1 00:00:00,920 --> 00:00:03,880 Speaker 1: Welcome to Stuff you Missed in History Class from how 2 00:00:03,920 --> 00:00:12,000 Speaker 1: Stuff Works dot com. Hello, and welcome to the podcast. 3 00:00:12,080 --> 00:00:15,680 Speaker 1: I'm Holly Fry and I'm tray cbe Wilson. And in 4 00:00:15,720 --> 00:00:17,800 Speaker 1: the first part of this two parter, we started our 5 00:00:17,840 --> 00:00:21,040 Speaker 1: discussion of a sampling of winter holiday characters that are 6 00:00:21,079 --> 00:00:23,880 Speaker 1: beyond Santa Claus, which is sort of the most popular 7 00:00:23,920 --> 00:00:27,240 Speaker 1: one here in the United States. And this uh two 8 00:00:27,240 --> 00:00:30,320 Speaker 1: part episode started because we have gotten lots of requests 9 00:00:30,320 --> 00:00:34,040 Speaker 1: about Crampus, but there are also some other really unique 10 00:00:34,040 --> 00:00:36,640 Speaker 1: folkloric icons tied to this time of year, and we 11 00:00:36,680 --> 00:00:38,919 Speaker 1: wanted to give them a little bit of play. And 12 00:00:38,960 --> 00:00:41,400 Speaker 1: while most of them have a theme along the lines 13 00:00:41,440 --> 00:00:44,360 Speaker 1: of teaching or scaring children into behaving, there's still a 14 00:00:44,400 --> 00:00:47,760 Speaker 1: pretty interesting variety among them. So in the first episode 15 00:00:47,760 --> 00:00:51,840 Speaker 1: we talked about Austria's Crampus, Italy's Laba Fauna, the Epiphany, 16 00:00:51,880 --> 00:00:55,480 Speaker 1: which and Center Claus, and Vota Pete of the Netherlands. 17 00:00:55,880 --> 00:00:58,040 Speaker 1: And we're gonna start this time around with a character 18 00:00:58,120 --> 00:01:01,680 Speaker 1: that shares some similarities with the other St. Nicholas based 19 00:01:01,680 --> 00:01:05,360 Speaker 1: winter visitors that have been already discussed in that episode, 20 00:01:05,360 --> 00:01:08,120 Speaker 1: and we'll have some more here and that is bell Snickel. 21 00:01:09,440 --> 00:01:12,320 Speaker 1: If you've watched the American version of the Office, which 22 00:01:12,480 --> 00:01:15,440 Speaker 1: I will confess now I have not because it upsets me, 23 00:01:16,480 --> 00:01:20,399 Speaker 1: you may recall that at one point dright Shrewd dressed 24 00:01:20,440 --> 00:01:22,480 Speaker 1: up as Bell Nickel, and bell s Nickel is not 25 00:01:22,600 --> 00:01:24,679 Speaker 1: something that was just cooked up for that sitcom. It's 26 00:01:24,680 --> 00:01:28,679 Speaker 1: a real character, a German and eventually Pennsylvania Dutch variation 27 00:01:28,800 --> 00:01:31,959 Speaker 1: on the punishing visitor theme that we see see over 28 00:01:32,000 --> 00:01:37,319 Speaker 1: and over and over in this theme of holiday visitors. Yeah, 29 00:01:37,360 --> 00:01:39,480 Speaker 1: and I didn't put it in this outline, but bell 30 00:01:39,560 --> 00:01:43,720 Speaker 1: Snickele the name breaks down where the first part Bells 31 00:01:43,880 --> 00:01:46,279 Speaker 1: is also seen sometimes with a p at the beginning 32 00:01:46,280 --> 00:01:50,520 Speaker 1: of pills like pelt like fur and then uh nicole 33 00:01:50,640 --> 00:01:53,280 Speaker 1: like Nicholas. So it's sort of like a fur st Nick, 34 00:01:53,960 --> 00:01:56,720 Speaker 1: and he covers both the basis of the good and 35 00:01:56,840 --> 00:01:59,160 Speaker 1: the bad holiday figure for children. If you listen to 36 00:01:59,200 --> 00:02:02,120 Speaker 1: the first part, you you recall, for example, that uh 37 00:02:02,200 --> 00:02:05,440 Speaker 1: in some of these cases, like Crampus usually comes alongside 38 00:02:05,440 --> 00:02:09,800 Speaker 1: st Nick or uh center Claus has water pete that 39 00:02:09,880 --> 00:02:13,920 Speaker 1: punishes the children. But Bell's Nickel doesn't need a sidekick. 40 00:02:14,040 --> 00:02:18,400 Speaker 1: He uh wears darker attire. His color palette is a 41 00:02:18,440 --> 00:02:20,880 Speaker 1: little darker, and as we said, they're furs involved. But 42 00:02:20,960 --> 00:02:24,440 Speaker 1: he brings both gifts and punishments, and he's sort of 43 00:02:24,480 --> 00:02:27,240 Speaker 1: like Center Clouds and cramp Us kind of mixed together 44 00:02:27,280 --> 00:02:30,280 Speaker 1: because he sometimes wears a mask and has a long tongue. 45 00:02:31,639 --> 00:02:35,280 Speaker 1: So good good children get candy and gifts under bells 46 00:02:35,320 --> 00:02:39,320 Speaker 1: Nickel's watch, and bad children get whipped with switches or 47 00:02:39,360 --> 00:02:42,280 Speaker 1: he'll rattle his chain at them in a very menacing manner. 48 00:02:42,720 --> 00:02:49,280 Speaker 1: If they're really bad, he might vandalize their house. Uh 49 00:02:50,200 --> 00:02:52,680 Speaker 1: yeah that the I mean, what kind of holiday cheer 50 00:02:53,280 --> 00:02:55,560 Speaker 1: doesn't come with a little vandalism of your house when 51 00:02:55,560 --> 00:03:01,720 Speaker 1: you're bad? Um? And it's like darkly hawad Santa Claus 52 00:03:02,880 --> 00:03:06,280 Speaker 1: tpeing somebody's front yard, right, or like spray painting their 53 00:03:06,280 --> 00:03:09,679 Speaker 1: garage door, like bad child lives here? Um. And it's 54 00:03:09,720 --> 00:03:12,840 Speaker 1: possible that bell Nickel is based on another myth from Germany, 55 00:03:12,840 --> 00:03:16,359 Speaker 1: which is Rupert the Servant. And Rupert was, according to 56 00:03:16,480 --> 00:03:19,680 Speaker 1: his varying backstory, either a servant to St. Nicholas, or 57 00:03:19,800 --> 00:03:23,799 Speaker 1: sometimes he is referenced as a servant of Christ and 58 00:03:23,919 --> 00:03:27,679 Speaker 1: the Samuel Taylor Coleridge writing the Christmas Tree. Rupert is 59 00:03:27,720 --> 00:03:30,760 Speaker 1: portrayed as an emissary of Jesus, visiting every house to 60 00:03:30,800 --> 00:03:34,280 Speaker 1: greet all of the children, delighting some and visiting others, 61 00:03:34,320 --> 00:03:36,520 Speaker 1: so very similar to the Santa Claus myths in the 62 00:03:36,560 --> 00:03:39,520 Speaker 1: regards that he travels and sees all the kids. El 63 00:03:39,720 --> 00:03:43,000 Speaker 1: Nichol's first appearance in the United States was in the 64 00:03:43,000 --> 00:03:46,320 Speaker 1: early eighteen hundreds, although his appeal really didn't spread the 65 00:03:46,320 --> 00:03:49,520 Speaker 1: way Santa claus Is did. The two of them did 66 00:03:49,560 --> 00:03:52,400 Speaker 1: appear around the same time in the States, though, it 