Why don’t women’s clothes have more pockets? Who are the female writers and artists my education forgot to include? How does a woman go about seizing control of her government? What was it like to be a female slave and how did the lucky ones escape? When did women get to put their own name on their credit cards? Is the life of a female spy as glamorous as Hollywood has led me to believe?
In short, what were the women doing all that time? I explore these and other questions in this thematic approach to women’s history.
St Lucia’s Day is December 13th. It is celebrated in a number of countries, but today is specifically about the Swedish celebration. You may have seen a picture of a beautiful blond girl, dressed in a white dress with a red sash and a wreath on her head with burning candles? That is St Lucia, as celebrated in Sweden or countries influenced by Sweden.
But the origin of the story is in Italy. In 304 CE, the Roman emperor Diocletian ordered a persecution of Christians. That much is history. St Lucia is one of the martyrs, and her particular story is historically sketchy. But true or not, she became the patron saint of light and vision and she was celebrated on the winter solstice, which was December 13th at the time.
The Swedes were not yet Christian, but they had their own traditions surrounding the winter solstice. When Christianity did arrive, those traditions blended beautifully with the celebration of St Lucia.
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Feature image is by Claudia Gründer – Claudia Gründer, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=3221537
Historical mothers did not have a lot of pink and purple merchandise for their baby girls, but they did have words. Lullabies, nursery rhymes, and fairy tales are probably as old as humanity, but they mostly didn’t get written down until the 17th to 19th century. This episode ranges from the one (and sadly only one) ancient Roman lullaby we know, to the origins of Little Miss Muffet and her Mother Goose compatriots, to the origins of Disney’s favorite princesses like Snow White, Cinderella, and the princess and the frog. I talk about feminist criticism of all of that, but also why the feminist critiques may not be quite on point for what girls of the past actually heard.
Visit the website (herhalfofhistory.com) for sources, transcripts, and pictures.
Support the show on my Patreon page for bonus episodes, polls, and a general feeling of self-satisfaction. Or make a one-time donation on Buy Me a Coffee.
Join Into History (intohistory.com/herhalfofhistory/) for a community of ad-free history podcasts plus bonus content.
Visit Evergreen Podcasts to listen to more great shows.
Follow me on Twitter (X) as @her_half. Or on Facebook or Instagram as Her Half of History.
