The Fates: Greek Mythology's Most Powerful Deities | Fate & Fabled

Dr. Moiya McTier & Dr. Emily Zarka bring their unmatched expertise in Mythology & Folklore to this new PBS Digital series, FATE & FABLED. The show digs into the stories and characters of mythologies, both ancient and modern, from all around the world - exploring the origins of these tales and their lasting influence.

In this episode, we examine the Fates - three shadowy figures who seem to have a near omnipresent influence in the goings-on throughout the Greek mythical universe - and who show up in stories and religions from cultures whose time and place are far removed from the ancient Greeks. Join us!

Hosted by
Moiya McTier, PhD

Written by
Iseult Gillespie

Director
David Schulte

Executive Producer
Amanda Fox

Producer
Stephanie Noone

Editor + Animator
David Schulte

Assistant Editor
Jordyn Buckland

Illustrator
Sophie Calhoun

Script Editors
Emily Zarka, PhD
Moiya McTier, PhD

Fact Checker
Yvonne McGreevy

Additional Footage
Shutterstock

Music
APM Music

For PBS
Executive in Charge
Maribel Lopez

Director of Programming
Gabrielle Ewing

Fate & Fabled is produced by Spotzen for PBS Digital Studios.

[nalanineeds]

Can you guys do an episode on Mesopotamian mythology? The pantheon isn't as well-known but it's super fascinating. Love this channel and I can't wait to see what you guys have in store.

[leonstellar]

Filipino mythology would be interesting. Each major island in the Philippines has their own mytholgy to tell.

[juliekernerova]

I would love to see some stories from African mythologies! They are despicalbly overlooked!

[sheren_b]

This was a really cool overview of the fates and i really like the end of bringing up how there are similar figures across cultures! the animation is really awesome too and i cant wait to see more!

[katietrongogo]

I'd really like to know more about Native American mythology and stories! Thank you!

[NWednesdayQuansah]

I love this new series! My two favorite goddesses, Hecate and Hel, both get so little love, so I would love an episode on either of them. Also, I'm fascinated by how the Celtic goddess Brigid shifted into a Catholic saint and then a Voodoo lwa. Those are my suggestions. :)

[henrywong]

Chinese mythology might be an interesting topic. You could maybe how some mortal humans were elevated to god status like Guan Yu or Mazu. Maybe you could also talk about mixing between Buddhism and native Taoist and Confucian beliefs.

[eomguel]

I loved it! So thrilled about this new show. I have a request: aztec (mexihca) mythology, more specifically the god with the most badass name of all, Tezcatlipoca (the Smoking Mirror), he who sees it all, lord of the night sky, magic, divination and a bunch of other attributes. Of course Quetzalcoatl, Huitzolopochtli and others can be interesting as well, but they're more the stereotypical macho heroes, whereas Tezcatlipoca is much more complex and intriguing.

[chpnd]

So excited to see a new kind of video from Storied; love the new host!
Great animations! The style is reminiscent of the kind of picture books that were read to me as a kid.

[afrinaut]

Considering how misogynistic most Greek cultures & city states were, I always find Nyx & the Fates as extremely interesting in that context.
Religions/Mythologies that I would be interested in would be: Nubian, Akan, & Yoruba.

[MrTroxel]

This was a very good first episode! I liked both the host and the accompanying animations.

Personally, my favorite story of oracles and The Fates is the one where some guy is told he'll die in the ocean, so he stays on land all his life, only to die in an orchard called Ocean. Absolutely uncalled for by the Fates but quite funny.

[maniacalkoala]

I have 3 ideas for videos:
1. Ra, and why he was so important compared to other Egyptian gods
2. A video on Loki, maybe comparing the mythological version to the Marvel version
3. Something involving Tlingit mythology

[matthuck]

I just love this whole family of PBS YT shows. I watch them every time they drop. While I'm middle aged, have been into mythology, folklore, fantasy, religion, etc. for decades and already know most of this I really enjoy the presentation. It often spurns me to reread and research again, just for fun. All of this fascinating stuff fuels my visual art, and always has.
Thanks for existing, PBS, in all of your forms.

[TheHornedKing]

Never heard about the Fates being personally involved with Hades and Persephone like that. There really is alot of different variotions of that story. And funnily enough, the oldest versions of it are actually the happiest, with Persephone actually loving Hades and being queen of the underworld, while later ones have Persephone being unhappy about it all. It's even weirder when we consider her pre-greek origin that already establish her as an underworld goddess, while Hades seemingly appears out of nowhere as greek mythology as we know it came to be, meaning Persephone has a much longer history as an underwold deity than Hades does.

Edit: Here is a good video by Overly Sarcastic Productions for those who are interested.

[tananario]

Raven bringing the sun is a big one here in Alaska. A general one I would love to see is about the fables about famous mountains. Mountains have great origin stories.

[briantaylor]

Great first episode, very informative! And if y’all are asking for requests- I have always wanted to know more about the Scandinavian witch called Lussi Long-Night. She’s linked (maybe syncretized?) with Saint Lucia, and leads the wild hunt come December

[helenjohannesman]

I would love to see videos about practically any lesser-known mythologies. There are a lot of videos and resources for Greek and Norse Mythology, but very little about anything else.

[ZekeStaright]

I'd like to hear about Hawaiian and Japanese Gods & the creations of their lands.

[literaterose]

This was fabulous! So glad for this new addition to the Storied family.

My own personal favorite depiction of the Fates in fiction are from Lloyd Alexander’s Prydain Chronicles, in the form(s) of the unsettling, unnerving, disorienting (but entertaining in their own fashion) marsh-dwelling trio Orddu, Orwen and Orgoch.

[donna]

I LOVE THIS SO MUCH! So well explained, easy to understand, good overview, good pace, rich with examples and evidence. And even mentions other culture's takes on the same concept. I felt like I gained so much knowledge. I've been looking for something like this for so long. I've been wanting to understand Greek and Norse mythology better but I've just been too lazy to read.