67 00:03:52,440 --> 00:03:55,200 Speaker 1: seems like the appeal of bell Nickel initially was pretty 68 00:03:55,200 --> 00:03:57,600 Speaker 1: similar to the Crampus customs that we talked about in 69 00:03:57,680 --> 00:04:00,440 Speaker 1: part one of this episode. Young men they like to 70 00:04:00,480 --> 00:04:04,600 Speaker 1: throw together Bell Nickel outfits out of old clothes and 71 00:04:04,640 --> 00:04:07,200 Speaker 1: put on masks and wigs and then parade around the 72 00:04:07,200 --> 00:04:13,360 Speaker 1: street scaring children. Yeah yeah, So in this um race 73 00:04:13,480 --> 00:04:16,719 Speaker 1: to sort of become the Christmas icon of the United States, 74 00:04:17,360 --> 00:04:20,719 Speaker 1: bells Nickel had this, you know, crowd of men, usually 75 00:04:20,720 --> 00:04:23,960 Speaker 1: young men, dressed up as him, stomping through town and 76 00:04:24,000 --> 00:04:26,560 Speaker 1: they would be invited into homes to help celebrate the 77 00:04:26,640 --> 00:04:28,719 Speaker 1: end of the harvest season, and this sort of feasting 78 00:04:29,320 --> 00:04:31,000 Speaker 1: uh was something they would be a part of, and 79 00:04:31,040 --> 00:04:33,920 Speaker 1: they might leave nuts or candy for little ones or 80 00:04:34,160 --> 00:04:37,640 Speaker 1: bless desirable treats if a child was deemed naughty. But 81 00:04:37,800 --> 00:04:40,159 Speaker 1: by some accounts, things could often get out of hand 82 00:04:40,640 --> 00:04:43,080 Speaker 1: and a raucous bell snickel or two might just break 83 00:04:43,120 --> 00:04:48,440 Speaker 1: into homes unannounced, So you can see why eventually Santa 84 00:04:48,560 --> 00:04:50,640 Speaker 1: won the hearts of families in the US. He's a 85 00:04:50,640 --> 00:04:53,479 Speaker 1: little gentle and easy, easier to deal with perhaps, but 86 00:04:53,640 --> 00:04:58,760 Speaker 1: the bell nickel tradition does continue in various Pennsylvania Dutch communities, 87 00:04:58,839 --> 00:05:00,720 Speaker 1: so not as popular as he once was, but he 88 00:05:00,800 --> 00:05:04,320 Speaker 1: is still around. Like but Santa breaks in by coming 89 00:05:04,320 --> 00:05:08,480 Speaker 1: down the chimney. Will be any situation, though, and more 90 00:05:08,520 --> 00:05:13,080 Speaker 1: of not in a malevolent way though. Right he's he's invited, 91 00:05:13,080 --> 00:05:15,719 Speaker 1: people usually leave a snack for him, so there is 92 00:05:15,880 --> 00:05:19,120 Speaker 1: a sort of tacit invitation in the mix there. Yeah. 93 00:05:19,240 --> 00:05:21,320 Speaker 1: Next up we have a French character tied to the 94 00:05:21,320 --> 00:05:23,520 Speaker 1: feast of St. Nicholas, who could align a little more 95 00:05:23,560 --> 00:05:27,240 Speaker 1: closely with Halloween goolies than the season that winter giving 96 00:05:27,279 --> 00:05:31,160 Speaker 1: holidays have come to be associated with. But this character, 97 00:05:31,400 --> 00:05:35,200 Speaker 1: lepair Phutar, provides a counterpoint to the kindly St. Nick 98 00:05:35,279 --> 00:05:38,960 Speaker 1: and also a hero story for the benevolent Saint. This 99 00:05:39,040 --> 00:05:41,479 Speaker 1: is also a character with a lot of branches in 100 00:05:41,520 --> 00:05:47,000 Speaker 1: his backstory, and sometimes he's conflated with other similar characters, 101 00:05:47,040 --> 00:05:50,720 Speaker 1: so the translation of pair fota into English gives a 102 00:05:50,800 --> 00:05:54,800 Speaker 1: hint at his somewhat ominous nature. It actually means father whipper, 103 00:05:55,080 --> 00:05:58,120 Speaker 1: so the verb fete means to whip, which any of 104 00:05:58,120 --> 00:06:01,000 Speaker 1: our listeners who have taken ballet will likely know. There's 105 00:06:01,040 --> 00:06:03,200 Speaker 1: a dance step of that name. It's a turn where 106 00:06:03,240 --> 00:06:05,040 Speaker 1: you use your leg as a whip to propel you. 107 00:06:05,720 --> 00:06:09,159 Speaker 1: So as you may imagine, pair of foot are whips 108 00:06:09,279 --> 00:06:13,200 Speaker 1: children who were bad. There's a lot of punishing children 109 00:06:13,200 --> 00:06:16,279 Speaker 1: with violence of these stories. He dresses in dark clothing. 110 00:06:16,760 --> 00:06:20,479 Speaker 1: Sometimes his characterized as an almost exact mirror of St. Nick, 111 00:06:20,600 --> 00:06:23,919 Speaker 1: but all in dark tones. He's often ratty looking. He 112 00:06:23,960 --> 00:06:26,160 Speaker 1: carries a big stick or a bundle of sticks, or 113 00:06:26,200 --> 00:06:29,720 Speaker 1: a whip, and sometimes you've seen with a large basket 114 00:06:29,760 --> 00:06:32,720 Speaker 1: on his back, which is for stowing potentially bad children. 115 00:06:33,720 --> 00:06:35,800 Speaker 1: Yeah there really bad ones always get carted away in 116 00:06:35,839 --> 00:06:39,359 Speaker 1: all of these stories. Just uh, except for the idea 117 00:06:39,360 --> 00:06:41,800 Speaker 1: of being taken back to Spain, which sounds still to 118 00:06:41,839 --> 00:06:44,599 Speaker 1: be like a lovely vacation in the center. Clouds and 119 00:06:44,640 --> 00:06:47,240 Speaker 1: swatch Pete myth, but most of them do not take 120 00:06:47,279 --> 00:06:50,320 Speaker 1: you to a beautiful place. So uh. If Pair of 121 00:06:50,360 --> 00:06:53,479 Speaker 1: foot are determines that a child has been naughty, he'll 122 00:06:53,520 --> 00:06:56,000 Speaker 1: leave coal or a bundle of twigs instead of the 123 00:06:56,040 --> 00:06:58,560 Speaker 1: candy that St. Nicholas would typically leave, And in some 124 00:06:58,680 --> 00:07:02,080 Speaker 1: homes these i's are displayed for the following year as 125 00:07:02,120 --> 00:07:04,960 Speaker 1: a reminder to that naughty child to do better in 126 00:07:04,960 --> 00:07:07,880 Speaker 1: the hopes of better treats the following year. That the 127 00:07:07,920 --> 00:07:12,800 Speaker 1: origin stories of Father Whipper are even darker than giving 128 00:07:12,800 --> 00:07:16,320 Speaker 1: out spankings and giving unwanted gifts, and the basic story 129 00:07:16,400 --> 00:07:20,520 Speaker 1: involves three young people. There's always a kidnapping, but otherwise 130 00:07:20,560 --> 00:07:24,160 Speaker 1: it varies pretty dramatically, and some versions of the stories 131 00:07:24,200 --> 00:07:26,640 Speaker 1: the three children are just random kids who got lost, 132 00:07:27,120 --> 00:07:29,680 Speaker 1: and other versions, including the oldest one that we know of, 133 