HI, I'm Meg! I'm the artist and researcher behind Women of 1000. When you subscribe to my newsletter, you will get stories in your inbox around once a month about women who lived in the year 1000, each one highlighted by an original illustration.
Join me today in Iceland to learn about a pagan poet who challenged a missionary to a poetic duel where she pitted Thor against Christ. Although Iceland converted to Christianity soon after, Steinunn's pagan legacy lived on in the poetry of her son and in the preservation of her own poem in Icelandic sagas.
In just a few days, neopagans and others who follow Gaelic traditions will be celebrating Beltane. Originally one of the four Irish quarter-days that marked agricultural milestones of the year, Beltane is now commonly celebrated as part of the Wiccan Wheel of the Year. I've previously illustrated a medieval Irish woman celebrating a Christianized version of Beltane, which you can check out below!
A young Irish woman leads her cow through the Beltane fires
Easter and Passover
Springtime is full of holidays celebrated around the world. Recently, Christians celebrated Easter and Jews celebrated Passover, two ancient holidays that are intrinsically linked. If you'd like some reading to match those holidays, check out the two stories below. For Easter, read about Palm Sunday celebrations in medieval England, and for Passover, the story of Bonna, a rabbi's wife in Mainz.
The wife of an important rabbi sews the Torah scroll
International Workers' Day
To celebrate International Workers' Day coming up on May 1st, check out the section on non-elites on the Women by Theme page of the website! Some of the women included here lived in relatively egalitarian societies, while others were directly excluded from the world of the rich and powerful.
This section on the website shows you women who weren't elite members of society
Coming Up Next
I've been researching Maria Candiano, the dogeressa of Venice who helped her husband's anti-pirate campaign; the wife of Joseph Rabban, a wealthy Indian woman who converted to Judaism; and various cultures of South America, including the Wari site of Cerro Baúl, where a brewery was ritually burned down around the year 1000. We'll see who I draw next!
HI, I'm Meg! I'm the artist and researcher behind Women of 1000. When you subscribe to my newsletter, you will get stories in your inbox around once a month about women who lived in the year 1000, each one highlighted by an original illustration.
Recommended listening: Lenape Spirits - Wind Spirit Drum The Sisters of Aakawaxung Munahanung Join me today in Lenapehoking to learn more about what New York City was like for Munsee girls (and their dogs!) in the year 1000. Lenape beliefs that dogs are the guardians of children's health are reflected in the prehistoric burials of dogs with wampum shells in coastal New York. Read the story here In other Women of 1000 news... Trip to York In March, I visited the medieval city of York in...
