Epic: The Musical
Epic: The Musical is a concept album made by Jorge Rivera-Herrans, known to most as Jay, to showcase his idea for a
musical based off of the Odyssey. It's made up of 9 sagas, each part released at a different time,
that seperate different parts of the story.
They were released in the order that follows.
- The Troy Saga
- The Cyclops Saga
- The Ocean Saga
- The Circe Saga
- The Underworld Saga
- The Thunder Saga
- The Wisdom Saga
- The Vengeance Saga
- The Ithaca Saga
What follows is a description of the sagas, including what they are about and when they released.
The Troy Saga
Originally released on December 25th, 2022, the Troy Saga tells the beginning of our story.
It was later rereleased on July 4th 2024, with new cover art. The rerelease happened
after Jay created his own record label, and was released with the Thunder Saga.
The Troy Saga begins with Odysseus and the rest of his army inside the Trogan Horse,
and continues as they fight their way through the city. Odysseus eventually encounters
Zeus, who warns him of an enemy that will eventually come to kill him and his family
if he is not dealt with then. The "enemy" is the infant son of Hector, and even though
he wishes not to do so and asks for forgiveness, Odysseus drops the infant from the top
of a wall. Odysseus and his crew than leave Troy, however because of the 10 years the war
lasted, the crew is out of food. They come to an island and while Odysseus's first mate
Eurylochus says the should just raid the island and take their food by force, Odysseus
instead choses to take Polites and try to peacefully talk and get food from the islanders.
They find out that the fruit offered to them is Lotus, which takes over the mind of
those who eat it. Polites then questions the islanders on other places they could
get food, and they tell him about a cave with plenty of food for them all. Odysseus's
mentor, Athena, then visits him and scolds him for listening to Polites about taking
a more open approach with the Lotus Eaters. She than reminds him of when they met, boar
she created and he then killed, along with him outsmarting her by lying about being able
to see her while she was invisible. She gives him a final warning not to disappoint her,
and then leaves.
The Cyclops Saga
Originally released on January 27th 2023, the Cyclops Saga tells the story of Odysseus's
encounter with the cyclops Polyphemus.
It was later rereleased on July 4th 2024, along with the Thunder Saga and rerelease
of the Troy Saga.
The Cyclops Saga picks up with Odysseus and his crew arriving at the cave the Lotus
Eaters told them about. They enter the cave and kill one of the sheep, his crew is
excited about all of the sheep and therefore food, but Odysseus is wary and wonders
why the Lotus Eaters would pass up on all of the food. It's then that the cyclops Polyphemus
appears, questioning them on who they are and why they ate his favorite sheep. Odysseus
says it was a misunderstanding and offers Polyphemus the world's best tasting wine as
a gift to allow him and his crew to live. The cyclops takes it, and asks for his name,
to which Odysseus claims it's Nobody. Polyphemus then thanks him for his gift and says
that Nobody will be the final man to die. The cyclops then begins to attack Odysseus's
men while they return the favor, slashing at his ankles and attempting to stop the Cyclops
from attacking them. After a while of that Polyphemus declares that it is enough, and
brings down his club upon Polties, killing him. (He wasn't long for the world.) Odysseus
freezes, having seen one of his best friends die. Polyphemus then goes on to kill about
40 more of Odysseus's men, while he stands there motionless. The cyclops then falls to
the ground uncoscious, while Eurylochus tries to pull Odysseus to his senses. Odysseus,
after recovering, reveals he slipped Lotus into the wine he gave Polyphemus. He shares a
plan with the rest of his crew that they act upon, sharpening the cyclops's club into a
giant spear and proceeding to blind Polyphemus with it. The crew scatters as Polyphemus
cries out and lashes out in pain. It is then that more cyclops appear, asking Polyphemus
who hurt him. When he says that it was Nobody, the name Odysseus gave to him, the other
cyclops leave telling him to be quiet. Odysseus and his crew then take the sheep and go
to leave, but Athena appears to Odysseus and tells him Polyphemus is still a threat and
that Odysseus needs to kill him. He lashes out at Athena, saying that Polyphemus is
already blind and that the blood him and his crew shed never dries, at which point
he turns to the cyclops and reveals his true name. Athena, after Odysseus and his crew
escape the island, confronts him Odysseus about how he didn't listen to her, taunting
him with the fact that Polites is dead. The two then argue, which ends with Athena leaving
Odysseus and no longer being his godly patron.
Fun Facts
The community has dubbed the slain sheep Bill, and he was a composer of
great music. RIP Bill.
The Ocean Saga
Released on December 25th, 2023, the Ocean Saga picks up the story as Odysseus
and his crew face a fierce storm.