00:07:29,720 --> 00:07:32,320 Speaker 1: which is from the twelfth century, they're well to do 134 00:07:32,480 --> 00:07:37,040 Speaker 1: children on their way to to a religious school. But 135 00:07:37,640 --> 00:07:40,400 Speaker 1: in addition to the children being characterized slightly differently in 136 00:07:40,440 --> 00:07:44,600 Speaker 1: their circumstances, Pair Fleetard is also characterized in different ways 137 00:07:45,040 --> 00:07:47,960 Speaker 1: depending on which version of the myth you're hearing. He 138 00:07:48,080 --> 00:07:51,040 Speaker 1: is sometimes an evil butcher who lures the cold lost 139 00:07:51,120 --> 00:07:54,200 Speaker 1: children into his home with plans to eat them. In 140 00:07:54,240 --> 00:07:56,920 Speaker 1: that version, he murders them, cuts them into pieces, and 141 00:07:56,960 --> 00:08:00,120 Speaker 1: puts them into assaulting tub with cuts of pork, and 142 00:08:00,160 --> 00:08:03,400 Speaker 1: sometimes makes a stew out of them. In others, he 143 00:08:03,600 --> 00:08:07,880 Speaker 1: and occasionally his horrible wife uh slit the children's throats 144 00:08:07,920 --> 00:08:11,200 Speaker 1: to steal their money in their possessions, and this very 145 00:08:11,280 --> 00:08:15,040 Speaker 1: grizzly turn of events is where St. Nicholas enters the story, 146 00:08:15,080 --> 00:08:18,560 Speaker 1: because when St. Nick discovers the terrible fate suffered by 147 00:08:18,600 --> 00:08:21,120 Speaker 1: the three children, he brings them back to life. Although 148 00:08:21,120 --> 00:08:23,760 Speaker 1: in gentler versions of the story of the children are 149 00:08:23,800 --> 00:08:26,600 Speaker 1: merely kidnapped and St. Nick comes to the rescue, there's 150 00:08:26,640 --> 00:08:31,080 Speaker 1: no salting and murdering happening, and after the happy resurrection 151 00:08:31,080 --> 00:08:33,640 Speaker 1: of the children in pretty much all of these stories, 152 00:08:33,720 --> 00:08:37,600 Speaker 1: Perfetard is repentant, and St. Nicholas offers him the chance 153 00:08:37,640 --> 00:08:41,360 Speaker 1: to travel with him looking for bad children as a 154 00:08:41,360 --> 00:08:44,600 Speaker 1: way for to make up for his sins. This is 155 00:08:44,640 --> 00:08:48,240 Speaker 1: not an appropriate punishment for someone who attempted to murder 156 00:08:48,320 --> 00:08:51,480 Speaker 1: children earlier in the story, well, or did in fact 157 00:08:51,640 --> 00:08:55,040 Speaker 1: murder them, I mean, and with cannibalism in mind, I'm like, 158 00:08:55,120 --> 00:08:58,040 Speaker 1: that's a pretty sweet deal, Like, oh, you did this 159 00:08:58,160 --> 00:09:00,880 Speaker 1: really horrible thing, but you're repent it. Will you help 160 00:09:00,920 --> 00:09:07,079 Speaker 1: me find bad children? So on. Alternate origin for a 161 00:09:07,160 --> 00:09:10,920 Speaker 1: pair of Ward places his origin in fifteen fifty two 162 00:09:10,960 --> 00:09:12,880 Speaker 1: at the Siege of Metz. And this is a case 163 00:09:13,320 --> 00:09:16,240 Speaker 1: of a historical event and a folkloric event happening at 164 00:09:16,280 --> 00:09:20,200 Speaker 1: around the same time and eventually converging into one story 165 00:09:20,320 --> 00:09:25,200 Speaker 1: through the cultural narrative. So Holy Roman Emperor Charles the 166 00:09:25,240 --> 00:09:27,880 Speaker 1: fifth of Spain sent his troops to take Mets. And 167 00:09:27,920 --> 00:09:29,960 Speaker 1: also just as a heads up, if you guys google 168 00:09:30,600 --> 00:09:33,080 Speaker 1: or otherwise search for Siege of Mets, there are two 169 00:09:33,080 --> 00:09:34,960 Speaker 1: of them. So again this is the one from fifteen 170 00:09:35,000 --> 00:09:39,240 Speaker 1: fifty two. And at this time, when these troops were 171 00:09:39,240 --> 00:09:42,320 Speaker 1: sent in to take Mets, French forces bested them in battle, 172 00:09:42,760 --> 00:09:45,040 Speaker 1: and an effigy of Charles the Fifth was set on 173 00:09:45,120 --> 00:09:47,240 Speaker 1: fire and dragged through the city. So that is the 174 00:09:47,280 --> 00:09:50,560 Speaker 1: real life event part. And at the same time, allegedly 175 00:09:50,840 --> 00:09:54,040 Speaker 1: several adults from the community got together and they concocted 176 00:09:54,080 --> 00:09:56,920 Speaker 1: this idea of a punish your character who would whip 177 00:09:57,000 --> 00:09:59,520 Speaker 1: naughty children on the Feast of St. Nicholas. So the 178 00:09:59,600 --> 00:10:03,360 Speaker 1: idea of the dark burnt figure and the judging whipping 179 00:10:03,440 --> 00:10:06,880 Speaker 1: character kind of melded over time to become pair Foetard. 180 00:10:07,800 --> 00:10:10,760 Speaker 1: In the nineteen thirties, the Tale of fair Footard was 181 00:10:10,800 --> 00:10:15,160 Speaker 1: adapted for English and American audiences as a penny dreadful character, 182 00:10:15,240 --> 00:10:18,080 Speaker 1: and this time he was called Father Flog and was 183 00:10:18,120 --> 00:10:20,920 Speaker 1: not a holiday character so much as this the terrifying 184 00:10:21,120 --> 00:10:25,280 Speaker 1: creature to frighten children into behaving. Father Flag gave bad 185 00:10:25,400 --> 00:10:28,360 Speaker 1: children the whip and cut out their tongues if he 186 00:10:28,440 --> 00:10:32,640 Speaker 1: believed they're lying. He also had a wife named Mother Flog, 187 00:10:32,760 --> 00:10:35,800 Speaker 1: who was both kind and cruel depending on the behavior 188 00:10:35,920 --> 00:10:38,360 Speaker 1: of the children that she captured and the panny a 189 00:10:38,480 --> 00:10:41,520 Speaker 1: of her dress. Can we go back to talking about 190 00:10:41,600 --> 00:10:44,080 Speaker 1: Laba fan of the Epiphany, which because you know it's 191 00:10:44,080 --> 00:10:48,320 Speaker 1: gonna get so much worse before it because speaking of 192 00:10:48,360 --> 00:10:51,040 Speaker 1: the ladies on the list, we have a lovely and 193 00:10:51,120 --> 00:10:54,960 Speaker 1: I see that with some irony icelandic Ogris coming up. 194 00:10:55,080 --> 00:10:56,640 Speaker 1: But first we're gonna have a word from one of 195 00:10:56,640 --> 00:10:59,280 Speaker 1: the great sponsors that keeps the show on the air. 196 00:10:59,679 --> 00:11:02,200 Speaker 1: We've talked a lot about how much research we do 197 00:11:02,280 --> 00:11:04,559 Speaker 1: for the show and how tricky it can be sometimes 198 00:11:04,600 --> 00:11:08,960 Speaker 1: to find the absolute best content online. 