318. Heist of St Nicolas: Raiding Santa's Tomb (Part 1)

In this Christmas special of the Empire podcast, hosts Afua Hirsch and William Dalrymple are joined by Sam Dalrymple to discuss the origins of Santa Claus, or St. Nicholas. They delve into St. Nicholas's tomb in Lycia, Southern Turkey, and explore the region's rich history, including Greek, Persian, and Roman influences. The discussion covers the cultural crossroads of Zoroastrianism, Greek mythology, and early Christianity, as well as the evolution of St. Nicholas from a Roman saint to the patron saint of sailors, with his mythology spreading across the Mediterranean and into Russia. They also discuss the merging of pre-Christian figures like Poseidon into the Saint Nicholas narrative. The episode further explores the earliest images of St. Nicholas and the origin of the tradition of dropping gifts down the chimney, tracing it back to a 14th-century fresco in Serbia.