The Ocean Saga picks up with Odysseus and his crew almost back to their home island,
Ithaca, but encountering a fierce storm that seems to be blocking their way. Eurylochus
tries to tell Odysseus that the waves are too strong, but Odysseus instructs the others
to follow his lead in order for them to succeed. Eventually they spot an island floating
in the sky, to which Odysseus instructs every member of his crew to grab a harpoon and aim
to anchor themselves on the island, which they succeed in. As Odysseus is about to climb
to the top of the island, believing that the wind god Aeolus resides on it. Eurylochus
tries to convince him not to, fearing that Odysseus could die or anger Aelous, which
would bring his crew to a swift demise. Odysseus tells him to have faith, but Eurylochus
continues to question and doubt him, wondering when Odysseus's luck will run out. After
the two go back and forth for a bit, Odysseus pulls Eurylochus aside and tells him that he
needs to have faith in his captain. Eurylochus finally relents, and Odysseus climbs up
to the island. There he meets Aeolus, who gives him a bag with the storm inside, but tells
Odysseus's crew that there's treasure inside. Odysseus tells them the truth, but not
all of them believe him. He tries to stay awake all the way until they get home, but
after 9 days straight of being awake he falls asleep. When he wakes up again he realizes
someone has opened the wind bag. He is able to get it closed and save some of the wind,
but they are quicky blown to the island of Lamos which is inhabited by giants called
Laestrygonians and something far worse. When they land at the island they are confronted
by Posiedon, the Sea God. Posiedon calls out Odysseus for blinding his son Polyphemus,
and claims he would have spared Odysseus if he had just finished the cyclops off. Odysseus
tries to apologize to for what he did, but Posiedon doesn't accept this apology and
begins to churn up the sea and causes most of the ships in Odysseus's ship to sink,
leaving him with 43 men left. As Posiedon goes on to threaten Odysseus, he reveals
what's left of the wind bag and blows his ship away from the island. Posiedon yells out
as they take off for the crew and Odysseus to remember him.
The Circe Saga
Released on Febuary 14th, 2024, and continues our story on
the island Odysseus and his crew landed on after leaving Lamos and Posiedon.
The Circe Saga begins right after Odysseus and his crew land on this strange new
island. Eurylochus tries to tell Odysseus something, but Odysseus tells him it can
wait and to go with a small group of men and make sure the island is safe. When
Eurylochus returns he is alone, and Odysseus questions him about what happens. Eurylochus
goes on to explain that they found a palace in the woods and that the rest of his group
went inside while Eurylochus stayed outside. Inside was the witch Circe, who gave food
to the crew, but she cast a spell on it which turned the men into pigs. Eurylochus
advises that they leave the island with what's left of their crew, but Odysseus
refuses. After his discussion with Eurylochus, Odysseus wanders into the woods
where he encounters the messenger god Hermes, who gives Odysseus a flower called
Moly which he says will give Odysseus the ability to summon a creature from his
imagination when he consumes it. Odysseus takes this flower and goes to confront
Circe, who at first doesn't believe he has this power as it can't be obtained easily
by mortals, eventually realizes it was given to him by Hermes. Odysseus uses this power
to summon a Cyclops to do battle with her Chimera, and when Circe realizes she's lost,
she turns to trying to seduce Odysseus, which he doesn't fall for on account of his
love for his wife Penelope. Circe relents and tells him about a prophet in the Underworld
named Tiresias who may be able to help him. She releases Odysseus's men from the spell
she cast on them and proceeds to send them to the Underworld to speak with this prophet.
Fun Facts
In the actual song Hermes refers to the plant as Holy Moly.
The Underworld Saga
Released on April 26th, 2024, the Underworld Saga picks up right after the Circe
Saga, when Odysseus and his crew were sent to the Underworld, and serves as the
end of Act 1.
The Underworld Saga picks up as Odysseus and his crew travel through the Underworld.
As they travel Odysseus hears the voices of the crew members he lost to Polyphemus
and Posiedon, including Polites who continues his mantra of kindess and open arms.
He also sees his mother, who had died while waiting for him to return from the Trogan
War. Eventually he does meet the prophet Tiresias, who delivers a prophecy to him. The
most concerning part to Odysseus is when Tiresias speaks of his palace being covered
in blood and his wife with a man who is hunting. When Odysseus tries to pry the information
from Tiresias, he instead just recites part of his prophecy. After he recieves the propehecy
Odysseus questions his actions up to now, wondering if he made the right choice in sparing
the Cyclops. He makes a decision to be more ruthless and "become a monster" to get home
with the rest of his crew.
