Yep, it's the sapphic cave sun kami and the original Pocketful of Sunshine, Amaterasu. But of course there's a lot more to her and even to that story. C takes us on a tour of Japan's shinto religion and we discuss some fun myths, terrible divine siblings, flayed horses and their effect on weaving, and, as always, some cool feminist history, all related to the queerer than expected but not in the way you think sun kami, Amaterasu. 

Link to Dolly Parton's Imagination Library. RIP Dolly. 

"If you're feeling low, don't despair. The sun has a sinking spell every night, but it comes back up every morning" - Dolly Parton

References & Resources

Matsumae Takeshi, “Origin and Growth of the Worship of Amaterasu,” Asian Folklore Studies, Vol. 37, No. 1 (1978), pp. 1–11. DOI: https://doi.org/10.2307/1177580

Kokugakuin University Digital Museum / Encyclopedia of Shinto entry: https://d-museum.kokugakuin.ac.jp/eos/detail/?id=8608

World History Encyclopedia, “Shinto”: https://www.worldhistory.org/Shinto/

Ise Jingū, “Rituals and Ceremonies”: https://www.isejingu.or.jp/en/ritual/

National Geographic, “This Japanese shrine is torn down every 20 years”: https://www.nationalgeographic.com/travel/article/this-japanese-shrine-is-torn-down-every-20-years

Encyclopaedia Britannica, “Meiji Restoration”: https://www.britannica.com/event/Meiji-Restoration

Curious Ordinary, “Tsukuyomi”: https://www.curiousordinary.com/2021/08/tsukuyomi.html

Isomae Jun’ichi, Japanese Journal of Religious Studies, jjrs-vol-27-isomae-junichi.pdf

Mythlok, “Divine Rice of Amaterasu”: https://mythlok.com/food/divine-rice-of-amaterasu/

Jinja Honchō, “Ise Jingu”: https://www.jinjahoncho.or.jp/en/ise-jingu/

https://www-jstor-org.proxy.lib.wayne.edu/stable/25790929

https://plato.stanford.edu/archives/sum2023/entries/kokugaku-school/

https://www.jstage.jst.go.jp/article/genderhistory/2/0/2_0_5/_article/-char/en

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/372025569_A_Restoration_that_Never_Became_a_Revolution_The_Meiji_Restoration_as_a_Rebuilder_of_Japanese_Conservative_Nationalism

It's actually a truth universal that everyone knows that quote. But what of the writer? And what of her politics? Chesnaye takes us on a proper journey through Jane Austen's subversive political undertones. Everyone knows she's one of the greats but did you ever think about how her very existence as a novelist was a political statement? A legend of the literary, her political legacy was softened, but in the pages of her novels, and with a sharpness that could cut the very paper she's printed on, Austen said more about the injustices of our world than we give her credit for.

References:

We've got all six novels of Jane Austen, plus Lady Susan from her juvenilia.

A Memoir of Jane Austen by James Edward Austen-Leigh

Jane Austen's Letters ed by Deirdre Le Faye

Jane Austen, the Secret Radical by Helena Kelly

Wild for Austen: A Rebellious, Subversive, and Untamed Jane by Devoney Looser

The Life and Works of Jane Austen from The Great Courses

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AV-UfN7sEB8

"If silence seems to give approval then remaining silent is cowardly." - Eleanor Roosevelt, My Day September 1944.

And now, dear listeners, C takes us on a voyage through the final years of Eleanor's life. From being a delegate at the first ever UN, to becoming the strongest champion for human right's we have ever witnessed. Eleanor took on huge challenges, built bridges, and never, ever stopped speaking out for what was right. She wrote more, politicked more, and in the end left a legacy of activism that would be a fine example for us all to follow. It only seems fitting to include one more quote from her:

"Courage is more exhilarating than fear and in the long run it is easier. We do not have to become heroes overnight. Just a step at time, meeting each thing that comes up, seeing it is not as dreadful as it appeared, discovering we have the strength to stare it down." - Eleanor Roosevelt.

