Book: "The Warrior Queens"
I recently realized that my college library actually, wonder of wonders, has books in it. It took me two and half years, but I'm trying to make up for lost time.
The book I'm currently reading is The Warrior Queens by Antonia Fraser. Since I can't seem to shut up about it, I might as well just make a blog post.
The book is about historical warrior queens, defined as "one who combined both elements of rule and martial leadership." As such, Margret Thatcher is covered in the book, while Joan of Arc, who falls under the far more diffuse category of Warrior Woman, is not. Other women discussed in the book include Boadicea/Boudica, Artemisia, Tomyris, Zenobia, Matilda of Tuscany, Tamara of Georgia, and Isabella I of Castile, among many, many others.
The book discusses tropes that tend to be found in the legends and stories of warrior queens. They are
The Holy (Armed) Figurehead, in which the Warrior Queen invokes religious feeling to inspire her people, sometimes while armed. This trope is found in the stories of Matilda of Tuscany and Queen Isabella, among others.
The Voracity Syndrome and its mirror the Chaste Syndrome. In both cases, the popular assumption surrounding the Warrior Queen is that, being considered remarkable for her sex, her sexuality must be remarkable as well. The former was used as an attack against any Warrior Queen susceptible to it (including Caterina Sforza, Cleopatra, and Semiramis.) The latter was usually found among the Warrior Queen's supporters, often to a ridiculous degree when the Warrior Queen's assumed Chasteness was a direct contrast to the fact that she was married with children. In some cases, like that of Matilda of Tuscany, both tropes are found; while there are lots of stories of her avoidance of the marriage bed, her enemies accused her of sexual relations with the pope.
Tomboy Syndrome, which is when the Warrior Queen's childhood contains stories of eschewing traditionally feminine activities in favor of hunting or fighting. It's an extension of the idea that a Warrior Queen is, and always has been, an Honorary Male. The Tomboy Syndrome was sometimes applied inaccurately, as in the case of Matilda of Tuscany, who would send presents of her own emboirdery to contemperies such as William the Conquerer; despite this, Lodovico Vedriani's wrote of her that she "disdaining with a virile spirit the art of Arachne she siezed the spear of Pallas," and the Tomboy Syndrome is prevalent in stories about her.
Shame Syndrome, in which the men around the Warrior Queen are said to be shamed by her courage compared to theirs. It also applied often to the Warrior Queen's opponents, who would be shamed for their losses (or simply for fighting against a woman at all.)
'Only-a-weak-woman' Syndrome, when the Warrior Queen "indulges in a sudden diplomatic outbreak of modesty, pleading the notorious weakness of her sex, generally for good practical reasons of self-interest," such as when Zenobia used her sex to escape the consequences of fighting Rome and losing, or how Isabella I would would act deferential to her husband while weighing in on military matters.
The Appendage Syndrome, which is where the Warrior queen "will either be regarded officially as an appendage to her father, husband, or even son (as in the case of Cleopatra) or stress the relationship to give herself validity (as in Elizabeth I's frequent stress upon her father Henry VIII)."
So, The Warrior Queens discusses women in history, politics and warfare, and common tropes found in stories that relate to both. I am enjoying this book quite a bit.
The book I'm currently reading is The Warrior Queens by Antonia Fraser. Since I can't seem to shut up about it, I might as well just make a blog post.
The book is about historical warrior queens, defined as "one who combined both elements of rule and martial leadership." As such, Margret Thatcher is covered in the book, while Joan of Arc, who falls under the far more diffuse category of Warrior Woman, is not. Other women discussed in the book include Boadicea/Boudica, Artemisia, Tomyris, Zenobia, Matilda of Tuscany, Tamara of Georgia, and Isabella I of Castile, among many, many others.
The book discusses tropes that tend to be found in the legends and stories of warrior queens. They are
The Holy (Armed) Figurehead, in which the Warrior Queen invokes religious feeling to inspire her people, sometimes while armed. This trope is found in the stories of Matilda of Tuscany and Queen Isabella, among others.
The Voracity Syndrome and its mirror the Chaste Syndrome. In both cases, the popular assumption surrounding the Warrior Queen is that, being considered remarkable for her sex, her sexuality must be remarkable as well. The former was used as an attack against any Warrior Queen susceptible to it (including Caterina Sforza, Cleopatra, and Semiramis.) The latter was usually found among the Warrior Queen's supporters, often to a ridiculous degree when the Warrior Queen's assumed Chasteness was a direct contrast to the fact that she was married with children. In some cases, like that of Matilda of Tuscany, both tropes are found; while there are lots of stories of her avoidance of the marriage bed, her enemies accused her of sexual relations with the pope.
Tomboy Syndrome, which is when the Warrior Queen's childhood contains stories of eschewing traditionally feminine activities in favor of hunting or fighting. It's an extension of the idea that a Warrior Queen is, and always has been, an Honorary Male. The Tomboy Syndrome was sometimes applied inaccurately, as in the case of Matilda of Tuscany, who would send presents of her own emboirdery to contemperies such as William the Conquerer; despite this, Lodovico Vedriani's wrote of her that she "disdaining with a virile spirit the art of Arachne she siezed the spear of Pallas," and the Tomboy Syndrome is prevalent in stories about her.
Shame Syndrome, in which the men around the Warrior Queen are said to be shamed by her courage compared to theirs. It also applied often to the Warrior Queen's opponents, who would be shamed for their losses (or simply for fighting against a woman at all.)
'Only-a-weak-woman' Syndrome, when the Warrior Queen "indulges in a sudden diplomatic outbreak of modesty, pleading the notorious weakness of her sex, generally for good practical reasons of self-interest," such as when Zenobia used her sex to escape the consequences of fighting Rome and losing, or how Isabella I would would act deferential to her husband while weighing in on military matters.
The Appendage Syndrome, which is where the Warrior queen "will either be regarded officially as an appendage to her father, husband, or even son (as in the case of Cleopatra) or stress the relationship to give herself validity (as in Elizabeth I's frequent stress upon her father Henry VIII)."
So, The Warrior Queens discusses women in history, politics and warfare, and common tropes found in stories that relate to both. I am enjoying this book quite a bit.