Fun Facts
As Tiresias is reciting his prophecy for the final time, the voices in the
background are chanting about actions Odysseus is soon to take.
The Thunder Saga
Released on July 4th, 2024, the Thunder Saga serves as the beginning of Act 2
and picks up when Odysseus and his crew have returned from the Underworld to
begin their journey home.
The Thunder Saga begins as a siren, in the guise of Penelope attempts to lure Odysseus
and members of his crew to jump into the water and join her. Odysseus is able to ask
the Siren how he could escape Posiedon, and she tells him about the lair of Syclla. After
he gets this information from her, he attacks the siren. It's revealed that they crew
put beeswax in their ears so they would be able to resist the siren's song while they
captured them. Odysseus orders, after the sirens have asked to be spared, that their tails
be cut off. Odysseus's new approach to ruthlessness saves him and his crew from the sirens,
as his crew listens to his orders. They then approach the lair of Syclla, where Eurylochus
finally reveals to Odysseus that he was the one who opened the wind bag. Odysseus then orders
him to light six torches, and as they sail into the cave and Syclla attacks. She only
eats those who are holding torches, and Eurylochus realizes this and tries to get them
to get rid of them. However, he is unable to save any of them. Once they're out of the
cave he interrogates Odysseus on why he sacrificed 6 of their men when he had been previously
trying to save all of them. When Odysseus shows no remorse, Eurylochus starts a mutiny against
Odysseus, with the rest of the crew joining him, which ends in Odysseus being stabbed and
then knocked out by Perimedes. When Odysseus wakes up he notices they've arrived at an
island full of cows, along with a statue of the sun god. Odysseus begs Eurylochus not
to kill the cow, but he ends up doing so. The cow was one of the sun god's friends however,
and Zeus is sent to deal with taking revenge for the cow. Zeus offers to take Odysseus's life
in exchange for his crew, or to spare Odysseus and take his crew's lives. Odysseus chooses
the latter, and Zeus strikes down the ship. Odysseus is to drift ashore on a nearby island.
The Wisdom Saga
Released on August 30th 2024, the events of the Wisdom saga pick up 7 years after the
Thunder Saga, and begins from the point of view of Telemachus, Odysseus's son.
The Wisdom Saga picks up from the point of view of Telemachus 7 years later in Ithaca.
He idealizes the life he's been told his father lived, and wishes to be hero like he
was. As he wanders the halls daydreaming he encounters Antinous, one of the 108 suitors
for Penelope. Antinous picks a fight with Telemachus, and it looks like Telemachus is
going to lose until Athena appears. She helps him by guiding him through what he should
do in the fight. He does eventually lose, and afterwards questions Athena on why she came
to help him. She says to him that she had a friend like him before, which we know is his
father Odysseus. Athena regrets not assisting Odysseus more, and expresses this to
Telemachus. He then expresses that he may not know who her friend is or what he was like,
but that this was the best day of his life. He continues on to tell her that while she made
mistakes in the past, she can change her ways and be his friend. Athena tells him that he's
a good kid, and then disappears. When she retreats she investigates what happened to
Odysseus while she wasn't there, and gets to the point where Zeus struck down his ship.
We then cut back to the perspective of Odysseus, when he washed up on the island. He
awakes and hears a woman talking to him, promising that they've got all they could want
on the island. She tries to seduce him, to which Odysseus responds by threatening her life.
She responds by revealing who she is, the immortal Calypso. She keeps him trapped on the island
for seven years, and we cut forward to a moment where Odysseus is standing near a cliff
and Calypso is trying to convince him to step away, and he calls out to Athena. We cut
back to her, realizing that Odysseus needs her help. She turns to asking Zeus to release
Odysseus, to which he agrees on the condition that she can get some of the other gods
to agree as well. These gods are Apollo, Hepheastus, Aphrodite, Ares and Hera. She
manages to convince all of them, and when she returns to Zeus with news of her success,
he lashes out and attacks her for being able to succeed. We're left to wonder if
Odysseus will be released and what happened to Athena, if she's even still alive.
The Vengeance Saga
Released on October 31st, 2024, the Vengeance Saga picks up from Odysseus's
point of view right after what happened in the Wisdom Saga.
