The BabaYaga Project

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Margot discusses the overturning of Roe v. Wade, how to protect yourself, and how to help others https://abortionfunds.org/?fbclid=IwAR3E8taVALCk0D9capnugZ9SVAMjyKt8Tvq0l5MvsPdqvuVS_7baiCSKRoI https://reproductiverights.org/?fbclid=IwAR1_ebXYV2Ldp7RYlskbM8iponowNDhqMADlQB_9TZbH0Tk0prp-IiaM8Yk https://www.aclu.org/?fbclid=IwAR03CtHLfyhP1WiTHVgklYP83bX_s8KVd6M7hJzFItqI1OZyK8uEK5Dl6U8 Hosted on Acast...

We've all seen the cabin in the woods horror movies. But where do they come from? Why do these stereotypes and ideas exist around these landscapes? And how is the history of Appalachia, and it's folklore, important in understanding these ideas? This week, we talk about mountains in the Americas, specifically the Appalachian region and its history, folklore, and culture. Hosted on Acast. See acast....

What kinds of magical creatures were said to live in the mountains? What legends sprang up around these awe inspiring landscapes? And why did people decide that they wanted to climb and conquer these towering environs? This week, we talk about the ways people have understood and used mountains, from place of the gods to a challenge to overcome. We also talk about responsible mountain climbing and...

North America is home to enormous forests. What kind of lore surrounds these places? How did Indigenous people shape these landscapes? And how can these forests be preserved? Find out in this week's episode! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

CW: discussions of underage persons How did historical communities understand gender and sexuality? How were gay relationships viewed? How did people talk about gender? This week, we are talking about being LGBT in the past. From Sappho to two-spirit, we explore themes over time. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What did being disabled mean in history? How did people cope with being disabled before modern technology? And how did their communities care for them? This week, Margot explores the history of disabled people. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How has age and ageing been seen over time? And how did society treat older people? This week, we do a deep dive into the experience of elderly people in history. In some cases, they were venerated elders and grandparents. In others, they were marginalised and treated poorly. How has this changed over time, and how did people react to their own ageing? We explore all this and more this week! Hoste...

Pirates, smugglers, and outlaws - all sorts of criminal activity has existed in history for people to make a living. What did being an outlaw mean? Why did people become pirates? And why was wool such a popular item to smuggle in the Middle Ages? We discuss all this and more on this week's episode! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

CW: discussions of rape, assault, pedophilia, violence There have been many names for exchanging physical intimacy for money or goods; it's been called the world's oldest profession, s*x work, and other less savoury names. What did the lives of these workers look like in history? Who engaged in this work, what did their lives look like, and how were they viewed by society? From antiquity to the Vi...

Historically, there have been many people who followed a religious vocation. Whether monks, nuns, priests, or other religious positions, these people chose to dedicate themselves to their religion and forego much of secular, "worldly" life. Why did people choose this? What did their lives look like? How did they spend their time, and what impact did they leave on the world? From cloistered nuns to...

What is a professional? What is a profession? And how is it different from other jobs and careers? This week we talk about working in the professions! Sonya discusses how professions in started out in universities in the Middle Ages, and Margot traces the growth of the professional class. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

People have always worked, whether they were hunting animals, tilling fields, or plying their trade. However, the creation of the working class really came to a head during the industrial revolution, where for the first time a large portion of the population owned nothing and had to sell their labour for wages to survive. How did this transition happen, what were the conditions like, and how did p...

Brief explanation of where Margot has been! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What kind of jobs did people have in the past? What work did they do and how did they do it? Come along as we explore the working lives of people in the past! This week, we are focusing on rural living. How did people make a living in the countryside? What kind of work did they do to bring in a good harvest and care for their animals? And how did they meet their basic needs? This week, it's all ab...

What is the best thing to feed a baby? What kinds of foods are safe for them? And how does this reflect adult attitudes towards food? This week we're tracing the history of feeding children, from breastfeeding and wetnurses, to canned preserved foods, we look at what people have fed their babies and themselves. We discuss how industrialization pushed people away from breastfeeding and towards comm...

How did medieval people soothe their babies? What did new parents get for their babies in the 17th century? And what ideas around parenting have changed, and what has stayed the same? This week we look into all things parenting in the past! From how to get the baby to sleep, to how to properly bond with baby, we explore how people's shifting perspectives on themselves and their children have infor...

How did people end pregnancies in the past? What options were available? And how did people think about abortion? There is a long history of people choosing to end pregnancies, dating to antiquity and leading up to today. Attitudes about abortion and when it is acceptable have changed over the centuries, and so have the methods employed. Join us this week and as explore the history of abortion. TW...

Before IUDs and the pill, people still wanted ways to space out pregnancies or avoid having a child. How did they go about this? From animal-gut condoms to goat uteruses to diy-diaphragms, the methods were as varied as they were strange. We also talk about how people have viewed, understood, and politicised birth control and family planning. How did this topic go from something discussed in privat...

We tend to imagine that everyone got married in the past, and that it was practically mandatory, but that is not the case. There have been lifelong single men and women at every stage of history, and they have had variety of reasons for not getting married, as well as many different ways to support themselves, engage with their communities, and make a difference in their world. This week, we discu...

What, exactly, does it mean to be married? How are you supposed to treat your spouse? What are your expectations? And how do gender roles come into it? This week, we look at all this and more as we discuss historical married life. We are taking a deep dive into how spouses related to each other privately and publicly, how they divided labour, and how they fit into their wider community. We look at...

How do you get a house when there is no housing market? Where do you get furniture before IKEA? And how do you keep everything clean before modern inventions like the washing machine? This week, we talk about all this and more! We are doing a deep dive into how newlywed couples would set up their first home together in the past. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Does dressing identically to the bride, getting married at the side of the road, or ending the wedding with the groom kidnapping the bride sound strange? It would have been very normal in ages past! Wedding rituals and traditions change over time, and this week we talk about everything from the mundane to the truly bizarre. Come along as we explore the wild world of weddings! Hosted on Acast. See...

Societies have had many practices, taboos, and rules around sex. This week, we are exploring these many faceted ideas and beliefs. We start with Sonya discussing how young people in the past found a marriage partner. For centuries, the only socially sanctioned place for sex was within a marriage, so you had to choose a partner carefully. We go through how you could meet potential matches, woo your...