Épisodes

  • Murasaki Shikibu, First (Great) Novelist (ep. 16.5)

    Murasaki Shikibu, First (Great) Novelist (ep. 16.5)
    Mar 5 2026
    The Tale of Genji is often listed as the world's first novel, but there are naysayers. Is it a novel? Is it the first? That's highly contentious, but whatever you decide, Lady Murasaki Shikibu wrote this classic a very long time ago, and it is a masterpiece. Visit the ⁠⁠⁠website⁠⁠⁠ (herhalfofhistory.com) for sources, transcripts, and pictures. It's Women's History Month! I'm running bonus episodes all month, plus a prize drawing for free Her Half of History merch. To get in the drawing, you can Sign up as a supporter on my ⁠⁠⁠⁠Patreon page⁠⁠ (https://www.patreon.com/user?u=83998235). If you're already a supporter on Patreon, bump up your membership. Her Highness level members get ad-free episodes, bonus episodes, and polls. Make a one-time donation on ⁠⁠⁠⁠Buy⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠Me a Coffee⁠. Leave me a rating or review on your favorite podcast app and email me a screenshot of it. (I need the email for this method because it doesn't send me any contact info.) No matter which method you choose, your support helps me keep bring the stories of past women into the present. Join ⁠⁠Into History⁠⁠ for a community of ad-free history podcasts plus bonus content. Visit ⁠⁠Evergreen Podcasts⁠⁠ to listen to more great shows. Follow me on ⁠⁠Threads⁠⁠ as Her Half of History. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    22 min
  • Why We Will Always Need Women's History Month

    Why We Will Always Need Women's History Month
    Mar 2 2026
    It's March and I'm celebrating with free-to-everyone bonus episodes all month, starting with this one on why women's history will always been important. I'm also holding a drawing where a listener like you can win free Her Half of History merch. There are four ways to get entered into the drawing: Sign up as a supporter on my ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Patreon page⁠⁠⁠ (https://www.patreon.com/user?u=83998235). If you're already a Patreon supporter, bump up your level of support. Make a one-time donation on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Buy⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠Me a Coffee⁠⁠ or on my website ⁠⁠⁠⁠website⁠⁠⁠⁠ (herhalfofhistory.com). Give me a rating or review on your favorite podcast app. This method doesn't send me any contact info for you, so you'll also need to email me (see the website) a screenshot of it. No matter which option you choose, you're helping to keep the women's history going, and I appreciate you very much! Visit ⁠⁠Evergreen Podcasts⁠⁠ to listen to more great shows. Follow me on ⁠⁠Threads⁠⁠ as Her Half of History. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    10 min
  • Gudrid Thorbjarnardottir, First European Woman in the Americas (ep. 16.4)

    Gudrid Thorbjarnardottir, First European Woman in the Americas (ep. 16.4)
    Feb 26 2026
    Today's episode is in response to a question from a listener. Peter asked me who was the first non-native woman to reach the Americas? Gudrid Thorbjarnardottir was an Icelandic settler, transatlantic traveler, mother, pilgrim, and possibly the most well-traveled woman of the Viking Age. Visit the ⁠⁠⁠website⁠⁠⁠ (herhalfofhistory.com) for sources, transcripts, and pictures. This show survives on the on the support of listeners like you. Support the show on my ⁠⁠⁠⁠Patreon page⁠⁠ (https://www.patreon.com/user?u=83998235) for ad-free episodes, bonus episodes, and polls. Or make a one-time donation on ⁠⁠⁠⁠Buy⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠Me a Coffee⁠. Your support helps me keep bring the stories of past women into the present. Join ⁠⁠Into History⁠⁠ for a community of ad-free history podcasts plus bonus content. Visit ⁠⁠Evergreen Podcasts⁠⁠ to listen to more great shows. Follow me on ⁠⁠Threads⁠⁠ as Her Half of History. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    22 min
  • Fu Hao, First Female Military Leader (ep. 16.3)

    Fu Hao, First Female Military Leader (ep. 16.3)
    Feb 12 2026
    Fu Hao married a king, gave birth multiple times, and also commanded troops in battle. (Why not?) Living around 1200 BCE in China, she is the first recorded female military leader in history. Visit the ⁠⁠⁠website⁠⁠⁠ (herhalfofhistory.com) for sources, transcripts, and pictures. This show survives on the on the support of listeners like you. Support the show on my ⁠⁠⁠⁠Patreon page⁠⁠ (https://www.patreon.com/user?u=83998235) for ad-free episodes, bonus episodes, and polls. Or make a one-time donation on ⁠⁠⁠⁠Buy⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠Me a Coffee⁠. Your support helps me keep bring the stories of past women into the present. Join ⁠⁠Into History⁠⁠ for a community of ad-free history podcasts plus bonus content. Visit ⁠⁠Evergreen Podcasts⁠⁠ to listen to more great shows. Follow me on ⁠⁠Threads⁠⁠ as Her Half of History. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    17 min
  • Enheduanna, First Named Author (ep. 16.2)