The Vengeance Saga seemingly picks up soon after Athena's fight with Zeus, as Odysseus
is told by Calypso that someone arrived and told her she had to let him go. She goes on
to tell him that she'll admit she was wrong in ambushing him or coming on too strong,
but she won't say sorry for loving him. Odysseus admits that he did love her, but not
in a romantic way. Calypso is then left to watch as Odysseus leaves her island. Odysseus's
wonders aloud he will get home alone, when suddenly Hermes appears once again and
offers him a wind bag. Hermes goes on to explain how Odysseus will traverse home and
that this plan and journey will be dangerous. Odysseus goes on to tell Hermes that he's
not afraid of the dangers, and thanks Hermes for saving him from the island. Hermes tells
Odysseus's that he's not the one who fought for him, but leaves without telling him
that it was Athena. Odysseus then has to face the monster Charybdis, but instead of fighting
to kill the monster he sails to avoid it while Charybdis is forced to choke on the water
it's taking in to form a whirlpool. When Odysseus finally escapes he can see Ithaca in the
distance, but his relief is short lived as Posiedon appears before him. Posiedon tells
Odysseus he has a choice, either he dies or all of Ithaca will be drowned. Odysseus gives
one last attempt to beg for forgiveness, but Poisedon rejects this and sends Odysseus
hurling into the sea. It's unclear if he's simply knocked out or if he dies and comes
back somehow, but when Odysseus wakes again under the water he has a new resolution,
and seemingly without any mercy left in him. He uses the wind bag to propel himself out
of the water and begins to battle Posiedon. Odysseus is able to knock Posiedon into a
nearby rock formation, at which point the god begins to mock Odysseus saying that by
releasing the storm he's ended any chance of being able to return to Ithaca, and that
no matter what Odysseus can not kill him. Odysseus turns this back on Posiedon by stabbing
him with his own trident, to the point in which Posiedon relents and calls off the storm,
allowing Odysseus to return home. When Posiedon asks Odysseus how he'll sleep at night
after all he's done, Odysseus proclaims it'll be next to his wife (Penelope).
The Ithaca Saga
Content Warning, it gets dark here
Released on December 25th, 2024, the Ithaca Saga tells the final part of our story
as Odysseus finally returns home to Ithaca. It's poetic that this saga released
exactly 2 years after the start of this journey began.
The Ithaca Saga opens on Penelope, lamenting on how she has to pick one of the
108 suitors to become the king. She told them that she would choose when she'd finished
weaving her shroud, though reveals that every night she's been unthreading her work in
order to buy more time for Odysseus to arrive home. Keep in mind that she's been waiting
for 20 years for him. She decides that, after the storm they saw recently, it's time
for her to pull out her final move. She presents the suitors with Odysseus's old bow
and says that whoever can string the bow and shoot through 12 axes cleanly will be the
new king and get to marry her. The suitors go on to try and string the bow after Penelope
leaves, but quickly Antinous realizes that the challenge is impossible and that they're
being played. He proposes that, since Telemachus has been out of the city and is set to
return that night, they storm his boat, hold him down, and kill him, throwing his body
into the ocean. He then claims (and this is the part where it gets really dark) that they
can hold down Penelope and sexually assualt her. (Hence the earlier warning) Luckily though
he gets cut off by an arrow lodging in his throat. It's revealed that the shooter was
Odysseus, who proceeds to kill all 108 of the suitors, hiding in the darkness of his palace
and aiming for torches to hit the suitors. Telemachus appears and is cornered by a couple
of the suitors, and even with the supernatural abilites granted to him by Athena, he's
barely holding his own against them. Luckily Odysseus is able to save him and reunite with
his son. After their conversation Odysseus asks Telemachus to tell Penelope he's returned,
saying that he'll be there in a moment. When he's left alone Odysseus is able to talk
with Athena again, using the same words to address her as he did the first time they
met. Athena laments to him wishing that she could create a world with more empathy,
and while Odysseus says he's far beyond that, she can still make a future like that.
It's then that Telemachus returns with news that Penelope is waiting for Odysseus.
He enters their room to greet her, where she questions if it's really him and if her
prayers have been answered. Odysseus claims that he is not the man she fell in love with
and expresses to her all the ways that he has changed over these 20 years. Penelope tells
him that if that's true, then she'd like him to do her the favor of moving their wedding bed.
He gets angry, telling her that he carved that bed into the tree where they met, and that
it can't be moved unless he takes it from it's roots. Penelope returns his anger, telling
him that only her husband knew that, so clearly it's still him. She goes on to express
that no matter what happens she'll fall in love with him again, no matter how long it's
been. The two then embrace, and that is where our story concludes.
Final Remarks
If you actually read all of this, then I'm impressed, and I'll thank you
for coming to my Ted Talk. This has really just been an excuse for me to talk
about my special interset, but if you're curious I'll link the final stream where
the songs from the Ithaca saga were first released, so you can listen and view
all the amazing music and art that was created for this project. I'll also link
Jorge's official website, which has links to his social medias.
View the Livesteam
The Official Site