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So hop on over to texture 242 00:13:08,840 --> 00:13:11,320 Speaker 1: dot com slash history and get in on this free 243 00:13:11,320 --> 00:13:15,240 Speaker 1: trial and maybe get your gift giving handled. Go back 244 00:13:15,240 --> 00:13:18,679 Speaker 1: to our story. Iceland has its share of troll mythology, 245 00:13:18,720 --> 00:13:23,120 Speaker 1: and that includes holiday trolls as well. That sounded cheery 246 00:13:23,200 --> 00:13:25,840 Speaker 1: to me. I imagined a little troll doll with a present, 247 00:13:26,000 --> 00:13:30,480 Speaker 1: but this is not that. It is a terrifying, terrifying story. 248 00:13:30,920 --> 00:13:33,280 Speaker 1: One of the most terrifying of these trolls maybe Guerrilla, 249 00:13:33,600 --> 00:13:36,480 Speaker 1: who was an old lady troll Ogris hybrid who puts 250 00:13:36,480 --> 00:13:41,160 Speaker 1: a decidedly sinister twist onto Christmas. So we talked in 251 00:13:41,200 --> 00:13:44,400 Speaker 1: our last episode about how Laba Fauna is this amazing 252 00:13:44,800 --> 00:13:48,040 Speaker 1: winter witch and when you think of a classic image 253 00:13:48,080 --> 00:13:51,679 Speaker 1: of a witchy hag, you're picturing something very similar to Grilla, 254 00:13:51,760 --> 00:13:55,480 Speaker 1: and it is not sweet like Laba Fauna. She has 255 00:13:55,520 --> 00:13:58,640 Speaker 1: a terrifying face with a huge, warty nose. She also 256 00:13:58,720 --> 00:14:02,360 Speaker 1: has horns and hoofs, and she has a massive black 257 00:14:02,400 --> 00:14:06,000 Speaker 1: cat called Christmas Cat, which sounds sort of fun but isn't. Uh. 258 00:14:06,720 --> 00:14:09,520 Speaker 1: She is always in a terrible mood, and she is 259 00:14:09,559 --> 00:14:14,800 Speaker 1: always always hungry. During the holiday season, Grila travels through 260 00:14:14,840 --> 00:14:19,160 Speaker 1: the towns and cities of Iceland looking for badly behaved children, 261 00:14:19,480 --> 00:14:22,120 Speaker 1: and when she finds one, she stuffs it in her sack. 262 00:14:23,000 --> 00:14:25,400 Speaker 1: Once she's found plenty of naughty children in her sack 263 00:14:25,520 --> 00:14:27,840 Speaker 1: is full, she heads back to her cave in the mountains. 264 00:14:28,240 --> 00:14:30,800 Speaker 1: There is an escape clause, though, if a child is 265 00:14:30,880 --> 00:14:34,600 Speaker 1: truly repentant for his or her bad behavior, Grila has 266 00:14:34,640 --> 00:14:39,840 Speaker 1: to release them, so she can only capture legitimate, unrepentant misbehaviors. 267 00:14:40,920 --> 00:14:43,440 Speaker 1: And all of those crying, naughty children that she has 268 00:14:43,480 --> 00:14:47,120 Speaker 1: stuffed into her sack are apparently delicious to Grilla. She 269 00:14:47,320 --> 00:14:51,960 Speaker 1: boils them alive to make winter stew, and eating people 270 00:14:52,320 --> 00:14:54,840 Speaker 1: is something of a pastime for Greela. She also eat 271 00:14:54,920 --> 00:14:58,520 Speaker 1: her first two husbands, although in the mythology she remains 272 00:14:58,520 --> 00:15:03,200 Speaker 1: married to the third. Viola also has children of her own, 273 00:15:03,800 --> 00:15:07,440 Speaker 1: thirteen of them, and they are all sons. They are 274 00:15:07,480 --> 00:15:10,960 Speaker 1: also called the Yule Lads, and they're also trouble. They 275 00:15:10,960 --> 00:15:14,400 Speaker 1: have fabulous names, though, and their behaviors correlate to what 276 00:15:14,440 --> 00:15:17,240 Speaker 1: they're called. The first one is sheep coat Clode, who 277 00:15:17,280 --> 00:15:22,200 Speaker 1: tries to suckle the u's in sheep sheds her next son, 278 00:15:22,360 --> 00:15:24,480 Speaker 1: and these comes sort of in order, one per night 279 00:15:24,720 --> 00:15:29,240 Speaker 1: leading up to Christmas. Gully Gawk slurps the foam from 280 00:15:29,280 --> 00:15:33,800 Speaker 1: milk buckets and cow sheds. Then there's Stubby, who snatches 281 00:15:33,880 --> 00:15:40,080 Speaker 1: food from unwatched frying pans, apparently causing him injury. I uh, 282 00:15:40,120 --> 00:15:43,520 Speaker 1: he's just short. I thought it was a reference to 283 00:15:43,600 --> 00:15:47,160 Speaker 1: his fingers being literally burned on the pan. Nope, not 284 00:15:47,200 --> 00:15:48,920 Speaker 1: to the best of my knowledge, But I kind of 285 00:15:49,000 --> 00:15:52,200 Speaker 1: understand because it's hard to resist delicious things cooking, which 286 00:15:52,240 --> 00:15:54,880 Speaker 1: is why I also identify with the next one, which 287 00:15:54,880 --> 00:15:58,640 Speaker 1: is spoon liquor. What I told my husband about this, 288 00:15:58,680 --> 00:16:01,560 Speaker 1: who is a little germophobic, he was so grossed out 289 00:16:01,880 --> 00:16:05,840 Speaker 1: because spoon liquor, no surprise, licks the spoons in the house, 290 00:16:06,640 --> 00:16:09,280 Speaker 1: particularly ones that have been you know, used to stir 291 00:16:09,440 --> 00:16:12,960 Speaker 1: things that are cooking, and he still sometimes steals the spoons. 292 00:16:13,880 --> 00:16:17,200 Speaker 1: Pot scraper licks the tasty remnants from inside of pots 293 00:16:18,480 --> 00:16:21,600 Speaker 1: and bowl liquor hides under beds and he waits for 294 00:16:21,600 --> 00:16:23,720 Speaker 1: people to put their wooden bowls on the floor so 295 00:16:23,800 --> 00:16:27,680 Speaker 1: he can lick them clean. He's whole. Children are all hungry. 296 00:16:30,120 --> 00:16:33,040 Speaker 1: Her mom should feed them, but not feed them children. 297 00:16:34,280 --> 00:16:37,720 Speaker 1: Door Slammer was exactly as noisy as his name implies, 298 00:16:37,720 --> 00:16:40,120 Speaker 1: and he prevents people from getting a good night's rest. 299 00:16:41,120 --> 00:16:44,040 Speaker 1: Skier gobbler steals all the skier, which is a dairy 300 00:16:44,040 --> 00:16:46,720 Speaker 1: food similar to yogurt, and he takes it all from 301 00:16:46,720 --> 00:16:52,240 Speaker 1: people's pantries. Sausage swiper, Uh, we we have a bones 302 00:16:52,320 --> 00:16:56,120 Speaker 1: pick with sausage swiper. Don't steal our sausage. I swear 303 00:16:56,160 --> 00:16:57,720 Speaker 1: I will cut you if you come to my house. 