a turtle. Centuries later, we end up with the whimsically iconic phrase “it's turtles all the way down.” Let's explore the origins of the phrase, some of these turtle mythologies . . . and talk about my new tattoo!

  • The War in Heaven: asset-mezzanine-16x9

    The War in Heaven

    S3 E7 - 8m 23s

    What happens when angels and demons battle in heaven? Islam, Judaism, and Christianity all have a story of cosmic conflict—some depict all-out war, while others are more courtroom drama. Their differences give us insight on each faith's beliefs about the afterlife, good and evil, and humans' moral responsibilities. But their similarities point to an ancient ancestor all three religions share.

WETA Passport

Stream tens of thousands of hours of your PBS and local favorites with WETA Passport whenever and wherever you want. Catch up on a single episode or binge-watch full seasons before they air on TV.