Warrior women
One of the most asked question during our shows is: 'did women fight during middle age period'? The answer is yes.
Even if across the time, most of female warrior has been forgotten, a research we did, revealed that there has been a lot of strong female features, during middle age period, that brandished swords and wear armours to fight in battles.
Not everibody knows that in the period between 1100 A.C. and the end of middle age (and more) there were female chevalry orders.
THE ORDER OF THE AXE founded in 1149 in Catalogna from Raimondo Berenger, earl of Barcellona to honour women which fighted to defence the city of Tortosa against Mors attacks.
THE ORDER OF GLORIOUS SAINT MARY founded in Bologna from noble man Loderigo D'Andalo in 1233 and recognized from pope Alessandro IV in 1261, suppressed from pope Sesto V in 1558.
In 1441 were founded in France orders exclusively opened to noble women who receipt the french title of Chevaliére (Equitissa in latin). After a period of 3 years of training they where orded knights (militissae). A knight (man) touched their shoulders with his sword pronouncing ritual words.
A lot of women are remembered in history books for their military ability:
11° century
- Urraca, queen of Aragona became regent of Leon and Castiglia in 1094 after her husband's death. She passed 13 years of her life in war, with her second husband. She defended her sons rights to the throne holding personally the sword in battles.
- Teresa of Portogallo, minour sister of Urraca keeped family tradition fighting in battles.
- Duchessa Gaita of Lombardia, died in 1090. She was a soldier who went in battle with her husband, a norman mercenary, wearing full armour.
- Matilda of Canossa, countess of Tuscany was born in 1046. She learned when she was a child to use armies. She went in battle for the first time with her mother, at the age of 15, in 1061 to defence interests of pope Alessandro II. When his father, duke Goffredo, died in 1069, she became a leader. She personally guided the trups in war, brandishing his father's sword. She passed 30 year of her life fighting first for pope Gregorio VIII , then for pope Urbano against germanic emperor Enrico IV. She died in 1115.
12° century
- In 1189, a papal edipt forbidded women to take part to the III crusade, but was ignored. Queen Eleonora of Aquitania, Margherita of Provenza, Florine of Denmark, Berengaria of Navarre has surely fight during this crusade. Gilbert de Nogent who wrote an history of crusades, told about an 'amazon troup' whith Emperor Corrado in Siria.
- Altruda, countess of Bertinoro (Italy), hold armies to fight a revolution in Aucona in 1172, she took part to a lot of battles.
- Queen Tamara of Georgia crowned in 1178, planned battle plans, personally managed her troups dressing and guided them as a modern general.
- Emperess Maud, knowed as Matilda, fighted and won a long war for her succession rights to the throne of Normandy against her cousin Stephen. She died in 1167.
13° century
- Jeanne de Navarre (1271-1304) was regent of Navarre, Brie and Champagne. She fighted during a revolution against her from count De Bar.
14° century
Marzia of the Ubaldini in Ordelaffi from Forlì, Maghinardo Pagani's nephew, honoured herself in battle guiding last rexistance of Cesena's castle against popaline troups of cardinal Albornoz (1357).
15° century
- Joan d'arc
- Isabella of Castiglia. She wear armour to fight a long war to defence her rigths to the throne, she used her own sword in battles for people rights. She planned strategies and organized hospitals. Her military valour was shown in 1475, when even if wounded, she guided her soldiers to the victory in Toledo.
The royal english military annuary, tells about call to army in 1457. Between the 174 people called to army, 5 (2,9%) are women. Alis Hammel has her own armour, sword, buckler and bow. Alis Gare has a bow and a plate armour. "Condefer wife" has bow, sword and buckler. Margareth Athyn and Sally Pens hasn't any equipment listened, like more than 39% of the other in the list.
Caterina Sforza was the duke of Milano's daughter. Married to pope Sisto IV's nephew, Girolamo Riaro. In 1483 she defenced her husband's territory against venetians, at the 7th month of pregnancy, she chiefened Castel S. Angelo at pope's Sisto death till his successor came in charge. After her husband's death , she's been the unique regent of Forlì and Imola. In the name of her sons she fightened a lot of battles. Her castle was conquered in 1500 after a long siege for the betraying of a soldier who opened the door to the enemies. She was setted free in 1501, she died eight year after.
Theese are only a few of the women that took an important part in the middle age wars and battles. But we'd like to remember that as in all wars, a lot of names has never been written.
further informations www.lothene.demon.co.uk