304 00:16:57,760 --> 00:17:03,480 Speaker 1: Sausage swiper. Uh. Window peeper sounds like a creeper and 305 00:17:03,600 --> 00:17:06,080 Speaker 1: kind of is. He likes to just watch people, but 306 00:17:06,200 --> 00:17:11,159 Speaker 1: he also sometimes steals toys. Dooraway Sniffer uses a fantastic 307 00:17:11,160 --> 00:17:13,840 Speaker 1: sense of smell to find cakes and lace bread to eat. 308 00:17:15,000 --> 00:17:17,840 Speaker 1: Meat hook uses a hook to steal meat, and like 309 00:17:17,920 --> 00:17:20,639 Speaker 1: sausage swiper, he would lose a hand at my house. 310 00:17:21,720 --> 00:17:25,199 Speaker 1: Then there's candle beggar who snatches children's candles. Uh. And 311 00:17:25,320 --> 00:17:29,080 Speaker 1: you know, at one point candles were extremely expensive. Uh, 312 00:17:29,119 --> 00:17:31,919 Speaker 1: So that would have been unpleasant and also left them 313 00:17:31,960 --> 00:17:34,560 Speaker 1: in the dark, which maybe they were afraid of. Yes, 314 00:17:35,160 --> 00:17:36,840 Speaker 1: and we should note that there are a number of 315 00:17:36,920 --> 00:17:39,560 Speaker 1: variations on these names. This set was included in a 316 00:17:39,600 --> 00:17:43,320 Speaker 1: famous book that translates to Christmas Is Coming that was 317 00:17:43,320 --> 00:17:48,240 Speaker 1: written in and in the thirteen days preceding Christmas, these boys, 318 00:17:48,280 --> 00:17:51,160 Speaker 1: one at a time, rampage around Iceland, creating all manner 319 00:17:51,240 --> 00:17:55,080 Speaker 1: of mischief, and of course that mammoth black cat has 320 00:17:55,080 --> 00:17:58,440 Speaker 1: a role to play. Also, according to the lore of Iceland, 321 00:17:58,520 --> 00:18:01,639 Speaker 1: every person is supposed to receive a new article of 322 00:18:01,680 --> 00:18:04,399 Speaker 1: clothing at Christmas, and as the Christmas Cat prows about, 323 00:18:04,440 --> 00:18:09,719 Speaker 1: he eats anyone who's in violation of this policy. I 324 00:18:09,760 --> 00:18:13,200 Speaker 1: feel like this is the way to make children feel 325 00:18:13,240 --> 00:18:17,760 Speaker 1: grateful for the socks they didn't want by saying that, well, 326 00:18:17,880 --> 00:18:23,600 Speaker 1: now the Christmas Cat won't eat you, correct, uh, which 327 00:18:23,640 --> 00:18:26,640 Speaker 1: is pretty funny. But then I am I. Of course 328 00:18:26,680 --> 00:18:29,119 Speaker 1: I always have like this underdog mindset of like what 329 00:18:29,200 --> 00:18:32,440 Speaker 1: if people that don't have someone like doesn't give them 330 00:18:32,720 --> 00:18:35,119 Speaker 1: the right gift, Like it's really they're getting punished for 331 00:18:35,560 --> 00:18:39,320 Speaker 1: not giving them the clothing. My absolute first thought was THO, 332 00:18:39,640 --> 00:18:44,360 Speaker 1: no one gave me clothes? How is that my fault? Exactly? Uh? 333 00:18:44,359 --> 00:18:47,760 Speaker 1: And greeless story reaches back at least to the sixteen hundreds, 334 00:18:48,480 --> 00:18:50,320 Speaker 1: and like many of the stories we've talked about in 335 00:18:50,359 --> 00:18:53,680 Speaker 1: this two part or this story was told in large 336 00:18:53,720 --> 00:18:56,360 Speaker 1: part as a way to keep children from misbehaving. It's 337 00:18:56,400 --> 00:18:58,800 Speaker 1: there's some pretty obvious cause and effect to this one, 338 00:18:59,359 --> 00:19:02,760 Speaker 1: and it were and it worked in some ways too well, 339 00:19:03,160 --> 00:19:06,760 Speaker 1: because by the seventeen hundreds, children were so thoroughly terrified 340 00:19:06,840 --> 00:19:10,119 Speaker 1: of Greila and her family that authorities actually had to 341 00:19:10,119 --> 00:19:13,959 Speaker 1: step in. In seventeen forty six, there was a public 342 00:19:14,040 --> 00:19:17,679 Speaker 1: decree issued in an attempt to control the grilla terror 343 00:19:17,680 --> 00:19:20,679 Speaker 1: that was gripping the children of Iceland, and this decree 344 00:19:20,800 --> 00:19:22,919 Speaker 1: prohibited the use of the green Less Story on the 345 00:19:22,960 --> 00:19:25,560 Speaker 1: part of parents as a freight tactic against their children. 346 00:19:27,160 --> 00:19:30,520 Speaker 1: What this whole episode is really clarifying for me is 347 00:19:30,560 --> 00:19:35,040 Speaker 1: that we mistakenly believe that children misbehaving at Christmas time 348 00:19:35,200 --> 00:19:38,120 Speaker 1: is some kind of new fangled invention brought about by 349 00:19:38,200 --> 00:19:43,600 Speaker 1: over indulgent parents and or Santa Claus. But no, not 350 00:19:43,720 --> 00:19:50,040 Speaker 1: the case, as evidenced by hundreds of years of other mythologies. Uh. 351 00:19:50,119 --> 00:19:52,960 Speaker 1: The story of Greila and the U Lads did continue 352 00:19:53,160 --> 00:19:55,119 Speaker 1: even after this decree, but it got a little softer. 353 00:19:55,359 --> 00:19:57,639 Speaker 1: The lads started to look a little more like Christmas elves, 354 00:19:57,680 --> 00:19:59,960 Speaker 1: and they dressed in red and green, and they've taken 355 00:20:00,040 --> 00:20:03,280 Speaker 1: not a more benevolent image, So they leave presents and 356 00:20:03,400 --> 00:20:09,520 Speaker 1: children's shoes. They will, however, leave rotting potatoes, which smell disgusting. 357 00:20:10,119 --> 00:20:13,920 Speaker 1: If you have never smelled a rotting potato, the air foul? Uh. 358 00:20:13,960 --> 00:20:17,040 Speaker 1: If they beam the child to be naughty, yeah, but 359 00:20:17,119 --> 00:20:19,840 Speaker 1: a rotting potato is certainly better than being put in 360 00:20:19,880 --> 00:20:26,080 Speaker 1: a stew, So that's a fair treat. Correct. There's a uh, 361 00:20:26,240 --> 00:20:28,199 Speaker 1: as you said, I mean many of these you know, 362 00:20:28,280 --> 00:20:31,840 Speaker 1: we've uh we talked about, particularly in the US. This 363 00:20:31,920 --> 00:20:35,119 Speaker 1: is an ongoing debate sometimes that like we some people 364 00:20:35,600 --> 00:20:38,520 Speaker 1: think that Christmas Time should be more focused on the 365 00:20:38,560 --> 00:20:41,280 Speaker 1: religion versus sort of the Santa angle and all of 366 00:20:41,280 --> 00:20:43,439 Speaker 1: the gifts. But really you have to look at it 367 00:20:43,480 --> 00:20:47,200 Speaker 1: in terms of these mythologies were serving very different purposes. 