Resources:

Eleanor and Hick: the Love Affair that Shaped a First Lady by Susan Quinn

https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2010/11/22/the-first-kitchen

https://erpapers.columbian.gwu.edu/browse-my-day-columns (for the My Day column specifically)

If You Ask Me: Essential Advice from Eleanor Roosevelt, ed by Mary Jo Binker

Dinner with the President by Alex Prud’Homme

Eleanor in the Village: Eleanor Roosevelt’s Search for Freedom and Identity in New York’s

Greenwich Village. By Jan Jarboe Russell

Eleanor Roosevelt, vols 1-3, Blanche Wiesen Cook

The Autobiography of Eleanor Roosevelt, Eleanor Roosevelt

https://www2.gwu.edu/~erpapers/timeline/

Ken Burns’ documentary, The Roosevelts

https://considerthesourceny.org/document/your-hands-guide-community-action

https://www.fdrlibrary.org/documents/356632/390886/sears.pdf

Continuing the epic journey into the life of the finest first lady we've ever had, C takes us through Eleanor's White House years. Detailing her tumultuous relationship with Lorena "Hick" Hickok, Mrs. Nesbitt's terrible food, hot dogs with royalty, and the hard years of the depression. Throughout it all, Eleanor shined as a tireless beacon of hope for an exhausted nation that often did not know where our next meal was coming from. A steady voice helping embolden hearts as her hand helped to guide this nation right into WW2. She spoke reasonably about some of our most shameful hours. She said for the honor of our country, we must ignore racial differences and now as in her day, Eleanor's words ring true with the clarity and empathy sorely missed in leadership. It is a real honor to present part 3 of her story.

 Resources:

Eleanor and Hick: the Love Affair that Shaped a First Lady by Susan Quinn

https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2010/11/22/the-first-kitchen

https://erpapers.columbian.gwu.edu/browse-my-day-columns (for the My Day column specifically)

If You Ask Me: Essential Advice from Eleanor Roosevelt, ed by Mary Jo Binker

Dinner with the President by Alex Prud’Homme

Eleanor in the Village: Eleanor Roosevelt’s Search for Freedom and Identity in New York’s

Greenwich Village. By Jan Jarboe Russell

Eleanor Roosevelt, vols 1-3, Blanche Wiesen Cook

The Autobiography of Eleanor Roosevelt, Eleanor Roosevelt

https://www2.gwu.edu/~erpapers/timeline/

Ken Burns’ documentary, The Roosevelts

“...by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face.” - Eleanor Roosevelt.

In episode 2 of our Ken Burn's style odyssey about Eleanor, Chesnaye covers the roaring 20s. Flappers, teapot dome, tariffs, and of course the lesbians arrive! We got hundred year old political smackdowns coming your way along with some woodworking because what are lesbians without woodworking, right? So sit back, grab a nice hot dog, and get ready to dig into the next phase of Eleanor Roosevelt's life and find out how she helped shape yours today!

Resources & Reading:

Eleanor in the Village: Eleanor Roosevelt’s Search for Freedom and Identity in New York’s

Greenwich Village. By Jan Jarboe Russell

Eleanor Roosevelt, vols 1-3, Blanche Wiesen Cook

The Autobiography of Eleanor Roosevelt, Eleanor Roosevelt

https://www2.gwu.edu/~erpapers/timeline/

Ken Burns’ documentary, The Roosevelts

The Power Broker: Robert Moses and the Fall of New York by Robert Caro (Fuck Robert Moses.)

"...the thing you think you cannot do." - Eleanor Roosevelt. This episode is part one of a series on the life and legacy of a first lady who rose so far above the office that it was never really the same. She is one of C's favorite historical figures and for good reason. Part of the Roosevelt Dynasty, Eleanor grew from oddly humble beginnings to become one of the family's brightest stars, which in a family that includes Teddy "Life of the Party and if not he'll create his own party" Roosevelt and her husband, our longest serving US president, that's really saying something. 

Resources:

Eleanor Roosevelt, vols 1-3, Blanche Wiesen Cook

The Autobiography of Eleanor Roosevelt, Eleanor Roosevelt

It’s Up to the Women, Eleanor Roosevelt

https://erpapers.columbian.gwu.edu/

The Roosevelts, documentary by Ken Burns

Eleanor, David Michaelis

https://www.history.com/articles/gilded-age-end-reason

Diving back into Arthuriana, C and John explore the power of sorceress supreme Morgan le Fay. She is a figure of stunning and unmatched female agency in the tales of King Arthur. Mother of Yvain, Master of the Green Knight, Guinevere's number 1 hater-in-chief, staunch admirer of Rube Goldberg, and eventually queen of Avalon. Also she should be the patron saint of sibling rivalry. So kick back, grab an apple fritter, and heal with us as we learn no one does it quite like Morgan le Fay.

