Admirable fellow sisters
This week is International Women's Day and with that I want to draw attention to some of the women who inspire me. I always name my garments, and some other crafts, after women I admire and this week I want to pay extra attention to them.
Before the great breakthrough of industrialism, the vast majority of Swedes lived in the countryside. It is these people, the common people, who got the name commoners.
The roles and tasks of women and men were divided, although it happened that it could look different on certain farms and during certain time periods. The woman's traditional lot consisted of housework, giving birth and taking care of children, looking after the elderly, textile work and gardening. These were called women's chores . The men work in the field and are responsible for the tools and animals. This was called man's work .
Women had no legal right to own land until well into the 20th century, so it was important to give birth to sons who could take over the farm when that day came.
An important item of clothing for the peasant woman was her apron. d In addition to being practical, and protected from dirt, it was also about decency, without an apron the woman was not considered to be fully clothed. There was also shock around the aprons. If a meeting a woman without an apron gave it bad luck and could give a different diseases.
The women of the common people
Virginia Woolf
Mitt intresse för Virginia Woolf väcktes när jag för första gången drabbades av filmen Timmarna (2002). Än idag är detta en av mina favoritfilmer och i den får vi bl.a. följa Virgina i hennes författarskap, "galenskap" och slutligen död.
Virginia (1882-1941) var en engelsk författare som ingick i den kända, litterära gruppen Bloomsbury. Virginia var en stark kritiker till de dåvarande könsrollerna och i hennes litterära verk utmanar hon ofta dessa roller.
Liv Arnesen
Norska Liv Arnesen, född 1955, är en helt otrolig äventyrare! Hon var den först kvinnan att korsa Grönland ensam, helt utan stöd från någon annan. Därefter blev hon den första kvinnan att ensam nå Sydpolen efter en 50 dagars lång skidexpedition.
År 2000-01 blev hon och den amerikanska utforskaren Ann Bancroft den första kvinnliga duon att korsa Antarktis
Foto från libanesen.com
Björk Guðmundsdóttir
Björk, född 1965, är en för mig inspirerande konstnär och feminist som skapar unika ting oavsett om hon håller på med musik, film eller andra uttryck.
När jag provade min nystickade tröja för första gången tänkte jag på bilden från hennes första skivalbum, som du ser här. Därefter var det självklart att det var Björk-tröjan!
Elin Wägner
Elin was born in the late 19th century and died in 1947. She was a writer and was part of the famous Fogelstadsgruppen, which came to form the Women's Citizens' School. She was a member of the Swedish Academy and she co-founded Save the Children in 1919.
What is less known is that she also became involved in the environmental issue and pointed out early on the connection between human behavior and the well-being of nature. In Småland, Elin built her house Lilla Björka, where she ran organic farming. For those who want to know more, I can recommend the radio program "Elin Wägner, the earth and the trees" on Swedish Radio.
"It's the earthworm and the woman who will do it"
Elin Wägner
Fredrika Runeberg
Fredrika lived in Finland in the 19th century and was Finnish-Swedish. She is considered the country's first female journalist and she wrote socially critical books. She was also the mother of eight children and cared for her sick husband, the national poet Johan Ludvig Runeberg.
To top it all, she was a good gardener and you can visit her garden in the couple Runeberg home in Porvoo. She grew useful plants and flowers. In addition, she was very early to start having potted plants, so-called window gardens, and in her home today, many of her cuttings remain. It is said that Fredrika used to exchange cuttings and seeds with her friends, the same friends that she, together with later in life, would also work for girls' right to education and work.
Simone de Beauvoir
Simone was born in the early 20th century and lived in Paris. She was counted among the French, intellectual elite and was a life partner with the existentialist Jean-Paul Sartre.
Simone is best known for her book The other sex (1949), with which she was given a given place in feminist theory.
"You are not born a woman, you become one."
SIMONE DE BEAUVOIR
Astrid Lindgren
Astrid was born in the early 20th century on the farm Näs outside Vimmerby in Småland. She is without a doubt best known as a children's book author and we all have a relationship with one or more of her characters.
Astrid was a true humanist who cared for the best interests of the children. Animal rights were also close to her heart.
"Sometimes there are things you have to do even if it is dangerous. Otherwise you are not a human being but just a little shit."
from the Brothers Lionheart
Tove Jansson
Tove is probably best known for her books about the Moomin role, but she was also one of Finland's greatest artists. Her artistic side took many forms and during World War II she used it to criticize the ongoing war. Because some things were not in line with what the Finnish state propagated, she was censored.
Tove was also brave when it came to love. She had lesbian relationships, something that was illegal in Finland until 1971. Her Moomin characters Tofslan and Vifslan symbolize herself and her first, lesbian love.
Edith Södergran
Edith was born in the late 19th century in what was then the Empire of Russia. Her parents were Swedes from Finland and thus they spoke Swedish at home. Edith began writing poems early.
When she was 16, Edith contracted tuberculosis. The illness led to long hospital stays, a time she used to write hundreds of poems. When she and her family moved back to Finland, Edith published her first collection of poems Poet . The year was 1916.
Before she died, only 31 years old, she published four collections of poems. Her poems, and she herself for that matter, were received with mixed feelings. Edith was perceived as unconventional and she broke with the then perception of how women should behave.
"You were looking for a flower
and found a fruit.
You were looking for a source
and found a sea.
You were looking for a woman
and found a soul -
you are disappointed. "
EDITH SÖDERGRAN
Cajsa Warg
Cajsa Warg lived and worked during the 18th century. She was a housekeeper and at the age of 52 she published the cookbook Hjälpreda i hushållningen för unga fruntimmer , which became one of the most influential cookbooks from the mid-18th century to the early 19th century. What made her cookbook so innovative was that she, unlike others, had more exact dimensions and cooking times. In addition, her recipes were based on ingredients that were not too difficult to obtain.
Already in the first edition of her cookbook, she introduces plant dyeing, which was later expanded in the coming editions. Other household skills were also included in the cookbook, such as brandy burning and how to cast your own candles.
Elsa Beskow
Elsa was born in Stockholm during the late 19th century and grew up in a family with many independent women. Having a personal income as a woman was obvious to Elsa, which affected her life choice.
In 1897, Elsa's debut book was published The story of the little, little old woman and with it began her career as a children's book author, illustrator and artist.
Elsa married and had six sons. It was with them, running around at home, that she still managed to shoulder the responsibility for them and the household while creating her fine works. The income from what she created contributed largely to the family's income.
