Medieval War Vol Iv.2 - Queens And Valkyries

Enjoy Medieval War Vol Iv.2 - Queens And Valkyries

Medieval Warfare - iv.2

Written by Christy Beall



Theme: Knights and fighting princesses - medieval women as warriors



Introduction: Owen Rees, 'Historical Introduction: Female Warriors and Generals'.



In this modern age of social enlightenment, equality and gender understanding, there is a dark corner in which lies the big elephant in the room: women in war, or more specifically, women on the front lines. It is an emotionally volatile topic that forces any society to question and challenge its perceptions of gender, of women in particular, and of its own core beliefs. This debate is not unique to our supposedly gender-liberated society; it is a debate that has raged on for centuries. Perhaps the first attempt at a balanced debate came in the medieval period. But of course, it needed to be debated, simply because of the number of women who were present at war.



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



The phenomenon of female warriors has been analyzed time and time again, but everyone has their own point of view. These views can certainly 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 (as opposed to the modern sense of the term), we might take a look at Viking society.



Subject: David Balfour, 'Salerno's Sichelgaita in Dyrrhachium: A Formidable Sight'.

Illustrated by Julia Lillo.



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



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

Illustrated by Maxime Plasse.



Nestled in the Caucasus Mountains, surrounded by fierce steppe horsemen and warlike Muslim emirates, lay the Christian kingdom of Georgia. By the early 13th century, after continuous fighting along its borders, this tiny 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, France, began to hear voices demanding the expulsion of the invading English forces and the coronation of Charles VII at Reims. Her obedience to this calling gave rise to the proliferation of certain legends that extolled her exploits and assigned her a pivotal role in the liberation of Orleans and France. Although other women claimed divine patronage, why did the French establishment single out Joan? Did they discern personal advantage, manipulating her for political gain? How do the events at Orleans separate legend from reality?



Subject: Nils Visser and Willeke Snijder, 'Jeanne of Flanders - The Flame of Brittany'.

Illustrated by Jason Juta.



Joan of Arc has become the archetype of the medieval female warrior, but she was by no means the only woman to don armour and wield a sword. This is not to say that it was commonplace – female fighters remained the exception rather than the rule – but exceptions occurred with far greater frequency than is commonly known. Indeed, a woman was sometimes even expected to wield a sword or exercise command. Such is the case with several women involved in the Breton War of Succession, all conveniently named Jeanne – though we will focus on Jeanne of Flandres, otherwise known as the ‘Flame of Brittany’.



Subject: Jean-Claude Brunner, 'Margaret, Countess of Tyrol: One Wife, Two Husbands'.

Illustrated by ganbat badamkhand.



Only in legend did Margaret, Countess of Tyrol (1318-1369), Duchess of Carinthia and Bavaria, fight in armour, but much more vividly. Legends tell of her and her army rampaging through the valleys of Carinthia. Clad in armour, her steely embrace would crush men to death so she could 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. Her casting off of her first husband and marrying a new one created quite a stir in Europe.



Specials



The General: Kenneth Cline, 'George Maniakes: The Ill-Fated General of Byzantium'.



From the death of Basil II to the rise of Alexius Comnenus, the history of Byzantium seems sadly devoid of military achievement until one considers the glorious, tempestuous and ill-fated career of George Maniakes, who demonstrated that Byzantine armies could still win significant victories in an age of military decline – and also that palace politics could undo all such achievements.



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

Illustrated by David McAllister.


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