Enjoy Medieval Warfare Vol IV.2 - Queens and Valkyries

Medieval Warfare - IV.2

Written by Christy Beall

Topic: Knights and fighting princesses - medieval women as warriors

Introduction: Owen Rees, 'Historical introduction: women warriors and generals'.

In this modern era of social enlightenment, equality, and gender understanding, there is a dark corner where the great elephant in the room resides: women in war, or more specifically, women on the front lines. It is an emotionally volatile subject that forces any society to question and challenge its perceptions of gender, of women in particular, and of its own fundamental beliefs. This debate is not exclusive to our supposedly gender-liberated society; it is a debate that has gone on for centuries. Perhaps the first attempt to engage in a balanced debate came in the medieval period. But of course, it was necessary to debate it, simply because of the number of women who were present in war.

Topic: Santa Jansone, 'Viking warrior women around the Baltic Sea: ladies with axes and spears'.

The phenomenon of warrior women has been analyzed time and time again, but everyone has their own point of view. Undoubtedly, these points of view can be influenced by modern concepts of society, such as feminism. To try to understand what it might mean to be a female warrior in medieval times (unlike the modern sense of the term), we could take a look at Viking society.

Topic: David Balfour, 'Sichelgaita of Salerno at Dyrrhachium: a formidable sight'.

Illustrated by Julia Lillo.

The scene, as described in Anna Komnene's Alexiad, is moving. On October 18, 1081, at Dyrrhachium (Durazzo), Robert Guiscard, Duke of Apulia and Calabria, faced a Byzantine army commanded by Emperor Alexios. With Robert was his wife Sichelgaita.

Topic: Filippo Donvito, 'Queen Tamar of Georgia - the Lioness of the Caucasus'.

Illustrated by Maxime Plasse.

Squeezed between the Caucasus mountains, surrounded by fierce steppe rider tribes and belligerent Muslim emirates, lay the Christian kingdom of Georgia. At the beginning of the 13th century, after continuous struggles along its borders, this small state had managed to earn the respect of its neighbors. Two things they feared most: its formidable cavalry and the indomitable spirit of its warrior queen, Tamar the Great (r. 1184-1213).

Topic: Gareth Williams, 'Joan of Arc and the Siege of Orleans: manipulation and the maid'.

Illustrated by Milek Jakubiec.

Around 1425, Joan, a fourteen-year-old girl from Domrémy, a commune in Lorraine in France, began to hear voices that demanded the expulsion of the invading English forces and the coronation of Charles VII in Reims. Her obedience to this calling gave rise to the proliferation of certain legends that extolled her exploits and assigned her a fundamental role in the liberation of Orleans and France. Although other women claimed divine patronage, why did the French establishment highlight Joan? Did they distinguish a personal advantage, manipulating her for political gain? How do the events of Orleans separate legend from reality?

Topic: Nils Visser and Willeke Snijder, 'Jeanne de Flandres - the Flame of Brittany'.

Illustrated by Jason Juta.

Joan of Arc has become the archetype of the medieval warrior, but she was by no means the only woman who donned armor and wielded a sword. This is not to say that it was commonplace: female fighters remained the exception and not the rule, but the exceptions occurred with a much greater frequency than is commonly known. In fact, on occasion, a woman was even expected to wield a sword or exercise command. Such is the case of several women involved in the Breton War of Succession, all conveniently named Jeanne, although we will focus on Jeanne de Flandres, also known as the 'Flame of Brittany'.

Topic: Jean-Claude Brunner, 'Margaret, Countess of Tyrol: one woman, two husbands'.

Illustrated by Ganbat Badamkhand.

Only in legend did Margaret, Countess of Tyrol (1318-1369), Duchess of Carinthia and Bavaria, fight in armor, but much more vividly. The legends tell of her and her army ravaging the valleys of Carinthia. Clad in armor, her steel embrace crushed men to death to drink their blood and bathe in it. In reality, she was the last of the Meinhardiner family, defending her territories as best she could against the turmoil of the times and the aspirations of the three contending families in Central Europe. Leaving out her first husband and marrying a new one created quite a stir in Europe.

Specials

The General: Kenneth Cline, 'George Maniakes: the hapless general of Byzantium'.

From the death of Basil II to the rise of Alexios Komnenos, the history of Byzantium seems woefully devoid of military achievements until one considers the glorious, tempestuous, and unfortunate career of George Maniakes, who proved that Byzantine armies could still achieve significant victories in an era of military decay, and also that palace politics could undo all those achievements.

Special: Mike Ingram, 'Falkes de Bréauté and the Baron's Wars: King John's scythe'.

Illustrated by David Mcallister.

If there ever was an archetypal medieval villain, then it must be Robin Hood's Sheriff of Nottingham. As King John's right-hand man, he was always intriguing, cruel, and merciless as he ravaged the countryside around Nottingham. While the sheriff is the stuff of legend, the real sheriff of Northamptonshire, Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire, and Cambridgeshire in the early 13th century was much, much worse. Few today will recognize his name, yet he has become part of our daily life. The sheriff's name was Falkes de Bréauté.At Todo Medieval we have thousands of medieval and other era products. Discover them!