References

“From The Lady to The Tramp: The Decline of Morgan le Fay in Medieval Romance.” Arthuriana, volume 4, issue 1, 1994, pp 1-18. Maureen Fries

https://theconversation.com/morgan-le-fay-how-arthurian-legend-turned-a-powerful-woman-from-healer-to-villain-109928

Armstrong, Dorsey. Gender and the Chivalric Community in Malory’s Morte d’Arthur. University Press of Florida, 2003.

Folklore Rules: A Fun, Quick, and Useful Introduction to the Field of Academic Folklore Studies, Lynne McNeill

Scott, Cynthia A. "Creating Her Own Power: "Morte Darthur's" Morgan Le Fay."

https://scholarcommons.sc.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=8777&context=etd

https://scholarworks.utrgv.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1885&context=leg_etd

Le Morte D'Arthur by Sir Thomas Mallory 

Erec and Enid; Yvain, the Knight of the Lion; and Lancelot, the Knight of the Cart by Chrétien de Troyes

The Vulgate Cycle, Anonymous

Vita Merlini; Historia regum Britanniae by Geoffrey of Monmouth

Athena, goddess of wisdom, war, handicraft, strategy, and the patron of Athens. Join C and John on a journey through her complicated origins and lore. From her clouded origins, through the myths of Arachne and Medusa to helping Odysseus on his epic journey, Athena is one of the most storied and iconic goddesses. A patron to heroes and even the sort of mother to one, she guided many Greek heroes on their journeys into myth and legend but that's only one aspect of the goddess. And of course, we've gotta talk about Ovid. 

(Apologies for the poor sound quality this episode. There were some minor recording issues.)

Sources

Hesiod, Theogany

Pseudo-Apollodorus, Bibliotheca

Ovid, Metamorphoses

Homer, Iliad and Odyssey

Martin Nilsson, Die Geschichte der griechischen Religion

Jane Ellen Harrison, Prolegomena to the Study of Greek Religion

Walter Burkert, Greek Religion

This episode for Women's History Month C takes us on a journey to Baroque era Italy and introduces us to one of the greats: Artemisia Gentileschi. A woman is more than just the stories they tell about her, more than her deeds, but Artemisia certainly lived a life with many great stories. One of the most famous artists of her era but shortly forgotten by history, her amazing tale and incredible artworks have been revived by women dedicated to bringing her epic life and artworks back into the public consciousness and now C is doing her part to present to you, dear listener, a story about a woman we all should know by now. You've seen her painting of Judith Slaying Holofernes, but there is so much to this artist than just the canvases she left behind.

Sources and links to paintings

Garrard, Mary D. (1989). Artemisia Gentileschi: The Image of the Female Hero in Italian Baroque Art. 

https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2020/10/05/a-fuller-picture-of-artemisia-gentileschi

Cropper, Elizabeth (2020). "Artemisia Gentileschi: La Pittora".

https://dia.org/collection/judith-and-her-maidservant-head-holofernes-45746

https://www.arthistoryproject.com/artists/artemisia-gentileschi/susanna-and-the-elders/

https://www.slam.org/collection/objects/15612/

https://www.getty.edu/art/collection/object/103QTA

https://www.uffizi.it/en/artworks/judith-beheading-holofernes

https://www.caravaggio.org/judith-beheading-holofernes.jsp

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Susanna_and_the_Elders_(Artemisia_Gentileschi,_Bologna)#/media/File:Artemisia_Gentileschi_-_Susanna_and_the_Elders_near_a_Balcony.jpg

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary_Magdalene_in_Ecstasy#/media/File:Artemisia_Gentileschi_-_Mary_Magdalene_in_Ecstasy.jpg 

This month C takes us on a deep dive into the Roman purification and fertility festival of Lupercalia! An oft misunderstood ritual with deep historical meanings, ties to many other cultures, and some truly fascinating origins. Also she tells us all about her historical crush Mark Antony and about Mark Antony's incredible thighs--thighs that saved Cesar's bacon a couple of times and were so famously nice that they're still remembered, and celebrated, to this day. 

Primary Sources:

Livy—Ab urbe condita

Ovid—Fasti, book two

Plutarch—Life of Romulus

Varro—On the Latin Language

Secondary Sources:

Julius Caesar—William Shakespeare

Agnes Kirsopp Michels—the calendar of the Roman Republic

Harry Thurston Peck. Harpers Dictionary of Classical Antiquities. New York. Harper and Brothers. 1898

Pat Southern—Mark Antony. Stroud: Tempus Publishing

https://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Roman/Texts/secondary/FRALUP/home.html