368 00:20:47,240 --> 00:20:49,760 Speaker 1: Like there are people that have always celebrated it religiously, 369 00:20:50,119 --> 00:20:54,639 Speaker 1: but that doesn't really leave an appropriate opening for this 370 00:20:54,760 --> 00:20:58,520 Speaker 1: sort of didactic, potentially cruel angle, like they needed the 371 00:20:58,560 --> 00:21:01,480 Speaker 1: other characters to cover that you better behave or you'll 372 00:21:01,480 --> 00:21:03,760 Speaker 1: get eaten. You can't really fit that into the major 373 00:21:03,800 --> 00:21:07,280 Speaker 1: story as well. But but now we are going to 374 00:21:07,400 --> 00:21:10,119 Speaker 1: move on to Catalonia, and I kind of have this 375 00:21:10,160 --> 00:21:15,840 Speaker 1: moment of oh Catalonia. Uh So, if you've listened to 376 00:21:16,160 --> 00:21:19,880 Speaker 1: some of our previous topics, particularly are two part from 377 00:21:19,880 --> 00:21:21,880 Speaker 1: our live show, you will know that I don't love 378 00:21:21,960 --> 00:21:24,840 Speaker 1: to talk about scatological topics, yet it seems to come 379 00:21:24,920 --> 00:21:29,240 Speaker 1: up for me repeatedly. Uh. But I know that if 380 00:21:29,280 --> 00:21:33,520 Speaker 1: we leave the cagan air and Tioda natal also known 381 00:21:33,560 --> 00:21:36,439 Speaker 1: as Coga tillo off of this list, people will be 382 00:21:36,480 --> 00:21:41,399 Speaker 1: disappointed and or angry. So here it goes. Uh. In 383 00:21:41,480 --> 00:21:44,639 Speaker 1: case you have not heard or have never noticed, in 384 00:21:44,680 --> 00:21:48,120 Speaker 1: the back of Nativity scenes in Catalonia, there is normally 385 00:21:48,119 --> 00:21:53,760 Speaker 1: a humble figure off in the corner pooping. This figure, 386 00:21:53,800 --> 00:21:57,280 Speaker 1: the Cogan Air, which translates in the politest sense to 387 00:21:57,520 --> 00:22:01,399 Speaker 1: the defecator, has been a traditional part of the Catalonia 388 00:22:01,480 --> 00:22:05,080 Speaker 1: Christmas for at least two centuries and possibly longer. The 389 00:22:05,080 --> 00:22:07,679 Speaker 1: exact reason the exact reasons why are a little more 390 00:22:07,720 --> 00:22:11,440 Speaker 1: of a mystery, though There's one theory that it's tied 391 00:22:11,480 --> 00:22:15,240 Speaker 1: to the idea of luck and harvest and fertilization, so 392 00:22:15,920 --> 00:22:18,480 Speaker 1: along those lines, the thinking is that to leave the 393 00:22:18,560 --> 00:22:21,359 Speaker 1: Cagan air out of your nativity would bring terrible luck, 394 00:22:21,400 --> 00:22:24,080 Speaker 1: and your vegetable crop would not yield in the following year. 395 00:22:24,840 --> 00:22:28,160 Speaker 1: Another interpretation of his appearance and the Nativity is more 396 00:22:28,240 --> 00:22:33,160 Speaker 1: specifically religious, and that is that the man answering nature's 397 00:22:33,200 --> 00:22:35,800 Speaker 1: call off in the corner is a reminder that God 398 00:22:35,840 --> 00:22:39,000 Speaker 1: has plans and that something as significant as the birth 399 00:22:39,000 --> 00:22:41,399 Speaker 1: of Christ can happen whether you were prepared for it 400 00:22:41,520 --> 00:22:45,040 Speaker 1: or not. So the Coogan Air. It may be a 401 00:22:45,040 --> 00:22:47,199 Speaker 1: little bit tricky for people who are not used to 402 00:22:47,200 --> 00:22:50,320 Speaker 1: this concept to accept, but it is not a disrespectful thing. 403 00:22:50,359 --> 00:22:53,320 Speaker 1: He is simply a human and his placement tucked away 404 00:22:53,320 --> 00:22:55,760 Speaker 1: in the back of the scene really indicates respect, like 405 00:22:55,800 --> 00:22:58,080 Speaker 1: he's trying to be out of the way about having 406 00:22:58,119 --> 00:23:01,240 Speaker 1: to do this very natural thing, versus if he were 407 00:23:01,240 --> 00:23:04,880 Speaker 1: put closer to the front or out in front of Uh, Jesus, 408 00:23:04,880 --> 00:23:07,920 Speaker 1: Mary and Joseph. So in some families, the Kaganair is 409 00:23:07,960 --> 00:23:10,639 Speaker 1: actually part of traditions that are very similar to the 410 00:23:10,680 --> 00:23:12,959 Speaker 1: Elf on the shelf in the United States, as he 411 00:23:13,160 --> 00:23:15,440 Speaker 1: is moved each night and the children then have to 412 00:23:15,480 --> 00:23:20,280 Speaker 1: find him in the morning, and similarly, kind of weird 413 00:23:20,400 --> 00:23:23,119 Speaker 1: modern development around the Kaganair is the fact that this 414 00:23:23,680 --> 00:23:26,639 Speaker 1: figures of this character have become kind of collectibles and 415 00:23:26,680 --> 00:23:28,840 Speaker 1: there are versions of it made to resemble the British 416 00:23:28,920 --> 00:23:32,879 Speaker 1: royal family and the United States presidents and other various 417 00:23:32,920 --> 00:23:37,920 Speaker 1: famous figures. In a cogonair nearly twenty ft that's six 418 00:23:38,080 --> 00:23:40,840 Speaker 1: ms tall was placed in a Barcelona shopping center and 419 00:23:40,840 --> 00:23:46,560 Speaker 1: it garnered the Guinness World Record for largest cogonair. We're 420 00:23:46,560 --> 00:23:51,240 Speaker 1: gonna talk about the other scatological Catalan Christmas tradition, uh 421 00:23:51,320 --> 00:23:54,240 Speaker 1: after we have another brief word from a sponsor. We 422 00:23:54,280 --> 00:23:57,879 Speaker 1: are big fans of the Great Courses. That is no line. Yeah, no, 423 00:23:57,920 --> 00:24:00,119 Speaker 1: one's surprised by that knowledge because we have set a 424 00:24:00,160 --> 00:24:03,919 Speaker 1: lot of times. It is genuinely true. We love learning 425 00:24:03,920 --> 00:24:06,119 Speaker 1: about so many things that our own pace, just to 426 00:24:06,200 --> 00:24:08,119 Speaker 1: do it for fun. 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That's the Great Courses Plus dot 448 00:25:28,840 --> 00:25:33,119 Speaker 1: Com slash stuff. And now we'll get back to our story. 