    Enheduanna, First Named Author (ep. 16.2)
    Feb 5 2026
    The first named author in history was Enheduanna, daughter of Sargon, conqueror of Sumeria. Her poems have been called the world's first bestsellers. But she's also been accused of not really writing them. Visit the ⁠⁠⁠website⁠⁠⁠ (herhalfofhistory.com) for sources, transcripts, and pictures. This show survives on the on the support of listeners like you. Support the show on my ⁠⁠⁠⁠Patreon page⁠⁠ (https://www.patreon.com/user?u=83998235) for ad-free episodes, bonus episodes, and polls. Or make a one-time donation on ⁠⁠⁠⁠Buy⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠Me a Coffee⁠. Your support helps me keep bring the stories of past women into the present. Join ⁠⁠Into History⁠⁠ for a community of ad-free history podcasts plus bonus content. Visit ⁠⁠Evergreen Podcasts⁠⁠ to listen to more great shows. Follow me on ⁠⁠Threads⁠⁠ as Her Half of History. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    22 min
  • Neithhotep, First Named Woman in History (ep. 16.1)

    Neithhotep, First Named Woman in History (ep. 16.1)
    Jan 29 2026
    Many religions and cultures have an answer to Who was the first woman? But the records of those answers were all written thousands of years after any such women lived. For historians, the more answerable question is Who was the first woman named in a record written during or close to her own lifetime? Neithhotep was a queen in Egypt's very first dynasty. Not much is known about her for certain, but what we do know is that she kicked off a very long list of women in the historical record. Visit the ⁠⁠⁠website⁠⁠⁠ (herhalfofhistory.com) for sources, transcripts, and pictures. This show survives on the on the support of listeners like you. Support the show on my ⁠⁠⁠⁠Patreon page⁠⁠ (https://www.patreon.com/user?u=83998235) for ad-free episodes, bonus episodes, and polls. Or make a one-time donation on ⁠⁠⁠⁠Buy⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠Me a Coffee⁠. Your support helps me keep bring the stories of past women into the present. Join ⁠⁠Into History⁠⁠ for a community of ad-free history podcasts plus bonus content. Visit ⁠⁠Evergreen Podcasts⁠⁠ to listen to more great shows. Follow me on ⁠⁠Threads⁠⁠ as Her Half of History. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    17 min
  • Childbirth, Literacy, Sources, the State of the World, and Other Listener Questions

    Childbirth, Literacy, Sources, the State of the World, and Other Listener Questions
    Jan 22 2026
    Her Half of History turns 5 years old this month! In celebration, I'm taking questions from listeners and they range from the oldest account of childbirth to the reason I started a podcast in the first place. In this episode you will can hear the voices of some of my fellow history podcasters. Please check out their shows for more great history: Civics and Coffee The History Fix Podcast It's a History Podcast Visit the ⁠⁠⁠website⁠⁠⁠ (herhalfofhistory.com) for sources, transcripts, and pictures. This show survives on the on the support of listeners like you. Support the show on my ⁠⁠⁠⁠Patreon page⁠⁠ (https://www.patreon.com/user?u=83998235) for ad-free episodes, bonus episodes, and polls. Or make a one-time donation on ⁠⁠⁠⁠Buy⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠Me a Coffee⁠. Your support helps me keep bring the stories of past women into the present. Join ⁠⁠Into History⁠⁠ for a community of ad-free history podcasts plus bonus content. Visit ⁠⁠Evergreen Podcasts⁠⁠ to listen to more great shows. Follow me on ⁠⁠Threads⁠⁠ as Her Half of History. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    32 min
  • Woman the Gatherer (and Also the Hunter)

    Woman the Gatherer (and Also the Hunter)
    Jan 8 2026
    Early anthropologists and archaeologists told us that in foraging societies, women gathered and men hunted. More recent research suggests that women did hunt, but the debate will go on about how much. Visit the ⁠⁠⁠website⁠⁠⁠ (herhalfofhistory.com) for sources, transcripts, and pictures. This show survives on the on the support of listeners like you. Support the show on my ⁠⁠⁠⁠Patreon page⁠⁠ (https://www.patreon.com/user?u=83998235) for ad-free episodes, bonus episodes, and polls. Or make a one-time donation on ⁠⁠⁠⁠Buy⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠Me a Coffee⁠. Your support helps me keep bring the stories of past women into the present. Join ⁠⁠Into History⁠⁠ for a community of ad-free history podcasts plus bonus content. Visit ⁠⁠Evergreen Podcasts⁠⁠ to listen to more great shows. Follow me on ⁠⁠Threads⁠⁠ as Her Half of History. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    16 min