In the 10th century Hrotsvit of Gandersheim was seriously annoyed with the classic Roman playwrights she studied at school. They were all male, and she thought some of their depictions of women were unacceptable. She responded by becoming the first female playwright in the historical record.

This is a bonus episode of the type that is usually available only to Patreon subscribers, but it's Women's History Month, and it's free to everyone!

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. (Doing so during March of 2026 gets you into the Women's History Month prize drawing!)

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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

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.

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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:

No matter which option you choose, you're helping to keep the women's history going, and I appreciate you very much!

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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:

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.

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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.

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Please send me your questions for the Q&A episode to celebrate my 5-year podcast anniversary! There's a spot to do it on

Also, the votes are in, and the topic of Series 15 is: The First Woman Who. That will start in January.

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