449 00:25:34,800 --> 00:25:37,800 Speaker 1: So the Kagan Air is not the only Catalan Christmas 450 00:25:37,840 --> 00:25:42,040 Speaker 1: tradition that features excrement. There's also Coga tillo also called 451 00:25:42,119 --> 00:25:45,720 Speaker 1: TiO di natal, and this translates basically to the poop 452 00:25:45,800 --> 00:25:51,480 Speaker 1: log or the Christmas Log. Cagatillo joins the Catalan festivities 453 00:25:51,480 --> 00:25:54,840 Speaker 1: on December eighth, the Feast of Immaculate Conception. It is 454 00:25:54,880 --> 00:25:57,520 Speaker 1: a log, a log with a smiley face and a 455 00:25:57,560 --> 00:26:01,280 Speaker 1: red Catalan traditional cap on one end, and uh usually 456 00:26:01,320 --> 00:26:03,040 Speaker 1: it has little legs on that same end, so it 457 00:26:03,080 --> 00:26:06,080 Speaker 1: kind of sits at an angle, and the children of 458 00:26:06,119 --> 00:26:09,359 Speaker 1: the household must look after Kagatillo. He needs to be 459 00:26:09,400 --> 00:26:11,719 Speaker 1: covered with a blanket so he stays warm and cozy, 460 00:26:11,880 --> 00:26:13,679 Speaker 1: and he needs to be fed turan, which is an 461 00:26:13,720 --> 00:26:16,840 Speaker 1: almond candy, every evening, and he's also sometimes fed bits 462 00:26:16,880 --> 00:26:20,280 Speaker 1: of orange peel. This is all meant to fatten him up. 463 00:26:20,720 --> 00:26:22,879 Speaker 1: Sometimes will be larger in the morning than he was 464 00:26:22,960 --> 00:26:25,840 Speaker 1: the night before, and the children have to continue looking 465 00:26:25,880 --> 00:26:29,720 Speaker 1: after him and feeding him right up until Christmas Eve. Then, 466 00:26:30,200 --> 00:26:32,960 Speaker 1: on Christmas Eve, after a lavish dinner and after the 467 00:26:33,040 --> 00:26:36,480 Speaker 1: children have gone elsewhere in the house to pray, they 468 00:26:36,520 --> 00:26:38,480 Speaker 1: then returned to the log and they sing a song 469 00:26:38,520 --> 00:26:42,960 Speaker 1: which translates roughly to gaga tillo hazelnuts and turan. If 470 00:26:42,960 --> 00:26:44,720 Speaker 1: you don't want to pooh, we will hit you with 471 00:26:44,760 --> 00:26:48,920 Speaker 1: a stick. You will see different variations of that translation, 472 00:26:49,600 --> 00:26:52,600 Speaker 1: but really It pretty much all equates to it is 473 00:26:52,640 --> 00:26:54,199 Speaker 1: time to poop out our gifts. We're going to hit 474 00:26:54,240 --> 00:26:56,840 Speaker 1: you with a stick to make it happen. And then 475 00:26:56,840 --> 00:26:59,520 Speaker 1: they do. They hit the log they've been looking after 476 00:26:59,600 --> 00:27:03,240 Speaker 1: with it uh, and then they reach inside the blanket 477 00:27:03,280 --> 00:27:05,920 Speaker 1: and pull out fruit and candy and small toys similar 478 00:27:05,920 --> 00:27:07,760 Speaker 1: to what you might find in a Christmas stocking in 479 00:27:07,800 --> 00:27:11,200 Speaker 1: the United States. When Kagatillo is empty and has given 480 00:27:11,240 --> 00:27:14,359 Speaker 1: all of his gifts, he'll sometimes drop something that's not 481 00:27:14,480 --> 00:27:16,720 Speaker 1: very appealing, like a head of garlic or a piece 482 00:27:16,720 --> 00:27:20,000 Speaker 1: of salt hat herring or an onion. Sometimes he urinates, 483 00:27:20,040 --> 00:27:23,040 Speaker 1: which is just water. That is the signal that the 484 00:27:23,040 --> 00:27:28,160 Speaker 1: fun is over. And as for the historical roots of Cogatillo, 485 00:27:28,160 --> 00:27:32,119 Speaker 1: those are also pretty fuzzy. So it is possible that 486 00:27:32,160 --> 00:27:34,960 Speaker 1: it is some sort of combination of the Kagan air 487 00:27:35,080 --> 00:27:38,399 Speaker 1: and the traditional Pagan yule log, but with both of 488 00:27:38,400 --> 00:27:42,040 Speaker 1: these traditions we don't really have solid info on their origins. 489 00:27:42,480 --> 00:27:48,840 Speaker 1: And there are actually two things about this Catalan pair 490 00:27:48,880 --> 00:27:52,399 Speaker 1: of traditions that I sort of found myself having a 491 00:27:52,480 --> 00:27:56,120 Speaker 1: brief revelation over as I was doing the research. So one, 492 00:27:56,760 --> 00:27:59,439 Speaker 1: it's fascinating to me that these unlike some of the 493 00:27:59,440 --> 00:28:05,200 Speaker 1: others that we have, they don't have a there's culturally 494 00:28:05,200 --> 00:28:08,439 Speaker 1: been no need for them to concoct a backstory around it, 495 00:28:08,560 --> 00:28:10,040 Speaker 1: you know what I mean, Like there are fables that 496 00:28:10,080 --> 00:28:12,520 Speaker 1: go with all the others, but there's no like fable 497 00:28:12,600 --> 00:28:15,480 Speaker 1: of someone going and finding a magical log in the forest, 498 00:28:15,560 --> 00:28:17,439 Speaker 1: and there's none of that. They're just like, it's just 499 00:28:17,480 --> 00:28:19,960 Speaker 1: part of our tradition. And the other thing I have 500 00:28:20,080 --> 00:28:22,679 Speaker 1: to say, having started this segment out by saying that 501 00:28:22,720 --> 00:28:26,680 Speaker 1: I am very uncomfortable usually talking about pretty much anything scatological, 502 00:28:27,000 --> 00:28:29,080 Speaker 1: that I kind of appreciate a culture that is not 503 00:28:29,160 --> 00:28:31,960 Speaker 1: quite so hung up about bodily functions and that makes 504 00:28:32,000 --> 00:28:34,000 Speaker 1: it a normal part of everyday life and even in 505 00:28:34,040 --> 00:28:38,120 Speaker 1: some ways something that's celebrated. So those are my two 506 00:28:38,120 --> 00:28:45,120 Speaker 1: revelations about Catalonian Christmas and the Kagan and Cagato. So 507 00:28:45,440 --> 00:28:51,560 Speaker 1: happy Christmas, everybody, Happy holidays, whatever you celebrate. Uh, you know, 508 00:28:51,680 --> 00:28:53,760 Speaker 1: it's the end of the year, So I hope all 509 00:28:53,800 --> 00:28:56,760 Speaker 1: the things that you're wrapping up are going smoothly and 510 00:28:56,800 --> 00:28:59,280 Speaker 1: that you have had more joy than grief this year, 511 00:28:59,600 --> 00:29:02,240 Speaker 1: and that eyone who is traveling is traveling very safely, 512 00:29:02,840 --> 00:29:05,320 Speaker 1: and that the coming year treats you better than any 513 00:29:05,440 --> 00:29:07,520 Speaker 1: year has before, but it's not nearly so good as 514 00:29:07,600 --> 00:29:11,560 Speaker 1: years to come. Do you also have listener mail? I do. 515 00:29:11,720 --> 00:29:14,400 Speaker 1: I have two pieces of listener mail, and they are 516 00:29:14,440 --> 00:29:16,960 Speaker 1: both about the Declaration of Sentiments, and they're fairly brief. 