Finneran's Wake - For Kids!: Recent Episodes
Daniel Ethan Finneran
Wondrous tales of heroes and myths for your child’s enlightenment (and your entertainment!) Gather your little ones, ready your minds, and join me, as we embark together (all of us!—parents included!) on fantastic adventures in distant lands. Here, on Finneran’s Wake, you’ll find THE greatest stories ever told, the stories passed down from one generation to the next since the dawn of time, by which our great culture has been raised, and your child will be too.
This one is a classic! The story of Diana and Actaeon features a remarkable young nobleman, Actaeon, whose skill as a hunter, fitness as a leader, and handsomeness as a royal lad were the envy of all; his aimless wandering into a mystical cave; his encounter with the owner of said cave, the chaste and beautiful goddess Diana, by whom, in a fit of rage and injured modesty, he was magically transformed into a stag; and the sorry end that came about because of his transformation, when the hunter became the hunted.
Please subscribe to, comment on, and follow this channel and my two sister channels, Finneran’s Wake and Pneuma by Daniel Finneran!
This story features distraught king, whose noble son, Prince Cadmus, is tasked with finding and recovering Europa, his stolen sister; his failure to do so, and his consequent exile from the realm; his visit to the Oracle of Delphi and his founding of a new city, Thebes; the monster by whom that city was menaced, against whom our great hero waged a legendary fight; the warriors who sprang from the dragon’s teeth, who proceeded to kill one another in a civil war.
You'll not want to miss this tale!
For more content, visit my sister podcasts, Finneran's Wake and Pneuma.
"Slowly, slowly down the broad dry beach, first in the shallow waves the great god set his spurious hooves, then sauntered further out till in the open sea he bore his prize. Fear filled her heart, as, gazing back, she saw the fast receding sands..."
Did you ever wonder where "Europe" got its name? Or how the Minoan civilization came to be? Or why Jupiter disguised himself as a naughty (and nautical!) white bull? The story of Jupiter and Europa answers all these questions!
It features a lustful god whose magical transformation into a bull lured an innocent girl away from her family, friends, and home; a beautiful princess by the name of Europa, after whom the entire continent of Europe, and one of the planet Jupiter’s moons, are named; the seizure of the latter by the former–of the princess by the god; a bull swimming across the sea to a distant island called Crete; and the great king born of a bizarre union.
For more content, visit my sister pages, "Finneran's Wake" (for adults) and "Pneuma"
“The lips that Jove so praised were now hideous Jaws! And lest her prayers prevail, her power of speech was quenched; a fearful growl, angry and menacing, came from her throat. She was a BEAR!--but, beneath her grisly exterior, she kept her woman’s heart”.
The myth of Callisto, who now twinkles high above us as the constellation Ursa Major, features the rebuilding of the world after its near total destruction; a scandalous affair between a god and a nymph; the child born of that strange union; the mother’s magical transformation into a bear; her encounter with her grown son, now a hunter; and their marvelous apotheosis–their becoming stars in the night sky.
Visit my other podcasts, Finneran's Wake (for grown-ups!) and Pneuma (for wellness and meditation)
"Dangerous is your choice! You seek a privilege that ill suits your growing years and strength so boyish still. Mortal your lot--not mortal your desire; this, to which even the gods may not aspire, in ignorance you claim!"
This story, in which many useful lessons abound, features a reckless, arrogant, boastful boy whose high-placed father promised him too much. It’s the story of a son whose reach exceeded his grasp, and of a father whose promise, once made, couldn’t be undone. Did you ever wonder by what mechanism the sun is propelled across the sky? Or why some places on Earth are cold, and others are hot? Or why some people have dark, and others fair skin? By the marvelous story of Phaëthon, all these questions, and more, will be answered.
"From his quiver's laden armory, Cupid drew two arrows of opposing power: one shaft, tipped with gold, rouses love, while the second, forged of iron, smothers all affection".
The following story, with which I've the great pleasure to inaugurate this enchanted channel, is one of my favorites! It features boastful and wrathful gods, bows and arrows, a spellbound lover (whose love was unrequited!), a wild-chase through nature, and a beautiful young girl’s magical transformation into a tree (a laurel tree, to be exact, from which we get the name, "Nobel Laureate"). This wonderful story, from which nothing is missing, is the fabulous tale of Apollo and Daphne. Enjoy!