517 00:29:17,920 --> 00:29:21,240 Speaker 1: The first one is from UH Laura or Lara. She 518 00:29:21,360 --> 00:29:23,800 Speaker 1: it's based on spelling. It could be either, she says, 519 00:29:23,840 --> 00:29:26,000 Speaker 1: Holly and Tracy, I just listen to your podcast on 520 00:29:26,040 --> 00:29:28,520 Speaker 1: the Declaration of Sentiments. I am a teacher and I 521 00:29:28,560 --> 00:29:31,160 Speaker 1: taught the Declaration to my eighth graders last year. Side 522 00:29:31,200 --> 00:29:33,719 Speaker 1: note from me right on teach those eighth graders, UH, 523 00:29:33,840 --> 00:29:37,040 Speaker 1: thank you for teaching, because we need great teachers. Back 524 00:29:37,080 --> 00:29:39,520 Speaker 1: to Lara, she says, one of the questions students had 525 00:29:39,600 --> 00:29:41,720 Speaker 1: after they read it was how many of these issues 526 00:29:41,760 --> 00:29:44,440 Speaker 1: still exist? One of my students asked me, is it 527 00:29:44,520 --> 00:29:47,960 Speaker 1: possible these all still exist? And I replied sadly yes. 528 00:29:48,560 --> 00:29:50,680 Speaker 1: It was actually one of my favorite teaching moments where 529 00:29:50,680 --> 00:29:54,200 Speaker 1: students made connections to history that are still important today. 530 00:29:54,240 --> 00:29:56,600 Speaker 1: That it's a really good point. We mentioned it in 531 00:29:56,600 --> 00:30:01,320 Speaker 1: that episode that if you read the Declaration of Sentiments, UH, 532 00:30:01,400 --> 00:30:04,600 Speaker 1: equality issues that were being addressed in that document are 533 00:30:04,640 --> 00:30:08,520 Speaker 1: still very vital today, like we're still fighting those battles 534 00:30:09,080 --> 00:30:11,080 Speaker 1: a hundred and sixty seven years later. I think that's 535 00:30:11,120 --> 00:30:14,840 Speaker 1: the correct number. The next one is from our listener Jessica, 536 00:30:15,360 --> 00:30:17,640 Speaker 1: and she says, Hi, Holly and Tracy, I just listened 537 00:30:17,640 --> 00:30:20,600 Speaker 1: to your podcast on the Declaration of Sentiments from Seneca Falls. 538 00:30:20,680 --> 00:30:23,960 Speaker 1: What an interesting story. I have taken many history classes 539 00:30:24,000 --> 00:30:26,240 Speaker 1: and even work in a history museum, but I had 540 00:30:26,320 --> 00:30:29,000 Speaker 1: never heard of the Declaration of Sentiments. The use of 541 00:30:29,000 --> 00:30:32,040 Speaker 1: crowdsourcing in an attempt to find it is amazing. As 542 00:30:32,040 --> 00:30:34,760 Speaker 1: a museum professional, I have seen this tactic used before 543 00:30:34,800 --> 00:30:38,400 Speaker 1: with success. At my museum, we post photos of unidentified 544 00:30:38,440 --> 00:30:40,960 Speaker 1: people onto social media in an attempt to find out 545 00:30:41,000 --> 00:30:43,640 Speaker 1: more about them. You would be surprised at how well 546 00:30:43,640 --> 00:30:46,480 Speaker 1: this works. We just had someone identified today that I 547 00:30:46,520 --> 00:30:48,920 Speaker 1: have been trying to I D for months. There is 548 00:30:48,960 --> 00:30:51,520 Speaker 1: hope that the declaration will be found, and social media 549 00:30:51,600 --> 00:30:53,040 Speaker 1: is a great way to put the word out there. 550 00:30:53,120 --> 00:30:56,280 Speaker 1: You never know what is lurking in someone's attic. I agree, 551 00:30:56,360 --> 00:30:59,120 Speaker 1: Thank you, Jessica. She works incidentally for the Jim Getchell 552 00:30:59,200 --> 00:31:04,560 Speaker 1: Memorial Museum um UH in Buffalo, Wyoming and I um, 553 00:31:04,600 --> 00:31:06,320 Speaker 1: I agree. That's one of the reasons I was so 554 00:31:06,360 --> 00:31:11,600 Speaker 1: excited about that project and about um Megan Smith's efforts 555 00:31:11,640 --> 00:31:13,640 Speaker 1: to kind of have it found and people, I hope 556 00:31:13,680 --> 00:31:16,000 Speaker 1: you are still out there on social media if you 557 00:31:16,040 --> 00:31:19,280 Speaker 1: have any information, sharing that information with the hashtag find 558 00:31:19,320 --> 00:31:22,920 Speaker 1: the Sentiments, because like she said, it's very possibly sitting 559 00:31:22,920 --> 00:31:25,720 Speaker 1: in someone's attic somewhere, or someone just knows some piece 560 00:31:25,760 --> 00:31:27,160 Speaker 1: of the puzzle that's going to lead us to the 561 00:31:27,200 --> 00:31:29,920 Speaker 1: next step. So that is all exciting to me. I'm 562 00:31:29,960 --> 00:31:32,440 Speaker 1: still very excited about the Declaration of Sentiments. That was 563 00:31:32,520 --> 00:31:35,520 Speaker 1: just a fun trip for me. And uh, it's, like 564 00:31:35,520 --> 00:31:38,480 Speaker 1: I said, a cool project. It's important everybody can engage 565 00:31:38,480 --> 00:31:41,400 Speaker 1: in history and be part of both creating it and 566 00:31:41,920 --> 00:31:44,520 Speaker 1: preserving it. So if you would like to write to us, 567 00:31:44,560 --> 00:31:46,920 Speaker 1: you can do so at History Podcast at how stoneworks 568 00:31:46,960 --> 00:31:49,680 Speaker 1: dot com. You can connect to this at Facebook dot com, 569 00:31:49,760 --> 00:31:52,880 Speaker 1: slash mist in history, on Twitter at misst in history, 570 00:31:53,440 --> 00:31:56,600 Speaker 1: at pinterest dot com, slash miss in history at missed 571 00:31:56,600 --> 00:31:59,080 Speaker 1: in history dot tumbler dot com, and we're on Instagram 572 00:31:59,120 --> 00:32:01,440 Speaker 1: at misst in history. If you would like to learn 573 00:32:01,520 --> 00:32:03,200 Speaker 1: more about what we talked about today. You can do 574 00:32:03,280 --> 00:32:05,680 Speaker 1: so by going to our parents site, how stuff Works. 575 00:32:05,880 --> 00:32:08,880 Speaker 1: Type in the word traditions in the search bar, and 576 00:32:09,000 --> 00:32:11,880 Speaker 1: you will churn up an entire list of results about 577 00:32:11,920 --> 00:32:15,320 Speaker 1: traditions throughout the world, some of which will include Christmas 578 00:32:15,360 --> 00:32:17,920 Speaker 1: traditions and holiday traditions like the ones we've talked about 579 00:32:18,360 --> 00:32:20,920 Speaker 1: in today's episode and the preceding one, and some that 580 00:32:20,920 --> 00:32:23,960 Speaker 1: are just other traditions around different cultures, which is always 581 00:32:24,000 --> 00:32:26,480 Speaker 1: good fun. So we encourage you to visit us there 582 00:32:26,520 --> 00:32:28,480 Speaker 1: at house to works dot com and also at missed 583 00:32:28,520 --> 00:32:30,560 Speaker 1: in history dot com, where you will find an archive 584 00:32:30,640 --> 00:32:33,000 Speaker 1: of all of our episodes, as well as show notes 585 00:32:33,040 --> 00:32:34,960 Speaker 1: for any of the episodes that Tracy and I have 586 00:32:35,040 --> 00:32:37,520 Speaker 1: worked on together. So again, visit us at how stuff 587 00:32:37,560 --> 00:32:46,080 Speaker 1: Work dot com and missed in History dot com for 588 00:32:46,200 --> 00:32:48,520 Speaker 1: more on this and thousands of other topics. Is it 589 00:32:48,600 --> 00:33:02,080 Speaker 1: how stuff works dot com